| Orchestre symphonique de Montréal | |
| Kent Nagano | Conductor |
London, October 2, 1872: Someone has just stolen £20,000 from the Bank of England! Inspector Fix promptly suspects the distinguished Phileas Fogg. Several things arouse his suspicion. First of all, on the day of the robbery, Fogg is getting ready to leave the country unexpectedly. Accompanied by his new valet, the excitable Passepartout, he is about to embark on a madcap adventure in the hopes of winning a wager: to race around the world in just 80 days! Not only that, but Fogg has bet half his fortune, which just happens to be the princely sum of £20,000. Well, well, well….
News of their departure makes headlines. The hot air balloon launch takes place at 8:45 p.m. on the dot. Obsessively punctual, Phileas Fogg intends to return on December 21, 1872, at precisely the same time.
And off they go! Heading east, they first arrive at the newly opened Suez Canal, after which they head on to India, travelling from Bombay to Calcutta, China, Japan and, finally, America, where their journey takes them from San Francisco to New York. Travelling by train, steamer ship, horse-drawn carriage and elephant, our two adventurers and their travelling companions cross continents, sail oceans and have a thousand adventures, until the tenacious inspector Fix finally catches up with them and nearly jeopardizes the entire trip…. which is saved thanks to the difference in time zones!
