03/06/2019
For those traveling or living in NYC: Operavocateur Productions presents La Farannucci March 15th & 16th in Brooklyn, NY
NEW YORK, NY, Jan 20th, 2019 – La Farranuccci, a new comic opera that was pulled last year because the former presenting organization deemed it too provocative will now open at the Brooklyn Playhouse Theater. Music and libretto by Grammy-nominated composer David Chesky, directed by Shelly Watson, conducted by Anthony Aibel, and produced by Victoria Rodriguez.
Featuring a stellar cast of fourteen performers and an orchestra of 15 musicians, La Farranucci is a comedic opera about opera, La Farranucci takes the industry to task.
“I wanted to look at opera from behind the scenes and show all the things that can go wrong” says creator Chesky. “The audience gets to watch a rehearsal of an opera company putting on an opera. From the stage to the board of directors. La Farranucci is a mixture of some very crazy characters that find themselves on the same stage.” La Farranucci through the eyes of a hippie composer, an opera singer, and a rich donor. The opera tackles how catering to a few rich donors stifles creativity and authenticity in opera. Where will it all end up?
"The contemporary opera, La Farranucci, follows the inhabitants of an opera house in the throes of a perilous production on and off stage," says director Shelly Watson. "They struggle with the future of opera, humanity and politics in our current nonsensical society. Juxtaposing a strong classical form with a neo opera buffa style, La Farranucci explores the truths of artistry vs. administration, policies vs. pursuance of the American dream, time honored traditions vs. the digital age; and challenges the audience to ask: do money and power really trump art and artists?"
March 15th & 16th 8PM
Brooklyn Playhouse,
126 St Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Click here for tickets
For press tickets or inquiries please contact [email protected]
About David Chesky (Composer & Libretto)
Three-time Grammy nominee David Chesky is a composer of orchestral works, operas and ballets, the author of children’s books, a jazz pianist, and a world-renowned innovator of audio technologies. His unique style of composition, heralded as “Urban Orchestral” music, merges classical techniques with the sounds of New York. Chesky was composer in residence for the Taiwan Philharmonic orchestra. This year Chesky was commissioned to compose Krzysztof Penderecki’s birthday orchestral work that premiered in Warsaw Poland. He just finished recording the concerto for two guitars and orchestra featuring Angel and Pepe Romero, and his family ballet The Zephyrtine will tour Europe this fall. As the founder of the audiophile label Chesky Records & hi-res digital download store HDtracks, he pioneered ultra-high-resolution recording techniques and has produced over 500 albums in genres spanning classical, jazz and world music.
www.davidchesky.com
About Shelly Watson (Director)
Shelly Watson (Director, set and costume designer) has cultivated every artistic opportunity in New York over the last 28 years. Music, dance, theater, film, comedy, costume/set design, radio, burlesque and television are just a few of her creative outputs.
She received a BM and MM from Juilliard in opera and was honored with the first ever “Inter arts Award” by the prestigious institution for pioneering the Inter Arts program, which brought all three disciplines of music, dance and drama together to collaborate for the first time in the history of the school. The program still thrives today.
The NY Times characterized Shelly as "Rambunctious, over the top and of considerable charm.” Whether performing, producing or directing, she brings her own distinct combination of both high and lowbrow Art.
www.shellywatson.com
About Anthony Aibel (Conductor)
Anthony graduated with honors from Juilliard and studied acting and directing for many years with Tony-nominated director/acting teacher Terry Schreiber. As a writer, he won an award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and he has been published in The New York Times. In addition to TV/Film prep, he also prepares actors and singers for agents as well as for auditions/roles in musical theater/plays. Besides the above projects, he has subbed on Broadway, and he was the conductor and musical director for Area 31 and orchestra album, which received a Grammy Award Nomination.
About Victoria Rodriguez (Producer)
Victoria Rodriguez, originally from El Paso, Texas, is woman of many professions within the performing arts community. In the Gogo dancing world she’s known as “Star” and in the burlesque community she goes by “Queenceañera”, and as an opera singer she specializes in the “pants role” variety from Cavalli’s “Satirino” to Mozart’s “Cherubino.” She also sings with a Pierrot Ensemble, and is a current member of The Actor’s Project NYC , which specializes in comedy. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice from University of North Texas, and a Master of Music from New York University, and was also apart of the last graduating class of the Institute of Audio Research, where she received a certificate in audio studies, specializing in live sound. Victoria is the resident engineer at Brooklyn Music School Playhouse, and has worked as both an engineer and stage manager at venues in NYC such as Opry City Stage by Grand Ole Opry, Chelsea Music Hall, Provincetown Playhouse, and worked with individuals and events such as Nels Cline, Vince Gill, Sean Lennon, Marjan Farsad, Persian Arts Festival, and many others. She also served as the technical director for In Scena, a traveling two week Italian Theatre festival that ventures to all five boroughs.
"Chesky could turn out to be a one-man Brecht–Weill for the twenty-first century.”
Opera News
A comedic opera about opera, La Farranucci takes the industry to task. Through the eyes of a Hippie composer, an opera singer, and a rich donor, the opera tackles how catering to a few rich donors stifles creativity and authenticity in opera.
Music and Libretto: David Chesky
Director: Shelly Watson
Producer: Victoria Rodriguez
Conductor: Anthony Aibel
Cast: Tina Boosahda, Jay Chacon, Jonathan Christopher, Daniel Foltz-Morrison, Allison Gish, Lauren Gismondi, Christina Kay, Rachel Music, Tim Powers, Victoria Rodriques, Jessa Salemo, Alex Schecter, Sam Strickland
Dates: March 15th and 16th 8PM
Location: Brooklyn Playhouse
126 St Felix Street, Brooklyn NY 11217
