La Petite Carmen taps global cast for U.S. premier in NYC
Opera uses production process to heal and build communities
July 25, 2013 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OPERAnauts to Congo announces its United States premier to be held August 11th, 2013 at 7:30 at LePoisson Rouge (158 Bleecker St, NYC). The premier is the capstone of two years of community-building efforts designed to promote peace and build unity—a model that will be implemented in the war-ravaged communities in the Congo in 2014 with a goal of teaching youth a technique for coping with violence and aggression in their own lives, while spreading hope and peace to all people through music.
The OPERAnauts will perform La Petite Carmen; its own adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen arranged to underscore the senselessness of violence. The New York premier is a collaboration of artists and creatives across the US. and Canada. The Congolese productions will similarly tap local creative artists. OPERAnauts’ field work in Congo will include music instruction at Congolese schools and partnerships with the local orchestra.
The US premier models the community- building approach: music is the bridge, uniting people of many cultures. Performing artists and creatives from across the country and Canada have united for the performance: mezzo-soprano Catherine Anne Daniel, tenor Tod Kowallis, bass-baritone MartinHargrove, and soprano Joy Bechtler will perform opera roles in La Petite Carmen while six musicians from the tri-state area will perform as the music ensemble. Seamstresses in Kinshasa (Congo)hand-made fabrics; international fashion designer Aruna Arya used the fabrics to create the costumes; artwork and graphic design from Philadelphian artist Sophie Sarkar; Africa-inspired choreography in the production by award-winning choreographer Aya Shabu.
Tickets are $100-$25 and benefit the OPERAnauts to Congo. Tickets are available on-line atLPRNYC.com and at the box office.
OPERAnauts to Congo uses music as a social change agent in Congo to reverse the cycle of violence, poverty and disease. Founded in 2012, OPERAnauts’ mission is to present opera, a powerful musical art form, to urban youth and adults to demonstrate the collaborative and community-building process of producing a premiere event. Founder of OPERAnauts, Joy Bechtler was raised in the Congo and now resides in Princeton, NJ.
Contact: Bernadette Teeley
Contact Email: operanauts@gmail.com