What might the master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe, write if he were alive today? This is the question American Lyric Theater asked of three composers and three librettists to create The Poe Project!
BURIED ALIVE (Music by Jeff Myers, Libretto by Quincy Long): What is reality and what is a dream? Am I alive or am I dead? Did I really jump from the Williamsburg Bridge? These are the questions Victor asks as his perception of consciousness is challenged. A painter who has become morbidly obsessed by his work, Victor descends into madness as Death beckons him to join her - or is it madness at all? Victor's wife Elena tries to help Victor overcome his delusions, but are those delusions - and is her love - all they seem to be?
...OF THE FLESH (Music by Jay Anthony Gach, Libretto by Royce Vavrek): In a world overcome by a devastating plague, Harris and Vince struggle with how to continue loving each other. Paranoia of contagion is everywhere, and intimacy comes at a high price. With Vince infected and incurable, has Harris abandoned his true love for the safety and sexual pleasure of a young man yet uninfected? Or does Harris have other reasons for seducing the cherubic Lief, that go far beyond the desire to feel the touch of another man once again?
EMBEDDED (Music by Patrick Soluri, Libretto by Deborah Brevoort): How would you feel if your ratings were dropping, and a young, attractive reporter was poaching your stories? Sylvia Mallow earned her place at the top of network news programming, but the attractive young Victoria Reilly has career ambitions of her own that, increasingly, push the more senior newscaster to the edge. When Sylvia gets an intriguing offer to be embedded in an infamous terrorist's cell, she can't resist the opportunity to take on a story that will surely show Victoria who really belongs on the air. Will her ambition to cover a dangerous story really help her put Victoria in her place? Or, will it redefine Sylvia's own role on TV in a way that even she would never expect?
This chilling trilogy of one-act operas will be performed in concert on Monday, November 1st, 2010 at Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th Street) with an all-star cast including soprano Caroline Worra, soprano Jamie-Rose Guarrine, mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel, tenor Chad A. Johnson, baritone Christopher Burchett, and bass Kevin Burdette. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $16 on the day of the performance, and are available from www.symphonyspace.org or by calling (212) 864-5400. ALT's previous performances at the Thalia have been sold out - so get your tickets today, and don't miss this incredible evening of music and theater!
IF YOU HAVE $1 TO SPARE, YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT THE POE PROJECT
You don't have to be a millionnaire to help support new operas (though if you are one, and you'd like to help support ALT, don't hesitate to let us know!). ALT's upcoming performance of The Poe Project is the culmination of a ten-day developmental workshop, during which the composers and librettists who are writing these riveting new operas will have the opportunity to work with world renowned singers to further develop the trilogy for future full scale production.
If you believe that gifted emerging composers and librettists should have the best possible chance to develop and showcase their work, please help us bring The Poe Project to life this fall with a donation of any size. No amount is too small - and every dollar goes directly to the artists working to bring these new operas to life. Donations are tax deductible, and we have some great ways to show you our appreciation for your support!
