Brooklyn Philharmonic, Youth Chorus and Roulette Present BROOKLYN VILLAGE, 3/24-24

The Brooklyn Phil, in its debut "reboot" season under Alan Pierson, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, celebrating its 20th anniversary under Dianne Berkun, are two of the borough's venerable arts institutions. Recently Roulette, the famed experimental music venue in Manhattan, moved into a new home in Downtown Brooklyn, a gorgeous renovated 1920's art deco theater. Together all three are part of a cultural renaissance which is taking place in Brooklyn, and they have now formed an unprecedented partnership to present a multimedia spectacular: BROOKLYN VILLAGE, an homage to the creative spirit of Downtown Brooklyn as it has evolved over the last 200 years.

Brooklyn Village departs from a traditional concert to create an immersive experience for the audience, using video, sound, narration, staging, locally written music and audience interaction to connect Brooklyn's generations of inhabitants from the past, to the present, and the future. Links between the 19th century and our own time trace the development of Brooklyn from a small village to a global super city.

The Setting: We begin in 1869, a time when New York City lived out its wildest fantasies, when the famous and the faceless made history together. A proud community of workers, poets and artists gathers along The Edge of the East River in Brooklyn Village, obscured under the shadow of Manhattan, awaiting their inevitable destiny. It was a time bursting with creativity, passion and rebellion; when an engineer's obsession would consume a centuries old village and unite the greatest city in America.

Then as now, Brooklyn remains. Join the Brooklyn Phil, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and Roulette on the imaginary final day of St. Ann's Church in Brooklyn as it is about to be razed to make way for the foot of the new massive Brooklyn Bridge.
Brooklyn Village opens with the scherzo movement from Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, a reimagining of the debut Brooklyn Philharmonic performance in 1857, when this work was performed. In each of its major concerts this season, the Brooklyn Phil performs a movement of Beethoven's Eroica as a salute to its roots.

The evening will showcase three world premieres by prominent young composers. David T. Little's Am I Born was co-commissioned by the Brooklyn Phil and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. The new work takes inspiration from two 19th century sources: the American tradition of shape note hymn singing, and Francis Guy's 1820 painting "Winter Scene in Brooklyn," which currently hangs in the Brooklyn Museum. In the piece, the painting is embodied in song by Mellissa Hughes, a "versatile and compelling" soprano.

The second world premiere is Here, an a cappella work for solo children's chorus, written by composer Sarah Kirkland Snider, and commissioned by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.

The third world premiere is Canvas by Matthew Mehlan, the Brooklyn-based leader of the experimental band Skeletons. Music by Brooklyn's own Aaron Copland (born and raised in Prospect Heights) and indie-rock sensation Sufjan Stevens (Ditmas Park resident) round out the program.

A team of artists joins the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and Roulette to craft the production into a cohesive whole, including Tony Award-winning stage director Ted Sperling, librettist Royce Vavrek, sound designer Woramon Jamjod, visual designer Laurie Olinder, and producer Beth Morrison.

Tickets are available online through the Roulette Box Office by visiting www.roulette.org.

Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 7:30 PM

$35 Priority Seating

$25 General Admission

$20 Students/Seniors (General seating only)