Guerilla Opera Will Host 'Guerilla Backyard Bash' This June

On Wednesday, June 5th, Guerilla Opera will present the “Guerilla Backyard Bash”, a new annual fundraiser supporting radical new works of opera theater and programs that support artists whose work challenges the status quo, hosted by radio personality Kennedy Elsey (Mix 104.1).

Located in the Charles River Speedway, the Guerillas take over Garage B, a revitalized 1940s garage for “the bash”. This large industrial warehouse is perfect for indoor/outdoor fun including a backyard grill feast, backyard games, raffle prizes, music from DJ WhySham, and a sneak peek of new music from The Windows, a haunting new opera. Food is included with the purchase of admission, and raffle tickets can be purchased. Exchange your raffle tickets to challenge your friends to backyard games, enjoy drinks at the bar, and enter raffles with prizes from local businesses, including tickets to the Santana and the Counting Crows concert at the Xfinity Center in July, courtesy of Mix 104.1!

The event will be hosted by local celebrity, Kennedy Elsey, co-host of the #1 morning show in Boston, Karson and Kennedy on Mix 104.1. Elsey is a lifelong fan of opera and a talented singer herself, having sung the National Anthem for the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and the Patriots.  

This event also features a performance of world-premiere music from The Windows, by Elizabeth Gartman and Susan Bywaters. This brand new opera is a haunting interpretation of the events preceding the disappearance of local author and former child prodigy, Barbara Newhall Follett in 1939, who was never seen again.

This new annual fundraiser is Guerilla Opera's largest event of the year. Guerilla Opera, a BIPOC-led and feminist “punk” organization, is Boston's only experimental chamber opera ensemble. They are one of only a few companies in the world with the exclusive mission of presenting new experimental works of opera theater. Through their progressive new works, they explore unexpected realms and have garnered a national reputation for innovation.

Since 2007, the rebellious company has embodied the strongest “punk” values, including challenging the status quo, questioning inherited systems, and advocating for individual rights and equality. In this spirit, they uplift the voices of the unheard through rebellious works of opera theater.

Every dollar raised will be matched up to $50,000 from a Creative Vitality Grant from The Barr Foundation, and directly fuels new productions like The Windows, empowering local artists to produce progressive works that ask strong questions of our world.

Attending the Guerilla Backyard Bash directly contributes to the sustainability of this company that has been a staple of the Boston arts scene since 2007. The fundraiser supports the creation of new experimental operas in outstanding live productions, studio albums, experimental films, virtual performance festivals, and streaming events; allows the company to organize community events and gatherings with organizations like the Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library; and empowers these iconoclasts to offer more professional development opportunities for opera creators like the Guerilla Labs and Guerilla Writer Collective for opera librettists.

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