NYU Steinhardt To Stage Dialogues Of The Carmelites

NYU Steinhardt's Program in Vocal Performance will present Dialogues of the Carmelites from March 29-April 1, 2018. The opera in three acts features music by Francis Poulenc and libretto by the composer after Georges Bernanos' play Dialogues des Carmélites. The English translation is by Joseph Machlis. Michael Scarola is the stage director and NYU Steinhardt's Michael Ricciardone is the music director.

Dialogues of the Carmelites-which first opened in 1957 and has been performed in Italian, French, and English translations-tells a fictionalized story of the Carmelite nuns who were executed by guillotine in the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution for refusing to renounce their religion.

The story follows Blanche de la Force, a young aristocratic girl who seeks refuge from the conflict in a Carmelite monastery, and is based on the historical events of 16 Carmelite nuns and lay sisters from Compiègne who sacrificed their lives to restore peace to France.

Dialogues of the Carmelites is the largest-scale opera brought to NYU Steinhardt. Sixty-three student cast members worked through the difficult material and complex musical arrangements; the 10 lead roles are double-cast.

NYU's production of Dialogues of the Carmelites runs March 29-March 31 at 8 p.m. and April 1 at 3 p.m. at the Frederick Loewe Theatre, 35 West 4th Street. Tickets are $20 general admission and $5 for students and seniors. For tickets, contact NYU Box Office at tickets.nyu.edu, call 212.998.4941, or visit in person at 566 LaGuardia Pl (at Washington Square South).

Dialogues of the Carmelites features music direction by Michael Ricciardone, stage direction by Michael Scarola, scenic design by Ryan Howell, lighting design by Anshuman Bhatia, sound design by Benjamin Furiga, assistant music direction by Andrew Sun and Ji Young Lee, and production stage management by Carly Levin. The cast features NYU Steinhardt students Kelsey Andridge, Carolyn Boulay, Flávia Darcie, Yixuan Chen, William Eastland, Julia Ennen, Dongyang Fei, Kelsey Harston, Jonathan Heller, Marissa Hernandez, Jordan Hope, Natalia Johnson, Jinkyung Kim, Jacklyn Klimczak, Shadrick Lester, Samantha McCaleb, Amanda Medley, Miranda Mhoon, Nicole Mitroussias, Diaz Mussalimov, Andrew Peterson, Emily Phelan, Sardée Ramos, Mary Rice, Katherine Robinson, Melyn Saenz, Danielle Salomon, Christopher Robin Sapp, Ted Sarge, Brianna Sheriff, Reka Szakacs, Kiara Wade, Geddy Warner, and additional ensemble members.

Steinhardt's Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, established in 1925, instructs over 1,600 students majoring in music and performing arts programs. Music and Performing Arts Professions serves as NYU's "school" of music and is a major research and practice center in music technology, music business, music composition, film scoring, songwriting, music performance practices, performing arts therapies, and the performing arts-in-education (music, dance, and drama).