NY Harpist and Cabaret Artist Rita Costanzi Brings One-Woman Show to Australia Tonight

Award-winning New York harpist and musical theatre actor, RITA COSTANZI, brings her acclaimed show A Score To Settle to Australia this month, appearing at the World Harp Congress in Sydney and The Butterfly Club, Melbourne for a strictly limited season.

Described as a 'tell-all tale of music, passion-and a very large instrument', A Score To Settle is a funny and poignant musical monologue based on Ms Costanzi's life.

By turns sensuous, hilarious and deeply moving, A Score To Settle shares her story from growing up as the musically gifted child of a famous violist father to training as a concert harpist and performing with orchestras across the world, to performing for dying patients in palliative care, confronting her own mortality and, finally, reconciling her art and life.

Ms Costanzi seamlessly integrates the compelling dialogue (written by Canadian playwright, KICO GONZALEZ-RISSO) with the virtuoso harp playing for which she is internationally renowned, featuring original compositions as well as famous classical works written for harp.

The show is directed by ARTHUR MASELLA, a long-time associate of Hal Prince (arguably America's most successful Broadway theatrical producer-director) and a distinguished Broadway show director in his own right.

After premiering at Vancouver International Festival with rave reviews, Ms Costanzi performed A Score To Settle at The Ottawa International Festival in 2010 and at its award-winning, sold-out New York debut at The United Solo Theatre Festival (the world's largest) in 2011. Performances in New York, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Brazil have elicited rapturous responses from critics and audiences such as: 'hilarious, compelling, engaging, inspiring, sensuous and mesmerizing.'

'There doubtless have been evenings with a pianist who intertwines a narrative with keyboard playing, but as far as I know, there is nothing remotely like the tour-de-force that harpist-actress Rita Costanzi pulled off. What makes this show extraordinary is not only the quality of Costanzi's acting, but her exquisite harp playing, which I found compelling and beautiful.'- Boston ArtsFuse.

A Score to Settle - Australian dates:

TODAY 25 July, 7:00pm, Harp Lounge, 12th World Harp Congress, Sydney

Sydney Dance Lounge, The Wharf Pier, 4/5 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay NSW

Wednesday 30 July to Sunday 3 August, The Butterfly Club

5 Carson Place, off Little Collins Street, Melbourne thebutterflyclub.com/show/a-score-to-settle

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