New Dates Announced for Huang Ruo and Basil Twist's BOOK OF MOUNTAINS & SEAS

St. Ann's Warehouse and Beth Morrison Projects, in association with PROTOTYPE: Opera | Theatre | Now and Trinity Church Wall Street, today announced that the sonically rich and visually arresting Book of Mountains & Seas will make its U.S. premiere this March 15-20. The new dates represent the triumphant fulfillment of a commitment the partner organizations made to the production when the surge of Omicron led to the cancellation of the 2022 PROTOTYPE Festival. Due to popular demand, a sixth performance has been added to the March schedule.

With a score and libretto by Huang Ruo, the production is directed and designed by the iconic Basil Twist. This very 21st century Book of Mountains & Seas is inspired by the ancient Chinese compilation of early myths of the same name, first transcribed in the 4th century B.C. It will be performed by 12 singers from The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, two percussionists and a team of the city's most gifted puppeteers.

The myths in the Book of Mountains & Seas are part of Chinese written and oral history, shifted and shaped to fit contemporary times. In four musical and visual tableaux, Ruo and Twist adapt the myths through the lens of our modern-day relationship with the natural world, with the creation stories conjuring respect and awe for the environment, and the water stories challenging us to be good stewards of the resources we have been given.

The Book of Mountains & Seas brings together two visionary artists at high points in their careers. Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times included Ruo's An American Soldier (with libretto by David Henry Hwang) in his list of the Best Classical Music Events of 2018, writing, "This inventive and searing opera could not have been more relevant in an America driven by issues of race, war and bullying." Tommasini named Ruo's The Sonic Great Wall, which the composer conducted at National Sawdust in 2019, a Critic's Pick. Basil Twist's staging of Titon et l'Aurore for the Opéra Comique in January 2021 won rave reviews, including from Heidi Waleson of The Wall Street Journal, who called the production "delicious."

Producer Beth Morrison said, "We are just thrilled to be able to bring this magical piece to New York audiences in partnership with St. Ann's after the postponement of our PROTOTYPE Festival (co-produced by HERE). It has been personally inspiring to work with these two visionary creators on this deeply relevant exploration of our relationship to our planet, and I'm certain that its scintillating score and moving puppetry will inspire many others as well!"

St. Ann's Warehouse Artistic Director Susan Feldman said, "We are so glad to be back up and running with this glorious blend of magic and awe."

Performing Book of Mountains & Seas at St. Ann's Warehouse will be singers from The Choir of Trinity Wall Street; percussionists Michael Murphy and Ryan Scott; and puppeteers Lute Breuer, Ben Elling, Rosa Elling, Alexandra Goss, Rachel Schapira, and Ashley Winkfield. The design team includes Basil Twist (Director/Production Designer), Poe Saegusa (Lighting Designer), and Lynne Buckson (Costume Construction).

The two creators were thrilled when they heard the news that Book of Mountains & Seas was being restored to the 2022 season.

Huang Ruo said, "Through ancient Chinese metaphors, Book of Mountains and Seas is a timely work that decodes who we are, where we came from, how our world was formed, and how we will end. Living through so many ups and downs during the pandemic, this is one of those precious joyful moments in which I can feel the burn of live arts again. My humble gratitude to everyone working so hard to unfreeze Book of Mountains and Seas and give it life this March."

Basil Twist said, "I am thrilled that we will be presenting the U.S. Premiere at St Ann's Warehouse this spring. Its cancellation as part of PROTOTYPE was especially hard for me, as this is the first original show of mine to be seen in NYC in many years. The commitment of BMP and St. Ann's Warehouse to the project is inspiring and this feels like a flower breaking through the winter ice. I hope this unique show inspires a sense of wonder, reverence, and appreciation for our world and the healing power of art, music, and live performance at this fragile time."

Book of Mountains & Seas was produced by Beth Morrison Projects, Ars Nova Copenhagen, Toronto Soundstreams, and Internationale Koorbiennale; developed by Beth Morrison Projects and Ars Nova Copenhagen; tour produced by Beth Morrison Projects.

The production is dedicated to the loving memory of Stuart Nelson.

Book of Mountains & Seas made its world premiere at the Royal Danish Opera House November 3-7, 2021, performed by Ars Nova Copenhagen. It marks the third collaboration between St. Ann's Warehouse and PROTOTYPE, following the highly successful U.S. premieres of the Donnacha Dennehy / Enda Walsh opera The Last Hotel (2016) and Carmina Slovenica's Toxic Psalms (2015).

American Express is a proud partner of the St. Ann's Warehouse 2021-2022 season.

Performance Schedule, Running Time, Tickets, and COVID-19 Protocol

Performances of Book of Mountains & Seas take place March 15-20: Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 5pm.

Running time is approximately 75 minutes.

Tickets, starting at $35, are on sale to the public now at stannswarehouse.org and 718.254.8779.

To reach full capacity safely, ID and proof of full vaccination will be required of all audience members. Visit the St. Ann's Warehouse Health & Safety page for more information.

St. Ann's Warehouse is located in Brooklyn Bridge Park | 45 Water Street | DUMBO | Brooklyn, NY 11201.

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