Dan Zanes & Claudia Eliaza Bring Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera NIGHT TRAIN 57 to NYC

Night Train 57 the latest project from the modern master of all-ages music, NYC's beloved Grammy winner Dan Zanes. In the spirit of Leadbelly, Pete Seeger and more, Dan has spent the past 18 years specializing in music for kids and kid sympathizers. This summer Dan's label released it's 22nd release, the soundtrack to his latest opus, the Sensory Friendly Comic Folk opera Night Train 57, a musical adventure that leads listeners and audiences into the cosmos on an epic journey.

Dan Zanes and Haitian-American vocalist and music therapist Claudia Eliaza present the freewheeling musical world of the Night Train 57, an engine powered by 15 original singalongable songs. In this Sensory Friendly comic folk opera, the husband-wife duo are joined by Mexican percussionist Yuriana Sobrino on a collection of festive tunes played with guitar, trombone, mandolin, flute, harmonica, ukulele, congas, bongos, cajon, tambourine, and of course voices. This recording is intended to be enjoyed as a stand alone listening experience for families and early childhood educators as well as fans of the comic folk opera.

Night Train 57 was significant in the Theater for Young Audiences genre in that it was the first entirely Sensory Friendly work to be commissioned by The Kennedy Center which for several years has been the leader in this movement towards greater accessibility. The show premiered in Fall 2017 and will be touring North America for the next several years. Eliaza and Zanes are at the forefront of the emerging Sensory Friendly movement which aims to help performing arts venues provide conditions that are welcoming to a variety of families, including those who have children with special needs.

Here's the story: On a warm summer night Claudia and Dan gather by the clothesline to hang laundry and sing songs. There they meet Yuriana, a new neighbor, and with the help of a magic lantern, a shimmering map, and a book of rhymes, the three friends discover the mysterious and legendary Night Train 57, a train with A Seat For One And All that can fly into outer space when powered by music. The trio take their Guitars To The Stars while Going Up to the galaxies. They find out What Kind Of Train they're riding on and try on some crazy conductor Hats. Suddenly, as they're looking out the window at The Sea of Stars, disaster strikes - a meteor shower! The train is forced to land among the Reds, Blues, and Greens on the Planet of Flowers. There they meet a giant sunflower that likes to sing but doesn't like to dance. The friends play Bloom, Baby, Bloom! and, surprise, the flower goes wild. Although they're stranded in outer space and don't know how to get the train home again, Claudia, Yuriana, and Dan never give up. Eventually they find hope - and a solution - in The Darkest Night. As the singing friends triumphantly ride Night Train 57 back to Planet Earth there's time for one last dance party in the sky with a Bright Morning Song before the weary travelers arrive home with hearts full of stories and songs. The air is filled with a sense of life's best possibilities as a new day begins to Shine On everyone.

The term Sensory Friendly refers to a way of taking the needs of people on the autism spectrum and those with sensory sensitivities into consideration when presenting a show. As Dan and Claudia say, "Sensory Friendly opens the door wider. There is an audience that's always felt comfortable in these venues and now, with a few adjustments, we can make an environment that is suitable and appropriate for even more people. It's about greater inclusion and accessibility." An important factor, in addition to sound and light modifications to the audience experience, and the availability of a quiet "chill-out" room, is the invitational language indicating a welcoming and supportive environment for those with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities that allows them to be who they are. Claudia and Dan believe that the inclusive spirit behind Sensory Friendly is the future of mainstream family entertainment and they invite everybody to experience what it feels like when "we're all in this thing together!"

Night Train 57 is the 22nd release from Dan Zanes' Festival Five Records, a label specializing in all-ages music for kids and kid sympathizers. The label's first release was Rocket Ship Beach in 2000. For the past 2 years, in addition to Night Train 57 performances, Claudia and Dan have been performing as a duo - and sometimes a trio with Haitian jazz vocalist Pauline Jean - in venues large and small across America and Canada. In concert, their soulful take on family folk music includes selections from Lead Belly, Baby!, an award winning 2017 Smithsonian / Folkways release, as well as hits from Dan's back catalog and, more recently, some traditional tunes from Claudia's Haitian heritage. Time magazine called Dan "The genre's most eloquent spokesperson" and NPR referred to him as "the gold standard in children's music." Since the beginning of his collaborations with Claudia Eliaza, it's clear that the best is yet to come. Night Train 57 is the first indication.

Night Train 57 is available now for streaming on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music and anywhere folks are searching for great music.

NIGHT TRAIN 57 AT ITUNES

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