Enigma Chamber Opera Presents A New Version Of Mozart's THE IMPRESARIO

Enigma Chamber Opera has announced their second production - 'a lockdown opera for the Covid age'! Following their sold out production of Britten's The Turn of the Screw (described by Zoë Madonna in the Boston Globe as 'an auspicious arrival in the Boston arts landscape'), Enigma were determined to rise to the challenges of 2020, and to find ways to be creative during the days of isolation. Mozart's singspiel The Impresario seemed to director Kirsten Z Cairns to be the ideal show.

This innovative production is tailored specifically to the current times, with a topical new book and libretto. Calling on media designer Peter Torpey's technical brilliance, Enigma have created an operatic movie about the struggles artists face at the moment; with beautiful costumes by Rebecca Shannon Butler, wonderful playing by pianist Maja Tremiszewska, and a stunning cast. The silver lining to being obliged to work remotely is that performers and crew can be drawn from as far afield as Los Angeles and France! The exceptional talents of singers Matthew DiBattista, Katrina Galka, David Kravitz, and Deborah Selig are augmented by London based actor Simon Robson, to create this wonderful, comic piece. And all without any two artists ever being in the same building!

The opera is available on YouTube at no charge, to view whenever you like. The production can be found at http://bit.ly/impresarioopera

CAST

SIMON ROBSON as Sir Nick Hall, The Impresario

DAVID KRAVITZ as 'Boo' Bluff

MATTHEW DIBATTISTA as Judas Angel

KATRINA GALKA as Natasha Goldentrill

DEBORAH SELIG as Angela Silverpeal

As this multi-layered show begins, we meet actor Simon. He has been hired to appear in an online production during lockdown, to play the role of 'Sir Nick Hall', an impresario - who is trying to work out how to make an online production during lockdown. Simon and fellow performer David get the piece going, as 'Bluff' and Sir Nick discuss options. They hit on the idea of creating a show which is about the act of endeavouring to create a show under such restrictions - and so the layers build...

Singers Matt, Katrina and Deborah join the cast, and their alter egos navigate the issues, as they explore how the piece might work; meanwhile the performers themselves grapple with what it means to be an artist, especially in such times. Finally it all seems to be coming together, and even our cynical Sir Nick Hall feels hopeful - but events conspire against him, and the moment for such a show has passed. The rest of the cast are jubilant at the prospect of a return to normal life, but Sir Nick is left despondent, as his project evaporates. Back in the 'real world', Simon too finds that life has taken a turn for the worse. What a rollercoaster 2020 has been.

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