Long Beach Opera Presents THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Now thru 2/3
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 27, 2013
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, a gothic horror story which blurs the line between the real world and the supernatural, opens Long Beach Opera's 2013 BORDERLINE Season. Glass' haunting 1987 score for Edgar Allan Poe's macabre masterpiece provides the perfect backdrop for this nightmarish journey to The Edge of madness.
LBO's West Coast Premiere of Usher takes place today, January 27, February 2 and 3, 2013 at the atmospheric Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro.
USHER marks Long Beach Opera's (LBO) first co-production with Chicago Opera Theater (COT), both of which are under the direction of Andreas Mitisek.
Named by Opera News as one of 25 people who are poised to become major forces in opera in the coming decade, Andreas Mitisek is entering his 10th season as LBO's artistic and general director. "Our 2013 BORDERLINE Season introduces figures who walk the line between truth and illusion, genius and madness, "explains Mitisek, who will be conducting the performances. "The Fall of the House of Usher is about internal and external collapsing worlds. Glass' music suspends reality and time, hypnotizing us on this journey to The Edge of the real and imaginary. It's a 90 minute psychological roller coaster ride."
Ken Cazan, who staged LBO's acclaimed production of Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen, returns to direct this production of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cazan is currently the Chair of Vocal Arts and Opera and Resident Stage Director at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. He has directed opera, musical theater, and legitimate theater in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Norway, and Italy. Besides directing Usher, his upcoming work includes directing Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites at USC and Ned Rorem's Our Town for the Central City Opera.
Long Beach Opera and Philip Glass - past productions:
Akhnaten - Terrace Theater, Long Beach, CA - March 19 & 27, 2011 The Sound of a Voice - Aratani Japan Theater, Los Angeles, CA - Nov. 18 & 19, 2006
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (1987)
Composer - Philip Glass
Libretto - Arthur Yorinks
The performances will take place in the Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, Calif., today, January 27, at 2:00 pm, Saturday, February 2 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, February 3 at 2:00 pm. Opera Talks with Artistic and General Director Mitisek one hour before performances.
CAST
Madeline Usher: Suzan Hanson
Roderick Usher: Ryan MacPherson
Physician: Jonathan Mack
William: Lee Gregory
Servant: Nick Shelton
Stage Director: Ken Cazan
Lighting Design: David Jaques
Set Design: Alan E. Muraoka
Costume Design: Jacqueline Saint-Anne
Prices range from $29 to $160. Reduced prices are offered to subscribers. First-time subscribers receive a 50% discount on season tickets. Purchase tickets by calling LBO Ticket Services at 562-432-5934 or by going online to the LBO website: www.longbeachopera.org/tickets.
*COINCIDENCE* (SPECIAL RELATED EVENT)
DEEP INTO THE DARKNESS...
Saturday, Jan 19, 1:00pm
Art Theatre Long Beach, 2025 East 4th St., Long Beach, CA
Meet two American artistic pioneers from well off the beaten path: Edgar Allan Poe - the father of the "whodunit," and Philip Glass - the face and sound of 21st century American music. We've got a killer lineup that includes the LBO cast presenting teasers from Glass' The Fall of the House of Usher; The Raven, a 1915 silent documentary about Poe's tragically short life; and dramatic readings of Poe horror stories. The pièce de résistance will be a Poe/Glass mashup combining film, readings, and live performances of Glass' music for solo instruments. Guaranteed to keep audience members on The Edge of their seats!
Tickets: $20. Subscribers get special discounts on Coincidence ticket prices. Tickets can be purchased by calling the LBO Ticket Services at 562-432-5934 or by going online to LBO's website: www.longbeachopera.org/tickets.
Long Beach Opera (LBO) is internationally known for its cutting-edge interpretations of unconventional repertoire. LBO creates immediate, inventive, and often boldly avant-garde productions for an adventurous audience and stands apart from most opera companies in the number of world, American, and West Coast premieres the company has staged. Founded in 1979, it is the oldest professional opera company in the Los Angeles/Orange County region, with a performance history of more than 90 operas ranging from the earliest works of the 17th century to operas of the 21st.
Bold site-specific stagings in such places as parking structures, a trendy nightclub, the hull of an ocean liner, an Olympic swimming pool, and a furniture warehouse, as well as performances in traditional theaters, reflect the company's desire to give modern audiences an immersive theatrical experience, and to showcase opera in a new light. Through its diverse productions, special concerts, and film screenings at multiple venues in the Los Angeles/Orange County areas, an active education program, and student matinees, Long Beach Opera continues to make opera accessible to an ever-expanding audience.
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