The LA Opera Presents the West Coast Premiere of DOG DAYS, 6/11-15

LA Opera concludes its 2014/15 season with the west coast premiere of Dog Days, a shocking work by composer David T. Little and librettist Royce Vavrek that incorporates elements of opera, musical theater and rock. Based on a powerful short story by Judy Budnitz, Dog Days is set in the aftermath of an unimaginable catastrophe as a family struggles to survive. The teenage daughter clings to hope, unwilling to accept their dire situation, until a disturbing stranger shows up at the doorstep.

Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as "one of the most exciting new operas of recent years," Dog Days is a harrowing reminder of contemporary opera's raw power. After its 2012 world premiere, The New York Times predicted that "it's only a matter of time before this riveting show is confirmed as a groundbreaking American classic."

Dog Days is the initial presentation in a multi-season collaboration between LA Opera and Beth Morrison Projects to present cutting-edge contemporary operas in the intimate environment of REDCAT (631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012). Dog Days will have five performances at REDCAT fromJune 11 through 15, 2015. LA Opera's presentation of Dog Daysis made possible by a generous grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Note: This production features violence, mature themes and adult language and is not recommended for children.

LA Opera Off Grand at REDCAT
Dog Days is presented under LA Opera's Off Grand banner, which complements the company's mainstage programming through a wide variety forms of artistic exploration. Dog Daysalso launches a new multi-season partnership with Beth Morrison Projects to support today's most creative talents in the fields of opera and music-theater. The collaboration will feature new operas presented at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), a contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex.

LA Opera's partnership with Beth Morrison Projects will expand in the 2015/16 season to include two productions: the west coast premiere of Misty Mazzoli's Song from the Uproar in October and the world premiere of David Lang's Anatomy Theater the following June.

REDCAT is located on the northeast corner of the intersection of W. 2nd and Hope Streets, and has its own street entrance at 631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information about REDCAT, please click here.

About the Cast and Creative Team
The entire 2012 world premiere cast of Dog Days will reunite to reprise their original roles for the Los Angeles performances. Soprano Lauren Worsham, who earned a Tony Award nomination for her Broadway appearance in A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder, will perform the leading role of Lisa. Performance artist John Kelly reprises the non-singing role of Prince, a man who has chosen to live as a dog. Baritone James Bobick and soprano Marnie Breckenridge portray Lisa's parents, with tenors Peter Tantsits and Michael Marcotte as her brothers. Mezzo-soprano Cherry Duke is the Captain.

The instrumental ensemble Newspeak will be conducted by Alan Pierson. The production is staged by acclaimed director Robert Woodruff, with a creative team that includes scenic and video designer Jim Findley, costume designer Victoria "Vita" Tsykun and lighting designer Christopher Kuhl.

For additional information, click here.

Performance Dates and Times
There will be five performances of Dog Days at REDCAT:

• Thursday, June 11, 2015, at 8pm
• Friday, June 12, 2015, at 8pm
• Saturday, June 13, 2015, at 8pm
• Sunday, June 14, 2015, at 2pm
• Monday, June 15, 2015, at 8pm

Tickets
Tickets are on sale now. Tickets are $69 and can be purchased in person at the LA Opera Box Office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, by phone at 213.972.8001 or online at LAOpera.org. For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or emailLAOpera@LAOpera.org.

To download production and artist photographs for Dog Days,click here.

Dog Days was originally produced by Peak Performances @ Montclair State (NJ) in association with Beth Morrison Projects. Dog Days was commissioned by Peak Performances @ Montclair State (NJ). Selections from Dog Dayswere commissioned and presented by Carnegie Hall for the Weill Music Institute. Scenes from Dog Days were presented as part of New York City Opera's VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab. The 2015 tour of Dog Daysis produced by Beth Morrison Projects.

Rolex is the Official Timepiece of LA Opera.
Yamaha is the Official Piano of LA Opera.

Photo Credit: James Matthew Daniel

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