Pianist Christopher O'Riley Plays the Range in CABARET FANTASTIQUE

HERE is thrilled to present Cabaret Fantastique, a culminating concert event featuring pianist Christopher O'Riley who performs his haunting solo piano arrangements of songs by Radiohead, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Elliott Smith, Portishead, and Sun Kil Moon. Master puppeteer and MacArthur "genius" Basil Twist and company members from Symphonie Fantastique will accompany O'Riley with new puppet work. The one-of-a-kind event will take place on August 19 at 7pm. Known to millions as the host of NPR's From the Top, O'Riley is currently performing live piano accompaniment for Basil Twist's Symphonie Fantastique, which continues performances at HERE until September 2.

Tickets at $15 and can be purchased by visiting here.org or by calling 212-352-3101. In person sales at the box office after5pm only on performance days and two hours prior to curtain for matinees. For Group Sales, contact tickets@here.org.

About the Artists

Acclaimed for his engaging and deeply committed performances, the pianist Christopher O'Riley is known to millions as the host of NPR's From the Top. Now in his 15th year on the air, O'Riley introduces the next generation of classical-music stars to almost a million listeners each week. He performs around the world and has garnered widespread praise for his untiring efforts to reach new audiences.

Christopher O'Riley has performed as a soloist with virtually all of the major American orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, National Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. In addition, O'Riley has performed recitals throughout North America, Europe, and Australia.

Living by the Duke Ellington adage "There are only two kinds of music, good music and bad," O'Riley - a proponent of the former in all of its guises - has received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and an equally coveted four-star review from Rolling Stone magazine. O'Riley strives to introduce new audiences to classical music with an almost missionary zeal by performing piano arrangements of music by Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana alongside traditional classical repertoire. He has collaborated for many years with the flutist Sir James Galway and cellists Matt Haimovitz and Carter Brey.

A native of San Francisco, Basil Twist is a third generation puppeteer who lives and works in New York City and is the sole American graduate of the Ecole Superieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette in France. Since coming to New York over 20 years ago, Twist has garnered an international reputation as an audacious designer, director, and performer. He creates iconic, visionary puppetry worlds with a remarkable range of style and scope appearing in intimate nightclubs to large orchestra halls. He is a sought-after collaborator for theater, dance, opera, and film. Original creations include Symphonie Fantastique, La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco, Dogugaeshi, Hansel and Gretel, Behind The Lid, Arias with a Twist, Seafoam Sleepwalk, Rite of Spring, and Sisters Follies.

Collaborations include Behind The Lid with Lee Nagrin and Red Beads with Lee Breuer/Mabou Mines. His recent collaborations include Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots with Des McAnuff (director), and A Street Car Named Desire for The Comedy Francaise in Paris with Lee Breuer. His Broadway credits include Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The Pee Wee Herman Show, Oh Hello!, and The Addams Family. Film credits include Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. In dance most recently, he created the sets and puppetry for the world premiere of Dorothy and The Prince of Oz for The Tulsa Ballet and Ballet Met. With Christopher Wheeldon he collaborated on a new Nutcracker for the Joffrey Ballet, Cinderella at the Dutch National and San Francisco Ballets, and A Winter's Tale for the Royal Ballet. He created Darkness and Light with Pilobolus, and created the title role in Wonderboy with The Joe Goode Dance Company.

In drama, Twist created the unforgettable siblings in Paula Vogel's play The Long Christmas Ride Home at Trinity Repertory and The Vineyard Theatre (including directing and designing the West Coast Premiere at The Magic Theatre) and the play within the play for Oskar Eustis' Hamlet at Shakespeare in the Park.

His utterly unique approaches have been recognized with awards, critical acclaim, and have furthered contemporary artistry and the technical craft of puppetry. Twist is a MacArthur Fellow and lives in New York where he leads HERE's Dream Music Puppetry Program.

About HERE

HERE's Dream Music Puppetry Program, under the artistic direction of Basil Twist, with producing direction from HERE co-founder Barbara Busackino, is one of few programs in the country to grow and commission contemporary adult puppet works, particularly works that feature live music as a collaborative element. Dream Music seeks to secure the future of puppetry by providing increased development and performance opportunities to puppet artists, and by collaborating with artists from other disciplines to develop new puppetry techniques. In addition, Dream Music brings to New York the most excellent of international puppetry, reflecting on Twist's roots at the E?cole Supe?rieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mezieres, France. Dream Music was inaugurated with the premiere of Basil Twist's OBIE-award winning Symphonie Fantastique in 1998 and the opening of the Dorothy B. Williams Theatre, an intimate space created specifically for intimate puppetry. HERE's Dream Music is also proud to house the Griff Williams Puppetry Collection. The 6 antique marionettes of Harry James, Griff Williams, Cab Calloway, Arturo Toscannini, Ted Lewis and Paul Whiteman were all performed with The Griff Williams Orchestra in the 1930s & 40s throughout America's big band era. They have a permanent home outside the Dorothy B. Williams Theatre at HERE.

The OBIE-winning HERE (Kristin Marting, Founding Artistic Director and Kim Whitener, Executive Director), which celebrates its 25th Anniversary this season, was named a Top Ten Off-Off Broadway Theatre by Time Out New York, is a leader in the field of producing and presenting new, hybrid performance viewed as a seamless integration of artistic disciplines-theater, dance, music and opera, puppetry, media, visual and installation, spoken word and performance art.

Standout productions include Eve Ensler'sThe Vagina Monologues, Basil Twist's Symphonie Fantastique and Arias with a Twist, Trey Lyford & Geoff Sobelle's all wear bowlers, Young Jean Lee's Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven, James Scruggs Disposable Men, Corey Dargel's Removable Parts, Taylor Mac's The Lily's Revenge, Kamala Sankaram's Miranda and Robin Frohardt's The Pigeoning, among many others. In 2008, following an extensive renovation, HERE re-opened the doors to its long-time downtown home for the arts, where it continues as a vibrant, welcoming haven for artists and audiences alike.

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