The Building Stage, a Chicago theater company noted for its unique retellings and adaptations of various media to the stage presents their newest and largest endeavor to date: The Ring Cycle. The Ring Cycle is a non-operatic theatrical re-imagining of the famous Richard Wagner opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung. Utilizing original music, circus arts and puppetry in conjunction with the libretti, this epic project will synthesize 16 hours of opera into a six-hour theater piece co-directed by The Building Stage Artistic Director Blake Montgomery and Associate Artistic Director Joanie Schultz. The six-hour production includes two short intermissions and a dinner break. Ticket buyers are invited to pack a picnic or purchase snacks, meals and drinks at the theater. The dinner available for pre-purchase is a $10 boxed sandwich dinner from the popular family-owned Bari Foods (vegetarian options available). Patrons will be greeted with a complimentary cup of hot coffee or cocoa upon entrance and during the dinner break everyone is invited to picnic on the stage with their meal or snacks.
The official opening performance of The Ring Cycle is February 13 (previews run January 30 and 31 and February 6 and 7). The production runs each Saturday at 3 p.m. and each Sunday at 2 p.m. through March 14, 2010. A special Gala Benefit performance is Sat., Feb. 20 and is accompanied by special treats at each interval, a champagne toast, and a fully catered dinner. Preview tickets are $20, regular run tickets are $40 ($32 for students/seniors), and Gala tickets are $75. Tickets may be purchased at
www.buildingstage.com or by calling 312-491-1369. The Building Stage is located at 412 N. Carpenter and free parking is available.
The Ring Cycle is an exciting project for the Building Stage, not only due to the challenge of adapting a story of this massive size and scope, but also because people may recognize the name of the piece or a character, however, the actual story is not well known. Aspects of this epic tale of mythology and psychology are echoed throughout other great large-scale productions such as Star Wars or The Lord of the Ring. German and Norse mythology and sagas inspired Wagner's original vision, and with that inspiration he created an amazing opera cycle that has a narrow but dedicated audience. The Building Stage is working towards creating a massive re-envisioning for The Ring Cycle that will bring new audiences to Wagner's world and provide his fans with an exciting new look at the work that is beloved by them. The Building Stage's The Ring Cycle will focus on making this ancient story contemporary, immediate, fun, and emotionally powerful. Using Wagner's libretti as a starting point, the story conceived by co-directors Montgomery and Schultz and developed by the ensemble.
While original scores of the operas will not be performed, music still plays a large role in this production. The orchestral score of The Ring of the Nibelung is well known for its complex leitmotifs adding layers of meaning and weight to the text. These motifs will be a partner in the production, both in finding theatrical ways to express them, and with the newly composed musical components included in The Ring Cycle.
Kevin O'Donnell, composer and bandleader, is charged with working from the original score to create a new soundtrack for a band to perform live onstage.
The Building Stage company members include: David Amaral, Daiva Bhandari, Christopher Hibbard, Fannie Hungerford, Chelsea Keenan, Lori Myers, Meghan Raham, and Max Wirt. Blake Montgomery is Artistic Director, Joanie Schultz is Associate Artistic Director and Interim Managing Director.
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