Listen and be amazed! Austria's rollicking Mnozil Brass displays extraordinary virtuosity and theatrical wit in Cirque, their newest show combining the monkey business of daily life with music and humor and transforming the stage into a musical flea circus. A madcap evening of seven supremely gifted musicians creating an environment of controlled chaos will be at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica performed on Thursday, March 26 at 7:30pm.
Mnozil Brass has established itself as one of the world's premiere brass ensembles. Their videos have garnered millions of views on YouTube and their fans have travelled countless miles to hear them play. Their shows include Yes! Yes! Yes!, which blends original compositions with classical favorites, jazz standards and popular hits-and Cirque, where the musicians combat the monkey business of daily life with music and humor, and transform the stage into a musical flea circus. The repertoire is presented with the group's iconic humour and wit in scenes so clever that they would be worthy of Monty Python.
Mnozil Brass take their name from the Gasthaus Mnozil, a restaurant across the street from the Vienna Conservatory, where, in 1992, seven young brass musicians met and began playing at a monthly open mic.
"Mnozil Brass is kind of a collective for classical music drop outs," trumpeter Thomas Gansch explained. "We all studied around the same time in Vienna and once a month there was an oompa music session at the Mnozil pub, that was located across the street. On these occasions we got together and jammed on Austrian and Bohemian traditional marches, polkas and waltzes and developed our entertainment skills. The better we would entertain the crowd, the more drinks we would get. It´s safe to say that basically we are still keeping this business model running."
Since then, the group has embraced repertoire for all ages and stages of life: from folk to classical to jazz to pop; all executed with the same fearlessness, immense technical skill and typical Viennese "schmäh" (sarcastic charm). In their time away from touring, Mnozil Brass has recorded eight albums and six DVDs. They've collaborated on three operetta and opera productions and composed and recorded the music for the 2006 film Freundschaft. The group has been nominated for the Amadeus Austrian Music Award and won the prestigious Salzburger Stier Cabaret Prize.
"Armed with tubas, trumpets, and trombones...they were dressed like misfits each in their own style which included short pants, pants in purple, plaid, crooked bowties, and red socks," said State Theatre New Jersey Magazine. "They exude chaos. The night consisted of a few of the players doing mime skits with clownish touches as the rest of the ensemble played their brass instruments. The chaos of their appearances met the beautiful brass music, creating a nice blend of performing arts. They were here, there, and everywhere-all around the stage."
Tickets starting at $39 are available at
thebroadstage.org or by calling 310.434.3200, or visiting at the box office at 1310 11thSt. Santa Monica CA 90401 beginning three hours prior to performance. Mnozil Brass also plays at the McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts on March 24 and Irvine Barclay Theatre on March 27.
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