Re-envisioned 'STREETCAR', THAT NEVER HAPPENED Premiere and More Highlight Boston Court's 2018 Season
By: BWW News Desk Oct. 09, 2017
Boston Court Performing Arts Center will bring another daring year of theatre and music events to Southern California to their 2018 season. Artistic Directors Jessica Kubzansky, Michael Michetti and Mark Saltzman have programmed dozens of eclectic, globe-trotting, and genre-crossing concerts as well as three new theatrical productions including two premieres.
Artistic Director Michael Michetti helms the first theatrical offering: a bold, modern retelling of one of the most famous plays of the past century, A Streetcar Named Desire (February 15 - March 25, 2018). This radical re-envisioning of Streetcar will feature a multicultural cast and modern setting, pushing on the play's contemporary relevance. This is not the first time Boston Court has staged a controversial Tennessee Williams work; 2011 saw a collaboration with CalArts on another of his plays.
Boston Court Performing Arts Center's music offerings, curated by Artistic Director Mark Saltzman, launch with The Operatic American Playwright -- a concert (January 27) drawn from the literary output of Tennessee Williams and some of his contemporaries. Pianist Mark Robson and soprano Amanda Squitieri have created a staged program of scenes from operas inspired by seminal works of 20th century American Playwrights and novelists.
Theatre offerings continue with the West Coast premiere of first generation Nigerian-American playwright Mfoniso Udofia's Her Portmanteau (May 24 - June 30). Directed by Gregg T. Daniel, Her Portmanteau is one part of the nine-play saga, The Ufot Cycle, which chronicles the triumphs and struggles of the tenacious matriarch of a Nigerian family in the United States. Udofia has been praised by Deadline Hollywood as a playwright with, "a seriously compelling storytelling gift."
The world premiere of Everything That Never Happened (September 27 - November 4) by Sarah B. Mantell and directed by Artistic Director Jessica Kubzansky concludes the 2018 theatrical season. The play, a finalist for the Leah Ryan FEWW Emerging Playwright Prize, reexamines The Merchant of Venice for what really went down between Shakespeare's scenes. Mantell explores the realities of Jewish history and culture, the true relationship between Shylock and Jessica, and what it costs to escape from a 16th Century Venetian ghetto.
As in prior seasons, dozens of concerts will happen throughout the year particularly in the spring and fall. Highlights include a weekend mini-festival surveying the music of Claude Debussy in celebration of his 100th birthday (October 5-7), the return of the wildly popular Piano Spheres artists Mark Robson, Vicki Ray (October 12), and Susan Svr?ek (September 8), collaborative concerts of poetry and music with the Red Hen Press, and the Boston Court debuts of brilliant piano virtuoso Steven Vanhauwaert, and the New Philharmonic string quartet featuring members of the LA Philharmonic.
Reaching beyond the borders of Los Angeles, UniCamp Ensemble (February 2-3), the Brazilian conductorless cello orchestra, comes from Sao Paolo, the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (March 3) from Russia, and the locally-based Armenian Public Radio (February 17) brings a modern twist to the musical traditions of ancient Armenia.
Keeping with its mission to present the newest and most interesting music of Los Angeles area composers, the nonprofit performing arts center is proud to present two evenings featuring the latest compositions of Joanna Wallfisch (February 9) and Julia Adolphe (October 13). Wallfisch premieres a new multimedia song cycle along with her new CD release, and Adolphe, whose commissions have already been performed by the New York Philharmonic and the LA Chamber Orchestra will feature an eclectic evening that includes selections from her new opera, A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears. Those concerts plus other jazz, micro-tonal music, classical chamber music, world music, new music, and much more round out the year.
"Our extraordinary team of artistic directors have created a 2018 season that includes dozens of theatrical, musical, poetic, and at times indescribable offerings," says Executive Director Kyle Clausen. "I'm looking forward to welcoming returning subscribers, as well as brand new patrons to our 15th season of bold, adventurous programming in a beautiful, intimate venue."
New and returning subscribers can purchase tickets to the 2018 season now with flex passes, traditional music or theatre subscriptions or the new $25/month Full Court Pass, which allows unlimited access to tickets to any Boston Court Performing Arts Center season performances. Subscriptions range from $54-$130. Visit BostonCourt.com or call 626.683.6801 to subscribe.
BOSTON COURT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER'S 2017-18 SEASON:
THEATRE
A Streetcar Named Desire
Written by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Michael Michetti
A Reimagined Classic on the Boston Court Main Stage
February 15 - March 25, 2018
Opens February 24, 2018
This daring production strips away decades of Southern gothic gauze to reveal striking themes of class, race, and gender--reinvigorating the classic which shocked audiences in its debut 70 years ago. By placing the iconic 1940s-era Blanche within an entirely contemporary, multicultural, urban environment familiar to audiences but utterly foreign to her, this 21st century production highlights the relevance of this play for our divided America.
Her Portmanteau
Written by Mfoniso Udofia
Directed by Gregg T. Daniel
A West Coast Premiere on the Boston Court Main Stage
May 24 - June 30, 2018
Opens June 2, 2018
"A moving and powerful corrective to the notion that what immigrants leave behind is always awful, and that what they find is worth the trip." - The New York Times
A family rifles through their literal and emotional baggage in this taut and poignant drama about family, legacy, and connection. Tensions flare and secrets are exposed in this West Coast premiere chronicling the triumphs and struggles of tenacious Ufot family matriarch and her two daughters--one of whom recently emigrated from Nigeria. Mfoniso has written a rich and surprising family saga steeped in unapologetic emotional truth and exploring the limits of the bonds between mothers and daughters, the power of place, and how we define home.
Everything That Never Happened
Written by Sarah B. Mantell
Directed by Jessica Kubzansky
A World Premiere on the Boston Court Main Stage
September 27 - November 4, 2018
Opens October 6, 2018
The Merchant of Venice missed the point.
Forget everything you think you know about Shylock; this world premiere fills the gaps in Shakespeare's tale and exposes the realities of Jewish history. Mantell's fresh and time-bending story is rich with humor and heartbreak while bridging the 16th century with today and beyond. What do we lose or gain by leaving our own culture? And what sacrifices does love demand of fathers and daughters, lovers and friends? Everything That Never Happened is a play about disguise, assimilation, pomegranates, and everything Shakespeare left out.
MUSIC - CLASSICAL, OPERA, CONTEMPORARY and NEW
OPERA
The Operatic American Playwright
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
January 27, 2018 at 8:00pm
Pianist Mark Robson and soprano Amanda Squitieri perform a staged program of seminal works by American Playwrights and novelists that have been adapted into operas. Settings from Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar named Desire and Summer in Smoke, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby amongst others.
CLASSICAL
Unicamp Brazilian Cello Ensemble
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
February 2 & 3, 2018 at 8:00pm
Formed in 2013, this conductor-less orchestra features multiple celli from Sao Paulo, Brazil and specializes in the music of Villa-Lobos as well as other South American composers.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL
Descent into Madness: Miss Donnithorne's Maggot and Other Cautionary Music
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
February 10, 2018 at 8:00pm
An edgy staging of Peter Maxwell Davies devilishly difficult ensemble "Miss Donnithorne's Maggot" featuring the Brightwork new music ensemble and soprano Stacey Frasier.
CLASSICAL
Steven Vanhauwaert: Romancing the Piano
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
February 16, 2018 at 8:00pm
Acclaimed concert pianist, Steven Vanhauwaert presents an unabashedly romantic program of Schumann, Busoni, Respighi and Liszt.
NEW MUSIC
Microfest: Bach and Bartok Retuned for the 21st Century
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
March 2, 2018 at 8:00pm
Adventurous violinist Sara Cubarsi and violist Madeleline Falcone pair up for a program of Bach and Bartok re-imagined for micro-tonal tuning, along with duo works by Ben Johnston, Catherine Lamb, and Wolfgang von Schweinitz.
NEW MUSIC & CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL
Synchromy: Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
March 3, 2018 at 8:00pm
Russia's leading contemporary music ensemble champions modern music and composers from all over the world. With an ear towards détente, this illustrious group offers a program combining California composers like Nick Norton, Vera Ivanova and Jason Barabba with composers from the Russian Avant-Garde including Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Roslavets, and Polovinkin.
NEW MUSIC
Panic Duo: Women's Voices
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
March 9, 2018 at 8:00pm
Celebrating International Women's Day, the piano/violin duo present a program of women composers focusing on the important poetical, spiritual and musical voice of women in our society. This concert features recent works by Sara Graef, Kaija Saariaho, Thea Musgrave, Juhi Bansal, Vera Ivanova and Gilda Lyons.
CLASSICAL
The New Philharmonic Quartet
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
March 10, 2018 at 8:00pm
Los Angeles Philharmonic violinists, Akiko Tarumoto and Johnny Lee, violist Ingrid Hutman, and cellist, Gloria Lum join together for a program featuring favorite chamber music for strings including works by Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn.
NEW MUSIC
Mana Saxophone Trio
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
March 16, 2018 at 8:00pm
This multidisciplinary concert featuring the premieres of three new works for multiple saxophones. Composers Gabriel José Bolaños Chamoro, Andrew Cote, and Olivia Kieffer explore the subject of immigration and xenophobia.
CLASSICAL
Con Gioia Early Music Ensemble
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
March 17, 2018 at 7:00pm
Southern California's premier baroque ensemble celebrates the 350th anniversary of the birth of one of France's most venerable composers, Francois Couperin, with a sumptuous survey of his popular and lesser-known repertoire.
NEW MUSIC
Poets, Prophets and Philosophers: Visionaries in our Time
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
September 7, 2018 at 8:00pm
The Lyris Quartet along with soprano, Hila Plitmann, and others present new works by Derrick Spiva, Matthew Aucoin, and Gabrielle Owens drawing from texts about struggle and redemption from poet Paul Celan, Dante's Purgatorio, and the prophecy of Daniel.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL
Piano Spheres: Susan Svr?ek
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
September 8, 2018 at 8:00pm
One of Los Angeles most revered pianists, Svr?ek is both a model of technical impeccability and a champion of new and fascinating repertoire which she will bring to the stage of the Branson.
NEW MUSIC
The USC Collaborative Alumni Concert
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
February 23, 2018 at 8:00pm
USC graduates in the disciplines of vocal performance and music composition reunite to perform works they first premiered over the past eight years at Boston Court, along with the composers more recent compositions.
POETRY & CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL
Water and the Future: Red Hen Press and the Music of Toru Takemitsu
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
February 24, 2018 at 8:00pm
Red Hen Press Poets Florencia Ramirez and Tess Taylor share the stage with veteran Boston Court Performing Arts Center musicians Alexander Miller and Sara Andon in an evening of readings, music, and discussion on environmentalism centering on the importance of water in this age of heavy consumption.
CLASSICAL
The Art of Claude Debussy
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
October 5, 6, 2018 at 8:00pm; October 7, 2018 at 3:00pm
A mini-festival featuring pianist, Mark Robson and cellist, John Walz that includes the chamber music, piano masterpieces, melodies, lectures and master classes to commemorate the 100th year of the death of this most beloved of the French impressionist composers.
NEW MUSIC
Piano Spheres: Vicki Ray
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
October 12, 2018 at 8:00pm
The phenomenal and fearless Grammy-nominated pianist returns with innovative programming that continues to redefine the piano recital in the 21st century.
NEW MUSIC
Composer at Large: An Evening with Julia Adolphe
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
October 13, 2018 at 8:00pm
With commissions already performed by the New York Philharmonic, and the LA Chamber Orchestra, this evening with the young and gifted American composer includes a sneak preview of selections from her new opera, co-commissioned by the Boston Court Performing Arts Center.
MUSIC - MIXED GENRES, JAZZ, FOLK, WORLD and POETRY
JAZZ & MIXED GENRE
Joanna Wallfisch: A Musical Portrait
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
February 9, 2018 at 8:00pm
Two extraordinary musical journeys with this highly-gifted, genre-blending singer and composer. Her multimedia musical memoir about one woman's solo concert tour via bicycle from Portland to Los Angeles "The Great Song Cycle Song Cycle" is paired with the new album release of her latest and greatest opus "Blood and Bone."
FOLK & WORLD MUSIC
Armenian Public Radio: New Music from an Ancient Tradition
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
February 17, 2018 at 7:00pm and 9:00pm (two shows)
Sharing a love for their heritage, this exciting, young musical trio brings an inventive and fresh perspective to the traditional music of their homeland.
POETRY & JAZZ
Blues and the Abstract Truth: Red Hen Press with a Night of Jazz & Poetry
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
September 14, 2018 at 8:00pm
This event features poets William Archila and Douglas Manuel whose works approach the issues of race, societal expectation, urbanization, and economic downturns paired with jazz pianist virtuoso Josh Nelson and friends.
MIXED GENRE
The Harp Twins
Concert in the Marjorie Branson Performance Space
September 15, 2018 at 8:00pm
As the world's only identical twin professional harpists, the vivacious Camille and Kennerly are classically trained and share a passion for arranging and performing rock, metal, and pop music--all on their exceptionally elegant instruments.
Additional music artists to be announced.
Located in Pasadena, California, Boston Court Performing Arts Center is nonprofit arts center primarily dedicated to new and original work by living artists. Founded in 2003 by philanthropist Z. Clark Branson, Boston Court features a state-of-the-art, intimate facility designed to bring audiences and artists closer together. The 75-seat Marjorie Branson Performance Space and the 99-seat Main Stage serve as homes for Boston Court's season of bold, risky theatre and its eclectic, diverse music series. Boston Court Performing Arts Center is also the home of an annual new play festival, an Emerging Artists Series, as well as Art Upfront, a rotating visual arts program. Boston Court is led by an 13-member Board of Directors, Executive Director Kyle Clausen, and Artistic Directors Jessica Kubzansky and Michael Michetti (Theatre), and Mark Saltzman (Music).
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