Ars Nova to Present the World Premiere of HEATHER CHRISTIAN'S ORATORIO FOR LIVING THINGS

Ars Nova has announced details for the world premiere commission of Oratorio for Living Things by Obie Award-winner and 2015 & 2016 Ars Nova resident artist Heather Christian. Directed by Obie Award-winner Lee Sunday Evans, the event fuses music and theater, surrounding the audience with 18 virtuosic singers and instrumentalists. Oratorio for Living Things runs March 15-April 17, 2022, at Ars Nova @ Greenwich House (27 Barrow Street, Manhattan) with an opening on March 30, exactly two years to the day from its previously scheduled pre-pandemic opening. Tickets are now on sale at www.arsnovanyc.com/oratorio.

In this sweeping world premiere, Heather Christian infuses the classical oratorio with blues, gospel, jazz, and soul. Oratorio for Living Things unfolds the complex layers of what it means to be alive and our relationship to time. The experience surrounds and uplifts, celebrating our curiosity, our wonder, and what we're capable of becoming when in communion with each other. The resulting music-theater event heralds Christian as an undeniable artistic force.

Oratorio for Living Things strengthens Ars Nova's reputation as a producer of daring new forms of music theater. While radically different in shape and content from previous endeavors, it nonetheless builds on the success of the Tony Award-winning smash-hit Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, the Broadway-bound KPOP, and the Lortel Award-winning "Outstanding Musical" Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future.

Founding Artistic Director Jason Eagan remarked, "Heather Christian is one of the most singular artists we've had the pleasure of supporting at Ars Nova. We're overjoyed to bring this tremendous creative team led by Lee Sunday Evans back together, two years after the initial premiere was upended. Oratorio for Living Things takes Heather's artistry to another level, and in this critical moment when our world is at odds, I suspect her manifesto for what it means to be alive will reach deep into people's souls and remind us of our own humanity. We can't wait to finally share this powerful, collective experience!"

The 18-member ensemble cast for Oratorio for Living Things includes Kirstyn Cae Ballard, Fraser A. Campbell, Sean Donovan, Carla Duren, Clérida Eltime, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Brian Flores, Odetta Hartman, Quentin Oliver Lee, Angel Lozada, Barrie Lobo McLain, Ben Moss, John Murchison, Onyie Nwachukwu, Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh, Dito van Reigersberg, Peter Wise, and more.

The creative team for Oratorio for Living Things includes Ben Moss (Music Direction), Kristen Robinson (Scenic Design), Márion Talán de la Rosa (Costume Design), Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Lighting Design), Nick Kourtides (Sound Design), Greg Taubman (Latin Consultant & Translator), Joseph Fernandez, Jr. (Production Stage Manager), Kelsey Vivian (Assistant Stage Manager), and Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA (Casting Director). Oratorio for Living Things is produced in association with Rosalind Productions Inc.

Oratorio for Living Things was originally scheduled to run March 10-April 12, 2020, with a press opening on March 30, 2020. It was postponed on March 12, 2020, following two preview performances.

Performances of Oratorio for Living Things will take place March 15-April 17, 2022, at Ars Nova @ Greenwich House, located at 27 Barrow Street in Manhattan. Critics are welcome as of Wednesday, March 23, for a press opening on Wednesday, March 30. Performances take place Tuesday-Saturday at 7pm with additional performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm starting March 26 and two 5pm performances on March 20 and 27. Tickets, starting at $35, are currently on sale at www.arsnovanyc.com/oratorio.

Ars Nova will require proof of full vaccination for all artists, staff, and audience members for all in-person performances and events through the end of this season. Masks and/or CDC-recommended face coverings will be required for audiences and employees inside the theater at all times. For more information on Ars Nova's COVID-19 health and safety protocols, please visit https://arsnovanyc.com/FAQ/.

Please visit https://arsnovanyc.com/oratorio/ for more information.

To post a comment, you must register and login.