Isango Ensemble's A MAN OF GOOD HOPE Makes U.S. Premiere Tonight at BAM

Based in Cape Town, South Africa and comprising performers drawn primarily from the city's townships, the Isango Ensemble has garnered international acclaim for its deeply musical, theatricalized adaptations of classic works. With A Man of Good Hope the company draws inspiration from a contemporary work whose subject matter hits close to home.

In a co-production with the Young Vic-which partnered with Isango on 2014's Olivier Award-winning The Magic Flute-the company adapts for the stage South African native Jonny Steinberg's 2015 book about a Somali refugee's journey from Mogadishu to Johannesburg and finally to the US.

The production runs tonight, February 15, through February 18 at 7:30pm; and February 19 at 3pm at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave).

Driven by Isango's powerhouse vocals and signature marimba, the resulting work is a clear-eyed portrait of the compromises and resilience necessary for survival, transforming a single man's story into an expansive African epic.

The Young Vic's Artistic Director David Lan says "[A Man of Good Hope] is far and away the most adventurous project the company has attempted and made a huge impact on audiences in London."

IF YOU GO:

A Man of Good Hope
Based on the book by Jonny Steinberg
Isango Ensemble / Young Vic
Directed by Mark Dornford-May

Musical direction by Mandisi Dyantyis
Movement by Lungelo Ngamlana
Lighting by Mannie Manim

At BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave)
Feb 15-18 at 7:30pm; Feb 19 at 3pm
Tickets start at $30

Talk: Reflecting on the Refugee Crisis
Co-presented by BAM and PEN America
With Jonny Steinberg and other panelists to be announced
Feb 18 at 5:30pm
BAM Fisher Hillman Studio (321 Ashland Pl.)
Tickets: $20 ($10 for Members)

Master Class: Isango Ensemble
Feb 17 at 11am, Mark Morris Dance Center (3 Lafayette Ave.)
Price: $25
For performers with basic experience in music theater
Visit BAM.org/master-classes for more information and to register

Award-winning South African theater company Isango Ensemble has drawn widespread praise for its productions reimagining classics in a South African setting and using artists drawn mainly from Cape Town townships. Founded in 2000 by director Mark Dornford-May and music director Pauline Malefane, the company regularly performs in Cape Town and worldwide at venues including Shakespeare's Globe, the Young Vic, Hackney Empire, London's West End, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and throughout the US. Isango Ensemble's productions include La bohème Abanxaxhi, produced in partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; The Magic Flute Impempe Yomlingo, co-produced by the Young Vic (Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, London, Globes de Cristal Award for Best Opera Production, Paris, and South African Arts and Culture Award for Excellence in Opera); and A Christmas Carol Ikrismas Kherol (What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Off-West End Production). Isango Ensemble was recently in New York with The Magic Flute Impempe Yomlingo in 2014 and A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2015, both presented at New Victory Theater. Visit site.isangoensemble.org.za.

The Young Vic, one of the UK's leading theaters, produces new plays, classics, forgotten works, musicals and opera. It co-produces and tours widely in the UK and internationally while keeping deep roots in its neighbourhood in Waterloo, London. It frequently transfers shows to London's West End and invites local people to take part at its home in Waterloo. Recent productions include Simon Stone's new version of Lorca's Yerma, Battlefield directed by Peter Brook and Charlene James' award-winning play Cuttin' It, as well as Horizons, a season of work exploring the lives of refugees. Young Vic productions and co-productions recently seen in New York include A Streetcar Named Desire with Gillian Anderson and Ben Foster directed by Benedict Andrews at St. Ann's Warehouse, Ivo Van Hove's Tony Award-winning production of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge at the Lyceum Theatre, Trash Cuisine at La MaMa, A Doll's House at BAM, Kafka's Monkey at the BAC, The Events at New York Theatre Workshop, The Magic Flute at the New Victory, and My Perfect Mind at 59E59. Artistic Director: David Lan. Executive Director: Lucy Woollatt. www.youngvic.org

Photo Credit: Keith Pattison

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