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A DC-BASED COMPANY, and at our core:
DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING ORIGINAL WORKS OF MUSIC-THEATRE,
FOSTERING THE GROWTH OF ARTISTS,
AND ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN PARTNERSHIP
Changing the Conversation Through the Arts
Our Monthly Newsletter - August 2024
What’s Ahead for Alliance for New Music-Theatre in our 2024 -25 Season?
We are stepping up our activities this season in anticipation of celebrating in 2024-25 season our 30-Year Anniversary of our humble beginnings as a workshop for local artists to advance their collaborative capacities to experiment in the many art forms of music-theatre.
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The Man Ray Project: Caesar & The Mannequin
New Music-Theatre Work Coming this September!
The Man Ray Project: Caesar & The Mannequin begins rehearsal in a few days. Developed by the creative team of Composer Andrew Earle Simpson and Writer/Director Susan Galbraith, it is a mixed-media, Dada-esque work of music-theatre, blending music, text, dance/movement, fight choreography, still photography and film. The story of an unhinged would-be dictator (Caesar) clinging to power seems more prescient than ever.
Offered in this most contentious election season, what story could be more ‘oh-so -Washington?!’ As our country careens toward the upcoming election, Alliance for New Music-Theatre opens this world premiere on September 12 with ten performances only through September 22 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street in N.E. DC.
Tickets are now on sale on the Atlas website HERE.
Artist Man Ray (re-envisioned as Wo-Man Ray) winds up the action by opening a closet door in an art museum. Caesar’s head spins out to wreak mayhem. A careening Mannequin also escapes through the time tunnel and seeks the opportunity to speak truth to power. Meanwhile, the artist assembles found objects to create a painting and proclaims the pre-eminent power of art. But Caesar reminds us all, “You can’t stick me in the closet; I will not stay there. The people… they want me; they always have.”
As autocratic leaders are on the rise again world-wide, the new work by Alliance for New Music-Theatre examines an original –Julius Caesar – whose ruthless ambition destroyed a 500-year-old Republic in short order.
The Man Ray Project: Caesar & The Mannequin was first conceived in 2019 by composer Andrew Earle Simpson and writer Susan Galbraith, based on a painting by Dadaist artist Man Ray and commissioned to celebrate The Phillips Collection’s Centennial Anniversary. Due to Covid, all live presentations were postponed, and an abbreviated version was released as part of a limited digitalized series of “Short Gems” works of music-theatre.
Now a talented team of collaborators has been assembled to expand and re-imagine the work, bringing it to you live. They include from the original “Short Gem” John Boulanger as Caesar, Cara Schaefer as Wo-Man Ray, and Susan Rider as the Harpo Marx look-alike Custodian-turned-Trumpeter. Joining them is Soprano Danielle McKay as the Mannequin and Man Ray’s muse Kiki. Other talented artists joining the team are Dance Choreographer Anne Fisher, cinematographer Blanca Gruber, Fight Instructor Casey Kaleba, and Costume Designer Dasha Pomerantseva. Art Curator and Man Ray specialist Wendy Grossman serves the project as consultant and esteemed guide to all things Dada.
Check out the whole story HERE.
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Composer-Librettist Studio
Alliance for New Music-Theatre held its second regional Composer-Librettist Studio July 15 -30 hosted by the Music Program of the University of the District of Columbia.
The company enjoyed continuing to build its relationship with UDC, and Music Program Coordinator Judith Korey chimed in"The UDC Music program is delighted to once again host the Composer Librettist Studio. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our program and our regional community."
The participants were from widely different backgrounds, ages, cultural identities and musical languages, but proved all to be an enthusiastic and congenial cohort.
Thanks to our talented group
of 5 Composers:
- Deja Crenshaw
- Elizabeth Gartman
- William Kenlon
- Danielle Moore
-Thomas Whitman
And 5 Librettists:
- Susan Bywaters
- Ned Eckhardt
- Colette Gregory
- Oren Levine
- Marianna Mott Newirth
...and 5 Singer/ Performers:
- Mia Athey
- Ari Jacobson
- Farah Kidwai
- Greg Watkins
- Laura Whittenberger
You put your whole hearts, minds, talents and sweat into making this a very successful Studio. Our final presentation on July 30 was the highlight of the 16 days.
Congratulations all!!!!!!
Once again, the CL Studio was led by Ben Krywosz, Artistic Director of Nautilus Theater Company in St. Paul and who founded and developed the nationally renowned program since 1984. He was joined in collaboration in this year ‘s rollout by our own Susan Galbraith, Artistic Director of Alliance for New Music-Theatre, and Music Director Sonja Thompson. Read more HERE.
In June 2023, New Music-Theatre conducted the first Composer-Librettist Studio in DC since an inaugural studio in 1994, which seeded our company. Going forward, we plan to conduct the CL The CL Studio is a unique, ongoing professional development program that provides an opportunity for five composers, five librettists and five singer-actors to focus on the principles and process of collaboration through a series of exploratory assignments in the hybrid form of music-theatre.
All composers work with all writers and performers in rotating assignments to push the artists out of their comfort zones and support the growth of the individual artists to develop new capacities. It is also an opportunity for Alliance to become a hub for music-theatre artists to network. On the final day, an informal sharing of all the short pieces allows these talented artists and courageous risk-takers to celebrate new voices and perhaps discover seeds for new works.
All participants emerged with renewed confidence, energy and tools of the craft, as well as a commitment to joining in the building of a network of sustaining supporters to advance the field of new Music-Theatre for the 21st century.
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Hispanic Youth Chorus - coro de la comunidad!
Under the direction of Leo Herrera, our Youth Chorus -"Coro de la comunidad" has grown in one year, attracting students as young as precocious third graders up through high school and is conducted in weekly after-school classes taught in Spanish and based in the heart of DC’s bilingual neighborhood. Students acquire music literacy skills, learn basics of choral singing, and practice repertoire while experiencing the joy making music and making new friends.
We are currently recruiting for our Fall season to start in September. If you know of any students who are interested, please register on our coro webpage HERE.
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Live & About Fall Season
We are kicking off our Fall season with the premiere of our own new work of Music-Theatre - The Man Ray Project: Caesar & The Mannequin, then three more Outings each month this Fall to local theatres for more new and exciting music-theatre productions.
“Live & About” is a community engagement subscription series curated by the company to different DC area theaters and shows that represent a variety of genres from opera and musicals to cabaret and mixed-media events. Find out more about our season HERE.
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Featured Artist and Company Member - Cara Schaefer
When Cara Schaefer walks into a room, she lights up the space and when she enters onto a stage it’s as if her voice comes out across the space to nestle in your heart. This Mezzo Soprano is gifted not just with singing talent but an uncanny ability for leadership and generosity in a multitude of collaboration skills. Cara is a much-beloved voice teacher, an administrative strategist, and a marketing whiz designer.
We are proud to have her on our Creative Admin Team, especially this past year as she has been a leading voce in advancing our Strategic Plan campaign. We feel blessed that she is also an anchor singer-actor in our company, where she shines in sight-reading skills, an appetite for new work of various genres, and with a voice as lush as a good Italian rich red wine.
Cara returned last week from Italy where she helps run Bel Canto in Tuscany, a summer training program for aspiring opera singers, and this week she throws herself into rehearsals for our upcoming The Man Ray Project: Caesar & The Mannequin.
Cara steps into a role she was born to play and that Composer Andrew Earle Simpson and Librettist Susan Galbraith have developed around her since 2019: the incomparable, gender-fluid, ever curious risk-taker and leading Dada-surrealist Wo-Man Ray.
As Wo-Man Ray, she sets the action in motion and represents the artist as Creator. Cara, like her character, is indeed fearless and “plays nicely in the sandbox.”
Come cheer her on …. Read more about Cara's career HERE
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Our Artists and Partners on View
Oren Levine, local musician and Librettist at our 2024 Composer-Librettist Studio
Oren will be performing his first show at the venerable Blues Alley Club in DC on Monday August 26 featuring a program of all original songs, including a few to be performed live for the first time. Oren invited some of his favorite musicians to join him, artists he has performed and recorded with since he returned to DC in 2010: vocalists Aaron Myers, Barbara Papendorp and Tony Gudell, supported by me at the piano alongside Percy White on bass and Tyler Leak at the drums.
If you're in the DC area on the 26th or know someone who will be, we want to encourage you to come out to support Oren and friends. Two shows on August 26 - at 7 and 9 pm. Tickets are $25 at bluesalley.com and here:
7 pm: https://bit.ly/ohl-bluesalley-7pm
9 pm: https://bit.ly/ohl-bluesalley-9pm
Thanks for your support. We hope to see you at the club!
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As a small not-for-profit 501(c)3 public charity organization, Alliance for New Music-Theatre’s mission is to:
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Nurture the creation, development and production of new works of music-theatre
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Foster the development of professional and young artists
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Engage audiences in the creative process to promote a deeper understanding and critical appreciation of the transformative power of music-theatre.
We need your support to continue to fulfill our mission. There are many opportunities to provide support at various levels by supporting an artist, a production, or general support.
The Donate page on our website has information about ways to contribute. Donate | New Music-Theatre (newmusictheatre.org)