LIBRARY NOTES
The Center for Contemporary Opera
Prima le Parole (First the Words)
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Members' Room; $20 in advance/$25 at the door
The Center for Contemporary Opera presents the Prima le Parole series to give lovers of opera and literature a first glimpse of exciting new works, and their
writers a first hearing of their text. This 90 minute presentation offers nonmusical readings from two new operas. The evening will be moderated by Carlin Glynn, co-Artistic Director of The Actor's Studio.
Oh, Egypt (Eugene Rotberg, libretto; Mohammad Fairouz, composer) tells the story of the Egyptian revolution overthrowing Hosni Mubarak during the winter of 2011. The libretto is a faithful representation of the events that took place during those historic two months. Mr. Rotberg was vice president and treasurer of the World Bank for almost twenty years. Mr. Fairouz is a widely performed composer whose venues have included Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.
The Human Zoo (Mark N. Grant, composer and librettist) takes place in 19th-century New York City, where rival museum owners desperate for revenge against the too-successful P.T. Barnum exhibit a group of artificial human oddities. As the Human Zoo overtakes Barnum in popularity, the mystery increases as to whether its denizens are fake or real. Mark N. Grant won a 2006 Friedheim Award for his cantata The Rose of Tralee.
Carlin Glynn's notable parts include creating the lead in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and starring in Horton Foote's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Young Man From Atlanta. In addition to her Actor's Studio work, she has served as a professor in the Graduate Film Division of Columbia University.
Amy Leland's credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, West Side Story, and The Normal Heart. Ms. Leland is the founder of Summer Woman Productions, dedicated to bringing the works of new writers to life.
THIS EVENT IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE ESTATE OF MARIAN O. NAUMBURG.
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