In 2020, Alliance for New Music-Theatre invited composer Andrew Earle Simpson as part of its inaugural 20-minute opera commission series of Short Gems. The series was designed to respond to artists and their works in The Phillips Collection as part of the Centennial Celebration of America’s First Museum of Modern American Art. The Phillips had been recently-gifted a painting by artist Man Ray, “Shakespearean Equation, Julius Caesar,” which became the subject of this ‘Short Gem.’ In response to the COVID pandemic, we quickly pivoted, and the original music-theatre work to become part of a digitally-produced series as the world went into lockdown.
Last year, the company re-commissioned Simpson and encouraged him to expand his original idea of the of the artist (re-imagined as Wo-Man Ray) and a Mannequin, who is revealed as the artist’s model and muse, ‘Kiki.’ With librettist Susan Galbraith and singers Baritone John Boulanger, Mezzo-Soprano Cara Schaefer, and Coloratura Danielle McKay, as the mechanical doll who stands up to domineering Caesar, plus trumpeter Susan Rider, a dead ringer for Harpo Marx, and with the help of video artist Blanca Gruber and choreographer Anne Fisher, the team re-visited the Dadaist, surreal world of artist Man Ray in the 1920’s—was it really only one-hundred years ago?
Our story begins with Artist Wo-Man Ray who sets the action in motion by opening a closet door in a gallery space and releasing the head of a ‘Caesar,’ a character who is determined to cling to power at whatever cost and sings, “You can’t stick me in a closet; I will not stay there.” This new work of music-theatre brings to life the idea that such a Caesar is prescient and dangerously relevant today.
As our country careens into the upcoming election season, the full multi-media production will open in its world premiere September 12 and run for ten performances through September 22 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
Industry Night is Monday, Sept 16 @ 7:30 pm to all our colleagues in the DMV theater community.
For discounted $25 tickets use Code: ManRayTonight