Dreaming of Wonderland

MARCH 25TH, 2012- DREAMING OF WONDERLAND

American Opera Projects in collaboration with Manhattan School of Music and Opera Index present a concert preview of Act II of the new opera by composer Manly Romero

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Featuring performances by Nadia Petrella, Elise Jablow, Becca Conviser, Rachelle Pike, Dory Schultz, and James Ioelu. Conducted by Zachary Schwartzman. Directed by Lemuel Wade, assistant-directed by Christopher Mirto. Piano by Scott Rednour and Mila Henry.

In this post-modern romp through Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, Manly Romero presents the story of Alice's older, wiser, and far less famous real-life sister, Lorina Liddell--and the not-so-true account of the Knave of Hearts and his close call with the chopping block. After awakening from her famous dream of Wonderland, Alice can't wait to tell her sister, Lorina about the strange personalities she has met and her crazy experiences. Impatient to leave childhood behind, Lorina can hardly wait for Alice's story to end. But when it does, Lorina is drawn into her own dream of Wonderland, four scenes that push the limits of sanity while questioning whether growing up is that great an idea to begin with. A coming of age tale for audiences of all ages, Romero’s score supports Lorina’s real-life teenage dreamings of love and success with bel canto lyricism, and the colorful madness of Wonderland with quirky, chromatic edginess.

MANLY ROMERO

Manly RomeroManly Romero’s songs, chamber music, symphonic works and stage works have been performed across the US and internationally, and praised as “lively, rhythmic and punchy.” Romero studied with David Conte and Conrad Susa at San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), where he assisted in orchestrating The Dangerous Liaisons. Under the mentorship of Michael Daugherty and William Bolcom, Romero completed a DMA at the University of Michigan while composing orchestral works such as Spirals (recorded on the Klavier Gold label), his symphony, Cortège; Blanco, Azul, Rojo, and a first draft of his opera, Dreaming of Wonderland. These compositions garnered awards and commissions from The American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Composers’ Orchestra, The Ragdale Foundation, American Music Center, San Francisco Camerata Americana, and NYFA. Romero serves as Artistic Director for the New York City-based composers’ collective Random Access Music (RAM) and of the Queens New Music Festival. He works at Manhattan School of Music as Performance Librarian and Administrative Director of the Contemporary Performance Program. He lives in Brooklyn with his nine-year old son, Cameron, to whom Dreaming of Wonderland is dedicated. www.manlyromero.com

THE ARTISTS INVOLVED

Zachary Schwartzman Music Director	Lemuel Wade Stage Director	Nadia Petrella Lorina	Elise Jablow Alice	Becca Conviser Cook
Rachelle Pike Duchess	Dory Schultz Baby	James Ioelu Knave	Mila Henry Piano	Scott Rednour Piano

FESTIVAL EVENT INFO

March 25 and 26-8:00PM
Doors open at 7:00PM
Galapagos Art Space
16 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
DIRECTIONS

ADMISSION

ADVANCE-$20/ $30 for both shows
DAY OF SHOW-$25

Tickets on sale at Galapagos Art Space February 20