MAY 2012

TUESDAY MAY 1^ST – COMEDY, MAGIC AND MORE COMEDY

Join us for a night of comedy, magic and more comedy. Comedian Anthony Scibelli and magician Alex Fleming return to the Gershwin Hotel, along with comedian friends Jason Marcus and Josh Gondelman.

Anthony Scibelli is a handsome stand-up comedian and comedy writer. His material examines life, death, video games, sex, Star Wars and video games. His disarming style, clever joke writing and unique worldview have made him a favorite at clubs and colleges. As a filmmaker, he has won multiple awards, and as an actor he has lost some. He writes articles and sketches for Cracked.com and Splitsider.com. Recently, he was retweeted by the Monkees.

Jason Marcus is one of the hardest working young comics and writers in the country. He was voted “Best of the East” in the Detroit International Comedy Festival, the winner of Adam Sandler’s “Funny People” contest in Las Vegas and can be heard on Sirius/XM satellite radio.

A San Diego native, Alex  Fleming, a.k.a. The Great Alexander, has been keeping it unreal with his magic wand since he was only 8 years old. Along his magical journeys Alex has performed for toddlers, millionaires and everything in between. Once Teller bought his rock band’s CD. Alex conjures with cards, dabbles in mentalism also and has six wizard levels in abjuration.

8pm $10

WEDNESDAY MAY 2^ND – LAURA ORVIETO: ESPEJISMOS DE UN MUNDO IRREAL

Suzanne Tremblay and The Gershwin Hotel have the pleasure of presenting the book “Espejismos de un mundo irreal” (Mirages from an unreal world) by author Laura Orvieto. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 2nd, at 6:00 pm. This will be an excellent opportunity to enjoy a live reading of the book as well as poems by the Ecuadorian author.

“Espejismos de un mundo irreal” is a compilation of 20 short stories each reaching to the deepest corners of human emotion, telling in painful detail those encounters that are just real enough to be one’s own. This book exalts the power of pure and infinite love, that which forgives and is able to transform a horrible tragedy into something beautiful.

Orvieto uses literature as a mean to externalize the contents of her very soul, and in doing so, awaken the reader’s thoughts and emotions. Currently, Laura continues her tour of “Espejismos de un mundo irreal” across the US, while exploring new literary roads with her new book, to be published in English later this year.

“Espejismos de un mundo irreal” is available for sale via BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com and it can be purchased in print and digital formats (PDF, Nook and Kindle).

6pm No Cover

MONDAY MAY 7TH - MARIANA PINEDA

Mariana Pineda tells the story of a heroine of the city of Granada (Spain) that was condemned for embroidering a flag with the motto of the liberal plight, “equality, liberty and law” and thus defied the monarchical, totalitarian regime imposed by King Ferdinand VII. Mariana Pineda was first detained and imprisoned within a Granadian convent but was later sentenced to death by the king himself through the gruesome torture of the Spanish garrote vil. Se was only 26 years old. Before her execution, Mariana was offered absolute pardon and liberty if she provided the names of her liberal accomplices, but she refused by speaking the words: “Without hesitation I prefer a glorious death than to cover myself in shame by betraying a living person.” Her imprisonment and death have also been dramatized by other Granadian authors such as Federico Garcia Lorca and José Martin Recuerda.

Antonio César Morón has exposed the topic in a radically different point of view and chosen a setting away from Granada in order to give the play a more universal nature. However, his most innovative contribution to the story is his use of a dramatic technique that is utterly different from that utilized by other authors who have worked with this material before. The technique used in this piece has been named by Morón as “quantum playwriting,” which consists of exploring the possible translations of theories developed by quantum physics and applying them to dramatic texts.

7:30pm

TUESDAY MAY 8^TH – COLLETE: A PIRATE IN VENICE

Neke Carson and Michael Wiener are proud to announce the preview of the half-hour documentary on Colette, “A Pirate in Venice” edited and filmed by Frederike Schaefer.

“Colette’s art, like Warhol’s is bound up with the idea of uninterrupted performance so that her physical presence itself becomes a kind of signature, a trademark.”

— Jonathan Crary for Arts Magazine ‘Colette’s new paintings’ (1983)

While in the middle of dismantling her latest residence, since the loss of her legendary atelier, Colette received a call inviting her to exhibit in Venice. She immediately hopped on a plane with a suitcase stuffed with art works and her lightest wardrobe.

The film documents Colette’s  presence in Venice for her show “Politically Colette” during the 2011 Biennial. It features the curator Alan Jones author of “The Art Dealers” and the gallerist, Paolo Barozzi who worked closely with Peggy Guggenheim. Also appearing in the film are Emilio Fiorucci, Anthony Haden-Guest and Jorg Starke of the Lowen Palais, Berlin (where Colette had a private salon during the 90’s).

“A Pirate in Venice” began as a personal documentation of Colette’s voyage and evolved into a documentary/collage. It is not meant to be a comprehensive documentary on Colette’s work, but a poetic portrait of the artist.

The documentary includes her “apparitions” (spontaneous performances) in Venice, interspersed with selected images and footage of her art throughout her career. Although it does not follow a chronological sequence, it does capture the essence of the artist.

8pm $10

THURSDAY MAY 10^TH – VICKY CHOW: CONTAGIOUS SOUNDS SERIES

Heavy Hands is a modern string quartet featuring 4 inventive, innovative, versatile, virtuoso young Bass players: Gregg August, Greg Chudzick, Lisa Dowling and Brian Ellingsen. After finding common ground and shared ideas at the Bang on a Can Summer Institute, our goal was obvious – to create a new kind of String Quartet and commission composers who will make a valuable, exciting and lasting contribution to much needed Double bass repertoire, to give our instrument a vehicle for its unique capabilities, and to challenge and educate modern day listeners of concert chamber music.

Watch and listen to our debut concert, featuring 3 world premieres!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8B4B9C340AAA1500&feature=plcp
Bassist Gregg August spans the jazz, Latin jazz, classical and avant-garde scenes as a composer and a performer. Gregg has performed with Ornette Coleman, Paquito D’Rivera, Bang on a Can and frequently plays with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. A member of the JD Allen Trio since 2007, August is also the Bassist with the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra and Assistant Principal Bass of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has recorded two critically acclaimed albums, Late August and Once Piece, which was selected as one of the Top Ten recordings of 2007 by Hot House magazine. He is a faculty member at the University of Connecticut, New Jersey City University and the Bang On a Can Summer Music Institute.

Bassist Greg Chudzick collaborates on several musical projects including the Wet Ink Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, Signal Ensemble and the David Crowell Ensemble. Greg has had the opportunity to work with several influential figures in contemporary music, including the Bang on a Can All-Stars at their summer music festival as well as Pierre Boulez and George Benjamin at the Lucerne Summer Music Festival.
Bassist Lisa Dowling
is celebrated for her refreshing and feisty approach to contemporary repertoire, hailed as ‘energetic and precise’ by the New York Times and ‘sublime and lovely’ (DMG). She has appeared on stage with The Emerson Quartet, Colin Carr, Carolyn Sampson and has toured Europe with Les Siecles and Opera Fuoco. Lisa has participated in the Juene Atlantique festival with Philippe Herreweghe, the Tafelmusik Baroque Institute, the Boston Early Music festival and the Bang on a Can Summer Institute.

Bassist Brian Ellingsen
has been hailed as ‘shocking and evocative’ by the Philadelphia Enquirer.  As a soloist he has been featured at the Spoleto Festival and has placed in competitions such as the International Society of Bassists. He is currently a standing member of Ensemble ACJW and Le Train Blue and has performed with Ensemble Intercontemporain, The New York Chamber Soloists, the NOW Ensemble and Transit. Brian has participated in the Lucerne Summer Music Festival and the Bang on a Can Summer Institute.

8pm $10

TUESDAY MAY 15^TH – CORI KRESGE: EACHOTHERS

Music by:

Jacob Bills & Andreas Brade

Performers:

Esme Boyce – Ellen Cornfield – Cori Kresge – Daniel Squire – Suzanne Thomas

Three New York artists bring their unique voices to the Gershwin Hotel in works

celebrating their passionate visions, performing in each others work and

establishing a community of mutual artistic support.

8pm $15

THURSDAY MAY 17^TH – YALE MANOR

20>>21 presents Rewind and Fast-Forward

Featuring composer Aleksandra Vrebalov

Contemporary music ensemble 20>>21 is proud to present composer Aleksandra Vrebalov in the fourth concert of the ensemble’s series, Rewind and Fast-Forward.  The program on May 17^th will present pieces by Arnold Schoenberg, Morton Feldman, Krzysztof Penderecki, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sofia Gubaidulina, and several pieces by Aleksandra Vrebalov.

20>>21 collaborates with today’s emerging composers to curate deep concert experiences. Repertoire for each concert is carefully selected by the members of 20>>21 and that concert’s featured composer. Each piece reflects the composer’s influences and draws connections between music of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. 20>>21 embraces a relaxed concert atmosphere, inviting audience members to learn and interact.

We’re thrilled to present this concert as part of our series at The Gershwin Hotel and we hope you’ll join us for a memorable evening of new music and conversation.

8pm $10

MONDAY MAY 21ST – BELIEVE

Like his predecessors Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James, Peter Thomas wants to make the jump from high school to the NBA. It’s not his lack of experience or injury that detours his goal but his inner demons. However will he accept his failure or deal with himself?

7:30pm

THU. MAY 24^th, SAT. MAY 26^TH, TUE. 29^th AND THU. MAY 31^st – OPERAMISSION

operamission and Neke Carson will present the North American professional stage premiere of Georg Friedrich Händel’s three-act opera, ALMIRA, Königin von Castilien (ALMIRA, Queen of Castile) HWV 1, composed in Hamburg, Germany in 1704 when the composer was nineteen, at the Gershwin Hotel for three performances at 7:30 PM on Friday, May 24, Saturday, May 26, Tuesday, May 29, and Thursday, May 31, 2012.

ALMIRA, Handel’s first opera, premièred in Hamburg on January 8, 1705 with great success, has never before been professionally produced outside of Germany and Austria.  The libretto by Friedrich Christian Feustking is a German translation of an Italian libretto from 1691 by Giulio Pancieri (L’Almira).  operamission will present the opera in its original German and Italian, staged with baroque orchestra.  Jennifer Peterson conducts from the harpsichord, Jeff Caldwell directs.

The spectacular cast will be led by soprano Christy Lombardozzi as the Queen Almira and baritone Michael Weyandt as the ‘orphan’ Fernando, her Secretary and secret love.  Joined by tenor Keith Jameson (Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago) as Osman and soprano Nell Snaidas (Boston Early Music Festival, Grammy nominee) as Edilia, ‘a royal princess,’ the cast also features soprano Kristen Plumley (Bellante), tenor Karim Sulayman (Tabarco), baritone David Kravitz (Raymondo), and bass Mark Risinger (Consalvo).

An exemplary model of the formulaic structures and conventions of opera seria, the story of ALMIRA was possibly a fictionalized retelling of the bethrothal story of Queen Isabella I of Castile to Ferdinand II of Aragon, with parallels to actual historical events of the 1460s in Valladolid, Spain, the setting of the opera.  Dozens of Handelian musical gems can be found charmingly budding in the arias, ensembles, and dances of this early work.

operamission, bringing the art form ‘from the composer to the audience,’ has established its artistic presence in the New York classical music scene with fifteen presentations since March of 2009.  Presenting opera both of today and the past, operamission’s productions have ranged from concerts of Handel opera with period instruments to fully-staged operatic world premieres.  Live video streaming of operamission’s innovative programming has also exposed opera, art song, chamber music, and popular cabaret evenings of Francis Poulenc and Kurt Weill to international audiences.  The groundbreaking presentation of ‘Così fan tutte: Some Assembly Required’ in August 2010 put the troupe on the map with its dynamic format, enriching audience awareness of opera as an accessible and vital genre.

Tickets are available in advance at Brown Paper Tickets and at the door.

Contact:

Jennifer Peterson – director, operamission

www.operamission.org

operamission@gmail.com or twitter

7:30pm