Treemonisha

WHEN: October 21 & 22, 2017 l Doors open at 7PM, 7:30PM Performance

WHERE: The Music Box Village l 4557 North Rampart Street

TICKETS: $25-$40

Treemonisha – A Full Production of Scott Joplin’s 1913 “Ragtime Opera” Featuring Collaboration by Opera Creole / Cripple Creek / New Resonance Orchestra

“She’d tell him secrets. She’d tell him the past and the future,” said Scott Joplin’s wife of the muse at the center of Treemonisha. The opera was never performed in his lifetime and only a few complete performances have been attempted to this day. The collective work of Cripple Creek Theater Company, Opera Creole and New Resonance Orchestra will bring to life Joplin’s “celebration of literacy, learning, hard work, and community solidarity as the best formula” against the influence of conjurers who prey on ignorance and superstition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OperaCreole, the Cripple Creek Theatre Company, New Orleans Airlift and the New Resonance Orchestra join forces to present Scott Joplin’s joyous opera Treemonisha. A defiant synthesis of magic, faith, and mercy Treemonisha is ragtime distorted through the concert hall and runs two nights only, Saturday October 21 and Sunday October 22. Written by Joplin in his dying days and unperformed for sixty years, Treemonisha boldly fuses styles and subject matter to create uniquely American experience. Set on a former plantation in the years after the Civil War, Treemonisha tells the story of a young woman discovering her tremendous destiny. Superstition fights faith for the soul of Treemonisha’s community and through danger and discovery she comes to teach a new way, a new step that Joplin calls the “Real Slow Drag.” This bold collaboration between OperaCreole, Cripple Creek, New Orleans Airlift and New Resonance brings to life a piece of literature that is a vital document of the American musical tradition. Celebrating knowledge, solidarity, and mercy, Treemonisha intertwines reality and myth into an unrepeatable form of operatic art. Joplin’s profound score will be given sonic assistance from the melodious houses that adorn the grounds at the Music Box Village. This setting both embodies the pastoral landscape of Treemonisha and encourages the performers to bring new sounds and textures to the work using the houses which make up the set of the play. Joplin paints a picture of a new world full of discovery and the Music Box Village offers a world with endless possibilities for musical experimentation. This production is made possible with generous support from the New Orleans Theatre Association, the Jazz and Heritage Foundation and the Arts Council of New Orleans. Saturday & Sunday October 21st and 22nd / One show per night! $25 Advance Seating / $40 Reserved VIP Seating (Limited Quantities / Online Ticketing ONLY)