Dear Friends of Madame White Snake:
Thank you for supporting “the most ambitious opera undertaking Boston has ever seen” (Berkshire Fine Arts)—the Ouroboros Trilogy—which premiered last year to great acclaim. I’m attaching a short trailer of the show for you to enjoy!
When I began this “operatic” journey with our Pulitzer Prize-winning Madame White Snake 12 years ago, it was because Charles and I had this passion for opera and the crazy idea that individuals could bring beauty to our world. And what beauty Madame White Snake has brought to all of us! Upon this foundation, I have built a production company called White Snake Projects. Like the legendary White Snake demon who becomes human to live intensely, White Snake Projects transforms our present-day experiences into original new opera made in America.
New opera is often scary because it may speak an unfamiliar musical language. But new opera is necessary if this ancient art form is not only to survive, but to thrive. So what kind of new opera is White Snake Projects bringing to you? Let me tell you about my philosophy of new opera: it should tell engaging, moving, mythic stories which resonate with us as we navigate these uncertain times; the dramatic arc of the story should be mirrored by music which sweeps through the highs and lows of our lives (and everywhere in between); there should be melodic arias – lots of them – where time stands still and our hearts are able to soar; and the stories should be original, not derivative of an existing book, play or movie.
White Snake Projects has commissioned new work out through 2020 beginning with Ouroboros in 2016. This year, we’re proud to bring composer Julian Wachner’s REV. 23 to you premiering September 29, 30 and October 1 at John Hancock Hall in Boston. What’s REV. 23 about you may ask?
REV. 23 is the hitherto unpublished last chapter of the Book of Revelation as dictated by St. John the Divine and transcribed by Cerise Lim Jacobs. It narrates the last battle to recapture Paradise-on-Earth and restore the balance of good and evil to our world. Persephone, the only being able to pass freely between Hell and Earth, is recruited by Lucifer in the fight against the rulers of Paradise-on-Earth. No one is exempt from this battle. Which side are you on?
La Scena Musicale contributor Charles Geyer, who attended a workshop of the opera, observed:
“REV. 23…is a madcap yarn, spun with all of Jacobs’ trademark wit, irreverence, and mythopoetic virtuosity…gutsy, unique, hilarious and ultimately, profoundly moving in its affirmation of the spirit’s irrepressible need to be free.”
Tickets on sale NOW at rev23.org.
This new enterprise cannot hope to succeed without the support of people like you. We would be most grateful if you will show your support by coming to the show. We’re having a Gala Celebration to toast the end of the run after the matinee on October 1. Single gala tickets are $1,000 ($800 is tax-deductible) and include a premium seat to any one of the three shows, dinner and champagne. You can buy tickets at rev23.org or please contact me at [email protected].
See you at the opera!
Much love,
Cerise