Cosmic Cowboy

Spring 2021
Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage
Boston

Credits

Cerise Lim Jacobs
Creator and Librettist

Elena Ruehr
Composer

Art by Glynis Anderson

Curtain-raiser: Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices

White Snake Projects and its 2020 programs are supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council and administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture.

About

You are the lone cowboy Silhouetted against your comet's fiery tail Riding the endless cosmos Into the deepest darkness

Inspired by the historic landing of the space probe Philae on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Cosmic Cowboy explores the origins of the universe beginning at the Big Bang when the universe is formed by the mating of the Sumerian gods, Tiamat and Apsu. It traverses the mystery of time and space, through wormholes, black holes and alternate universes, until it comes full circle into the ultimate mystery - the human heart. Tia, Tiamat’s daughter, befriends the robotic probe and together, they confront the Astronaut from the spaceship Mayflower sent to retrieve the robot and to capture Tia, the first extra-terrestial known to us.

Cast

Carami Hilaire Tiamat/Tia

Nathan Stark Marduk/Commander Mard

Daniel Moody Qingu/Cooper

Stephen Carroll Vizier Mummu/Mr. Mu

David Cushing Apsu/General Aps

Boston Children's Chorus Chorus

Creative Team

Elena Ruehr Composer

Cerise Lim Jacobs Creator and Librettist

Walt McGough Dramaturg

E. Loren Meeker Director

Alan Pierson Conductor

Zane Pihlstrom Set and Costume Designer

Mathew Solomon Sound Designer

Jax Messenger Lighting Designer

Greg Emetaz Projections

Curvin Huber Director of Innovation

Pirate Epstein Director of CGI

Keo Heng CGI/VR

Mary Jane Begin Concept Art and Fabrication

Douglas Ruuska Fabrication

Rachel Sturm Assistant Producer and Stage Manager

Oliver Caplan Orchestra Manager

Eran Egozy Concert Cues Developer

Taylor Hansen Production Manager

Glynis Anderson Poster Art

Related Events

Virtual Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices

May 13, 2020
ZOOM, Facebook, YouTube

Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices + Panel

September 16, 2020
CitySpace

The Inspiration

I was totally fascinated by the landing of the robotic probe, Philae, on a speeding comet – 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

I've followed Philae's botched landing with bated breath, rooting for the the washing machine sized probe as it bounced several times when its thrusters failed to deploy, sending it reeling about due to 67/P's lower gravity. I've sighed with disappointment as its battery shut down because it landed in the shadow of an overhang and did not have the requisite sunlight to recharge itself. I've jumped with joy when 67/P sped nearer the sun and Philae was rejuvenated. I've watched with admiration as that plucky little robot sent back streams of data. I've read with curiosity the articles that there may be alien microbes on 67/P which Philae could unearth, and now, water, on Mars! READ CERISE LIM JACOBS’ INSPIRATION...

Cosmic Cowboy on the White Snake Projects Blog

November Updates

We had our music workshop of next year’s mainstage opera, Cosmic Cowboy, by Elena Ruehr with our principal artists and our partners, the Boston Children’s Chorus and New England Conservatory. Below are some pictures of White Snake Projects’ team hard at work to bring another new work to life. Read More

Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices Coming to a Screen Near You

We hope that you're all safe and well as we do our part with social distancing. At this point, it's impossible to tell when this great trial will be over. WSP has postponed our second SING OUT STRONG concert tour – Sing Out Strong: DeColonized Voices – from May to September, even as we're planning a virtual world premiere of the concert for May 13. Read More