Carlo Colla & Sons Marionette Company to Bring THE PIED PIPER to the New Vic, 5/6-15

In a stunning display of enchanting artistry and masterful storytelling, Carlo Colla & Sons Marionette Company (Sleeping Beauty, New Vic 2013) tells the cautionary tale of a town overrun by greed, corruption and rats in the U.S. Premiere of The Pied Piper from May 6 - 15, 2016. This gorgeous production will take the New Victory stage by storm when one of Italy's oldest and most respected marionette companies recounts the mythical legend of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" employing intricate, traditional marionette puppetry, music and lyric opera.

The story of the mysterious town of Hamelin, first recorded around 1300 AD, has been the subject of poems, books, films, short stories, animated featurettes and, now, classical marionette theater. Each scene of this magnificent production is brought to life by 11 expert puppeteers who skillfully and gracefully manipulate 410 handcrafted marionettes-including 300 ravenous rats-each with their own handcrafted collection of marionette couture. The ornate scenery and intricate puppet design are also conceptualized and made entirely by hand in the Collas' workshop in Milan, utilizing the same 18th-century techniques used by the company's founders. "When we make new material, we do it following the tradition so that we can use old marionettes and new marionettes, old scenery and new scenery, all in the same production. They appear the same because they are realized in the same way," says the company's general manager Piero Corbella.

Over the past 300 years, the Colla studio has built a collection of more than 3,000 marionettes. They all begin as blocks of wood that are carved into figures roughly two and a half feet tall, given delicate facial features, realistic eyes, wigs and costumes. The process of creating each marionette, a skill that has been passed down through many generations, takes roughly one week and is the handiwork of many people, all of whom also work in Colla productions as puppeteers. Eugenio Monti Colla, Artistic Director and the last puppeteer to have performed at Milan's Theatre Gerolamo, the company's first permanent residence, says, "Since the beginning, we have taken pride in the work and individual time we give to each of our marionettes and the development of each of our shows. I learned the art of the marionette, both creation and puppeteering, from my mother, who learned from her father, who learned from his father, and I am happy to keep this rich Italian heritage alive."

Today, Carlo Colla & Sons Marionette Company is one of the most recognized and celebrated puppet theaters in the world, performing nationally and internationally for audiences of all ages. Based in Milan, the company has toured five continents since 1980, participating in prestigious arts festivals in Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, Melbourne, Charleston and Mexico City, among others. In 1984, the new generation of puppeteers formed the Associazione Grupporiani under the artistic direction of Eugenio Monti Colla. Since 2000, the company has collaborated with the Piccolo Teatro of Milan-Teatro d'Europa, and presents in Milan at the Piccolo Teatro and at the Atelier Carlo Colla e Figli. In 2007, the company received accolades in the U.S. for their co-production of Macbeth with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, later presented at The New Victory.

The puppeteers behind the magic of The Pied Piper are Eugenio Monti Colla, Elisabetta Cecconato, Franco Citterio, Maria Grazia Citterio, Piero Corbella, Camillo Cosulich, Debora Coviello, Cecilia Di Marco, Tiziano Marcolegio, Giovanni Schiavolin and Paolo Sette. Eugenio Monti Colla is the writer, costume designer and director; Enzo Oddone is the lyricist and composer; Cecilia Di Marco, Debora Coviello, Mariapia Lanino and Sheila Perego are assistant costume designers; Franco Citterio is the scene designer, sculptor and lighting designer; Tiziano Marcolegio is the technical director; Maria Grazia Citterio is the wig designer; and Giovanni Schiavolin, Camillo Cosulich and Paolo Sette are toolmakers. For the recording of the English text, Nadia Boaretto is the translator, Laura Pasetti is the vocal director and Carlotta La Floresta is the assistant vocal director, with voices performed by Michael Cooke, Daniel Hird, Matthew O'hara, Laura Pasetti, Paul Ross, Riley Stewart and Clare Waugh.

Learn more about The Pied Piper on the New Victory website.

Public Performance Schedule: 9 PERFORMANCES

Friday, May 6 at 7pm

Saturday, May 7 at 2pm & 7pm

Sunday, May 8 at 12pm & 5pm

Saturday, May 14 at 2pm & 7pm

Sunday, May 15 at 12pm & 5pm

The Pied Piper has a running time of 90 minutes including one intermission and is recommended for everyone ages 7 and up.

The Pied Piper is supported, in part, by a Presenter's Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation, and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for The Pied Piper at The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street) are $10, $13, $18 or $25 for Members based on seat locations, with full price tickets starting at $15. Tickets are available online (NewVictory.org) and by telephone (646.223.3010). The New Victory Theater box office (209 West 42nd Street) will be open Sunday and Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.

Theatergoers who buy tickets for three or more New Victory shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including locked-in discount ticket prices, free unlimited exchanges (up to 48 hours in advance) and access to a first-look purchase period for newly added performances.