First Ever Zoom Opera Will Premiere On April 24-26

Renowned composer Kamala Sankaram (Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera) has embarked on an opera experiment during the current COVID-19 health crisis which has shut down the world's stages. Sankaram, along with librettist Rob Handel, have composed the world's first Zoom opera, titled "all decisions will be made by consensus," that will be presented live via the streaming platform on April 24, 2020 at 1PM, April 25 at 7PM, and April 26 at 3PM. The project, part of HERE Arts Center, will feature Metropolitan Opera and Broadway star Zachary James with a special guest appearance by Orange is the New Black and The Last OG's Joel Marsh Garland.

"With the current health crisis and its related cancellations, artists have found themselves trying to find new ways to connect with their audiences," said Sankaram. "As always with new technologies, adapting traditional models can be an uneasy fit. So, I began this project with a question: what would happen if you created a piece specifically intended to be performed live over a conferencing platform like Zoom? The result is an experiment, an absurdist comedy, and a first answer to that question, hopefully leading to new ways to connect in this new world we've found ourselves in."

The opera involves a Zoom meeting of activists with radically conflicting styles. The people are behind them, but is now the time to strike? The cast includes Paul An, Hai-Ting Chinn, Zachary James, Joan LaBarbara, Adrian Rosas, and Sankaram herself, with special guest Joel Marsh Garland (Orange is the New Black, The Last OG). The ensemble is directed by HERE Arts Center's Kristin Marting.

Interested audience members can join directly to a special Zoom link TBA to watch and enjoy the performance. Additionally, the opera will be streamed to HERE's Facebook page on Friday, April 24 at https://www.facebook.com/hereartscenter/. Other details on the live streams can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/695839284558301/.

The presentation is part of #stillHERE. In response to the current pandemic, the OBIE-winning HERE (Kristin Marting, Founding Artistic Director) is proud to announce additional free online programming designed to uplift audiences during these challenging times. These programs include #stillHERE, a weekly Livestream featuring a HERE artist who invites viewers to share in the creation of new work; and HERE@HOME, a weekly watch party that streams full-length productions previously presented at HERE; and #COVIDEO, a sequential, community-built work of video art that is led by HERE artists and staff, and that the public is invited to participate in. Please visit HERE.org for more information.

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