Live Arts Miami Presents: MORNING/MOURNING An Experiential Opera
Experimental Opera takes audiences 1.6 billion years into the Earth's future, exploring a post-human world.
Miami Dade College's Live Arts Miami will present the Southeast premiere of “mɔɹnɪŋ [morning//mourning]" a critically acclaimed modern opera by artist Gelsey Bell, running from October 17 to 19, 2024, at The Art Lab at MDC Wolfson.
Making its first appearance outside of New York, this captivating new work offers a playful and fantastical exploration of a post-human world, inspired by novelist Alan Weisman's book “The World Without Us.”
Set in a future where humans no longer exist,"mɔɹnɪŋ [morning//mourning]" imagines a world where Earth undergoes a miraculous metamorphosis. Through an ensemble of five vocalist/multi-instrumentalists—including Gelsey Bell, Aviva Jaye, Mia Pak, Brian McCorkle and Paul Pinto—the audience is guided on a poetic journey through the changes on Earth as forests grow back, new species evolve and the human-made world gradually erodes away. The title implies the dual emotional nature of the show, populated with music that is simultaneously life-affirming and hopeful and undeniably sorrowful. It explores the political and ethical contradictions of our current environmental crisis and poses existential questions about what it means to leave a lasting impact on the planet. How long will our influence linger? How will the Earth look without us? And what lessons can we learn today from imagining this future?
The work premiered in January 2023 at the Prototype Festival in New York to an extended run of sold-out shows and critical acclaim. “I was immediately struck by its exquisite artistry, unexpected humor and hopeful tone” says Kathryn Garcia, executive director of Live Arts Miami of the show's premiere, “The work truly transports you to another reality, capturing your imagination with vivid storytelling, beautiful music and outstanding performances.”
Gelsey Bell, the show's creator, reflects on the piece's deeper purpose: “This piece was created to expand how we think about time scales, to conceive of transformation over long periods of time, in ways that highlight the staying power of some human activities and speak to how long it can take ecosystems to adapt.” She adds “Opera and experimental music theater is such a great place to explore epic story. So how can you get more epic than going 1.6 billion years into the future?”
As part of Live Arts Miami's 35th Anniversary celebration, tickets for this unique event are priced at $35. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit liveartsmiami.org.
Love Theater in Miami? Join The Community!
Whether you've got past experience writing about theater or just starting, the BroadwayWorld Community offers a unique opportunity to become a champion for your local arts community, helping raise awareness of local offerings and adding another local voice to the conversation at a time arts coverage is shrinking in the press across the continent. Join us and become a pivotal part of the movement that celebrates and promotes the arts in the digital age.
Learn More
|
42nd Street Delray Beach Playhouse (8/21-9/13) |
|
Birth of Hip Hop Joseph Caleb Auditorium (8/15-8/15) |
|
ALICIA KEYS’ HELL’S KITCHEN Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (4/20-4/25) |
|
John Summit Kaseya Center (11/20-11/20) |
|
Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Daytona Playhouse (9/04-9/20) |
|
littleboy/littleman Wolfson Family Theatre, GableStage (5/14-6/13) |
|
Slow Burn Theatre Co: Dear Evan Hansen Amaturo Theater at Broward Center (4/10-4/25) |
|
Into The Woods Constans Theatre (10/16-10/25) |
|
New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players: The Pirates of Penzance Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center (1/31-1/31) |
|
MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (11/10-11/15) |