Chicago Opera Theater to Host Inside Look at MARÍA DE BUENOS AIRES with 'Viewpoints', Beg. 4/7

Sparkling with the metaphorical beauty of MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES, these collaborative events offer opportunities to connect with María as she travels into the underbelly of Buenos Aires.

COT's Viewpoints give you an inside look into the world of Astor Piazzolla's Maria De Buenos Aires. The production evokes Argentina's "Dirty War", the period between 1976 and 1983 when the country was governed by military juntas which controlled the populace through state-sponsored terrorism. María represents the passion of the Argentine women who were as seductive as the tango while resilient and strong enough to overcome dictatorship.

April 7, 2013 - 12:00 PM
The Official Story
Facets Multimedia
1517 W Fullerton Ave

This Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film (1985) is the story about a well-to-do Argentine high school teacher, suspecting that her adopted daughter might be the child of a murdered political prisoner of the Dirty War. She reveals an abhorrent truth of political corruption that leaves her life irrevocably shattered.

COT's general director Andreas Mitisek will introduce COT's production of Maria de Buenos Aires after the movie screening, with live performances to follow. $5 for COT Subscribers (code: COT) and $9 for general admission.

April 9, 2013 - 6:00 PM
Burnt Oranges, a Screening with Silvia Malagrino
Instituto Cervantes
31 W Ohio

Chicago filmmaker Silvia Malagrino film will allow you to join in on the examination of the long-term effects and repercussions of Argentina's 1970's state terrorism in her award winning documentary through a combination of intimate witness narration, interviews, documentary, and re-created footage. This personal and beautifully artistic account is a reminder of the global obligation to defend human rights and democratic values. Join us afterwards for a talk back with Silvia Malagrino as well as excerpts from COT's production of Maria de Buenos Aires.

The event is a collaboration between the Instituto Cervantes, the Argentine Consulate, and Chicago Opera Theater. $10 suggested donation

April 17, 2013 - 5:00 PM
The "Desaparecidos" and Maria de Buenos Aires
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 W 19th St.

Latin American Art expert and "El Duende" in COT's upcoming Maria de Buenos Aires, Gregorio Luke explores the art and politics of Argentina's Dirty War in connection with the production. Join in on the discussion of how Argentina's history and art are reflected with Maria, how it will elicit the pulsating tango music of Astor Piazzolla and guide you alongside one woman's journey and perseverance. Following the event there will be excerpts from COT's production of Maria de Buenos Aires. 5pm galleries open for viewing, 6pm reception and meet and great with Gregorio Luke and COT's General Director Andreas Mitisek. 6:30pm event begins.

The event is a collaboration of Chicago Opera Theater and the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Andreas Mitisek's production of Maria de Buenos Aires revisits Buenos Aires during Argentina's "Dirty War".

COT's Chicago Stage Premiere production of Astor Piazzolla's MARÍA DE BUENOS AIRES evokes Argentina's "Dirty War", the period between 1976 and 1983 when the country was governed by military juntas which controlled the populace through state-sponsored terrorism. This "tango operita" is of stunning originality, pulsing to the passion and beat of Astor Piazzolla's revolutionary "nuevo tango" and Horacio Ferrer's mesmerizing, imaginative poetry. Chicago Opera Theater's production is a collaboration with Chicago's Luna Negra Dance Theater at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, and runs for four performances only: Saturday, April 20; Wednesday, April 24; Friday, April 26; and Sunday, April 28. Tickets are on sale now.

María de Buenos Aires premiered in 1968, closer in time to the "Dirty War" than to the 30's and 40's where it is often placed. While the country was under control of the juntas, upwards of 30,000 people "disappeared," while many more were victims of torture and abuse. "These themes are implicit in Piazzolla's radical music and Ferrer's ingenious poetry," says Andreas Mitisek, COT's General Director. "This production delves into the soul of this work and gives it a contemporary meaning beyond clichés and stereotypes."

ABOUT THE OPERA: In 1967, Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer called their first collaboration, Maria de Buenos Aires, a "tango operita." However, this work contained music unlike any conventional tango. Piazzolla took the tango off the dance floor by creating a new style termed "nuevo tango." This style incorporates counterpoint, dissonance, extended harmonies, and elements of jazz and classical music. María de Buenos Aires premiered at the Sala Planeta in Buenos Aires in May1968 with Piazzolla's ten piece orchestra, Amelita Baltar as María, and Horacio Ferrer as El Duende. The opera had its U.S. premiere at Houston Grand Opera in 1991 and LBO presented the 2004 West Coast premiere in a different production and again in 2012.

Founded in 1974 by Alan Stone, Chicago Opera Theater has carved a significant place for itself in the operatic life of Chicago and has reached an audience of hundreds of thousands through its main stage performances, community engagement, education programs in Chicago Public Schools, as well as its renowned Young Artist Program. Chicago Opera Theater presents first-class productions of operatic repertoire, ranging from the great works of the 17th, 18th and 20th centuries to intimate and innovative contemporary productions by top-tier, internationally renowned conductors, directors and designers.

PROGRAM INFO
Composer - Astor Piazzolla
Libretto - Horacio Ferrer
Maria De Buenos Aires
April 20 at 7:30 p.m., April 24 at 7:30 p.m., April 26 at 7:30 p.m., and April 28 at 3:00 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music & Dance
Spanish with English supertitles

Tickets: Prices range from $35 to $125. Reduced prices are offered to subscribers. First-time subscribers receive a 30% discount on partial-season tickets (2 shows). Tickets can be purchased by calling the COT Box Office at 312-704-8414 or by going online to the COT website at www.chicagooperatheater.org.

Conductor/Director/Production Design: ANDREAS MITISEK
Video Designer: Adam Flemming
Lighting Designer: Dan Weingarten

Role Cast (Alphabetical)
El Payador Gregorio Gonzales
El Duende Gregorio Luke
Maria Peabody Southwell

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