Skylight Music Theatre to Present Bollywood-Inspired FIDELIO, 9/20-10/6

Skylight Music Theatre's new Artistic Director Viswa Subbaraman will open his first season at Skylight with an innovative, 21st century production of Ludwig van Beethoven's 19th century masterpiece, Fidelio. A timeless story of love, the purity of purpose and, of course, mistaken identity, Fidelio will be staged like never before - as a classic Bollywood film on an interactive set designed by acclaimed Indian artist Raghava KK. Fidelio will be performed Sept. 20 through Oct. 6 in the Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center (158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI.)

Subbaraman, the production's stage and music director, will combine the dramatic score of Beethoven's only opera with a moving chorus of colorfully dressed Indian dancers on a set highlighting Raghava KK's new vision for art. The set, created especially for Skylight, will use technology that interacts with the actors and Subbaraman, making each performance a unique experience for the audience.

Kinect motion-sensor technology, best known for its use in video games, will capture actors' movements and replicate them in a video field projected onto the stage. During the opera's finale, Subbaraman's brain waves - through the use of special EEG headgearthat he will wear while conducting the orchestra - will change the color wash that is projected onto the backdrop that was specifically designed for this purpose by Raghava KK.

"These technologies are at the heart of Raghava KK's work to create art that interacts and reacts to the viewer as the viewer reacts and interacts with the art. It's a perfect fit with this production of Fidelio and our entire Skylight season, which is based on the theme of 'revolution,'" Subbaraman said. "To have this opportunity to work with a major rising star in the international art world and to put together such an incredible cast and crew is a true honor. We are so proud to bring this revolutionary production - blending performance and visual art with the storytelling of one of the greatest composers the world has ever known - to the Cabot stage."

KK likened his vision for the production to "Dr. Seuss meets Bollywood," with big, colorful sets and creative technology that will draw the audience even further into the drama. (See a sample of the set artwork here.) KK has designed set pieces for musician Paul Simon, but Fidelio is his first opera. This is also the first time his brainwave technology, created in conjunction with programmers at MIT, will be used onstage.

"I'm really excited to introduce this interactive technology to Fidelio because I think it's a new form of storytelling that makes the work much more accessible to modern audiences," he said. "My vision is first to introduce a lot of color - like a pop-up book - where the story comes to life through the actors and the color. The visuals are layered, just like the music. It's accessible, it's disarming and it's extremely powerful. Whether you love opera or are just beginning to discover the art form, this is an exciting production. I'm delighted to be part of bringing it to life."

Fidelio will feature the choreography of Deepa Devasena , a Milwaukee dancer, choreographer and dance instructor who has been studying various Indian dance forms since the age of 4. The Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek is also collaborating with Skylight as they transcend culture, society and ethnicity, ultimately showing that we all share similar values. Skylight will perform Fidelio in English.

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