James Harkness Stars as Beethoven in BEETHOVEN'S WRONG NOTE at MITF
Performances will take place on Thursday July 2 at 6:00pm; Friday July 3 at 10pm; Saturday July 4 at 6:45pm; and Sunday July 5 at 11:30am.
The 2024 Perry Award winner for Outstanding Production of an Original Musical, "Beethoven's Wrong Note," will be a featured event of The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF). Written by Jay Stephenson and starring Broadway veteran James Harkness (Ain't Too Proud; Beautiful; The Color Purple) in the title role, the production will anchor the festival's residency at the American Theatre of Actors (ATA) this summer.
"Beethoven's Wrong Note" transports audiences to the Theatre an der Wien on the fated morning of February 11, 1804. In a Herculean effort to win the heart of his "Immortal Beloved," a hearing-impaired Ludwig van Beethoven enters into a Faustian deal with the famed Viennese impresario Emanuel Schikaneder. What follows is a high-stakes rehearsal for a forgotten opera, Vestal Flame, that quickly spirals beyond the confines of the stage in a quest to produce "The Greatest Opera Yet Written!"
Blending rock, classical music, drama, and dance, playwright Jay Stephenson-a member of the Dramatists Guild and a former New York Times-acclaimed performer-has crafted a "Steampunk" historical fiction that challenges traditional depictions of the composer.
"It is widely believed Beethoven only wrote one opera, Fidelio," says Stephenson. "Upon discovering he had composed ten minutes of another, I made it my mission to make Vestal Flame the centerpiece of a larger production. We've even transcribed his music for rock instruments; you will be amazed at how well his genius suits the genre."
The production is further elevated by the casting of James Harkness, whose portrayal reflects historical accounts and new DNA research regarding Beethoven's ancestry. This "Herculean" production also features the work of Musical Director James Higgins, a 2018 NYIT award nominee who has performed across all seven continents.
Performances will take place on Thursday July 2 at 6:00pm; Friday July 3 at 10pm; Saturday July 4 at 6:45pm; and Sunday July 5 at 11:30am.
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