Off-Brand Opera Presents CAROUSEL, December 10 & 11

Off-Brand Opera returns this fall with a fresh take on Carousel, the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Carousel will be presented with a fresh take on the classic work, featuring performers from a variety of artistic backgrounds in restaurant Bella Ciao's intimate basement cabaret space.

All guests can visit Bella Ciao for dinner before the show for a full menu and dining experience; during the performance, drinks are available for purchase from the cabaret bar. Audience members in our VIP area also have the option to order food from a selected menu during the show.

Carousel is directed by Brendan Hartnett, with movement direction/choreography by Leslie Andrea Williams and assistant direction by Anna Larranaga Erin Kennedy serves as music director, with Rider R. Foster as conductor.

The production stars Dan Hoy* (Between the Lines, CATS 1st National Tour) as Billy Bigelow, and features Tiffani Butler, Roderick Ferguson, Erin Kennedy, Anna Larranaga, Mark Martinez, Anthime Miller, Kimberlee Monroe*, Sam Pottinger, Emily Reusswig, Veronica Shea, and Leslie Andrea Williams.

Tickets are $25 and $35 VIP, which includes the best seating with café tables to enjoy food and beverages during the event. For more information, please visit offbrandopera.org/carousel. To purchase tickets, please visit OBOCarousel.eventbrite.com.

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Off-Brand Opera, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

In a small coastal town, romance between carnival barker Billy Bigelow and millworker Julie Jordan comes at a steep price. Desperate to provide for his family but unable to control the violent impulses that threaten his dearest relationships, Billy makes a series of devastating choices that test the power-and limits-of justice, redemption, and forgiveness.

Off-Brand Opera's production leans into a nuanced exploration of the societal forces that shape our characters' lives and decisions. From non-traditional casting that challenges perceptions about gender to varied vocal styles that emphasize our characters' emotional arcs, Carousel is a story about real, complicated people and the community that gives them strength.

AUDIENCE ADVISORY NOTE: This production includes references to and a brief depiction of domestic violence, as well as an onstage depiction of suicide.

In a world where brand definition rules, three singers found themselves longing for a space to play around with something different-something off-brand. Tradition told them that's not how it's done. But what if it could be?

Off-Brand Opera strives to push and blur the boundaries of genre and performance practice, bringing musical communities together in the service of telling a story. We encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration in order to foster fresh, relatable, and relevant interpretations of beloved works.