LifeView at The A.R.T./NY Theatres

LifeView is an original operatic musical premiering Off-Broadway at the Mezzanine Theatre at the A.R.T./New York Theatres on December 11-13. The musical is written by Malikah Stafford, SÖNUM, and Abagael Cheng, and directed by Stephanie Rolland.

LifeView is a dark comedy inspired by the mythology of The Morrigan, the Irish goddess of war, death, and prophecy. Over a millennia of guiding humans to their destiny and stewarding their souls into the afterlife, The Morrigan has seen the best and worst of humanity. Our story finds her in modern times, where she spends her days as the CEO of LifeView, a billion-dollar company that sells guidebooks for manifesting your dream life. As she witnesses greed and desire consume mortals century after century, The Morrigan becomes disillusioned with her godly responsibilities. But when a new hire shakes up the sales department with her unwavering optimism, The Morrigan and her devout employees are forced to reckon with their divine purpose. Can people change for the better, or are we all destined to become the worst version of ourselves?

“We see LifeView as a modern cautionary tale about how being unwilling to change can limit the possibilities of your future. If you are chained to who you were, you’ll never reach who you’re meant to become,” shares creative producer and company founder Abagael Cheng. “The creators chose to write an operatic musical because it lives outside of the traditional music genres, in the same way that our characters are challenged to forge a new path towards their own destiny. This pilot production is our first opportunity to put our work in front of an audience and see what works and what could be improved. This premiere run is an essential step towards expanding the show into our dream version of the piece.”

Grassworks’ production of LifeView features scenic design by Michelle Saguinsin, costume design by Audrey Peterson, lighting design by Juniper Stuart, and sound design by Joshua Lowery and Joel Bobby. AJ Francisco will be the conductor, and Emily Anne Goes is the production manager.

The A.R.T./New York Theatres are fully ADA-accessible, including: convenient curb cuts close to the entrance for wheelchair and mobility device accessibility; elevator access to each floor; wheelchair-accessible restrooms available in the Mezzanine Theatre lobby; assistive listening devices available; an HVAC system with MERV 11 filters; and air purifiers in all public restrooms. For information on the A.R.T./New York Theatres including directions and accessibility information, please visit www.art-newyork.org/spaces/theatres/plan-your-visit.

LifeView officially opens on Friday, December 11 and runs through Sunday, December 13. The performance calendar is Friday through Sunday at 7:00 PM, and one matinee on Sunday at 2:00 PM. Tickets are available on a sliding scale and can be accessed by visiting the LifeView ticketing page. A limited number of free tickets are available for each performance upon request via email to grassworksproductions@gmail.com.

This project was made possible, in part, with support from The Why Collective. Grassworks is proud to partner with Something & Nothing, Sivaro Snacks, Chocolé NYC, Bibble and Sip, and Frena on this production.