THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON Debuts At The Orlando Fringe Festival

Get ready for an imaginative musical adventure as The Old Man and the Old Moon, debuts at the Teal Venue in the Orlando Fringe Festival! The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily for audiences everywhere, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.

Between an award-winning creative team led by director -Nicholas Wainwright, music director Maura Sitzmann, music/lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co., and a rotating cast of 8 actor-musicians, The Old Man and the Old Moon is certain to make waves at this year's festival.

When asked about the production, Wainwright stated "I love the heart of this piece, we originally produced this piece at Horizon High School, and am thrilled that I have the opportunity to revisit, retool, and expand this work with some alumni from the original production!"

Wainwright even let us in on a surprise for this specific production's music. "In this production, all of the music you hear is played by the actors. The cast never leaves the stage. We wanted a true sense of ensemble "story-theatre"."

The music in the show is indeed played by the actors, some of which are Horizon High School alumni, with their own musical instruments. (Some being brand new to the actors as of this year.) Instruments onstage include: guitars, double bass, violin, banjos, piano and even accordian. The music is directed by Maura Sitzmann, a frequent guest director at Horizon, working artist/performer in the Orlando area, and internationally as a music director for RWS Entertainment.

"The work that Maura Sitzmann has done with these actors is truly a feat to see and hear to believe. I am beyond proud of their work and the story they are sharing at the festival!"

"What I love about this piece is that it requires us to get immensely creative, including creating our own orchestrations and arrangements," Sitzmann says. "We've essentially devised the entire piece- music, staging and choreography included, all together as an ensemble. That collaboration makes this show really special to me."

Wainwright concludes, "We started with a script, 8 instruments, and a trunk of props and crafted something really heartwarming. The cast of 8 play over 25 characters, and the whimsicality/juvenile nature of the piece perfectly blends the music and the storytelling. I can't wait to share this production with the Orlando theatre community! "

The Old Man and the Old Moon musical runs for 7 performances at the Teal Venue at the Orlando Fringe Festival beginning May 17.

Show dates/times:

May 17 at 7:55 PM
May 20 at 2:40 PM
May 21 at 8:10 PM
May 24 at 9:05 PM
May 25 at 6:30 PM
May 27 at 4:05 PM
May 28 at 4:05 PM

Performances are held at the TEAL VENUE, the new Orlando Fringe ArtSpace on Church St.

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