Hermitage Fellow César Alvarez To Present REIMAGINING THE MUSICAL As Part Of 'Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens'

A 2022 Hermitage Fellow and the most recent recipient of the prestigious Kleban Prize for "Most Promising Musical Theater Lyricist," songwriter and theater-maker César Alvarez will present a free community program - "Reimagining the Musical: Past, Present, & Futurity" - on Wednesday, March 23 at 6pm at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Downtown Sarasota Campus). Alvarez will share an informal hour of songs and stories about magic, domesticity, ghosts, and the way the universe works. This is the latest in the popular "Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens" series, which includes a performance by violinist and Beyónce collaborator Lady Jess this Thursday, February 24 at 6pm. Events in this series frequently reach capacity quickly, so early reservations are strongly encouraged.

Alvarez (they/them/theirs) is a composer, lyricist, playwright, and performance maker whose genre-bending work engages the contemporary moment through worlds, ranging from a young girl who encounters a cosmic variety hour at the edge of life in The Elementary SpaceTime Show to a Civil War-era machine that creates peace in Futurity (Soho Rep / Ars Nova). Futurity was the recipient of the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding New Musical. With a background as a jazz saxophonist, band leader, and sound artist, Alvarez's work draws upon theater, music, performance art, and social practice. A 2018-2020 Princeton Arts Fellow and recipient of the Jonathan Larson Award, Alvarez is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at Dartmouth College with a B.Mus. from Oberlin Conservatory and an MFA from Bard College.

"As we continue our ongoing partnership with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, we are excited to introduce Sarasota audiences to Hermitage Fellow, musical artist, and theater-maker César Alvarez," said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. "I had the pleasure of seeing César's musical Futurity in its acclaimed Off-Broadway run, and look forward to hearing more from this leading voice in the worlds of musical theater and performance art. They bring a truly unique approach to storytelling, and Selby Gardens provides a unique backdrop for experiencing bold and innovative new work."