Event
Split Evenings for The Ring Cycle
The Building Stage, a Chicago theater company noted for its unique re-tellings and adaptations of various media to the stage, announces its newest and largest endeavor to date: The Ring Cycle. The Ring Cycle is a non-operatic, theatrical re-imagining of the famous Richard Wagner opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung. This epic project synthesizes 16 hours of opera into a six-hour theater piece co-directed by the Building Stage Artistic Director Blake
Montgomery and Associate Artistic Director Joanie Schultz.
The Ring Cycle is an exciting project for the Building Stage, not only due to the challenge of adapting a story of this massive size and scope, but also because people
may recognize the name of the piece or a character, however, the actual story is not well known. Aspects of this epic tale of mythology and psychology are echoed
throughout other great large-scale productions such as Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings. German and Norse mythology and sagas inspired Wagners original vision, and
with that inspiration he created an amazing opera cycle that has a narrow but dedicated audience. The Building Stage is working towards creating a massive re-envisioning for The Ring Cycle that will bring new audiences to Wagners world and provide his fans with an exciting new look at the work that is beloved by them. The Building Stages Ring Cycle will focus on making this ancient story contemporary, immediate, fun, and emotionally powerful. Using Wagners libretti as a starting point, this production is conceived by co-directors Montgomery and Schultz and developed by the ensemble.
While original scores of the operas will not be performed, music still plays a large role in this production. The orchestral score of The Ring of the Nibelung is well known for its complex leitmotifs adding layers of meaning and weight to the text. These motifs will be a partner in the production, both in finding theatrical ways to express them, and with the newly composed musical components included in The Ring Cycle. Kevin ODonnell,
composer and bandleader, is charged with working from the original score to create a new soundtrack for a band to perform live onstage.
As with all Building Stage creations, the production design will evolve alongside the creation of the piece, taking shape as the scenes begin to inhabit the space. At the core of the design team are Lee Keenan and Meghan Raham, who previously collaborated with the Building Stage on the visually-astounding, and award-winning, "Noir."
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LocationThe Building Stage
412 N Carpenter
Chicago, IL 60642
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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