The multimedia show “Soldier Songs” will be presented by LA Opera at Ford Theatres, Los Angeles.The show is an evening-length multimedia event that combines elements of theater, opera, rock-infused-concert music and animation to explore the perceptions versus the realities of the soldier, the exploration of loss and exploitation of innocence, and the difficulty of expressing the truth of war.“‘Soldier Songs’ has concert music, and film footage by Bill Morrison in a monodrama for baritone (David Adam Moore) and chamber orchestra. The multi-media concert presentation explores the perceptions versus the realities of a soldier, the exploration of loss and exploitation of innocence, and the difficulty of expressing the truth of war,” says the LA Opera website.The show asks the tough questions. The libretto, created by composer Little, was adapted from recorded interviews with veterans of five wars. “Soldier Songs” traces the shift in perception of war from the age of six to the age of 66. We follow the abstract character through the three phases of life: Youth (playing war games), Warrior (time served in the military) and Elder (aged, wise, reflective) as per the website.It is a chilling and realistic view of our media-crazed, war machine culture, and of the nature of power in war. Special support has been lent for this presentation by Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. It is a co-presentation with the Ford Theatres of Beth Morrison Projects’ production. Music can be easily co-opted to serve a political or ideological message or it can equally be a vehicle for reflection, engagement, and emotional connection, as is seen in this gripping music-theater work according to the website.“‘Soldier Songs’ was commissioned by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, which premiered the original version of the work in 2006. A workshop in New York City followed in 2008, produced by Beth Morrison Projects at Le Poisson Rouge and directed by Yuval Sharon. The first fully-staged production of ‘Soldier Songs’ took place in 2011 at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, Connecticut. The LA Opera Off Grand presentation of ‘Soldiers Songs,’ presented at the Ford Theatres in a Beth Morrison Projections production, is the West Coast premiere of a new multi-media presentation of the work, with film by Bill Morrison. This version was previously seen in Washington, D.C., in 2014 and at the Holland Festival in 2015,” says the website.The show will be on stage on October 13, 2018, at the Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd E, Los Angeles.For details, visit: https://www.laopera.org/season/1819-season-la-opera-season/soldier-songsClick on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the show. http://www.blouinartinfo.com Founder: Louise Blouin
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