Tag Archives: Henry Purcell

Apr 21

Woman on the edge of a tragedy: “Dido of Idaho”

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Inside you, these two wolves fight for dominance. Ashley Lyon as Crystal and Parker Jennings as Nora. Photo by Apollinaire Theatre Co.

Presented by Apollinaire Theatre Company
By Abby Rosebrock
Directed by Brooks Reeves and Danielle Fauteux Jacques
Scenic and sound design by Joseph Lark-Riley
Featuring: Parker Jennings, Mauro Canepa, Mariela Lopez-Ponce, Paola Ferrer, Ashly Lyon

April 17 – May 10
Chelsea Theatre Works
189 Winnisimmet Street
Chelsea, MA 02150

Review by Maegan Clearwood

Content advisory: this play discusses and depicts many sensitive topics. To avoid spoilers, I am linking the production information page here, where prospective audience members can find more information.

CHELSEA – Abby Rosebrock’s play Dido of Idaho fits seamlessly into one of my favorite, hyper-specific storytelling subgenres: the redemptive, darkly hilarious portrayal of a mentally unwell heterosexual woman hitting ultimate rock bottom. Think Fleabag, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Bridesmaids – comedies that don’t shy away from the muck, despair, violence, sexual depravity, and absurdism that 21st century womanhood frequently encompasses.

Dido of Idaho, now playing at Apollinaire Theatre Company, has this messiness in spades: bodily fluids, profanity, internalized misogyny, and cat fights galore. It’s a series of tonal ricochets, swinging from disgust to hope to grief and back again in a matter of seconds. It’s relentlessly honest, laughing in the face of feminine acceptability, daring the audience to look away. Continue reading →

Dec 06

Harvard Early Music Society Presents “Dido and Aeneas”

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Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
Stage directed by Giselle Ty
Music directed by Jessica Rucinski
December 5, 6, 7 • 8pm
10 Garden Street
Harvard University
Dido and Aeneas on Facebook
For tickets, visit boxoffice.harvard.edu
$12 regular admission • $8 students
Experience the legendary tale of doomed love through the concentrated emotion of Purcell’s music. Based on Book IV of Vergil’s (also, Virgil) Roman epic, The Aeneid, this tragic opera traces the charged romance between Dido, the Queen of Carthage and Aeneas, the Trojan prince destined to become the founder of Rome.
The marriage of one of the most iconic texts in classical literature and some of the most enduring and cherished moments in the history of western classical music beautifully capture the lovers’ yearning to find an immortal love and all of the obstacles that they must fight against in order to hold on to it. In a world where duty, fate, grief, and supernatural forces disrupt and challenge the power of love, love cannot conquer all.
The Harvard Early Music Society is collaborating with a cast and creative team consisting of professionals and undergraduates to stage Henry Purcell’s 1688 masterwork in one of Harvard’s most intimate theatrical spaces.
 

 

Jan 26

No More Love on the Run*: Purcell’s THE INDIAN QUEEN

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Purcell Queen

presented by the Handel and Haydn Society
Harry Christophers, Artist Director
Aisslinn Nosky, Concert Master
John Finney, Chorusmaster

January 25 & 27, 2013
Jordan Hall & Sanders Theatre
Boston, MA
Handel and Haydn Facebook Page

There are some culture-lovers reluctant to attend an evening of opera. Some fear pomp and stuffiness; others fear boredom. These fears encumber the uninitiated with false bias against the excellence that only classical music can convey. H&H’s performance of The Indian Queen was entirely lacking in snobbery and the program notes were jam packed with enough historical trivia to entertain a fidgety toddler. The music of Purcell was warm and gentle. It wrapped around the audience like an electric Snuggie; a balm for the bitter winter chill.   Continue reading →