Contract signed! ✅
I feel deeply honored to be serving as the music director for the @huntingtontheatre 's upcoming production of ADIA & CLORA SNATCH JOY, the final piece in the brilliant Mfoniso Udofia's 'Ufot Cycle' with gorgeous music written by my friend Michael Ellis Ingram.
Like all of my favorite pieces of art, this piece lives in a world outside of genre - but whether you call it a play, a folk opera, a musical, or something else entirely, it is a truly STUNNING piece of storytelling that I hope you'll come out any see this November/December. I promise you will walk away forever changed by Adia & Clora.
I feel so lucky to be working with some of the finest creative minds in the business, including Mfoniso, Michael, and director Awoye Timpo who has already been such an absolute joy to collaborate with, as well as everyone else at the Huntington who I've had the pleasure of getting to know better during this pre-production time. (Shout-out to Kevin Schlagle!) This company continues to do important and groundbreaking work of the highest quality, and I am so grateful to have gotten involved last year through their incredible productions of 'The Light in the Piazza' and 'Fun Home'. I know that the journey ahead is going to be full of so much heart and humanity, and I must be the luckiest person ever to get to be a part of it.
Mark your calendars - I'll see you this fall/winter for something truly special!
(📷Me in Hallstatt, Austria for the algorithms...)
Such a nice getaway to the Poconos this past weekend with my mom! I've never seen a place so teeming with life around every corner. (And fortunately I think I managed not to hit any with my car... 😳)
Back in Boston now! Time to dive back in and catch up on emails - thanks for your patience everyone...
It is with sincere regret that we announce soprano Logan Trotter is unfortunately unwell and will be unable to join us for the recital.
At the same time, we are delighted and deeply grateful that soprano Erin Matthews has graciously agreed to step in for the performance. We look forward to presenting an equally inspiring and memorable program for our audience.
Please join us in sending our warmest regards to Logan, along with wishes for a swift and full recovery.
@erintaur@brendonshapiro
Awesome show last night with Broadway's @mickeytwhite Mickey White and @thebigdewaal Jeanna de Waal! So much fun to perform with these guys, especially music from all my favorite musical theatre composers, including Sondheim, Bernstein, Guettel, and Jason Robert Brown! Big thanks to @heyitsstevebass Steve Bass for bringing me in for this concert!
Such an amazing playtesting session of IMPRESARIO today at Boston Lyric Opera! So glad some wonderful BLO staff members could join in the fun. HUGE thanks to Roxanna Myhrum for helping me organize the session!
SO excited to share the stage with the amazing Laura Santamaria and Arielle Rogers-Wilkey this evening! Thanks to Boston Lyric Opera for bringing us together for a beautiful program. 🥰🎵
The word 'impresario' comes from the Italian word 'impresa', which translates to 'undertaking'. I don't think I realized how meta that title would become when I decided to take all the ideas that had been percolating for years and actually do the thing and make the damn game.
For the last 4 months, this undertaking has occupied pretty much every free minute and brain cell I could give it. It's been daunting, frustrating, exhausting, and also one of the most truly joyous things I've done in quite a while. I'm really proud of this thing.
Today, for the first time, after a LOT of rule reconsidering, Canva rejiggering, and cardstock snipping, I played the physical prototype of Impresario on my dining room table for the first time. And I almost forgot it was supposed to be "work" - it was FUN. It's satisfyingly strategic, thematic, and manages to check a lot of boxes without being overly dense and complicated. It's both a love letter to and a critique of the opera industry. I think it might be really good.
After countless abandoned creative projects throughout my life, I think I really needed this. Regardless of whether or not I'm successful at finding an interested publisher, I saw the creation of this design through to the end. It's hard to put into words how important that is to me.
So, now comes the fun part - I get to show it to some awesome people! If you've signed up, expect an email from me soon - can't wait to hear your thoughts and ideas. (If you haven't signed up yet but are interested, let me know!)
Also, I need to give a special shout-out to Omar Najmi who has been the MOST helpful throughout this process, helping me test countless digital iterations. (Several of the ideas that made it into the current game are his!) I know most game designers aren't lucky enough to have amazing built-in playtesters like this, and I am incredibly spoiled!
Quick trip to NYC for Omar's performance at Carnegie Hall! He sounded AMAZING and it was so great to have a chance to reconnect with friends and family!
