MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 9 - ILLUMINATING DISCOVERIES

Today we blog with Lighting Designer Michael Cole. Michael is not new to ADLR having served as Assistant Lighting Designer on our production of A View From The Bridge. Michael is a creative beast as an Artist and is bringing his own special brand of en-lightning Illumination to Maria de Buenos Aires... Opening Night is just around the corner...www.artesdelarosa.org

ILLUMINATING DISCOVERIES

Adam first approached me about designing the lighting for Maria de Buenos Aires while I was on tour with a production of My Fair Lady. We had been having conversations concerning different philosophies of art and how art is influenced by life and how it affects life.

One day out of the blue, Adam sends me an e-mail telling me about a production he would be working on called Maria des Buenos Aires. Apparently the original lighting designer had taken another job in New York and would be unable to commit to the project. Being out of college for a year, looking for new experiences, I gladly accepted the project.

In the following weeks our conversations about art transformed slowly into me asking a lot of questions: what was it about? Why was it written? What in the world is an Operita?! Adam was able to send me what I can only describe as a research book. Filled with inspirational imagery, detailed history of the production, synopsis, libretto, pages of character descriptions, author biographies, etc. It was…thoroughly…researched.

Normally, my design process would begin with the script as it is the “blueprint” of the production. As this production is based on the tango, however, it was more appropriate to begin with the music. The music itself was a joy to listen to. I could hear the colors of the production very succinctly in the dynamics and melody. After reading the script, I went back to the music to make notes and drawings that I felt captured the style.

The next step was to ascertain the tools that I had to work with. In working with the technical director/scene designer, we compiled an inventory of the lighting gear available. To do this, it was necessary to remove every light from the stage. Something that had not been done in years. The entire lighting system will be reconfigured for Maria... to suit her needs.

In this production, the lighting will paint every scene to help evoke the spirit of the story. Strong theatrical looks, not limited by the confines of realistic lighting, will sculpt every segment of the story. Heavy use of color and angle will add to the tango drama that is Maria. You won’t want to miss this.

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 8 - "Hay Dios Mio"

Today we blog with Wes Cantrell, one of the Stars of Maria de Buenos Aires. You may have noticed Wes steaming up the press photos - but he's more then a pretty face. Wes is a wonderful artist and a charismatic actor. You'll be really suprised what he's doing with the role of Father Luce, a priest with a dark secret. Let's hear what Wes has to say... make sure to purchase your tickets, opening night is less then three weeks away!

"HAY DIOS MIO"

I am very excited to be returning to the stage in the city of Fort Worth. I’ve lived most of my life over in Weatherford, and Fort Worth was always the big city for me. Whenever we needed to go shopping or do something fun, we’d always jump on I-20, and start heading East. In a way, getting back to the Artes de le Rosa stage is a homecoming for me. When Adam approached me about working as a principal in a “Tango Operita” I wasn’t so much skeptical as I was absolutely terrified! Dancing? Tango?! Spanish?!? Hay Dios mio… I knew if I said yes I would have my work cut out for me. But he gave me the Original Cast recording, and within five minutes of listening to the tracks I had fallen in love with the music. It’s tantric, sexy, and takes these twists and turns that I’ve never heard from anything else. I knew right then and there that I had to be a part of this production. Before too long I had made friends with the rest of the cast, and I knew how special this production was going to be. There are some shows that you do out of obligation, or because you’re trying to get your Equity weeks, and typically you don’t remember much from the rehearsal process or the run of those shows. But then there are shows that you do that blur that line between work and play. The ones that you’re involved in simply for the love of it. Those are the shows that stay with you forever. I know that this particular show has been a journey for me. I’m very excited to bring Father Luce to life in a way that no one has ever seen before… I hope you get to come see it.

Maria de Buenos Aires
A Tango Operita
May 11th - May 27th

Photos by Shannon Atkinson

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 7 - Argentina Looks French?

Today we blog with Technical Director and Maria de Buenos Aires Scenic Designer, Oliver Luke. Oliver's designs for Artes de la Rosa theatre have been called beautiful, emersive, and 'art'...and we'd agree! Whether taking us to a dark prison in Argentina or a massive mansion in Miami, Oliver has helped in the revitalization and renisannce of the Rose! He's out done himself with Maria de Buenos Aires. Make sure to check out his work by buying your tickets at www.artesdelarosa.org!

ARGENTINA LOOKS FRENCH?           Approaching the design of a show that has no real setting other than the city of its inception can be a liberating and daunting task. That was the first thought that ran through my head, how do i approach an original design but stay true to the setting of Buenos Aires, Argentina?

My first step to this approach was to study the architecture of Buenos Aires and understanding its influences, which turns out to be very French and Italian in the Baroque Style. Unfortunately the Rose's stage doesn't always allow for the style that may be necessary for a design that would require monumental staircases and expansive dome ceilings. However I did try to focus on the rich interiors and of course the openness of the space which would allow for greater movement opportunities for the dancers. The other issue was deciding on wether we wanted the streets of Buenos Aires where the tango was born or the interior of the Bordellos where the tango was practiced and perfected.

So after about five design sketches, some conceptual and others more literal, we made a decision on our location. The second element to work with would then be color. I decided to play with more earthy and cool colors to contrast the fiery passionate colors one would associate with the tango. Here and there you will get a splash of those passionate colors such as reds but overall it will be a very dark contrast. The last element of my design was that I really wanted to play with lighting opportunities and how lighting can really change the mood and feel of a setting. So the set will feature some really great elements that will play with, lighting designer Michael Coles' work. You'll hear from Michael next week! Till then...

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 6 - What IS a musical operetta tango ballet?

Today we blog with actress Lorens Portalatin who plays Alma, The Voice of the Brothel... one of the two youngest members of the cast, Lorens is proving to be quite a fierce company member! You'll have to see what we mean when the show opens May 11th at the Rose Marine Theater. You can be sure that you'll be seeing more of her on stage at Artes de la Rosa!

Lorens Portalatin with JP Cano

What IS a musical operetta tango ballet?

Whenever I first recieved the Facebook audition event invite for Maria de Buenos Aires I skimmed through it and disregarded it, thinking that someone would consider me either too young or unexperienced for this type of production. But after really going through and reading the description of the show, and hearing through the wording how passionate, and intense, and how physical the show was going to be, I just knew I had to be a part of it.

While reading the synopsis I knew that nothing like this had ever been done in Texas and that peaked my interest even more! A musical, operetta, tango ballet, that is NOT a musical, operetta, tango ballet... Honestly? What does that even mean?

I went through the audition process, was fortunate enough to be called back and then was cast as the Alma, the Voice of the Brothel. And in knowing that I was one of the two youngest in the show I knew that I could learn and experience so much from this production. Between the cast, dancers and production staff I have truly seen how much work and time and thought has gone into this entire process. From the storyline, to the characters to the very point or flex of a dancer's foot. It's going to be a marvelous monster within itself. Full of love, hate, anger, jealousy and every other deadly sin that you never knew could be portrayed in such a sensual and unseeingly beautiful way.

While being in rehearsal with the cast, crew and Adam (director), we've had the show broken down piece by piece, and all the way down to the heart of the story. The music. Astor Piazolla, wrote a show that did not have to be physically interpreted or represented. The story line drives the music, where it's going and where your mind takes you.

This is going to be a production that the audience walks out knowing and what we were portraying and telling them about Maria and her choices. They have never seen anything like it and it will be unforgettable

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires - BLOG 5 - Well Prepared Means 120 Pages!

Today we blog with Costume Designer Justin Kailer who's designs have captivated and captured the imagination in beautiful Artes de la Rosa stage productions including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. With a long history of collaboration between Director Adam Adolfo and himself, Justin's designs for Adam Adolfo shows are always crisp, surprising, innovative, with a distinctive eye for detail.

I first met with Adam, regarding this production of Maria de Buenos Aires, in November of last year. We met for coffee at Café Brazil and he hands me packet of information no less than 120 pages long. It was a lot to sift through; a complete synopsis including the libretto, an entire production history with reviews as well as about 100 photos. In no time at all we were discussing his vision for Astor Piazzolla’s “tango operita”.

I took my newly acquired “show bible” home with me that evening and began pouring over it. I firmly believe that a Designer’s work must always start with the script, before any drawings are made. After that comes research. And so, I read the synopsis twice and I must have read the script alone at least 5 times over the next two or three weeks before sketching out preliminary renderings for the principle characters. About the third time through, I began jotting down words that popped out (repeated words), words that I thought of or a certain feeling that the libretto invoked in me. Together with my list and a pencil I started sketching. After another two or three days, I finally had my rough drawings in hand and went back to Adam in late December, early January.

I love working with Director Adam Adolfo simply because he is always well prepared. He is never “not prepared”. He knows exactly what story he wants to tell and how he wants to tell that story. He will often times assemble his production staff to meet this very specific goals. Typically, he tells you that, “this is the way it’s been done, but we will not be doing that—instead we will be doing it this [other] way.” More often than not, the [other] way is drastically different. Adam often challenges me. By encouraging me to try out a new idea, he nurtures my creativity and ingenuity, testing new construction methods or perhaps a delicate fabric. He is always eager and willing to think outside the box, in ways that are not conventional or sometimes even comfortable, often testing limits for actors, production staff and eventual audience members alike.

In my research I was very surprised to learn that awfully little had been done with this particular operita since it was conceived by Piazzola and Librettist Horacio Ferrer almost fifty years ago in the 1960s. Because of this, I basically had free reign and could design the show any way I saw fit, within the constraints of the music and of dance.

The top of the show is extremely colorful and bright, this is when she is first discovering the city. The second Act however will be much darker in terms of costuming and also overall atmosphere. I will often take inspiration from multiple sources for a single production—movies, a piece of art, a shopping trip or even clothes I see a random person wearing on the street. Somehow, in some way, all of these things work together and manage to complement each other every single time. Each costume choice, from beginning to end, is dictated by the progression of the show or what’s happening in a particular scene.

MYSTERIES OF MARIA; Inside Artes de la Rosa's Maria De Buenos Aires -BLOG 4 - DANGER: Must be this Tall to see Maria de Buenos Aires

TODAY, we blog with GRACE NEELEY who is starring in the title role of Maria de Buenos Aires. Grace is making her Artes de la Rosa debut and marks the first time she's working with Director Adam Adolfo.

DANGER: Must be This Tall to see Maria de Buenos Aires

I believe humans at the core of our beings share in a great suffering.  We long for pain and agony, many times, to our own detriment. How else can one explain horror movies, cigarettes, and roller coasters? The thrill of danger excites us all.  Although sometimes this thrill comes at quite a high price, we continue to go willingly into pleasure and deal with the pain later. Are we all violent? Are we all curious? Are we all psychotic? Maria de Buenos Aires answers this question with a resounding: YES.

Maria leaves behind her quiet suburban life as a flower seller to enter into a world of unknown adventure and excitement in a bordello in downtown Buenos Aires. She is seduced by the music and dance of the tango, and quickly forgets herself. She then reinvents herself as a strong, powerful, sex kitten of the bordello, only to find that she will receive more than she bargained for. Sexual power is very hard to control, in fact, is that even possible? Control is the opposite of passion. So, control is an illusion. This illusion IS THE TANGO. The fight for control and power is the dance.  This dance lures Maria, willingly, to sinful pleasure and ultimately death.

As members of an affluent society we all have to participate in menial tasks and unrewarding duties day in and day out. So, how can we combat the ever looming and threatening inevitability of boredom? Well, some people cheat on their spouses, although they love them deeply... I would venture to say that this stems from boredom as a result of utter complacency. We are bombarded with literature and workshop classes detailing how to, “keep the spark alive.” Conversely, we struggle to keep the spark alive in our own lives as well... If we cannot, then why go on at all? Danger is a quick fix for this boredom. Screaming and crying makes us feel much more alive than quiet contentment ever will. The tango is a roller coaster. Maria wants nothing more than to take that ride. Looking for a little danger in your life? Are you a little bored? Come to Artes de la Rosa…and Buckle your seat belt.

Maria de Buenos Aires; A Tango Opera - The Photographs

"For years, (Shannon Atkinson) and Artes de la Rosa have been head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to publicity photos for performing arts productions. This is why." - Publishing Editor and Co-Founder: Mark Lowry; TheaterJones.com

http://www.theaterjones.com/reviews/20120309055100/2012-03-17/Artes-de-la-Rosa/Electricidad

Well, we hope we have done it again. Today we are proud to present the press photos for the upcoming Regional Premiere of Maria de Buenos Aires, A Tango Operita. The photos feature cast members Grace Neeley, Keith J. Warren, and Wes Cantrell. Images by Shannon Atkinson, Styled by Adam Adolfo.

<><>

Artes de la Rosa Presents
Maria de Buenos Aires
A Tango Operita
Photo by Shannon Atkinson

 Artes de la Rosa’s Adam Adolfo directs with Elise Lavallee choreographing. Joshua Bradford serves as music director and conducts the 7-piece orchestra, who are part of the staging of this production, which has set design by Artes de la Rosa Technical Director Oliver Luke, costume design by Justin Kailer, lighting design by Michael Cole,  and sound design by Adam Adolfo.

 



Feel the Heat of Tango

Maria de Buenos Aires

A Tango Operita

Photo by Shannon Atkinson

Surrender to the Desire of
Maria de Buenos Aires
A Tango Operita
Photo by Shannon Atkinson

TICKET INFORMATION

MARIA DE BUENOS AIRESopens Friday May 11^th and plays Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sunday Matinees at 2:30 pm through Sunday May 27^th. Opening Night Gala Tickets are $25 for which includes Maria’s Midnight Milonga: a Private Gala after Party with the cast, staff, and donors of Artes de la Rosa. General Admission tickets for the rest of the run are $18 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, matinee prices are $15 and $10 respectively. For tickets or more information, call the Rose Marine Theater Box Office at (817) 624-8333. Special ticket prices are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.artesdelarosa.org.

Artes dela Rosa Announces Principle Castin for the Regional Premiere of the Tango Opera, MARIA DE BUENOA AIRES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fort Worth, TX – February 27th – Artes de la Rosa is proud to announce principle casting for the Regional Premiere of Astor Piazolla’s Tango Operita, MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES which is receiving its Regional Premiere this May at Artes de la Rosa’s home The Rose MarineTheater.

Starring as Maria, is Grace Neeley making her Artes de laRosa debut. The actress has been seen through out the North Texas theatre community taking the stage at Circle Theatre (The Great American Trailer Park Musical) and Casa Manana where she played Linda Lou in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, starring Ruta Lee & Ed Dixon. “The role requires an epic journey ranging from youthful naïveté, to rambunctious sensuality, to frailty and despair without ever loosing a sense of hope. When we found Grace, we knew we had a woman who could not only embody the role, but truly define tango itself,” says Director Adam Adolfo.

Returning to the Rose Marine stage after glowing reviews for his turn as Valentin in Artes de la Rosa’s critically praised Kiss of the Spiderwoman is Keith J. Warren in the lyric tenor role of Maria’s love interest, El Payador. Most recently Keith was seen in Rags at Lyric Stage, under the supervision of maestro Jay Dias and Broadway composer Charles Strouse. A fixture of musical theatre stages regionally, performing with Casa Mañana, WaterTowerTheater, Garland Summer Musicals, ICT Mainstage, Bass Performance Hall, and The Jefferson Performing Arts Society in Louisiana, Keith rejoins the Artes de la Rosa family for this, his first “little” opera.

Rounding out the principle cast is JP Cano in the role of the Goblin Ghost Storyteller, El Duende. A trained dancer, JP has been seen on the stage at Teatro Dallas in La Máscara que Hablaba, Don Juan, the Vampire, Blue Beach, and last year’s The Maiden of the Used Books. Other stage credits include MBS Productions at Adam and Eve… and Kiss the Boys. TV appearances include the Bravo’s show Most Eligible Dallas, My Style’s Big Rich Texas, and NBC’s Chase. Cano debuted at the ADLR Cultural Center last year as part of the American Classics Theatre Initiative production, A View from the Bridge.

When asked to comment, Maria… star Grace Neeley offered, “"When I heard Piazzolla's score, I knew I just had to be part of this production. The music, the art, the dancing, it's one of those once in a life time opportunities for a performer."

“The production team and I are so excited to bring together three of the most talented individuals in this singular storytelling event. Their poise, passion,and perfection are precisely the traits we so tirelessly searched for in performers. Grace, Keith, and JP are stars, and their performances will be North Texas epics,” offers Artistic Director Adam Adolfo. Production begins May 11th at the Rose Marine Theater in Fort Worth for a strictly limited 3 week engagement through March 25th.



About MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES

Born in the slums, luredby the city, surrendered to the bordellos, Maria's life is the story of the tango. Through song, dance, and poetic narration, Artistic Director Adam Adolfo transforms the historic Rose Marine Theatre into a dark haunted bordello in Argentina. The ill-omened María, born "one day when God was drunk", heads to the center of Buenos Aires, where she is seduced by the music of the tango and becomes a streetwalker. Thieves and brothel keepers, gathered at a black mass resolve her murder. After her death, Maria becomes a wandering ghost, until she is spectacularly reborn through the power survival, freedom, and above all things, love.



Artes de la Rosa’s Adam Adolfo directs with Elise Lavallee choreographing. Joshua Bradford serves as music director and conducts the 7-piece orchestra, who are part of the staging of this production, which has set design by Artes de la Rosa Technical Director Oliver Luke, costume design by Justin Kailer, lighting design by Michael Cole, and sound design by Adam Adolfo.



TICKET INFORMATION

MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES opens Friday May 11th and plays Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sunday Matinees at 2:30 pm through Sunday May 27th. Opening Night Gala Tickets are $25 for which includes Maria’s Midnight Milonga: a Private Gala after Party with the cast, staff, and donors of Artes de la Rosa. General Admission tickets for the rest of the run are $18 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, matinee prices are $15 and $10 respectively. For tickets or more information, call the Rose Marine Theater Box Office at (817) 624-8333. Special ticket prices are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.artesdelarosa.org.