Friday May 25th 8PM $10
Commissioned by thingNY, PASSOVER is a performance-ritual by Obie-winning writer/composer Rick Burkhardt for six singing/speaking performers, seated at a dinner table on which there lies a double bass. Each performer relates the story of a friend's escape: from a bad marriage, from an unfair situation at work, from a run-in with a traffic cop, from an ethically compromising opportunity, from an awkward family dinner. Ultimately, it becomes clear that all of these friends form one collective identity. Written specifically for thingNY’s unique blend of chamber music, theatre and improvisation, this tabletop work explores the vocalizing instrumentalist in disjointed modes of storytelling. thingNY is Jeffrey Young (voice and violin), Dave Ruder (voice and Bb clarinet), Erin Rogers (voice and tenor sax), Paul Pinto (vocals and hand percussion), Andrew Livingston (voice and double bass), and Gelsey Bell (voice and metallophone)
http://www.thingny.com
Louna Dekker-Vargas and Ledah Finck are The Witches: a duo of flute, violin and vocals. They are dedicated to creating and championing contemporary music that synthesizes the particular colors and textures of flute, violin and vocals. Their work creates sonic atmospheres where beauty and ugliness, orderly and wild, can come face to face.
Nick Natalie is a saxophonist, composer and educator based in Fairfax, VA. As a performer he has been a finalist in the MTNA Chamber Music Competition in addition to being featured with the Carnegie Mellon University Wind Ensemble and the Duquense University Wind Ensemble. His sophomore record Bitingly Right (2018), contains ten through-composed tracks featuring saxophone, piano, and percussion. It starts with minimalism and consonance while slowly moving to an aggressive, avant-garde four movement suite for prepared saxophone. The compositions were motivated by the loss of structure and learning to find peace in the midst of chaos and anxiety.
http://nicknatalie.bandcamp.com/album/bitingly-right