Stage Door News
Stage Door News
In the Toronto Masque Theatre tradition of creating productions featuring striking juxtapositions, our centuries-old dreams of the East are explored in this double bill of dance and music.
This is how Artistic Director, Larry Beckwith, described Toronto Masque Theatre’s season finale:
“The evening will feature two fascinating but wildly different artistic depictions of Istanbul, the breathtakingly beautiful city that is also the gateway between East and West.”
Les Indes Mécaniques
It’s the 18th century and Marie Antoinette has sent a diplomatic gift to the Turks, a mechanical music box, which sits in an abandoned room inside Istanbul’s fabulous Topkapi Palce. A young girl sneaks into the room, opens the music box, which causes the mechanical creations inside to come to life and perform the beautiful, musical stories of Rameau’s baroque opera-ballet masterpiece Les Indes Galantes (1735).
With its faithfulness to the gorgeous costumes and stage aesthetics of the 18th century, the production will allow audiences a glimpse into Europe’s theatrical past. This adaptation is the creation of Toronto Masque Theatre’s Artistic Associate Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière and Mickaël Bouffard and features artists from both Montreal and Paris.
The Anahtar Project
The second half of the evening will be a dynamic concert of music inspired by the centuries-old Ottoman/Turkish ‘Makam’ tradition, led by Juno-award winning composer and performer Andrew Downing. Featuring original compositions by Downing and his collaborator, the ud player Güç Başar Gülle, the project was inspired by the ‘Gezi Park’ protests, which Downing witnessed during his time in Istanbul. Anahtar is Turkish for 'key' and, like the great city of Istanbul, the music represents a doorway between East and West and celebrates the city’s role as a great cultural mosaic.
What
Our centuries-old dreams of the East explored in dance and music, featuring a choreographed adaptation of Rameau’s baroque masterpiece Les Indes Galantes on a double bill with a concert of Turkish-influenced music.
When
May 14-15, 2015, 8:00 pm. Pre-show Chat at 7:15 pm before both performances.
Where
Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre. 207 Queens Quay W.
How
Tickets: $50 for regular; $43 for seniors; $20 for those 30 and under. Tickets available online from Harbourfront Box Office or by calling 416-973-4000 x 1.
Who
For more information on Toronto Masque Theatre please go to our website.
Featured Artists
This unforgettable evening of music and dance will feature performers drawn from Paris, Montreal and Toronto.
Les Indes Mécaniques:
• Mickaël Bouffard, baroque dancer, choreographer
• Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, baroque dancer, choreographer
• Dorothéa Ventura, baroque dancer and singer
• Bruno Benne, baroque dancer
• Loris Barrucand, harpsichordist
• Clément Geoffroy, harpsichordist
The Anahtar Project:
• Andrew Downing, cello
• Brenna MacCrimmon, singer
• Demetrios Petsalakis, ud (Turkish lute)
• Peter Lutek, clarinet
• Ben Grossman, percussion
About Toronto Masque Theatre
Founded in 2003 by Artistic Director Larry Beckwith, Toronto Masque Theatre is one of the only companies in the world devoted to the performance of masque, an art form that integrates elements of music, dance and theatre into a single presentation. Inspired by the rich courtly tradition of the late Renaissance, we seek to reinvent the art form for today's audiences, speaking to contemporary Toronto.
We have produced over forty critically acclaimed productions, ranging in repertoire from the late Renaissance to the present day, including eight commissions of original work from Canadian artists.
Photo: Topkapi Palace.
2015-03-26
Toronto: Toronto Masque Theatre presents "Les Indes Mécaniques" & "The Anahtar Project" May 14-15