COVER STORY

Making a Return

The Broad Stage announces triumphant season filled with new works

Mark Morris Dance Group & Music Ensemble will perform “Mozart Dances” from June 9 to 12.

PHOTO CREDIT: KENNETH FRIEDMAN

By Bridgette M. Redman

Kicking off this month, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica will present many new and different attractions between now and June 2022. It’s a celebration that includes several new and commissioned works. It is also the first full season announced under the direction of Rob Bailis, who came on board as executive director before the pandemic hit. Bailis claims inspiration from an essay, “The Pandemic Is a Portal,” by Arundhati Roy, that posits that pandemics throughout human history have opened us up to deep human reflection that demands we make changes to our ways of being, which allows for profound moments of evolution. “That is what I have been most interested in trying to accomplish with our programming at The Broad Stage,” Bailis said. “To reach very boldly and directly for the generation and the audience that is going to receive The Broad Stage in the future. We also want to speak very clearly and directly to those who have been with us all the time, and to really honor that great tradition of excellence that has been a part of The Broad Stage from the beginning.” Because of his desire and intent to engage and invite new audiences, they are bringing in a great deal of premieres this season, whether world premieres, Los Angeles premieres or Broad Stage premieres. “A good deal of our programming is focused on that work that has never been in LA or on The Broad Stage,” Bailis said. “A lot of that sense of new energy and new voices are new in our conversations, but it all works with what is still there, with the things that people love and treasure about The Broad Stage.” He wants the works to be as diverse and engaging as the community of LA itself.

Showcasing New Works

The season’s world premiere and three LA premieres include: “… (Iphigenia)” (Feb. 18-19) premiere opera created by jazz legend Wayne Shorter and jazz great esperanza spalding, with set design by architect Frank Gehry.

“Yemandja: A Story of

Africa” (April 14-16) new music theatre work by and starring vocal legend Angélique Kidjo inspired by her ancestors, directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce with production design by artist Kerry James Marshall. “Heartbeat Opera: Fidelio” (Feb. 26-27) contemporary adaptation with a chorus of over 100 incarcerated singers; also Artists Talk about restorative justice with Heartbeat Opera creators and local artists.

“The Conference of the

Birds” (June 18-19) shared world premiere oratorio from composer Fahed Siadat, librettist Sholeh Wolpé, and director-choreographer André Megerdichian, based on the Sufi mystic poet Attar’s seminal text about the journey of the soul as it seeks union with the divine. In English with text from the original Persian. Iphigenia was a princess of Mycenae, the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. Her father sacrificed her at the start of the Trojan War, setting off a circle of violence and revenge. The Broad Stage commissioned this version and the artists have been in LA working on the opera for the past several months. “All the artists are world class, but the freshness of their collaboration and the way they are working together is new,” Bailis said. “They’re reimagining Iphigenia’s story, particularly looking at it through a female point of view and a female voice; it allows that story to take on a different tone and approach.” Ballis said Shorter has been dreaming of telling this story since his early days as a composer and musician. His desire was to tell the story in a specific, epic manner, one that only became a reality when he began working with spalding, who was willing to come on as a librettist and collaborator. “That really completes the entire cycle artistically for Wayne,” Bailis said. “Their relationship was really impressive. Many times, she traveled to be with Wayne during the composition of that work and to really stay together in person in the process during the pandemic. It was a real challenge and something they offered such fortitude and commitment to.” The second commission is “Yemandja: A Story of Africa.” “Angélique Kidjo is one of the greatest known artists and singers of her generation,” Bailis said. “She is an extraordinarily beloved performer and creator and this has an intergenerational creative team — she’s working with her daughter, Naïma, who is the playwright for this work. They are collaborating with Kerry James Marshall for the set and she is really one of the finest visual artists of the past 50 years if not of all time.” “Yemandja” is set in 19th-century Dahomey, a West African kingdom that once occupied the territory that is now Benin. Yemandja, the deity of water and fertility, has given Omolola a secret gift: the power of song to change the course of history. However, the gift only works if she keeps her heart pure. A Brazilian slave trader begins killing and enslaving all those around Omolola and her desire for revenge threatens to surpass her will to keep a pure heart. The work is a piece of magical realism that illustrates through song what happens when people are robbed of their culture. Kidjo performs the songs in the piece and is backed by a live band, a chorus of dancer-singers and actors. “I love very much the nature of

PHOTO CREDIT: EMILIO MADRID

On Jan. 21 and 22, The Broad Stage presents the LA premiere of “Och & Oy!”, an evening of tunes and tall tales starring Tony Award winner Alan Cumming and NPR’s “All Things Considered” host Ari Shapiro. how Yemandja came to be,” Bailis said. “It is a really well-known piece of mythology throughout the African diaspora, told in many different ways. This is a story (Kidjo) really specifically wanted to tell through her own lived experience and her family’s.” While Naïma wrote the story, it is her mother who will inhabit the lead and sing the music that tells the story. Bailis sees many similarities between these two commissions and how they came to be. “It is quite striking that these two productions have this in common — they have this intergenerational collaborative team, a very personal, deep and longstanding relationship with the story and a desire to tell the story in a completely contemporary and original way that allows one’s personal experience to become the frame for this iconic piece of cultural storytelling. “These two pieces will be very different in aesthetic and nature and the goals they have set artistically and in terms of the narrative and experience the audience has, but there is something essential in how personal the projects are to the artists and how they are created across generational points of view, which is extraordinary. Add to it that you have two of the world’s most accomplished visual artists assisting in the delivery — it’s really perfect for The Broad Stage. We can deliver that big artistic vision and that big visual component. You’re going to get a fully staged, beautifully rendered, highly technical evolved and advanced piece of theater, created by two of the best musicians alive today.” Heartbeat Opera is bringing in the reimagining of the original Beethoven score of “Fidelio,” a story in which a woman disguises herself as a prison guard to rescue her husband from death. “It’s a work about incarceration,” Bailis said, explaining that they had started a relationship with Heartbeat in the 2020 season that had to be closed. “We ended up staying in touch with the company throughout the pandemic.” They worked together to create a digital offering of “Fidelio” called “Breathing Free” that spoke directly to such things as Black Lives Matter, mass incarceration, and the legacy of slavery and anti-Black racism. As they worked on this next season, they felt it important to create a live production with the filmed version of the incarcerated choir. “This production has gotten only more and more timely and important as we continue to grapple with the issues it presents,” Bailis said. “They are a wonderful company that we hope will be with us on a fairly regular basis.”

The Broad Stage offers new and improved facilities

While they were closed for the pandemic, The Broad Stage underwent several renovations and improvements including better seats, an improved air filtration system, a new sound system, and renovated women’s bathrooms. “You’re going to come back to something that feels like it has been waiting for you — because it has,” Bailis said. They have endeavored to continue the tradition of having a very flexible space that works for many different types of performances. Bailis said it is equally wonderful for jazz concerts or chamber music concerts and a large, splashy musical event. With each event, he said you can feel like you are in a completely different room that has been transformed by what is happening on stage. “In terms of programming, we’re equally excited about the concert music component of the season and what the venue is capable of,” Bailis said. “Musicians who play in that room leave saying it’s one of the best acoustics they’ve ever had the pleasure of performing in. It’s really special for the artists and it’s also really intimate for the audience.”

Keeping things safe

Bailis said they are very focused on keeping the audience and artists completely safe, which must be the number one consideration for everyone. “We’re choosing safety first and, second, let’s get back in the theater because we need it,” Bailis said. “You have to balance the danger of going out with that sense of community or communing with the arts. Both of those are essential to our way of life and well-being. We can’t go indefinitely without being together. So, let’s plan a really beautiful and vibrant future with this return in January.”

PHOTO CREDIT: PATRICK FOUQUE

From April 14 to 16, “Yemandja: A Story of Africa” is a new music theater work by and starring vocal legend Angélique Kidjo inspired by her ancestors.

The Broad Stage 2022 Season

Theatre and Cabaret – Great personalities and stories • “Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret” (Jan. 21-22, LA premiere) Tony Award winner Alan Cumming (“Cabaret,” “The Good Wife”) and Ari Shapiro, NPR’s “All Things Considered” host and frequent Pink Martini singer (January 21-22) transport listeners through an evening of tunes and tall tales. Presented in association with KPCC as part of its “Public Radio Palooza” series. • “An Evening with Fran Lebowitz” (April 28-May 1) star of the recent Netflix series “Pretend it’s a City” directed by Martin Scorsese is the purveyor of urban cool, a cultural satirist, whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker • “Sea Sick” (April 15-16, LA premiere) written and performed by Alanna Mitchell about the dark truth of oceans, also beach clean-up with Heal the Bay for the public

Dance companies that exemplify the art form today • Mark Morris Dance Group & Music Ensemble “Mozart Dances” (June 9-12) The Times UK: “the essence of childhood play, the unselfconscious immersion in pretending; the relentless inventiveness; the sheer delight in creativity.” • “Sacre” by Circa (Feb. 4-5) Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble creates a powerful and deeply moving acrobatic encounter with Stravinsky Le Sacre du Printemps – unparalleled blending of concert music, choreography and circus; also Circus Arts Workshop for the public • Ephrat Asherie Dance “ODEON” (April 1-2, LA premiere) – one of the most exciting contemporary choreographers fusing social, street dance and Latin rhythms; also social dance and hip-hop workshop

Classical -- Orliński, Takács and Dinnerstein • Countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, Michał Biel, piano (LA debut March 10) Opera: “The real countertenor deal, has raised the bar decisively” – one of the most vibrant performers in international classical music • World-renowned Takács Quartet with Julien Labro (Broad Stage debut March 19) Edward Dusinberre, Harumi Rhodes (violins), Richard O’Neill (viola), and András Fejér (cello) in world premiere season of a new quartet by Stephen Hough, Les Six Rencontres and two commissions from composers Bryce Dessner and Clarice Assad • Pianist Simone Dinnerstein (March 27) performing her breakout performance of Bach Goldberg Variations

Music – Four artists in their Broad Stage debuts • Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (Broad Stage debut March 11) highly entertaining ensemble with important jazz traditions such as riff playing, New Orleans polyphony and spontaneous arrangements • Martha Redbone Roots Project (Broad Stage debut April 9) American roots master, inheriting the powerful vocal range of her gospel-singing African American father and the resilient spirit of her mother’s Cherokee/Shawnee/Choctaw culture • Artemis (Broad Stage debut June 4) brings together six jazz stars: Renee Rosnes, piano, musical director; Anat Cohen, clarinet, soprano saxophone; Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; Nicole Glover, tenor saxophone; Noriko Ueda, bass; Allison Miller, drums • Cue & A with Robert Kraft conversation clips and commentary with game-changing composers, Kris Bowers (April 26) composer of scores for “King Richard” and “Bridgerton,” Michael Abels (June 1) composer of scores for “Get Out” and “Us”

The Broad Stage Favorites – Nat Geo Live, Beethoven Bagels & Banter, blackbox return • Nat Geo Live – Beth Shapiro evolutionary biologist “How to Clone a Mammoth” (January 27 & 28) | photographer Anand Varma “Invisible Wonders” (March 17 & 18) | Maureen Beck , paraclimber – “Improbable Ascent” (June 16 & 17) • Beethoven, Bagels & Banter with Robert Davidovici (Feb. 20, April 3) Curated by Robert Davidovici and featuring a mélange of world-class guest musicians, a perfect way to spend a Sunday morning • blackbox curated by the Reverend Shawn Amos – The Reverend Shawn Amos & The Brotherhood (May 13) deep collaboration between Shawn Amos, the blues singer-songwriter/harmonica player and some old friends: black roots, R&B, and stripped-down rock n’ roll –a bracing, soul-deep musical experience | Brenna Whitaker (June 17) Growing up, Whitaker fell in love Ruth Brown, Peggy Lee, Cab Calloway, Etta James. “Those are my people … It’s almost like they found their way to me.”