Spend your night out at the Orchestra!

CHARLES LAZARUS AND THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA

SAT JUN 3 8PM

Sarah Hicks , conductor / Charles Lazarus , trumpet

Tommy Barbarella , piano and keyboards

Jeff Bailey , bass / David Schmalenberger , drums

The Minnesota Orchestra’s Charles Lazarus brings music inspired by the sultry melodies and evocative rhythms of Brazil, Cuba, Hawaii and more. Hear originals, music from the Buena Vista Social Club and a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim.

ORCHESTRA

AUG 3–5 8PM

Sarah Hicks , conductor

Dessa , singer, rapper and writer beloved home country, trying to make a life in a refugee camp, and eventually navigating a new home country where he and his family are consistently treated poorly by almost everyone: the welfare man, a woman in a grocery store, an employer– I am sure the list could have gone on.

Dessa returns to the stage with the Minnesota Orchestra for a powerful collaboration that transcends genre. With her charismatic wit, potent lyrics and an expressive alto voice, Dessa has earned a national reputation for crafting ambitious, multi-disciplinary live shows that move, entertain and surprise her audiences.

And yet amid all of this, The Song Poet relishes in moments of humor and whimsy. The audience I was a part of especially liked the Minnesota-specific jokes in the second act. Chue’s (Corissa Bussian) dream about getting a washing machine is proof that even practical dreams deserve arias expressed in sparkling vibrato. The simultaneously heart-rending and ridiculous conversation between Bee and the dogs he befriended in the refugee camp is hilarious and silly and left more than one audience member wiping their eyes when Bee finally leaves the two dogs behind.

The Song Poet is also unique in that it incorporates a significant amount of interpretive dance. One of the most impactful moments was a river crossing in which dancers struggle to make their way through two pieces of flowing fabric, juggling possessions and watching helplessly as their loved ones attempt their own crossings. Similarly, the brutality and monotony of factory work is told through a mechanized, percussive dance in the second act and Cheng Xiong and Elliana Vesely briefly embody Bee and Chue in a dance duet that summarized the love story that is central to The Song Poet

I am so happy to see Minnesota Opera exploring stories like this one. This is a beautiful, innovative piece of opera that is a great representation of Minnesota theater at its best. Minnesota Opera collaborated with several local bookstores to bring copies of Kao Kalia Yang’s books to theater-goers and there were lotus seed cookies for sale at intermission. It was a thoughtful production with a diverse, representative cast and crew. I look forward to more of the same and similar in coming seasons. 