Iowa debut | Described by the Washington Post
as “a band of ceaseless charisma, boundless energy, impeccable musicianship
and more than a little touch of both the naughty and exotic,” Vagabond Opera
is one of a kind. They're also a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
What the group delivers is passionate offerings of Bohemian cabaret for
young and old. Paris hot jazz, tangos and Ukrainian klezmer folk-punk
ballads meet a world of riverboat gambling queens and Turkish belly dancers.
Weaving elements of Kurt Weil and Edith Piaf with absurd theatrics, Vagabond
Opera presents the new wave of opera
—
lusty voices singing in 13 languages, with rich musical
phrasing, sparkling lyrics and indomitable stage presence and a gritty
Vagabond edge. This is opera liberated and reinvented for everyone.
The band’s lineup features trained operatic tenor and soprano
vocals, accordion, tenor saxophone, cello, stand-up bass, and drums.
Vagabond Opera is at the vanguard of a growing popularity
in the Neo-cabaret phenomenon. Through their theatrical performances and
eclectic repertoire, they liberate opera from its usual constraints,
expanding musical and theatrical biodiversity. Based in Portland, Oregon, the
group has performed all over the US and Europe. They've been featured on
NPR, in the Washington Post and Jazziz Magazine, and have
shared stages and players with Pink Martini, Devotchka, Balkan Beat Box, Al
Franken and the Oregon Symphony. The group has three full-length albums to
its name.
Vagabond Opera was created in 2002 by European-trained
opera singer and composer Eric Stern. Then disillusioned with the classical
opera world, Stern created a new context for opera: performance on a more
intimate scale, incorporating not only opera but elements of Weimar Cabaret,
Arabic and Balkan forms, and the original music that springs from the
ensemble’s fertile creative work.
This is not your granny’s opera, but a visceral artistic ensemble that
features powerful instrumental and vocal performances coupled with a highly
eclectic and theatrical experience.
Wed Nov 18 |
8 pm
CSPS | 1103 Third St SE | Cedar Rapids
$14 + fee in advance | $18 at the door
