Little Island Press Release
ON SITE OPERA JOINS LITTLE ISLAND’S NYC FREE FESTIVAL FOR TWO DAYS OF FAMILY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES, AUGUST 14-15
Five Performances of The Perfect Pig and Tapestry of New York Celebrate the Indomitable Spirit of New York City
NEW YORK, July 29, 2021– On Site Opera, New York’s pioneering opera company rooted in site-specific storytelling and the immersive experience, announce their participation in NYC FREE, a new festival presented by Little Island as part of the park’s inaugural season. Offering two days of family friendly and free opera in The Glade, one of the new performance venues at Little Island, August 14 and 15, the company will present the New York premiere of the mini opera, The Perfect Pig and Tapestry of New York, a concert of arias celebrating the stories of the city and the spirit of its people.
With music by Phillip Wharton and libretto by Janet Burroway, The Perfect Pig follows a young pig on a charming journey of self-discovery, only to find that in the end, they are perfect just the way they are. A short story with a moral of self-acceptance and love sung by baritone Nicholas Davis and played by pianist Candace Chien. Puppet Kitchen created the large-scale puppet as the title character in this New York premiere.
Tapestry of New York is a short concert highlighting the varied and diverse voices of our beloved city by some of NYC’s most exciting emerging artists. The program includes the world premiere of Joy’s Aria from H. Lawrence Freeman’s jazz opera American Romance performed by soprano Chantal Freeman; Jessie Montgomery’s Loisaida, my love, performed by mezzo soprano Rosario Armas and cellist Elanor Norton in a tribute to the poet Bimbo Rivas, a Puerto Rican native whose community activism helped transform the Lower East Side; “Perfect Boy” from the transgender story As One, featuring transgender artist Lucas Bouk in his baritone debut; and Leonard Bernstein’s toe-tapping New York, New York, performed by tenor Brian R. Jeffers.
“There is no better venue for our official return to live performances after more than a year away than the stunning surroundings of Little Island,” explains General and Artistic Director, Eric Einhorn. “We are thrilled to be a part of the fabric of this inaugural festival while providing free community programming to audiences of all ages and introducing the city’s youngest ears to opera.”
The company will continue with live performances August 28-September 2 with What Lies Beneath, a partnership with the South Street Seaport Museum on the tall ship Wavertree. An immersive musical experience aboard the ship’s main deck, audiences will hear and see six unique vignettes intended to connect audiences to the complex and tragic stories surrounding American maritime history, both through the enslavement of African people and through novelist Herman Melville’s tragic heroes. Tickets are now on sale at osopera.org.
PERFORMANCE and VISITOR INFORMATION
The Perfect Pig will offer three live and in person performances each day, August 14-15 at 11:00 a.m., 11:35 a.m., and 12:10 p.m. The running time is 15-minutes.
Tapestry of New York will offer two live and in person performances each day, August 14-15 at 1:15 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. The running time is 20-minutes.
All admission is FREE! Tickets required for all performances in The Amph. Timed Entry passes required for park entry after 12:00PM. More info at https://littleisland.org/visit-us
VENUE INFORMATION
Little Island Park is located in the Hudson River off of the West Side Highway with entrances at West 13th and 14th Streets.
Little Island Park is accessible by the A, C, E, and L trains located at 14th Street and 8th Avenue (ADA accessible); the 1, 2, and 3 trains located at 14th Street and 7th Avenue; and the F and M trains located at 14th Street and 6th Avenue.
COVID PROTOCOLS
Unvaccinated guests are asked to maintain a 6-foot distance between individuals not of the same party and wear a mask or face covering when coming into close contact with others. A mask or face covering will be required inside public restrooms.
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ABOUT ON SITE OPERA
Founded in 2012, On Site Opera is the leading presenter of site-specific operas in non- traditional venues throughout New York City. Rooted in collaboration and storytelling, On Site Opera celebrates the connection between artist and audience through highly curated experiences led by seasoned opera artists and bold and innovative creative teams. To date, OSO has produced 18 operas in as many unique locations to critical acclaim, including Shostakovich’s The Tale of The Silly Baby Mouse using large-scale puppets in performances for families at the Bronx Zoo; Gershwin’s Blue Monday in the historic Cotton Club of Harlem; and Rameau’s Pygmalion in Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, which explored new technology in opera through the use of Google Glass supertitles. Each production invites New Yorkers to explore their city in new and unique ways, while cultivating a new generation of opera audiences. For more information, visit https://osopera.org.
Follow On Site Opera on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @onsiteopera
ABOUT LITTLE ISLAND
Little Island, a new, free public park pier within the larger Hudson River Park, opened to the public on May 21, 2021, providing New Yorkers and visitors from around the world with a unique green space unlike any other in New York City. Planned in partnership with the Hudson River Park Trust, Little Island was funded primarily through Barry Diller and he Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation through an extraordinary philanthropic gift to the Hudson River Park. Little Island provides a one-of-a-kind relationship between nature and art—a break from urban life and a connection to spontaneity and joy.
ABOUT NYC FREE
NYC FREE is a one-time-only multidisciplinary arts festival produced by Mikki Shepard. From August 11–September 5, Little Island visitors can enjoy four weeks of free programming featuring more than 460 artists and 160 performances, including 2 distinct performances in The Amph each night, and up to 7 free events 5 days a week.
