“Das Barbecu” casting press release
FROM BROADWAY TO BARBECÜ: ON SITE OPERA ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR WINTER PRODUCTION OF DAS BARBECÜ
Artists from Musical Theater and Opera to Share the Stage for Immersive Musical Comedy at Hill Country Barbecue Market
NEW YORK, January 2, 2019 – On Site Opera, an organization dedicated to presenting site-specific opera productions in non-traditional venues throughout New York City, announces casting for Das Barbecü at Hill Country Barbecue Market, January 26- February 11, 2020. With book and lyrics by Jim Luigs and music by Scott Warrender, Das Barbecü’s songbook ranges from Broadway to Texas swing, jazz to twangy country and western with a multi-disciplinary cast to reflect the show’s artistic demands.
With five actors playing more than 30 outrageous characters at breakneck speed, On Site Opera welcomes back celebrated sopranos Justine Aronson (Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic) and Jessica Fishenfeld (New York City Opera, Palm Beach Opera), and is pleased to announce the “golden-toned” David Hughey, fresh from the Broadway stages of Waitress and Porgy and Bess. Also joining the cast is the “mighty crossover” baritone Robert Wesley Mason (Nashville Opera, Eugene Opera) who has appeared on opera and theater stages across the country and in TV and film, and the “powerful” Zuri Washington, most recently seen in Bat Out of Hell and the national tour of Bring it On: The Musical. This dynamic cast brings a wide range of talents and experience to fulfill On Site Opera’s overarching mission of presenting productions in immersive surroundings to create an authentic and intimate experience for all of the senses.
As previously announced, the production will be directed by Eric Einhorn and Katherine M. Carter, conducted by Emily Senturia, with costume design by Whitney Locher, lighting design by Shawn K. Kaufman, and hair and make-up design by Gabrielle Vincent.
While opera buffs will be familiar with the basic outline of the story, even an opera and theater novice will find their way through the complex plotlines in which Wagner’s “Ring” cycle is put to country-western tunes dressed like a rhinestone cowboy and set deep in the heart of Texas. Luigs’ clever book makes the twists and turns part of the joke, as Siegfried, a guitar-strumming cowboy, has given his beloved cowgirl, Brunnhilde a magical ring of gold, only to find that his engagement plans have been thwarted by evil half-dwarf Hagan. After the dwarf —a bartender at the local roadhouse who covets the magic ring — drugs Siegfried’s beer, the singing cowboy proposes to Gutrune, a lovesick two-stepper whose usual attire can only be described as a wedding dress by way of the Grand Ol’ Opry complete with white cowboy hat and veil. A delicious piece, both musically and gastronomically, Das Barbecü will be served with a side of New York’s best brisket, and a menu that includes mac & cheese, sweet potato bourbon mash, banana pudding, and cornbread, too!
With nine performances, funding for this production is made possible through grant funding from The New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Howard Gilman Foundation.
SCHEDULE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Das Barbecü will be performed:
Sunday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, January 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Dinner seating, which includes a family style BBQ dinner is $95, and bar seating, without dinner, $60. Tickets are available online at https://osopera.org/productions/bbq/.
VENUE INFORMATION
Hill Country Barbecue Market is located at 30 W 26th Street, in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and accessible by the N, R and W trains.
REPERTORY NOTES
Das Barbecü | Premiered in 1991 by Seattle Opera
Book and Lyrics by Jim Luigs
Music by Scott Warrender
Conducted by Emily Senturia
Directed by Eric Einhorn and Katherine M. Carter
Costume Design by Whitney Locher
Hair and Makeup Design by Gabrielle Vincent
Lighting Design by Shawn K. Kaufman
Assistant Costume Design by Jess Gersz
Stage Management by Samantha Greene
Assistant Stage Management by Shayna Penn
Cast:
Justine Aronson
Jessica Fishenfeld
David Hughey
Robert Wesley Mason
Zuri Washington
A nod to Wagner’s Ring Cycle merged with a comedic Texas fable, the songbook ranges from Broadway to Texas swing, from jazz to twangy country and western as mismatched lovers meet on the day of their double shotgun wedding with five actors playing more than 30 outrageous characters at breakneck speed.
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ABOUT ON SITE OPERA
On Site Opera produces site-specific operas in non-traditional venues throughout New York City (and beyond!). By staging each opera in an environment specific to the piece, OSO surrounds the audience and artists in the music and drama of the story, amplifying the connection between the world of the opera and the reality of the audience. To date, OSO has produced operas in more than a dozen unique venues, 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. To date, On Site Opera has produced 17 operas in as many locations, re-introducing New Yorkers to their city by way of opera.
ABOUT HILL COUNTRY BARBECUE MARKET
Hill Country Hospitality was founded by Marc Glosserman with the vision of bringing the authentic cuisine, original culture, and famed music of the Central Texas barbecue belt to New York City. In 2007, with his wife & partner, Kristen, the company opened its flagship restaurant, the wildly successful Hill Country Barbecue Market, on 26th Street in Manhattan. The combination of a unique and inviting ambiance, and a mouthwatering menu including meats smoked with traditional Texan Post Oak, plus great cocktails, Texas brews and lots of live music, made Hill Country Barbecue Market an instant classic, garnering rave reviews, including a two-star review by The New York Times, topping Wall Street Journal’s Best Barbecue Restaurants list, and earning a Critic’s Pick by New York Magazine. In 2011, a new outpost of Hill Country Barbecue Market opened in Washington DC with much acclaim. Visit www.hillcountry.com
