Project:
MyAudia:
Return of the Pied People
A tragicomic street opera in many acts
How the power of sound surrounds us
and how it can save us. For more information visit www.MyAudia.com
Peter Hatch, composer
with
John Sobol, libretto
Anne-Marie Donovan, director
Rob Ring, fluid web interface
In 1284, the town of Hamelin suffered from a terrible pollution problem when rats infested their cities. A man known as the Pied Piper offered to rid the town of rats in exchange for payment. With his musical magic, the Piper led the rats away to the river, where they drowned. But the townspeople refused to pay the Piper, so he lured away the town’s children with his music. They did not return.
.... until now. In our urban earth fable, the children have returned as the Pied People, trained in the musical magic of the Pied Way. The earth's environmental problems are now catastrophic. The Pied People attempt to conjure up the presence of the Pied Piper, now revealed to be a woman known as MyAudia. To do so, they must get the townspeople to pay attention to the magical sounds around them, to honour the debt they owe to MyAudia and to the environment.
Will the townspeople finally pay attention or lose another generation of children?
WORLD PREMIERE
- Stratford Summer Music:
August 6-8, August 13-15, August 20-22 - Escales Improbables de Montreal:
September 9 - 12
CAST & CREW
- Pam Patel, soprano
- Erin Lawson, mezzo soprano
- Margaret Bardos, mezzo soprano
- Jamie Hofman, baritone
- Aimee Foster, oboe and melodica
- Donovan Locke, tuba
- Richard Burrows, percussion
- Joe Recchia, stage manager and production manager
- Laisa Gillis, assistant stage manager
- Joey Morin, technical director
- Anne-Marie Donovan, producer
MyAudia: Return of the Pied People was developed by Inter Arts Matrix with the generous support of the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation, The Trillium Foundation, Stratford Summer Music and The Ontario Arts Council.
