{"id":15221,"date":"2015-10-06T11:48:42","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T15:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/news\/article.php?ArticleID=15221"},"modified":"2018-01-19T16:21:51","modified_gmt":"2018-01-19T21:21:51","slug":"15221_curtain-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2015\/10\/06\/15221_curtain-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Curtain Up!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Peak Performances, Montclair State University\u2019s acclaimed performing arts series, launched its 2015 \u2013 2016 season in style with the world premiere of Elements of Oz<\/em><\/a>, a new work by The Builders Association that integrated augmented reality technology with live performance \u2013 a first in the theater world.<\/p>\n

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Charles Isherwood wrote in The New York Times<\/em> that Elements of Oz<\/em> is \u201cloose, loopy and enjoyable\u2026a technologically sophisticated new show that riffs on \u2018The Wizard of Oz,\u2019\u201d and \u201cillustrates the pervasive cultural reach of the movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

The production was an auspicious beginning to a season that encompasses works by an audacious group of international artists expanding the boundaries of contemporary theater, dance and music.<\/p>\n

In addition to Elements of Oz<\/em>, which ended its run on October 4, the season includes three more world premieres. Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch returns to Peak Performances October 15 \u2013 18 with Rooms of Light: The Life of Photographs<\/em><\/a>, a song cycle he created with acclaimed poet Mary Jo Salter that explores the impact of photography, from the Civil War to the selfie.<\/p>\n

Choreographer Liz Gerring\u2019s last appearance at Peak Performances generated wildly enthusiastic reviews and was named one of The New York Times\u2019<\/em> top ten dance performances of 2013. She will debut her latest work, Horizon<\/em><\/a>, at Peak Performances December 10 \u2013 13.<\/p>\n

Zimbabwean choreographer Nora Chipaumire, named a \u201crock star of downtown dance,\u201d debuts a live piece called Portrait of Myself as My Father<\/em><\/a> along with the second film produced by Dance for Film on Location at Montclair State University next April.<\/p>\n

The season also includes an extraordinary performance by legendary theater director Robert Wilson as Krapp in Samuel Beckett\u2019s Krapp\u2019s Last Tape<\/em><\/a> (American premiere, March 17 \u2013 20); a rare East Coast appearance by Seattle-based choreographer Pat Graney, whose interest in the feminist artists of the 1970s inspired Girl Gods<\/em><\/a> (October 22 \u2013 25); the American premiere of The Book of Disquiet<\/em><\/a>, the first large-scale work by Grawemeyer Award-winning Dutch composer Michel van der Aa to be produced in the U.S. (January 21 \u2013 24); The Grand Parade<\/em><\/a>, Double Edge Theatre\u2019s brilliant, Chagall-inspired revue of the events of the 20th century; La Double Coquette<\/em><\/a>, a charming revision of a 1753 op\u00e9ra comique<\/em> full of romance and mistaken identity from France\u2019s Ensemble Amarillis; the return of Romeo Castellucci (Hey Girl<\/em> and On the Concept of the Face\u2026<\/em>) with the American premiere of Go down, Moses<\/em><\/a>; and performances by Montclair State\u2019s resident string quartet, Shanghai Quartet<\/a>, on December 18 and May 7.<\/p>\n

Peak Performances is a program of the Office of Arts and Cultural Programming (ACP). \u201cPeak Performances is the new gold standard for arts programming at institutions of higher education across the country,\u201d says ACP Executive Director Jedediah Wheeler. \u201cIf one was in doubt, look at the high caliber of artists being offered at the Alexander Kasser Theater for an insanely reasonable ticket price.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tickets to all performances are $20 and are available at the Alexander Kasser Theater Box Office, by calling 973-655-5112 or online at peakperfs.org<\/a>. There is no charge for Montclair State University undergraduates with valid ID. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before curtain to claim your PAF ticket.<\/p>\n