THE BLUR: or HOW TO MARRY A BILLIONAIRE by Peter Wing Healey
The Mesopotamian Opera Company proudly presents its new production, The Blur: or How to Marry a Billionaire, with words and music by melodic composer Peter Wing Healey. The opera is scored for piano, violin, viola, harp, and percussion with noted pianists Dr. James Lent and Milos Veljkovic as Musical Directors.
With many beautiful melodies, a virtuosic piano score, hilarious comedy, great singers, and a compelling narrative, this opera is not to be missed. Come see it at The Highland Park Ebell Club, 131 S. Ave 57, Los Angeles, CA 90042. Dates are Friday August 2, Saturday August 3, Wednesday August 7, and Saturday August 10. All performances are at 8PM.
Tickets are $30. Available online or at the door. http://mesopotamian-opera.eventcube.io
Synopsis
Maritza Plunck, a charming Vice President at Banco Popovaire in New York, declares that these days it’s the “Buh buh buh of billions, not the muh muh muh of millions that sets wedding bells to ding dong dang.” She will only marry a billionaire. When she hires a temp, Tad, for the week, she has no idea she is harboring the fugitive CEO, Lad Tusselhof, who built his company in a Chicago garage to a trillion dollars in just three months. Lad was famous for working so fast that photographs of him always came out as a blur. Nobody knows what he looks like.
His quest to regain his trillion dollars starts with hacking into Maritza's computer and bumping her salary up to 365 million dollars a year – throwing multitudes out of work, destroying countless lives in a matter of seconds. Maritza accepts the money reluctantly, turning a blind eye to its provenance. Will a Drug Cartel Gang, attempted human sacrifice, and a double shotgun wedding at an ancient Maya temple deep in the jungle lead to marital bliss?
About
Peter Wing Healey is the founder and artistic director of The Mesopotamian Opera Company. As a composer, Mr. Wing Healey writes neo-classical music for a form of theater he calls “Nouveau Comique.” He has presented his original operas in New York City and in Los Angeles, where he now lives and works. His lauded productions have received support from P.S. 122, American Opera Projects, TWEED Productions, The Howard Gilman Foundation, The Noah Wyle Foundation, The Center for the Arts Eagle Rock, The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and The James Irvine Foundation.
Making original, narrative Lyric Theater since 1985, Mesopotamian Opera Company is a nonprofit organization dedicated to further the teaching and employment, in live performance, of expressive performing arts techniques. The goal is to create work, employment when possible, and contemporary context for the arts of dance, song, recitation and role playing, and all the attendant arts; stage design, music composition, choreography, lighting design, conducting, playing of musical instruments and directing. This goal supports the infrastructure of teachers and coaches, university and college departments, that every year turn out aspiring talent in the field of live, expressive performing arts by laboring to provide another delivery platform for the many years of work and dedication represented in the lyric population. https://www.mesopotamianopera.org/
Cast
Maritza, Catherine Antonia Samartin
Lad, Gabriel Manro
Sally, Jessica Mamey
Baron Vanderzoo, III, onathan Matthews
Minnie, Christa Marie Stevens
Moxie, Katharina Haberl
Mikey/Dagma , Jamie Sanderson
Manny/Tibby, Steve Moritsugu
Popovaire, Eric Castro
Dowager Empress, Camille Cardinale
Musicians
Violin, Greg Von Notias
Cello, Cindy Hickox
Harp, Jillian Lopez
Percussion, Mike Basak
Blüthner grand piano provided by Kasimoff-Blüthner Piano Co., Hollywood, CA
Production
Directed and Choreographed by Ataraxia Waldorf
Music Directors/Pianists, Dr. James Lent and Milos Veljkovic
Assistant Conductor, Kritika Malhotra
Assistant Director and Choreographer, Kenwa Newell
Costume Design, Claire Fraser
Set Design, Stewart Greg
Costume Assistant, Shon LeBlanc
Lighting Design, W. Alejandro Melendez