Salzburg Marionettes Brings Magical Puppetry Performance to the Kimmel Center November 8 to 10
October 19, 2007
Salzburg Marionettes Introduces U.S. East Coast Premiere of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, as well as Mozart’s The Magic Flute
"These little figures illuminate the stage in ways you wouldn't think possible." (The Los Angeles Times)
For over 90 years, the Salzburg Marionette Theater has enchanted children and adults with puppetry performances of Mozart’s opera masterpieces and fairy-tale like settings with traveling real miniature stages. Now Salzburg Marionettes captures the magic of puppetry at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater and showcases the U.S. East Coast premiere of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 7:30pm and Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 2:30pm; and Mozart’s The Magic Flute (with English narration), on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 7:30pm, and Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 7:30pm. The two-foot tall, carved wooden puppets accomplish physical feats with movements so fluid and gestures so expressive they appear to be live performers.
This concert is the fifth concert in the World & Pop Series scheduled for the Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season. The next concert in the series will be the debut of Senegalese pop star Youssou N’Dour at the Kimmel Center on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 8pm.
Tickets for Salzburg Marionettes are $45 and $29, and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.
Salzburg Marionette Theater has presented famous works of opera, ballet, and drama through the art of marionette puppetry throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Asia and the United States. Performed in opulent, baroque sets with exquisite costumes, the Salzburg Marionette Theater considers itself a small opera house, rather than children’s theater, although it can be a wonderful way to introduce young audiences to great opera. Opera lovers will find their favorite music and characters are even more enchanting when interpreted by the masterful and delicate Old-World technique of the puppeteers. The Theater recently celebrated the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mozart with a non-stop presentation of scenes from the four Mozart operas in the company’s repertoire. As part of the 2006 Salzburg Festival, the marionettes participated in a production combining Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne with The Impressario, which included a live orchestra and singers.
From Mozart’s ominous opening chords to the brilliant final chorus, The Magic Flute is a fantastical adventure following Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina as they remain true to their love for each other, amidst a world inhabited by mysterious sorcerers, giant flowers, and creatures who are half-bird/half-human. The Salzburg Marionette Theater’s production features special effects of lightning and fire, an 18th-century version of a flying machine, and a breathtaking portrayal of the Queen of the Night.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music shares the story of a postulant who is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain. As she develops rapport with the children, she also captures the heart of the stern Captain, and they marry. The Salzburg Marionette Theater unfolds with one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales ever presented in theatre as the family narrowly escapes over Swiss mountains on the eve of World War II while Nazis invade Austria.
Kimmel Center Presents 2007/2008 season is sponsored by Citi. Support for the Mellon Jazz Series comes from The Bank of New York Mellon. The Great Orchestra Series is supported by ARC Wheeler. Additional support is provided by the University of Pennsylvania Health System and American Express. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Mellon Jazz, Mellon Jazz Up Close and World & Pop.
The Kimmel Center also receives support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The William Penn Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, Verizon Foundation, PNC Foundation, The Philadelphia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and the Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. In-kind support is generously provided by Deloitte. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents, and additional media sponsors include WDAS, WRTI, WJJZ, Afro-Pop, WXPN and WXPN's Kids Corner 20th Anniversary.
Free in the Plaza programming and subsidized tickets offered to the community and social service groups for $10 are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program, supported by a generous grant from Wachovia Foundation.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS SPONSORED BY CITI
Thursday-Saturday, November 8-10, 2007 | 7:30pm
Saturday, November 10, 2007 | 2:30pm
Perelman Theater
World & Pop Series
Salzburg Marionettes
Professor Anton Aicher, Founder
Professor Gretl Aicher, Artistic Director
Barbara Heuberger, Managing Director
Friday, November 9, 2007 | 7:30pm
Saturday, November 10, 2007 | 2:30pm
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music
Recorded music of Larry Blank, Conductor of The Istropolis Philharmonic Orchestra
Anita Yavich, Costume and Puppet Design
Thursday, November 8, 2007 | 7:30pm
Saturday, November 10, 2007 | 7:30pm
Mozart’s The Magic Flute
Recorded music of Ferenc Fricsay, Conductor of Rias Symphony Orchestra
The Rias Chamber Choir
The Berlin Motet Choir
Marionette Sculpture, Josef Magnus
Costumes, Friedl Aicher
SPECIAL EVENT!
Saturday, November 10, 2007 | 12:30pm
Tier One | $25 for one adult and one child; $12 for each additional person
Create Your Own Marionettes!
Explore the magic of puppetry prior to the Salzburg Marionettes: The Sound of Music ticketed matinee performance on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 2:30pm. A great event for the whole family! For more information, contact the Events Hotline at 215-790-7171 or visit www.kimmelcenter.org.
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