PHONY
Chamber Opera in One Act by David Matthew Brown
Hub City Opera Presents the NJ Debut of a new work created
by composer David Matthew Brown and librettist Alize Rozsnyai
Synopsis: The premise of Phony is that a couple, having just sat down to dinner for a date at a fancy restaurant, are communicating exclusively by text messages rather than having a face-to-face conversation. They sing aloud the text message just received by the opposite party, and in this satirical manner, flip gender norms and expectations giving the audience a very interesting magnification of these differences. They have been dating for several months, having met on social media, but discover they hardly know each other because they are always on their phones. They reminisce about things they used to enjoy such as reading books or playing chess, and bemoan that they feel they never have time anymore. Ultimately, their discovery leads them both to an unexpected conclusion. A moment of comic relief comes when the waiter sings a passionate aria about tofu.
COFFEE CANTATA
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht BWV 211
by Johann Sebastian Bach
Composed probably between 1732 and 1735, the cantata is essentially a miniature comic opera that tells the story of a disgruntled father, Schlendrian, who argues with his caffeine-obsessed daughter, Lieschen, about what he perceives to be her bad habit of indulging in too much coffee. The opera consists mostly of a back-and-forth dialogue between these two characters; bewildered by Lieschen’s devotion to the drink, Schlendrian unsuccessfully tries to bribe his daughter into renouncing caffeine in favor of settling down with a husband while Lieschen evades his commandments with clever maneuvers and outright disobedience.
The work lampoons both the wild popularity of coffee in 18th century Leipzig, as well as the mildly sanctimonious belief held by some of Leipzig society at the time that coffee drinking was a bad habit that needed to be broken!
Our double bill will take place at the
Avenel Performing Arts Center
150 Avenel Street
Avenel, NJ 07001
April 29, 2023 at 7:30 pm
April 30, 2023 at 3:00 pm.
Please help funding this show.
We need your help! THANK YOU!
TICKETS
Purchse your tickets with eventbrite.
Just click here.
Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board for Chosen Freeholders through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
Program funded by Middlesex County, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
HUB CITY OPERA AND DANCE COMPANY connects the community with important old and new works that educate and entertain, bringing together amateur and professional singers, musicians, dance and visual artists to create performance art unheard and unseen before.
Education
We strive to provide children at the elementary through high school level with opportunities to discover and nurture a love of the arts. We are actively looking to expand our network of partner schools.
Entertainment
We search for the hidden gems of opera and make them accessible to modern audiences. Our emphasis on little-known works set our productions apart.
Enrichment
We partner with local community leaders to spread the joy of opera and dance to a wider audience and create a space for local performers to express themselves through art.
We Need Your Support
Not only your financial support. If you are interested in learning more about our project and how you can participate, please contact us.
