Composer: David Lang
Libretto: Mac Wellman
Director/Production Designer: Luke Landric Leonard
Photos by LLL from the 2010 production presented by The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre & Dance
Nominated for eight 2010 Austin Critics' Table Awards including "Best Opera," and ranked No. 4 on Austin Chronicle's "Top Ten Theatrical Wonders of 2010" (Austin Chronicle)
Production History
2015, Nagambie Lakes Opera Festival, Victoria, Australia
2010, B. Iden Payne Theatre, Austin, Texas, USA
2010 Cast/Creative Team
Music Director: Lyn Koenning
Scene Design: Sonja Rainey
Costume Design: Alison Heryer
Lighting Design: Lih-Hwa Yu
Sound Design: Billy Henry
Stage Manager: Beth McCurdy
Technical Director: Tramaine Berryhill
Dramaturgs: Samantha Accetulli and M'bewe Escobar
Choreographer: Alvin J Rangel
Assistant Director: Joey LePage
Movement Advisor: Natasha Davison
Voice and Text Consultant: Barney Hammond
Voice and Text Coach: Melissa Recalde
Cast: Jennifer Adams, Morgan Beckford, Hallie Chaney, Gabriel Jason Dean, Michelle Flanagan, Julia Gytri, Glen Hall, Jenn Hartmann, John Hazlewood, Haley Hussey, Joey LePage, Stephen Naimoli, Bethany Renfro, Thomas Roduta, Chrissy Shackelford, Ben Schave, Daniel Sullivan, Travis Tate, Zach Ullah, Sarah Walker
String Quartet:
Amy Harris – Violin
IKevin Mendoza – Violin II
Julie Keller – Viola
Douglas Machiz – Cello
Commissioned and produced by Monk Parrots (New York)
Music by Peter Stopschinski
Libretto by Kirk Lynn
Direction and Production Design by Luke Landric Leonard
Photos by Corey Torpie Photography
All rights reserved, Copyright 2014
This world-premiere opera celebrates the improbable life of Bum Phillips, a National Football League legend and American icon. Inspired by Phillips' motivational skills and homespun principles, this epic portrait of Bum Phillips pushes the boundaries of where and for whom opera is staged.
"a tour de force...undoubtedly - a fine evening's entertainment." - The New York Times
"This is not your typical night at the opera...unique, audacious, quirky, a proud underdog striving to succeed on its own terms." - USA Today Sports
"The opera world would be wise to take notice of Bum Phillips. It's exactly that kind of opera that can build bridges to non-traditional audiences." - Maxamoo
"You're in for a treat 'cause there's a lot of talent on view in this production...The music by composer Peter Stopschinski is stunning...it's bound for even bigger venues and accolades." - The Artsy Voyager
Production History
Texas Premiere, September 24, 2015, The Stafford Centre, Stafford, Texas
World Premiere, March 12-30, 2014, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York
Act One Workshop, January-February 2013, Long Island University Post Campus
Published on Nov 26, 2014
This segment appeared on NFL Films Presents, Show #7: How Did We End Up Here? (Julius Thomas, The Secret Garden, The Bum Phillips Opera), and aired Oct. 14, 2014 and Oct. 19, 2014 on Fox Sports 1. (Courtesy of NFL Films Presents)
Work Sample
Michael Lewis (Macbeth), Elizabeth Chennell (Witch 1), Photo by Lyz Turner-Clark
”No dream is too big. No challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach” - Donald Trump
Mr. Macbeth has a born-to-rule complex and delusions of grandeur. He lives with his foreign-born third wife in a McMansion, trading in wobbly millions and embroiled in dodgy deals, manipulating his minions as a hands-on property developer.
Life takes a turn for the bizarre when he sees three witches in a forest acclaiming his future glory - a vision backed up by a loyal and trusty aide. Macbeth takes the supernatural prediction to heart. When fate hands them an opportunity, Mr. Macbeth and his aspirational wife seize the day, with bloody resolve and dire consequences.
Gertrude Opera commissioned a reimagined Verdi score by US composer, Peter Stopschinski - orchestration for electric violin, electric guitar, trombone, double bass, keyboard, and percussion - bringing a 21st-century aural sensibility to Verdi's sublime melodies. In a production conceived by Linda Thompson, directed and designed by Luke Leonard with costumes by Alison Heryer, a cast of 12 present an 80-minute version, sung in English. Set in fantasy Scotland where modernity and heritage merge, the opera premiered in the Underground Cellar at Mitchelton winery, with Australia's most revered Verdi baritone, MICHAEL LEWIS OAM, in the title role.
Artistic Director: LINDA THOMPSON
Stage Director/Production Designer: LUKE LANDRIC LEONARD
Adapted and arranged by composer PETER STOPSCHINKSI
Conductor: WARWICK STENGARDS
Costume Designer: ALISON HERYER
*All photos by Lyz Turner-Clark unless otherwise noted
Production History
December 17, 2019, NYC Concert Performance, La MaMa Great Jones Rehearsal Studios, New York, NY
October 19 and October 26, 2019, Yarra Valley Opera Festival, Victoria, Australia
September 4, 2016, Nagambie Lakes Opera Festival, Victoria, Australia
Photo by Lyz Turner-Clark
2019 Yarra Valley Opera Festival, photo by Luke Landric Leonard
Michael Lewis as Macbeth
John Marcus Bindel as Macbeth and Victoria Thomasch as the Apparition at the 2019 Yarra Valley Opera Festival
Morgan Carter as Witch 3 at the 2019 Yarra Valley Opera Festival
"The Scottish Opera: Assassin Scene", 2016, Mitchelton Wines, Nagambie, VIC, Australia, photo by LLL
"The Scottish Opera" light plotting
"The Scottish Opera" Sitzprobe
Luke Leonard and Peter Stopschinski
L to R: Luke Leonard, Michael Lewis, Warwick Stengards, Linda Thompson, Peter Stopschinski
Photo by Lyz Turner-Clark
Conceived, directed, and designed by Luke Landric Leonard
Words by David Todd
Performance by Monk Parrots
Photos by Corey Torpie Photography
All rights reserved, Copyright 2012
Courtesy of Monk Parrots
Description
A sixty-something widow and Dolly Parton fan prepares banana pudding for her late husband while contemplating suicide. She is visited by her pet horse, memories of herself at various ages, and a shadow that tries to take her hand, but will she go?
Press
"Director/Designer Luke Leonard mines the associative imagery of the subconscious to surprising effect...a disorienting sense of the rush of conflicting thought and emotion." – Arterynyc
"...Lives up to the promise...A soundtrack for heartbreak...Very engaging..." – T&B On the Aisle
"Here I Go is a brilliantly conceived and executed performance work...Go see this significant gem of a performance." – Theatre Reviews Limited
With MICHAEL HOWELL, MARIAH ILARDI-LOWY, GATES LEONARD, NATALIE LEONARD, JULIE NELSON and JESSICA POHLMAN
Associate Director: Shaun Patrick Tubbs
Lighting Designer: Eric Nightengale
Costume Designer: Jennifer Skura
Sound Designer: Michael Howell
Props Designer: Allee Lowy
Production History
August 29-31, 2012
La MaMa Spoleto Open
A Special Event of Festival dei Due Mondi
Cantiere Oberdan, Spoleto, Italy
Supported by Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Offucina Eclectic Arts, La MaMa Umbria International, La MaMa ETC, A.R.T.-New York, MFTA, 59E59 Theaters, Monk Parrots patrons, and Brian and Karen Lowy
May 22-June 3, 2012
59E59 Theaters, Studio C, New York, NY
Supported by La MaMa E.T.C., Materials for the Arts, Mountain View Studios, 59E59 Theaters, and Monk Parrots patrons
Work Sample
Performance by Monk Parrots
Adapted from a text by David Todd
Concept, Direction, and Production Design by Luke Landric Leonard
Photos by Emily Boland
Courtesy of Monk Parrots
Copyright 2013
Description
Taking a cue from philosopher Jacques Derrida, After an Earlier Incident blends various Romeo & Juliet tellings (Mariotto and Gianozza, Pyramus and Thisbe, et al.) with hypnagogic music, choreography, text, and visual art to explore the concept of “hauntology”, i.e. the past inside the present. With contributions by playwright David Todd, director-designer Luke Landric Leonard, associate director Joey LePage, co-designer Marie Yokoyama, costume designer Alison Heryer, sound designer Michael Howell, and, properties designer Allee Ilardi-Lowy, the piece searches for a way to move forward in order to become unstuck in history.
Production History
March 8 - 17, 2013 at The Club at La MaMa, New York
Featuring: Jessie Dean, April Evans, John Harmon, Morgan Hooper, Michael Howell, Mariah Ilardi-Lowy, and Joey LePage
Co-Designed by Marie Yokoyama
Costume Design by Alison Heryer
Associate Director Joey LePage
Sound Design by Michael Howell
Stage Managed by Sheree V. Campbell
Assistant Stage Manager Mariah Ilardi-Lowy
Properties Design by Allee Ilardi-Lowy
Work Sample
Written by LUKE LANDRIC LEONARD
Music by PETER STOPSCHINSKI
Lyrics by KATIE PEARL and LUKE LANDRIC LEONARD
Directed by LUKE LANDRIC LEONARD
Photos by Maria Baranova, Copyright 2015
Description
An experimental play with music set in Dhahran that takes a look at the lives of U.S. expats searching for the American dream in a foreign land.
Production History
59E59 Theaters
OCT 8, 2015 - OCT 25, 2015
Press
"an extraordinary surrealistic theatrical production...a virtuoso use of humor" - Alan Miller, A Seat on the Aisle
With JESSIE DEAN, RUTHY FROCH, JOHN GASPER, JOEY LEPAGE, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL MCLAMB*, SARAH GRACE SANDERS, JOHN SMILEY*
*Actors appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association
Light Design by Eric Nightingale
Costume Design by Alison Heryer
Sound Design by John Gasper
Make up Design by Mariah Ilardi-Lowy
Prop Design by Alexandra Ilardi-Lowy
Set Design by Julien Gardair
L'indiano vuole il Bronx
di Israel Horovitz
regia di Luke Landric Leonard
Interpreti: Francesco "Bolo" Rossini, Raffaele Ottolenghi e Lorenzo Bartoli
Teatro Elfo Puccini, Milano
Marzo 2011
foto di Maria Cristina Vimercati
Performance by Monk Parrots
Concept, Stage Direction, and Production Design by Luke Landric Leonard
Music by Samuel Andreyev
Photos by Corey Torpie. Courtesy of Monk Parrots. All rights reserved. Copyright 2011.
Featuring: Nathan Baer, John Harmon, Eric Hunt, Mariah Ilardi-Lowy, Gates Leonard, Natalie Leonard, Joey Lepage, Clark Loeffler, Jessica Pohlman, Greg Skura, and Jennifer Skura.
"The Grand Entry" Choreography by Elise Knudson
Video ("Morning Flexion" and "Shoebox Shuffle") by Dane Hurt
Michael Jackson scenic drop by Jennifer Skura
Costumes by Jennifer Skura, Luke Landric Leonard, and Annalisa Loeffler
Stage Manager and Follow Spot Operator Catherine Giametta
Gala Coordinator Jessica Pohlman
GRBL Performance and Gala Supported by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Capstone Equities, Materials for the Arts, Adelman Katz & Mond LLP, Throckmorton Fine Art, Corey Torpie Photography, Chorus Vineyards, Rossetta Wines, Prive, Elie Tahari, Nightmare Haunted House, Moet Champagne
Work Sample
