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September 2nd, 2010 06:47 PM
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Friday June 25, 2010 at 7pm; Saturday June 26, 2010 at 1pm
Music by Byron Au Yong
Libretto by Aaron Jafferis



DURATION 90 minutes
LOCATION Off Broadway Theater, 41 Broadway
Stuck Elevator is an operatic solo performance about a Chinese restaurant deliveryman trapped in an elevator for three days. Prompted by the real-life story of Ming Kuang Chen (who survived 81 hours in a Bronx elevator in April 2005), the work is a surprising,  engrossing, and hallucinogenic roller-coaster ride through the swirling and claustrophobic mind of an illegal immigrant, who is terrified the authorities will discover his status and deport him back to China if he pushes the call button for help.

Both Byron Au Yong and Aaron Jafferis received MFAs in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Mr. Jafferis’ Shakespeare: The Remix (with music by Gihieh Lee) was performed at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in 2006.

This will be a workshop reading of Stuck Elevator featuring a company of professional actors and singers as well as Yale students. Presented in association with the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, a collaboration between Yale School of Drama and Yale School of Music.


 

Comments

  1. June 25, 2010, 8:38 pm

    Willa wrote:

    This is a work in process. We as the audience are invited into the rehearsal room as the house lights and the bare stage constantly remind us. But seeing this piece without the ordinary wrappings of a theatrical production is interesting. It suits the material. In its straightforward presentation, our minds are allowed to imagine what might be going on in the mind of the main character. Its simplicity allows the situation and the narrative to speak more clearly.
    To call this piece an opera would be deceptive. It is one of those theatre pieces that seems to staunchly refuse to fit neatly into any category. It is decidedly non-traditional. But we are nonetheless entertained as we take a circuitous route through the mental meanderings of a Chinese take-out man stuck in an elevator. There is surprising humor and poignant sadness. And the piece on the whole gestures at interesting political questions. But the key question is: what would you do for three days in an elevator?

  2. June 25, 2010, 11:26 pm

    dtoscar wrote:

    Engrossing. Forgot it was a reading. Fine acting/singing. Creative music work

  3. June 27, 2010, 10:33 pm

    Natasha Nelson wrote:

    Terrific performance–engaging, witty writing by both composer and librettist vividly captures the progression of the character’s thoughts. Though he finds himself in a wholly comfortable situation, we follow him not only through fearful moments, but also through fantasy underscored by sprightly orchestral writing. The violinist and cellist play with rhythmic assertion in upbeat songs, and with harrowing straight tone to express the character’s distress. Live and computer-generated sound effects are an effective addition (e.g. at some points the percussionist uses the spokes of a bicycle wheel). The vocal writing includes a well-crafted blend of lyricism with rhythmic declamation; and no matter how syllabic the text-setting, there is a constant and easy smoothness to its delivery. Though presented as a workshop reading, this is a finely polished production with a strong sense of ensemble and dramatic direction.

  4. June 28, 2010, 4:24 pm

    Molly wrote:

    Stuck Elevator is highly unusual. In this “workshop reading” we still see room for improvement in this work. The music can be more off-putting than engaging. Yet, as Willa says above, its sparse nature allows for a deeper understanding of the narrative. I’m interested to see what the next step in the “Stuck Elevator” process will be.

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Tickets to events that are not sold out can be purchased at the door one hour prior to the performance.

Click the following links to purchase tickets in advance online:

SAT JUNE 26 at 1pm

You can also purchase advance tickets in person at the Shubert Theater Box Office (247 College Street, New Haven), and by phone at 203-562-5666 or 888-736-2663.




 
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