upcoming shows
In Greek mythology, Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was a fetching young woman whose beauty set Hades’ dark heart ablaze. He had to have her, and so he did, spiriting her into the depths of the Underworld.
In collaboration with composer Ben Neill, singer/actor Mimi Goese, and Tony Award-winning playwright Warren Leight (Side Man)—and featuring Julia Stiles (Bourne films, Oleanna on Broadway) in the title role—Ridge Theater (Lightning at our feet, 2008 Next Wave) reimagines the myth as a spectacular 19th-century theatrical tableau. Infused with rock and electronica, as well as evocative visuals, this work creates a fantastic mythical landscape that paves the way for Persephone to find her way home, only to return her to the Underworld forevermore.
BAM Harvey Theater
90min, no intermission
Tickets: $25, 45, 60, 70
Music by Ben Neill
Lyrics by Mimi Goese
Book by Warren Leight
Films by Bill Morrison
Projections by Laurie Olinder
Sets by Jim Findlay
Dramaturgy by Daniel Zippi & Karl Precoda
Lights by John Ambrosone
Costumes by Jane Alois Stein
Directed by Bob McGrath
Co-commissioned by Virginia Tech for the Department of Theatre and Cinema at Virginia Tech and by BAM for the 2010 Next Wave Festival.
Ben Neill is using a schizophrenic trumpet to create art music for the people. Wired Magazine
A creative composer, genius performer, and inventor of the mutantrumpet. Time Out NY
Ben Neill masterfully blurs the lines between electronic dance music and jazz sounds. Billboard
Ben Neill is the mad scientist of dancefloor jazz…an inventive and stimulating voyage. CMJ Monthly
9 out of 10 rating…Ben Neill is a mad scientist, and he has discovered the formula that breaks musical barriers. Mixmag
Calling Ben Neill a trumpeter is like calling Mr. Spock a frequent flyer…as vibrant as the galaxies beyond, both adventurous and artful. Boston Phoenix
Neill works with harmonies based on numerical relationships that produce spiritually powerful resonances. The result is trippy, otherworldly, seamlessly groovy. Interview Magazine
Ben Neill is a musical powerhouse, a serious and individual talent. Time Out London
Ben has roots in the usual sources, notably Miles Davis and Jon Hassell, but he’s staked out his own terrain in the sonic landscape, mixing fractured jungle loops under his free-form improvisations. His music is like a digital river, with a different fractalized scene around every corner, the constant being Ben Neill greeting you on your way. John Diliberto, Echoes
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Ben Neill’s new CD Night Science is out now on Thirsty Ear Recordings. The new music combines dubstep beats and basslines with the sonic explorations of the newly redesigned mutantrumpet.
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new mutantrumpet
Ben has designed a new version of his unique electro-acoustic instrument, the mutantrumpet. Working with engineers and designers in New York and Amsterdam, Neill has greatly updated the electronic capabilities of his instrument. The mutantrumpet has been evolving since the mid-1980’s when Neill originally worked with synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog to design its first electronic interface. In 1992 Neill made the instrument fully computer interactive through a residency at the Steim studios in Amsterdam, a research and development lab for new instruments. The new mutantrumpet uses technologies from Steim as well as a new ergonomic design which now includes 8 continuous MIDI controllers and 8 momentary MIDI controllers in addition to the acoustic note and volume control from the instrument’s natural sound. The instrument connects directly to the computer via USB.
Persephone
Ben Neill is collaborating with Mimi Goese and Ridge Theater
on Persephone, a music theater piece which will premiere in 2010.