A free, family-friendly opera and a special concert are coming for two days only to Little Island as a part of the park’s NYC FREE festival.
On Aug. 14-15, On Site Opera, New York’s pioneering opera company rooted in site-specific storytelling and the immersive experience, will join in the festival with the premiere of the mini opera, “The Perfect Pig,” and Tapestry of New York, a concert of arias celebrating the stories of the city and the spirit of its people.
“There is no better venue for our official return to live performances after more than a year away than the stunning surroundings of Little Island,” explains General and Artistic Director, Eric Einhorn. “We are thrilled to be a part of the fabric of this inaugural festival while providing free community programming to audiences of all ages and introducing the city’s youngest ears to opera.”
“The Perfect Pig” follows the story of a young pig who is on a journey of self-discovery, only to find that they are perfect just the way they are. With music by Phillip Wharton and libretto by Janet Burroway, the short story with a moral of self-acceptance and love will be sung by baritone Nicholas Davis and played by pianist Candace Chien. Puppet Kitchen created the large-scale puppet as the title character in this New York premiere.
Meanwhile, “Tapestry of New York” is a short concert highlighting the varied and diverse voices of New York City. The program features the world premiere of Joy’s Aria from H. Lawrence Freeman’s jazz opera American Romance performed by soprano Chantal Freeman; Jessie Montgomery’s Loisaida, my love, performed by mezzo soprano Rosario Armas and cellist Elanor Norton in a tribute to the poet Bimbo Rivas, a Puerto Rican native whose community activism helped transform the Lower East Side; “Perfect Boy” from the transgender story As One, featuring transgender artist Lucas Bouk in his baritone debut; and Leonard Bernstein’s toe-tapping New York, New York, performed by tenor Brian R. Jeffers.
“The Perfect Pig” has a run time of 15 minutes and will have three live and in-person performances each day at 11 a.m., 11:35 a.m., and 12:10 p.m. “Tapestry of New York,” which has a 20 minute run time, will offer two live and in-person performances each day, August 14-15 at 1:15 p.m. and 2 p.m.
The opera is free to attend, however you must reserve your ticket online ahead of time, and timed entry passes for the park are required after 12 p.m. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit littleisland.org/visit-us.
