Astor Piazzolla
Written by Harry Clark
Music by Astor Piazzolla
Director TBD
Choreographer TBD
Premiered in 2013
A Concert Drama for two actors and 2-3 dancers
Can be performed with minimal set and lighting cues
Description
Astor Piazzolla is the father of Tango Nuevo, the revolutionary combination of jazz rhythms, classical music and Tango Classico that turns the world on its ear. Passionately, Piazzolla! incorporates 30 years of witty, fictionalized radio interviews and conversations between Piazzolla and radio host Ron McKay to revealing the tumultuous life and transformative art of this now iconic artist (1921-1992). Using his evolving music and live tango dance, we follow his childhood memories of New York City, self-discovery in Paris, and turbulent rise as the world’s foremost composer of tango music – music, always and forever, of Buenos Aires.
Technnical Requirements
This production requires a CD player and a sound system recorded musical score, 2 lavalier microphones for actors, and a dance appropriate floor.
Artist Biographies
Robert Beltran (Astor Piazzolla) is an actor best known for his roles as Raoul in Paul Bartel’s cult film Eating Raoul and as Commander Chakotay on Star Trek: Voyager. Betran’s additional film credits include Zoot Suit, Gaby: A True Story, Nixon, and Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills. His theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Henry IV, A Touch of the Poet, and The Price. He has worked with El Teatro Camposino, the LA Theater Center, and the California Shakespeare Festival, among others. For his role on Star Trek: Voyager, Beltran received a Nosotros Golden Eagle Award for “Best Actor in a Television Series.” Robert founded and serves as co-artistic director of the East LA Classic Theater Group.
Armin Shimerman (Ron McKay) is an actor best known for his portrayal of the Ferengi bartender Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His other TV credits include: Seinfeld, Cagney & Lacey, Remington Steele, The Facts of Life, The West Wing and Warehouse 13. His film credits include The Hitcher, Death Warrant, and Eye for an Eye. Shimerman made his Broadway debut in the musical Threepenny Opera, and he also appeared in St. Joan and I Remember Mama. Shimerman also co-wrote the Star Trek novel The 34th Rule.
Harry Clark (Playwright) developed theatre performances to be accompanied by chamber music, as founder of Chamber Music PLUS. A professional cellist, who often performed chamber music with his partner, the pianist Sanda Schuldmann, Clark was always drawn to the personal history of the composers whose music they performed. He provided the scripts for numerous productions of Chamber Music PlUS, since its founding in 1980, showcasing composers such as Tchaikovsky, Schumann, and Liszt, in collaboration with acclaimed actors including Harvey Fierstein, Sandy Duncan, Sharon Gless, Margot Kidder, Michael York, and Lynn Redgrave. Clark’s recent works include: Raisin’ Cane to an original score by Avery Sharpe (and performed nationally with Jasmine Guy), and Mesmeric Mozart with by Libby Larsen. To date, Clark has written over 40 works portraits of composers.
Passionately Piazzolla Excerpt from Harry Clark on Vimeo.
For further information on this play and other works by Harry Clark contact Sanda Schuldmann at 520.437.5614 or sanda12@comcast.net.