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Space in the Heart, a jazzopera by Bill Smith Nov. 5 and 6 NYC

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Symphony Space Thalia, 2537 Broadway at 95th St. New York City
The Pocket Opera Players present Space in the Heart, a jazzopera composed by Bill (William O.) Smith to an original libretto by Peter Monaghan

Starring Rachelle Fleming, Nicole Pasternak, and Dominic Inferrera, with Bill Smith, clarinet; John Eaton, piano; Michael Bisio, bass; Alan Bergman, drums. Directed by Beth Greenberg


Join the cast and musicians for a live concert of original songs and standards after intermission.

Bill Smith is a composer and virtuoso clarinetist with several decades of experience in new music (as William O. Smith) and jazz (as Bill Smith). He has for 60 years collaborated with Dave Brubeck, and has composed numerous works for jazz and new classical performance. He has long combined classical music with elements of jazz in works commissioned by the likes of the Modern Jazz Quartet and Shelley Manne.

Monaghan worked with the composer to create a modern American tale: A model astronaut falls for a colleague and desperately pursues him, then stalks and attacks a rival with a plan of action deranged and ineffectual. Such events express themes of power, desire, and desperation. They also crystallize around archetypal and mythic elements.—despite any real, actual events

“My hope has been to achieve a new kind of opera that is simple and clear with maximum freedom for the performers, especially the instrumentalists who largely improvise."

The Cast

Rachelle Fleming, a versatile vocalist and actress has collaborated with acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch for “Classical Action," recently recorded an orchestrated version of “Alfonsina y el mar," arranged by award-winning writer and producer Raul Murciano, Jr., and has recorded and performed as a background vocalist on her sister Renée Fleming's pop CD, Dark Hope (Decca/Mercury Records).

Nicole Pasternak has carved an ever-growing niche with jazz enthusiasts around the country with her honest, straight-ahead style. Her repertoire embraces the powerful traditions of Swing, Brazilian, ballads and Big Band. Her latest CD, “In A Word," on the Garagista Music label, features Don Friedman on piano, the late, great Dennis Irwin on bass and her husband, tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama.

Baritone Dominic Inferrera is gaining a great deal of attention for giving voice to many different styles of music including opera, oratorio, musical theater, pop, jazz, and contemporary music. Mr. Inferrera has enjoyed a great deal of success in many regional opera companies across the country. He won critical acclaim in the role of The Son in Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters in Search of an Author with Opera Festival of New Jersey, where The New York Times proclaimed him a “standout."

Director, Beth Greenberg..."a sure theatrical hand..." —Opera News

Symphony Space THALIA
2537 Broadway at 95th St.
New York, NY 10025

Two shows:

Friday, Nov. 5, 7:30pm
Saturday, Nov. 6, 7:30pm

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