Jul 16th 2008 Big Announcement!
Our new friends at Dallas Theater Center sent out this press release last week, so we wanted to share it with you. This is going to be awesome!
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Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director announces featured band for his Dallas directorial debut
DALLAS – July 14, 2008 – Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty announced today that his DTC directorial debut, The Who’s Tommy, will feature local band Oso Closo. The five-member rock band, based in Denton, will appear in the legendary rock opera alongside actors who are still being cast in Dallas and New York.
“Oso Closo is one of my favorite local bands,” Moriarty said. “The moment I first heard their album, Rest, I was struck by their unique sound, inspired musicianship and fresh personality. Seeing them perform live confirmed for me that they will bring a bold musical style and dynamic personality to DTC’s production of Tommy, which will feature Oso Closo at the center of the production, singing, playing and interacting with the actors who will play the characters in the rock opera.”
The quintet’s eclectic style of blending genres like rock, pop, bluegrass, jazz and even mariachi with energetic strings and operatic inflections is a testament to the five members’ music education. Adrian Hulet (lead vocals, pianist), Ryan Jacobi (percussion), Chris McQueen (guitar, vocals), Lindsey Miller (guitar) and Andy Rogers (bass, vocals) have degrees from or ties to the renowned jazz program at the University of North Texas.
“We feel honored and overwhelmed to be a part of a piece of work as legendary as Tommy, particularly alongside an organization as accomplished as Dallas Theater Center,” Hulet said. “We’re shooting to remain true to the original, but with an especially unique interpretive approach.”
Oso Closo’s debut album, Rest, received rave reviews when it was locally released in 2007. A professionally remixed special edition of Rest featuring a live DVD will be released in conjunction with the run of The Who’s Tommy at DTC.
“They’re going to blow the roof off the building and bring a real rock sound and energy to the production,” Moriarty said. “For the first time in 50 years, the Kalita Humphreys Theater is going to truly rock.”
Before taking the stage in DTC’s season opener Sept. 2, Oso Closo’s summer tour includes Lola’s in Fort Worth July 11, The Deli in Norman, Okla. July 12, Exit 6C in Tulsa July 17, Hailey’s in Denton July 25, Flamingo Cantina in Austin July 31, Warehouse Live in Houston Aug. 1, and House of Blues with Fair to Midland in Dallas Aug. 2.
The Who’s Tommy will launch DTC’s 50th anniversary season and signal its commitment to producing a wide variety of musical theater pieces in singular productions, and its belief in collaborating with a wide range of local artists.
“As a new member of the community, I’m deeply impressed by the vibrancy and talent of the local arts scene,” Moriarty said. “From rock bands in clubs to the diverse theater companies and the many outstanding cultural organizations throughout the city, Dallas is teaming with artistic life. As we look ahead to our move to the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts one year from now, we’re already preparing to engage a wide variety of talented artists from Dallas and across the nation to create bold, exciting work here in Dallas for our community.”
All performances of The Who’s Tommy will be held at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, located at 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd. at Blackburn St. where it runs Aug. 27-Sept. 21. Preview performances are Aug. 27-Sept. 1. Opening night is Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Performance times are Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.; and select Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Single ticket prices range from $16 to $60 and are available by calling the box office at 214.522.8499 or by visiting www.dallastheatercenter.org.
ABOUT DALLAS THEATER CENTER
One of the leading regional theaters in the country, DTC produces new, contemporary and classic plays and musicals to an audience of more than 90,000 patrons annually. DTC’s Mainstage season is presented at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, one of only three existing theaters designed and built by the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In 2009, DTC will move into and become one of the resident companies of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, a multi-form space conceptualized by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas.
The mission of DTC is to engage, entertain and inspire our diverse community by creating experiences that stimulate new ways of thinking and living. DTC is committed to consistently producing plays, educational programs and other initiatives that are of the highest quality and reach the broadest possible constituency.
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We’re really pumped about this, please come check it out, Aug 27 - Sep 28.
3 Comments » Posted by mcqueen / News and Updates