Member Since: 2/26/2006
Band Members:
Armen Ra/theremin, Ethan Donaldson/tabla/percussion/sound, Heather Paauwe/violin, Karen Le Blanc/accordion/saw, Tommy Casanova/guitar
photos by Adrian Buckmaster
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Influences: We are much more than just our artistic influences. How we exist in the world around us colors everything we do in one way or another. I have just been made aware of this child's existence. Severn Suzuki is her name. She's only twelve years old, yet she has the capacity to humble a hall full of diplomats from all over the world with her views on the environment. I believe she should be heard (My thanks to Ximena and Shige for the heads up.):
Maria Callas, Nina Simone, Pablo Casals, Ella Fitzgerald, Diamanda Galas, Rene Marques, Richard Strauss, Klaus Nomi, Ewa Podles, Khalil Gibran, Rocio Jurado, Antonio Martorell, Renata Scotto, Pablo Neruda, Jeff Buckley, Lucecita Benitez, Bertold Brecht, Allen Ginsberg, Thom Yorke & Radiohead, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Leonard Cohen, Elena Obraztsova, Pink Floyd, G. Puccini, G. Mahler, Neil Gaiman, Olatunji, Stevie Nicks, Angeles Mastretta, Ellen Stewart
LINKS:
Check out a wonderful local New York City cultural blog, Oberon's Grove
Sounds Like: And no discussion of the piece would be complete without mentioning, with complete awe, the talents of the Storyteller, played by Benjamin Marcantoni. His voice is at once beautiful and frightening, adeptly modulating from a solid tenor to an uncanny and sublime soprano in the same phrase. - offoffline.com
[His] superb renditions of Handel and Saint-Saens brought the house down - Armenian Reporter International
Benjamin Marcantoni, who plays the storyteller, is especially noteworthy; his soaring countertenor gives the show a distinctive sound - theatermania.com
A lovely voice - NY Times
...vocally delivered by Benjamin Marcantoni as the Storyteller, created aural moments of compelling ritual tragedy... - Theatre Journal 58.1
Aesthetically, all the different elements [in Balletto Stiletto] stand strongly on their own: ...Benjamin Marcantoni's original, synth laden score is delicate and dreamy - newtheatercorps.blogspot.com
The only strong performances are those offered by Cary Gant as the Storyteller; Benjamin Marcantoni, who sings gloriously in the role of King Eurystheus... - Backstage
There's also a fair amount of singing - if I had to pick a genre in which to classify this work, I'd call it an opera - the best of which is performed by striking countertenor Benjamin Marcantoni, who plays King Eurystheus, commanding Herakles at his dozen labors in stirring song
- NYTheatre.com
As King Eurystheus (the mesmerizing countertenor Benjamin Marcantoni) commands Herakles to his 12 labors - NY Times [2006]
The aural soundscape is as rich and variegated as the visual. The storyteller of Antigone and Perseus is Benjamin Marcantoni, a superb counter-tenor who joined the Great Jones company with SEVEN. Stewart's choice of Marcantoni was brilliant; a sweet angel or bewitched devil, his sung narration has an otherworldly, transgendered quality. - TDR: The Drama Review 50:2 La MaMa of us All
self-portrait
Imagine the spawn of Maria Callas and Thom Yorke. At times called the Birgitt Nilsson of countertenors, the voice of a modern day shaman, of all genders and none.
Photo by Ramon Estevanell
Type of Label: Indie