La Red Music Theatre, a not-for-profit professional theatre company, is pleased to announce its second production of their season, The 9/11 Report: A Bipartisan Musical Fantasia, which explores The 9/11 Commission's Report and the myriad perspectives, agendas, and failures of imagination surrounding the darkest day in modern American history.
This bold, experimental folk-rock musical conceived and adapted by Jessica Redish, with music and lyrics by Michael Mahler and spoken word poetry by Oron Stenesh, will run from July 22-August 1 at the Karger Center Theatre, 1850 Green Bay Road in Highland Park, Il.
The mission of The 9/11 Report: A Bipartisan Musical Fantasia is to humanize The Players of the event and to encourage discussion. The piece is an innovative, edgy, thought-provoking original work, which combines elements of song, dance and theatre to examine the details of The 9/11Report.
"I was intrigued by The 9/11 Report as a document, a book wherein the protagonist of the story is A Grave Mistake," says Redish. "I am equally intrigued by questions that remain unanswered, according to some families of the victims. Michael Mahler has written extremely moving, delicate music informing and asking questions related to that day. My hope is that the piece, told through music, story and dance, incites us to keep this important discussion alive."
On Monday, July 27 at 7:30pm at Borders in Highland Park, La Red Music Theatre will showcase vignettes from the production along with a distinguished panel to discuss the aftermath of 9/11 and its implications for our laws and ways of life. Honorable Nancy Waites is the moderator, along with panelists Northwestern University Law Professor Joseph Margulies, Northwestern University Professor Ruediger Seesemann, former State Representative Lauren Beth Gash and attorney David Weinstein. Admission is free.
LA RED MUSIC THEATRE is a not-for-profit organization sponsored, in part, by The Highland Park Cultural Arts Commission. It is comprised of Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York-based creative professionals dedicated to the creation of vibrant new musicals, presented annually in a summer festival in Highland Park, IL.
Jessica Redish, Founding Artistic Director of La Red Music Theatre, is a New York-based director/choreographer and a Highland Park native. New York credits include: Movement Director for the Lortel Award-winning Adding Machine, A Musical, Director of green eyes at the New York International Fringe Festival, Director/Choreographer for Maccabeat, and choreographer for The Family Fiorelli and Oedipus for Kids! at the New York Music Theatre Festival, Moving Forward, Looking Back by Michael Mahler (co-Conceiver) at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Regional: And the World Goes 'Round (ariZoni Nomination for Choreography) and Oklahoma! with Festival 56. Chicago credits: And The World Goes 'Round and What u Will both with La Red Productions, and Falsettos at Northwestern University, her alma mater, where she served on the Music Theatre Faculty. Jessica has assisted David Cromer, Michael Greif, Christopher Gattelli and at Paper Mill Playhouse. She is a member of SDC and AEA.
Michael Mahler (BALLADIER, MUSIC and LYRICS) has contributed music and/or lyrics to: Knute Rockne - All American (Theatre at the Center); The American Dream Songbook (Next Theatre); The Main Street Kids Club (Northwestern University); The Adams Conglomerate High School Presents...Tales of the 8th Grade (NY Fringe Festival); Will and Bill (Lakeshore Theatre, CCPA); A Christmas Carol (Provision Theater Company); Barenaked Lads (Bailiwick Theatre); Cinder Edna (Stages Theatre Company); and over 40 songs for Northwestern's annual Waa-Mu Show. He co-wrote How Can You Run With a Shell On Your Back? with Alan Schmuckler for Chicago Shakespeare Theater. With Schmuckler, Michael is the co-music director/arranger of the Chicago Sound Connection, an a cappella group. They are currently working together with Jarrod Zimmerman on an original web musical series entitled Boyfred. Michael's reviews, 5 to 9 and Moving Forward, Looking Back, both co-conceived by Jessica Redish, have been performed at Northwestern, St. Olaf College, and The Beechman Theater in NYC. His songs have been performed in various songwriter showcases in both New York and Chicago, garnering honors including first prize in the 2006 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. Michael has released five recordings of liturgical songs through GIA publications. As an actor, he is a Jeff Citation Award recipient and can currently be seen as Chip in The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee at the Marriott Theatre. Michael is a proud member of ASCAP, AEA, and Barrel of Monkeys. www.michaelmahler.com
