Long Beach Opera (LBO) has received an award of $30,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). LBO is one of 917 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant and the only organization from Long Beach represented on this year’s list of award recipients, according to LBO.
The Artworks grant will support the U.S. premiere of Marilyn Forever by composer Gavin Bryars and librettist Marilyn Bowering. The work, equal parts chamber opera and film-noir score, explores the life and myth of Marilyn Monroe, going beyond the American icon’s persona to reveal an intimate portrait of an intelligent woman filled with conflicting emotions and ambitions. Marilyn Forever’s cast of characters includes Monroe and the men she kept closest to her, supported by an onstage jazz combo and an offstage chamber orchestra.
A portion of the award will also offset the cost of bringing 500 local students to the final dress rehearsal as part of LBO’s education program Opera Access. During the 2014 season, Opera Access, a branch of LBO’s education program OperaEncounter, saw nearly 1,000 students and teachers attend performances at no cost to the schools or students.”I’m pleased to be able to share the news of our support through Art Works, including the award to Long Beach Opera,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “The arts foster value, connection, creativity and innovation for the American people and these recommended grants demonstrate those attributes and affirm that the arts are part of our everyday lives.”
LBO’s Artistic and General Director Andreas Mitisek said, “We are proud to be a recipient of the NEA’s award for our U.S. Premiere production. We also see it as an endorsement of the work we do and an encouragement to continue to bring new, fearless compositions to Long Beach audiences and to the United States.”
Source: LBO
