Sat, June 28 & Sun, June 29, 2025
The Tin Angel Opera, written to a libretto by Paul Pines and based on his widely acclaimed novel of the same name, with music by award-winning composer Daniel Asia, is set in the edgy world of a NYC downtown Bowery jazz club, where a unique cast of characters play out their dramatic story as a call for redemption.
The inspiration behind the story is The Tin Palace, the real-life New York City’s jazz mecca of the 70s, founded by Paul Pines in 1973.
The Tin Angel is a grand opera in the tradition of Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Carlisle Floyd, great American composers who incorporated popular folk songs and jazz styles into serious works with an unmistakably American flavor. Daniel Asia (music) and Paul Pines (libretto) have based the story on Pines’ own hit novel from 1982, and it’s a story unlike any other in opera, combining the American immigrant experience with the energy and suspense of a detective thriller. It incorporates elements of jazz into serious art music in a tale of love, revenge, and redemption set in the dangerous, underground world of a Bowery nightclub.
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MUSIC BY
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Daniel Asia
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LIBRETTO BY
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Paul Pines
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LOCATION
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Ellen Stewart Theater, La MaMa, Creative Shares
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SUNG IN
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English with Supertitles
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PRODUCTION SUPPORT GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY
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Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
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CREATIVE TEAM:
- ENRICO FAGONE | Conductor
- CHLOE TREAT | Director
ANNA LAURA MISZERAK | Assistant Director - HAYLEY E. WALLENFELDT | Set Designer
- FAN ZHANG | Costume Designer
- JOHN GENTRY TENNYSON | Orchestrator
- ERIC JUNEAU | Collaborative Pianist & Assistant Conductor
- FRANCISCO MIRANDA | Librarian & Assistant Conductor
- LAUREN LINSEAY | Stage Manager
- GREGORY PERNICONE | Assistant Stage Manager & Properties
- JACQUELIN DOWNEY | Sustainable Design and Production Intern*
- RICARDO MONGE | Poster Designer
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* This internship focuses on developing eco-friendly solutions for opera production. The intern will research and implement sustainable practices for set materials, including responsible disposal and repurposing after The Tin Angel production. Additionally, they will explore ways to minimize paper waste in production workflows, contributing to Teatro Grattacielo’s commitment to environmentally conscious performing arts.
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