Putney, VT—This June Yellow Barn, in partnership with Next Stage Arts, brings Nannerl Mozart, the “other” Mozart, to southeastern Vermont.
“The Other Mozart” is an award-winning play telling the true, forgotten story of Nannerl Mozart, the sister of Amadeus – a prodigy, keyboard virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim, but her work and her story faded away, lost to history. Set in a stunning 18-foot dress, “The Other Mozart” is based on facts, stories and lines pulled directly from the Mozart family’s humorous and heartbreaking letters.
“It’s deeply gratifying to be co-presenting this powerful piece of theater with Yellow Barn, a particularly resonant story in these times,” said Maria Basescu, Interim Executive Director for Next Stage Arts.
Created, written and performed by Sylvia Milo, “The Other Mozart” had a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run in New York at HERE Arts Center, earning Drama Desk and Off-Broadway Alliance nominations, and 8 New York Innovative Theatre (NYIT) nominations, including Outstanding Full-Length Script, winning Outstanding Solo Performance and Original Music.
Along with music composed by her famous brother and Marianna Martines (a female composer who inspired Nannerl), original music was written for the play by Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen – featured composers of Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, BAM and the International Contemporary Ensemble – for the instruments Nannerl knew intimately, such as clavichords, music boxes, and bells, as well as teacups, fans, and other ordinary objects that might have captured her imagination.
Yellow Barn’s artistic partnership with Next Stage Arts has spanned 15 years. Originally planned for 2020 but postponed due to the Covid pandemic, “The Other Mozart” is the latest in a long line of co-productions that have included Benjamin Bagby’s “Beowulf”, Third Coast Percussion’s “Paddle to the Sea”, and Walter Van Dyk’s “Moon Over Alabama: A Kurt Weill Cabaret”.
“We are thrilled to bring this masterpiece to Putney together with our friends at Next Stage Arts. We are also excited to welcome home Yellow Barn musician Nathan Davis,” said Catherine Stephan, Yellow Barn’s executive director.
While in residence, Nathan Davis and Sylvia Milo will visit the Young Artists Program, which precedes Yellow Barn’s core summer festival. Each year, through the creation of original works by and for musicians ages 13-20, the Young Artists Program promotes storytelling at the deepest level. Given the nature of “The Other Mozart,” experiencing the production and working with Davis and Milo will open their creative process in a way that no other piece, nor creators, would be able to do.
“History is made up of the stories that people choose to hear,” said Davis.
Performances of “The Other Mozart” will take place on June 27 and 28 at 7:30pm, at Next Stage Arts (15 Kimball Hill in Putney). General admission tickets are $40. In keeping with Yellow Barn’s “Pay What You Can” program, a certain number of reduced-price tickets are available. For tickets and information, call (802) 387-6637 or visit www.yellowbarn.org.