Pilobolus Dancers to Appear in CT Lyric Opera's “Die Fledermaus”

Casey Howes and Jacob Warren of Pilobolus to make guest appearance in Connecticut Lyric Opera’s production of “Die Fledermaus” at the Bushnell

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – December 15, 2021 - Casey Howes and Jacob Warren of the world-renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre will make a guest appearance in Connecticut Lyric Opera’s upcoming production of Johann Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus” at the Bushnell on December 30. The dancers will appear in the comedic operetta’s glamorous New Year’s Eve Ball during Act II.

Casey Howes and Jacob Warren are a Brooklyn-based physical theater duo. They met while dancing for the world-renowned Pilobolus Dance Theater, where they performed, taught, and choreographed all over the world. They left Pilobolus in early 2020 to focus on developing their unique brand of acrobatic partnering, and visual storytelling. Shortly after, they debuted their first film We Were Apart, and over the next year, released multiple award-winning dance films and music videos.

Performances of “Die Fledermaus” will be held on December 26 at the Trinity-On-Main Arts Center in New Britain, December 30 at The Bushnell’s Belding Theatre in Hartford, and January 7 at The Garde Arts Center in New London. The operetta will be conducted by Adrian Sylveen, Artistic Director of Connecticut Lyric Opera and Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, and directed by Jan Mason, Associate Artistic Director of Connecticut Lyric Opera.

Die Fledermaus Tickets & Performances
Opening Night: Sunday, December 26 @ 7:30 p.m. at Trinity-On-Main Arts Center, 69 Main Street, New Britain. Ticket price: $35 @ www.thevirtuosi.ticketleap.com.

Thursday, December 30 @ 7:30 p.m., The Belding Theater at The Bushnell Performing Arts Center, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. Ticket price: $35-$79 bushnell.org/ConnecticutLyricOpera.

Friday, January 7 @ 7:30 p.m., The Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street, New London. Ticket price: $29-$45 https://gardearts.org/events/die-fledermaus-2/.

Connecticut Lyric Opera (CLO) is the state’s leading opera company - performing to thousands across Connecticut in Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, and New London. CLO has earned the reputation as an innovative company that is renowned for its world-class singers, phenomenal concert-quality orchestra, and programming choices that go beyond the well-loved standards of the repertoire to include lesser-performed yet equally compelling works.

Last year, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded CLO with a $50,000 grant as part of its Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocation. CLO is one of nine arts organizations in Connecticut, and one of only 27 opera companies nationwide, to receive this grant.

Together with its musical partner, the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, CLO created the Greve Opera Academy and Music Festival in Italy (2015) and the Summer Opera Institute in Farmington. Singers from CLO's celebrated Young Artist Program have gone on to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, the Salzburg Festival and other major companies.

The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the state’s premier professional chamber orchestra, is dedicated to presenting both traditional and contemporary classical chamber works to the public. The Orchestra, led by Founder and Artistic Director Adrian Sylveen, continues to grow in size and repertoire, presenting approximately 35 times a year in many major performing arts centers throughout Connecticut and New York. The organization consists of 27 professional musicians and an administrative staff of four.

The mission of the Orchestra is to preserve and perpetuate the great traditions of orchestral music through the expansion of its public performance season, its education series, and by showcasing the excellence of regional and international talent. In its choice of repertoire, special attention is given to music from Eastern Europe.

The Orchestra collaborates on many projects with the New Britain Chorale, Central Connecticut State University, Middletown Concert Association, New York’s Chopin Foundation, and others. The Orchestra co-produces fully-staged opera productions with Connecticut Lyric Opera. In addition to performances, the Orchestra enriches the community by providing free tickets to local schools and hosting lectures on orchestral music. A frequent guest at the Kosciusko Foundation’s Chamber Music Series, in 2003 the Orchestra was invited to perform at the Gala Concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of John Paul II’s papacy.