‘Phoolan Devi: Bandit Queen’ to make its world premiere in June.
AB Wire
NEW YORK: The world premiere of ‘Phoolan Devi: The Bandit Queen’, a multi-media chamber opera by Shirish Korde, with a libretto by playwright Anusree Roy and directed by Tom Diamond, will take place in New York City on June 26 and 27.
The full-length, semi-staged shows will be held at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. It’s co-presented by the Indo-American Arts Council and Da Capo Chamber Players.
The opera is a series of musically compelling and visually stunning scenes, a riveting dramatization that explores real (and re-imagined) events in the life of the notorious Phoolan Devi, an iconic woman in modern India.
Born into poverty, sold as a child bride, abducted by bandits, abused and victimized, imprisoned, elected to India’s Parliament and then tragically gunned down in the streets of New Delhi in 2001, the Bandit Queen was just 37 at the time of her death.
“Phoolan Devi’s life raises difficult and universal questions about violence and women. Her story is so compelling that it was imperative for me to expand my 2006 song cycle into this full length opera which only just begins to capture her extraordinary circumstances. To accomplish this with artistic collaborators of such high caliber is a great honor,” said Korde, in a statement.
Aroon Shivdasani, founder and executive director of the Indo-American Arts Council, said in a statement: “The energy and strength of Phoolan Devi is particularly powerful in the context of today’s awakening awareness of decades of brutality towards women! Bravo Shirish! What an amazingly timely Opera!”
Korde’s compelling score is a distinctive synthesis of Asian and contemporary Western traditions – among them are Indian classical singing, opera, jazz and hip hop. Early in the opera’s development, The New York Times called it “a colorful, attractive piece, set on a lush bed of amplification… an entertaining stylistic fusion… with the kind of vivid exciting performance that draws Western composers to non-Western music.” Reviewing another workshop performance, the Boston Globe praised the work’s “soaring vocal lines against glittering harmonic masses.”
The award winning playwright/actor Anusree Roy has written a libretto that brilliantly brings to life this woman of so many contradictions who polarized the Indian population, dividing it between those who believed her to be a victim of violence and others who believed her to be a criminal turned politician or a modern day reincarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga.
The performers include Zorana Sadiq, soprano, and Dashon Burton, bass baritone; they are set against a backdrop of stunning visuals created by multi-media artist Raphaele Shirley.