PlayTime Round 3: The Christmas Spider
The Show
PlayTime Round 3: The Christmas Spider
On a bitterly cold Christmas Eve, a poor woodcutter and his two children have no gifts, barely enough to eat, and are in danger of losing their home to an impatient landlady. The surprise discovery of a large, but gentle arachnid leads to a seemingly miraculous turn of good fortune for the family, reinforcing the importance of love and togetherness.
Inspired by a Ukrainian legend (which resulted in the placing of spider ornaments on Christmas trees for a lucky New Year), THE CHRISTMAS SPIDER is the third operatic collaboration between composer Clint Borzoni and librettist John de los Santos following their previous collaborations, When Adonis Calls and The Copper Queen. Their goal is to dramatize a new tale for all ages, complete with an original yuletide carol, that adds to the rich musical tapestry of the holiday canon.
It is currently being developed by The American Opera Project as both a live performance for all ages and an animated holiday special.
PROGRAM
The Christmas Spider
John de los Santos – Libretto
Clint Borzoni – Composer
CAST
Andrea Jones-Sojola as Olga
Kyle Pfortmiller as Fedorov
Veronica Tsao as Zoya
Emmanuel Tsao as Dmytro
Nicole Mitchell as Narrator
MUSICAL TEAM
Mila Henry – Music Director: Piano + Percussion
Leah Asher – Violin
Meaghan Burke – Cello
Domenica Fossati – Flute
Charles Danner – Sound Engineer
Presented in collaboration with The American Opera Project
MEET THE ARTISTS
THE SERIES
PlayTime is A+J’s series devoted to readings of new works of theater by up-and-coming young artist. PlayTime grew from a desire to offer theater makers–playwrights and composers especially–a supportive environmnet to showcase new work.