Café La MaMa Live: Enchanted Origins
A multi dimensional science-fiction fairytale puppetry musical
Written & Directed by Charlotte Lily Gaspard
Fly away to an enchanted galaxy populated with mystical creatures, space pirates, music, dance and puppets!
Following the episodic adventures of extraordinary cats, Puccini and his beloved Princess, as they wander worlds of whimsy in their search for each other. There is always plenty of mischief and mayhem along the way... What will our intrepid sweethearts encounter this time?
This is the 10th installment of Shadow/Puppetry/Cabarets by the makers of Midnight Radio Show; continuing the tradition online. The glitter may be virtual but the magic is real.
Charlotte Lily Gaspard is a La MaMa 59th Season Resident Artist. La MaMa’s 59th Season, “Breaking It Open,” explores how new work is created, performed and viewed in a global pandemic. La MaMa Resident Artists are given the time, space, and resources to make work using new creative tools and formats at the intersection of online and live theatre performance. Her residency is funded in part with support from Cheryl Henson and The Jim Henson Foundation.
Featuring:
the Good Reverend Doctor Professor Elucius Clay, Sukeshi Dalmia,
Jessie Davis, Emily Edwards,Charlotte Lily Gaspard, Aaron Halevy, Brendan Patrick McGlynn,
LA Rucker, Leigh Schanfein, Malik Work, Sarin Monae West
Dance by Leigh Schanfein, Sukeshi Dalmia, the Dysfunctional Swingers, & Fire Bird
Music & Songs by Ezra Bloom, Jessie Davis, Sabrina Chap & Doc Frost
Puppetry & Art Direction: Charlotte Lily Gaspard
Stage Manager: Emily Tabachuk
To watch the full performance on demand, become a supporter on Patreon!
Midnight Radio Show is a multi-disciplinary collective based in Brooklyn. Using hand-made shadow puppets, live performance, video content, and an actual radio show, they broadcast real magical love to children of all ages.
MRS is headed up by Charlotte Lily Gaspard, the artistic director, singer, narrator, and bona fide fairy princess. Resident composers Ezra Bloom, Sabrina Chap, Jessie Davis, and Doc Frost craft original scores and songs for the shadow puppet stories, live cabarets, and recordings. The characters are brought to life by a rotating cast of dancers, performers and poets.
The group challenges conventional divisions between band, theater troupe, and producing company. In a world where artists are often pressured to narrow their vision to hit success, MRS has received accolades and inspired many with their bold creativity. The group has been written about in the NY Times, The Brooklyn Paper, and Faerie Magazine, and has received grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council and New York Restoration Project to provide free shadow puppet theater to children in public gardens throughout the city.
In addition to the Twilight in the Garden series, the group produces original cabarets twice a year, featuring belly-dancers, spoken word artists, and huge three-dimensional puppets to augment the intergalactic fairy tales conveyed on the shadow puppet screen. They also stream a program on Radio Free Brooklyn, where you can follow the storyline that ties all their content together whatever the medium. And if that’s not enough, Midnight Radio Show is also a band, blending folk, jazz, and soul.
Online Happenings
Presented by La MaMa and CultureHub, La MaMa is exploring ways to respond creatively to a situation that is potentially changing how we gather as a community in our theatres. La MaMa is working with CultureHub to provide online streaming of select productions and events on Howlround Theatre Commons.