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ROULETTE PRESENTS CELESTIAL EXCURSIONS, AN OPERA BY ROBERT ASHLEY
Classical/Opera
PRICE: $20-40

Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door.

Located in Brooklyn
Roulette Intermedium
509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
DATES:
Fri, Sep 12th 8:00pm
Sat, Sep 13th 8:00pm
Sun, Sep 14th 8:00pm
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Roulette will present a production of Robert Ashley’s acclaimed experimental opera Celestial Excursions, Friday, September 12 through Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 8pm.

Through the exploration of stream-of-consciousness poetry, rigorous rhythmic storytelling, and unusual narrative forms, Robert Ashley invented the possibility of a new kind of opera ensemble and an innovative vocal and orchestral vocabulary. Celestial Experiences, like his other works, brilliantly displays the composer’s idiosyncratic voice and his compelling preoccupation with American vernacular speech and the states of mind of seemingly ordinary people.

Last seen in New York in 2009, Celestial Excursions delves into mostly uncharted territory—the concerns, behavior, and language of “old people.” Set in the confined world of assisted living, the libretto intermingles reminiscence, regret, love, nightmare, old sayings, and songs on the radio into an opera that proceeds with relentless speed and precision in ensemble singing. The result is a mesmerizing layering of voices, delivered with extraordinary rhythmic intensity.

Scored for five voices and pre-recorded electronic orchestra, Celestial Excursions features five members of the new band, a group of singers who have been reviving Ashley’s operas since 2016 and who are continuing the work and traditions of the original Ashley band.

“I find it difficult to prefer one of Ashley’s operas over another; they all seem like segments of some vast interconnected narrative, mutually referential and each with its own strengths… But [Celestial Excursions] may well be the most musically beautiful thing he’s ever written. The underlying electronic beat was subtle, but lively and infectious.” — Kyle Gann, The Village Voice (2003)

Celestial Excursions (2003)
Music and libretto by Robert Ashley
Musical direction, sound design, and live mix by Tom Hamilton
Performed by Gelsey Bell, Kayleigh Butcher, Mario Diaz-Moresco, Brian McCorkle, Paul Pinto
Electronic orchestra: Robert Ashley and Tom Hamilton
Lighting and stage design by David Moodey
Produced by Mimi Johnson/Performing Artservices, Inc.
Duration: 90 minutes

Celestial Excursions is co-produced by Roulette Intermedium and Performing Artservices.

Celestial Excursions was commissioned by Performing Artservices, Inc., as part of the national series of works of Meet the Composer/Arts Endowment Commissioning Music/USA, which is made possible by generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Helen F. Whitaker Fund, and the Catherine Filene Shouse Foundation. Celestial Excursions was originally produced and presented at the Hebbel-Theater by MaerzMusik / Berliner Festspiele.


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