Works & Process, the Performing Arts Series at the

Guggenheim, Announces Fall 2019 Season

Highlights

New commissions by Machine Dazzle and Caroline ShawRotunda performances by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Roomful of Teeth, and Caleb Teicher and Ben FoldsTheatrical first looks at Joe Iconis, Theresa Rebeck, and Erica Schmidt featuring Peter DinklageDance previews featuring Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet West, National Ballet of Canada, and Washington BalletBehind-the-scenes glimpses of the Metropolitan Opera’s Akhnaten and Porgy and Bess 

“An exceptional opportunity to understand something of the creative process.” ­­­­­­-The New York Times

Works & Process at the Guggenheim is pleased to announce its Fall 2019 season. Since 1984 the performing arts series has championed new works and offered audiences unprecedented access to leading creators. The intimate Frank Lloyd Wright­–designed Peter B. Lewis Theater is the venue for seventy-minute programs that explore the creative process through stimulating discussions and riveting performance highlights. One-of-a-kind productions created for the Guggenheim’s rotunda offer a unique experience of the landmark space celebrating 60 years as an architectural icon.Additional information is available at worksandprocess.org.

Audience members are invited to cocktail hour, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, at the The Wright restaurant and artist receptions in the rotunda following most evening programs.

Works & Process lead funding is provided by the the Ford Foundation,Florence Gould Foundation, the Christian Humann Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Evelyn Sharp Foundation, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Fall 2019 Season Schedule

WORKS & PROCESS COMMISSION

Treasure by Machine Dazzle

Thursday-Saturday, September 5-7, 7:30 pm

Distant dreams come full circle in this Works & Process commission ofmultidisciplinary artist and maximalist Machine Dazzle. Undressing layers of his past to make sense of the present, Machine will introduce12 new looks alongside stories stitched together through song. Treasure is accompanied by music director Viva DeConcini and her band, and will premiere made-to-measure on the occasion of New York Fashion Week.

Treasure by Machine Dazzle is commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim with support from Pomegranate Arts and a creative residency at LUMBERYARD.

THEATER

MCC Theater: Seared by Theresa Rebeck 

Monday, September 9, 7:30 pm

Harry, a brilliant and hot-headed chef, scores a mention in a food magazine, and his business partner sees profits finally within reach.The only problem is Harry refuses to serve his masterpiece for the masses. Mix in a shrewd restaurant consultant and a waiter with dreams of his own and it all goes to hell in this hilarious and insightful new play that asks us to consider where art ends and commerce begins. Prior to its New York premiere at the MCC Theater, playwright Theresa Rebeck and director Moritz von Stuelpnagel take audiences into the kitchen of their fit-for-foodies comedy as cast members perform highlights. 

DANCE* MUSIC 

The National Ballet of Canada: Orpheus Alive by Robert Binet and Missy Mazzoli

Sunday, September 15, 3 pm

Orpheus Alive retells the tragic myth of Orpheus, casting the titular characteras a woman; Eurydice, Orpheus’ fallen lover, as a man; and audience members as gods of the underworld who hold Orpheus’s fate in their hands. Choreographed by Robert Binet, Choreographic Associate of the National Ballet of Canada, and featuring a commissioned score by acclaimed composer Missy Mazzoli, Orpheus Alive is a story of love, loss, and an extraordinary artist facing the limits of his mortality. Company dancers and the Mivos Quartetperform excerpts, and dramaturg Rosamund Small moderates a discussion with Binet and Mazzoli about the creative process before the ballet’s world premiere in Toronto.

OPERA

The Metropolitan Opera: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess with Angel Blue, Camille A. Brown, Eric Owens, James Robinson, and Golda Schultz 

Monday, September 16, 7:30 pm

The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess returns to the Met for the first time since 1990in a production directed by James Robinson with choreography by Camille A. Brown in their company debuts. America’s “folk opera,” asdescribed in 1935 by its creators, tells the story of Porgy, sung by Eric Owens, and his love for the drug-addicted Bess, portrayed by Angel Blue, with an all-star ensemble that includes Golda Schultz. General Manager Peter Gelb moderates a discussion with the creative team while cast members presenthighlights from the upcoming production. 

MUSICAL

The New Group: Cyrano by Erica Schmidt, with Peter Dinklage and Aaron Dessner 

Saturday, September 28, 7:30 pm

Prior tothe New Group‘s world premiere of Cyrano, director Erica Schmidt, actor Peter Dinklage, and composer Aaron Dessner illuminate the creative process behind the new adaptation of the classic tale Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. Schmidt‘s Cyrano is a proud man who, believing himself unlovable, agrees to woo the woman he loves on behalf of someone else. With a charged contemporary immediacy to the dialogue, Cyrano is an enduring story about heartbroken yearning, and features haunting music by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner of the National, lyrics by Matt Berninger of the National and Carin Besser, and choreography by Jeff and Rick Kuperman.

DANCE

Ballet West: Balanchine’s Ballets Russes “The Song of the Nightingale” and “Apollo” 

Sunday, September 29, 3 and 7:30 pm

With sets and costumes designed by Henri Matisse, The Song of the Nightingale (Le chant du rossignol) is a tale about a mysterious songbird who cures an ailing Chinese emperor. Created by George Balanchine in 1925 when he was only 21 years old, The Song of the Nightingale was his firstpartnership with composer Igor Stravinsky, leading to a 46-year friendship that resulted in some of the greatest ballets of the twentieth century. This production marks its US premiere and designates Ballet West as the second company in the world to present this important reconstruction by Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer. Prior to the work’s October premiere in Salt Lake City, Ballets Russes expert Lynn Garafola, Professor Emerita of Dance, Barnard College, Columbia University, moderates a discussion with Hodson, Archer, Ballet West Artistic DirectorAdam Sklute, and Balanchine Trust repetiteur Victoria Simon on Balanchine’s development as a choreographer, the influence of Asian art on Matisse, and ethnic representation in the twenty-first century. The discussion will be accompanied by excerpts performed by Ballet West dancers. Simon will restage the 1928 Balanchine-Stravinsky collaboration Apollo, including the original birthing scene and final ascent to Mount Olympus. 

WORKS & PROCESS ROTUNDA PROJECT 

Dance Theatre of Harlem at 50

Monday, September 30, 6:30 and 8:30 pm

Founded in 1969, the Dance Theatre of Harlem made its 1971 official New York debut in the rotunda with a performance that included founder Arthur Mitchell’s Tones.To celebrate the Guggenheim building’s 60th and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 50th anniversaries, Works & Process will present a Rotunda Project with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. The company will pay tribute to its history in a restaging of Tones, with music by Tania León, and other works from their repertoire.

Floor Seating: $100/$95

Ramp Standing: $60/$55

Lead funding provided by the Ford Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

DANCE

The Washington Ballet: NEXTsteps 

John Heginbotham, Jessica Lang, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa 

Sunday, October 6, 3 and 7:30 pm

Artistic director Julie Kent, a champion of new choreography, discusses upcoming world premiere works by choreographers John Heginbotham, Jessica Lang, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.Witness exclusive performance excerpts and a live rehearsal prior to the October 23 premiere in Washington, DC.

Lead sponsor Monica B. Voldstad.

OPERA

The Metropolitan Opera: Akhnaten by Philip Glass, with Anthony Roth Costanzo, Karen Kamensek, Phelim McDermott, and J’Nai Bridges

Wednesday, October 16, 7:30 pm

On May 6, 1984, the very first Works & Process program featured Philip Glass’s Akhnaten before its debut at New York City Opera. This fall, prior to itsMetropolitan Opera premiere, General Manager Peter Gelb moderates a discussion with the creative team and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, who plays the title role of the revolutionary ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Highlights are performed by members of the cast. Originally presented in collaboration with Improbable by the LA Opera and English National Opera, this production received the 2017 Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production. 

MUSICAL

Two River Theater: Love in Hate Nation by Joe Iconis, with John Simpkins

Sunday, October 20, 7:30 pm

Writer Joe Iconis and director John Simpkins discuss the turbulent rock romance, Love in Hate Nation, set in a 1960s juvenile hall, and cast membersperform highlights prior to its world premiere at the Two River Theater with moderator Laura Heywood. Classic girl group, Wall of Sound-style vocal harmonies meet punk rock spirit in this rebellious and romantic new musical that uses classic “bad girl” movies as the inspiration for the story of young people caught between eras of a changing America. Sixteen-year old Susannah Son is carted off to the National Reformatory for Girls to get her head put on straight. There she meets the aggressively incorrigible Sheila Nail, and a relationship forms which leads to an all-out “revolution in the institution” as they attempt to break out of the boxes society has created around them. 

DANCE

Dance Lab New York and Joyce Theater Foundation Lab Cycle: Female Choreographers of Color in Ballet

Sunday, November 10, 7:30 pm

For one night only, see the culmination of Dance Lab New York and Joyce Theater Foundation’s partnership promoting and advancing female choreographers of color in ballet. Provided with a stipend, studio time at the Joyce’s Artist Residency Center, professional dancers, a studio supervisor, and administrative support, choreographers Margarita Armas, Amy Hall Garner, Micaela Taylor, and Preeti Vasudevan explored the classical, neoclassical, and contemporary ballet idioms. Lourdes Lopez, Artistic Director, Miami City Ballet, moderates the discussion with Dance Lab New York founder, Josh Prince, and the four choreographers.

Lead sponsor Stephen Kroll Reidy

DANCE * MUSIC 

Brian Brooks Moving Company: Immersive Technology

Sunday, November 17, 7:30 pm

Brian Brooks, choreographer and Mellon Creative Research Fellow at the University of Washington’s Meany Center for the Performing Arts, and Michelle Witt, Executive and Artistic Director of the Meany Center, participate in a discussion moderated by Jacob’s Pillow Director Pamela Tatge. Prior to the performances’ premieres in 2020, see highlights from Brooks’s fellowship, where he explored dance in intimate physical and digital spaces and collaborated with Seattle-based physicists and virtual reality programmers. 

DANCE

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: New Work

Monday, November 18, 7:30 pm

Preview a world premiere from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s December season at New York City Center. Artistic Director Robert Battle and the choreographer participate in a moderated discussion and Ailey’s acclaimed dancers perform highlights.

DANCE

Merce Cunningham Centennial Celebration 

Sunday and Monday, November 24 and 25, 7:30 pm

Dylan Crossman, a former member of Merce Cunningham Dance Company, curates a program celebrating the 100th birthday of modern dance legend Merce Cunningham. Fellow former company dancers, including Jamie Scott, perform duets examining Cunningham’s evolution over decades. A unique MinEvent (an uninterrupted sequence of excerpts of works by Cunningham) made for the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed theater at the Guggenheim including movements from Night of 100 Solos will be performed by dancers from A.I.M, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Limón Dance Company, New York City Ballet, and more. Costumes by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung and music by John King complement the program. Andrea Weber moderates a discussion with former Cunningham dancers Kimberly Bartosik and Gus Solomons.

This program is presented courtesy of the Merce Cunningham Trust as part of the Cunningham Centennial celebrations. Choreography by Merce Cunningham © Merce Cunningham Trust. All rights reserved.

DANCE * MUSIC 

Peter & the Wolf with Isaac Mizrahi 

Saturday, December 7, 1, 2:30, and 4 pm

Sunday, December 8, 1:30* and 4 pm 

Friday, December 13, 6:30 pm

Saturday, December 14, 1, 2:30 and 4 pm

Sunday, December 15, 2:30 and 4 pm

Isaac Mizrahi narrates and directs Sergei Prokofiev’s charming children’s classic. Ensemble Signal performs the music, and the cast, wearing costumes by Mizrahi, performs choreography by John Heginbotham, bringing the 30-minute story to life for the young and young at heart. 

Premium front row seating for all performances $100/$95 members

General tickets $45/$40 members

*In partnership with the Guggenheim’s education department and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, for the December 8, 1:30 pm program, two-time CaldecottMedal winning illustrator Chris Raschka, will read from his illustrated telling of Peter & The Wolf at 1:30 pm, followed by the performance starting at 2:30pm. Tickets for this special event are $100/$95 member and include a signed copy of Chris Raschka’s Peter & the Wolf.

No matter how tall or small, everyone needs a ticket. Please enter via the ramp at the corner of 5th Ave & 88th St.

WORKS & PROCESS ROTUNDA PARTY
Swing Dancing with Caleb Teicher, Ben Folds, and Eyal Vilner Big Band

Monday, December 9, 6:30-11 pm
Choreographer and dancer Caleb Teicher, musician Ben Folds, and friends come together for a special performance set in the Guggenheim rotunda. Accompanied by Eyal Vilner Big Band, Teicher will teach an introduction to swing dancing, followed by a party to put the moves in motion.

Lead sponsor First Republic Bank

6:30-11 pm:

VIP Cocktail Reception, Performance, and Dancing

VIP table for six: $5,000

Table for six: $3,000

VIP seated ticket: $500

Rotunda floor general seated ticket: $250

7:30-11 pm:    

Performance, Drinks and Dancing

Ramp standing ticket: $75

MUSIC

Rotunda Holiday Concert with Roomful of Teeth and Caroline Shaw

Sunday and Monday, December 15 and 16, 7 pm

Celebrate the season with the joyous sounds of holiday music and a new Works & Process commission of composer Caroline Shaw. Roomful of Teeth perform as part of this beloved annual tradition in the museum’s iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda.

Floor seating: $60, $55 Friends of Works & Process and Guggenheim members

Ramp standing: $25, $20 Friends of Works & Process and Guggenheim members

Location:         

Peter B. Lewis Theater

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street

Subway: 4, 5, 6, or Q train to 86th Street

Bus: M1, M2, M3, or M4 bus on Madison or Fifth Avenue

Tickets:            

$45, $40 members (unless otherwise noted)

$10 student rush tickets one hour before performance, based on availability

(for students under 30 with valid ID) 

Priority ticket access and preferred seat selection starts July 22 for $500+ Friends of Works & Process and Guggenheim members at the Associate level and above.

General ticketing starts July 29.

For more information, call 212 758 0024 or 212 423 3587, Mon-Fri, 1-5 pm, or visit worksandprocess.org.

guggenheim.org/social

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