David Chesky
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DAVID CHESKY
Music, Lyrics, & Libretto
A. SCOTT PARRY
DIRECTOR
ANTHONY AIBEL
Conductor
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SYNOPSIS
To avoid being slaughtered by a lunatic farmer, Shirley the cow (a former hooker from Amsterdam), and her transvestite husband, Harvey, escape to New York's East Village, where they soon become all the rage of the highbrow art scene. Back on the farm, the Pig gets wind of their fame and follows to seek his artistic fortunes as well. Will the elitist critics accept the Pig's trendy conceptual art? Will the psychotic homesteader arrive in time to reclaim his prized hog? Will swine become the new black? This outrageous Fellini-esque satire superimposes the world of contemporary music onto the modern art scene, scorchingly skewering them both.
REVIEWS
“You have never seen anything like David Chesky's The Pig, The Farmer, and the Artist, an Animal Farm-esque social satire that is riotous, scathing, and ambitious, not to mention hugely entertaining.
Chesky could turn out to be a
one-man Brecht–Weill for the twenty-first century.”
Opera News
“The craft, intelligence and hilarity that mark David Chesky’s opera
make it clear that this ain’t Chesky’s first time at the rodeo.
It takes real smarts-not to mention vision-to keep the audience’s trust in a sung-through story.”
Time Out NY
“Chesky’s delightfully deranged and pointed script keeps the laughs coming.
Beneath the folderol are many unfortunate truths about our country today. Hoorah for Chesky for confronting them, and with such style.”
Back Stage - Critics Pick
“Chesky new satirical opera is profane and profound,
a piece that makes fun of what we think we know about
how opera is supposed to go and challenges us to
fix some of what's so badly broken, not just in the world of American art, but in American culture and society in general.
As they say at the Met, Bravo!”
“These folks are giving us a grand, entertaining, hilarious, and highly intelligent evening.”
Martin Denton, newyorktheatre.com
"The Pig, The Farmer, and The Artist is a bit like
falling down the famous rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland
where when you hit bottom you come across an array of zany characters telling you their story. With a bit of Fellini thrown in for good measure."
Oscar E. Moore, Talk Entertainment
"Chesky is fearless; he'll venture anywhere if it's funny.
And I must admit, boredom was never an issue in the two-hour production."
Bruce Hodges, Music Web International-Opera reviews
David Chesky’s
The Pig, the Farmer, and the Artist
An Operatic Satire about Sex, Music, and Art
Music / Book / Lyrics......................................................DAVID CHESKY
Director / Designer......................................................A. SCOTT PARRY
Conductor / Music Director.............................................ANTHONY AIBEL
Lighting Designer..............................................................ROB SCALLAN
Art Designer......................................................................ANNA DINELI
Coach-Accompanist.......................................................JAMISON LIVSEY
Producer.....................................................................PATRICIA DINELY
Executive Producer...........................................................SUSY MUFSON
Executive Producer.....................................................MICHAEL STANTON
CAST
The Pig (actor)....................................................................TOM BLUNT
Farmer Jones (bass-baritone) ..............................................CORY CLINES
The Artist (tenor) ...........................................CHRISTOPHER PRESTON THOMPSON
Shirley, the Cow (mezzo) ....................................................WENDY BUZBY
Harvey, the Bull (tenor) ...............................................JAMES N. KRYSHAK
The Farm Hand/Cornelius, the Art Critic/Pellegrino, the Art Dealer (soprano).........................................................................MELANIE LONG
Hal-9000 (computer) ...........................................................MacBook2.1
The Greek Trio
Soprano................................................................................AMI VICE
Mezzo..........................................................................MEGAN MARINO
Baritone.....................................................................MICHAEL DEZORT
farm hands, goats, chickens, ducks, cows, sheep, West Village gays, East Village punks, Pellegrino’s secretary, high society dilettantes, paparazzi, Amanda.