FUTURE PERFECT: The Magic Flute meets The Wizard of Oz in this fantastical world premiere perfect for all ages!
From Bellissima Opera’s award-winning Transcendence Opera Series
Looking to program a sophisticated and delightful new 90-minute opera?
- An inspiring tale to enchant audiences of all ages
- A rich score perfect for professional and university singers
- A strong ensemble cast
- Memorable arias, duets and trios
- Scored for 13 soloists, youth and adult choruses
- 90-minutes without intermission
- In English
- Currently scored for 7-piece orchestra
- Subtitles and supertitles available
To peruse the score or purchase the Steyer and Shenton Opera Songbook, please contact David Shenton at 917-647-7288, das_shenton@yahoo.com.
For licensing, contact claudia@workinginconcert.org, 773-509-9360.
KUDOS FROM OUR AUDIENCE:
“Your words took us on a trip from imagination to transcendence all in a concise and beautiful way. The score was striking and each genre of music was perfect for its scene. To a person, the quality of the singing was awesome. The characters you created were distinct and memorable and the performers delivered.” (Cory A)
“A meaningful and lovely score; texts were poetic and nuanced. After a treacherous and very challenging day being an American, the show was balm for the soul.” (Dana B)
“An independent Chicago company production with immense collaboration involving CPS students has addressed much needed lessons in a cohesive gentle manner. It introduces young children to opera in a fun-filled colorful story with beautiful music and settings that are very child-friendly and entertaining for all ages.” (Regina J)
“The genius of the show is the marvelous score by David Shenton. I loved the music in its various dimensions, orchestrations, and blends. The melodies are enticing, and the harmonies are taken nicely from the way that operas are built.
“Future Perfect was a project that took eight years to develop. This very ambitious show emphasizes racial and ethnic diversity and embraces the possibility of a better, more harmonious world for all of humanity. In short, the performance is more impressionistic than anything else. It’s sad, funny, and real at the same time.” (Julia Rath for Around the Town)
“Lovely impactful lyrics and music. Seven instruments really packed a punch in the orchestrations.
“Great venue. Loved the screen images, costumes, choreography. Top-notch production values. How wonderful to see a wide range of ages on stage, too. A melange of The Wizard of Oz, Alice In Wonderland and The Odyssey.” (Elizabeth D)
A Modern Tale of Curiosity
Future Perfect tells the adventures of Miranette, a curious youth who leaves a forbidding society to go towards a future she wants to see. Along her way, she meets a colorful cast of young people, puppets, dragons, butterflies and grown-ups who help her. The result–quantum entanglement! This full production is supported by an intergenerational cast of 31 individuals (ages 4-79) orchestra, costumes and sets.
Future Perfect is the latest opera in Bellissima Opera’s Award-Winning Transcendence Series by librettist Christine Steyer and composer David Shenton. It is directed by Nick Sandys, a Jeff Award-nominated director, actor and educator.
The first opera in the series, On Call: COVID-19, honoring global healthcare workers, tied for first place in the 2020-21 National Opera Association Production Award.
Read about the 2014-2019 workshops that inspired Future Perfect
Future Perfect is drawn from five years of workshops with 1,300 local youths examining themes of separateness, interconnectedness and transcendence from a variety of lenses. Facilitated by musicians, poets and artists, the workshops yielded many of the opera’s lyrics and costume designs.
Our Community Builder Sponsors
Many thanks to donors of $1,000 to $5,000. Their gifts have especially made possible the outreach to young performers, interns and audiences, coming from Austin to Maywood and beyond.
- An Illinois Arts Council Summer Youth Employment grant
- Molly Besta Allscheid
- Robert L Beach and Paul D Dykstra
- Leah and Paul Beckwith
- Carmen Bodino
- Doug Cotsamire
- Dominique Frigo in memory of Jean Martin Bell
- Terry Grace and Judy Gaietto-Grace
- Haddad Foundation
- Jethra Kapp
- Mardi Gras Foundation
- Ock-Ju Noh
- Rich Pokorny
- Barbara and Barre Seid Foundation
- Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation
- Suzanne Walsh in memory of Jeanne C Walsh
Future Perfect’s Cast and Artistic Team
Adult Cast
Wydetta Carter as Narrator
Hailey Cohen as Ember
Susan Lewis Friedman as Rosetta
Dominique Frigo as Asintmah
Jeffrey Goldberg as Iscovan
Rose Guccione as Baubo
Sarah Kropski as Juniper
Kaleb Nuesse as Edeyrn
Brian Allen Pember Jr as Leggo
Carl Ratner as Oxóssi
Katie Rub as Paloma
Christine Steyer as Flanna
Peter Stigdon as Kai
Suzanne Walsh as Verbena
Ensemble
Xandra Daigle
Paul Geiger
Marcela Ossa
Christina Ray
Barbara Smith
Youth Cast
Tekla Schreiner-Witte as Miranette
Draglions/Flutterbys/Puppets/Singers/Dancers
Isabella Airato
Sam Combs
Benjamin Govertsen
Amelia Holly
Shiloh Jennings
Henry Lombardo
Norah Lougachi
Ruby O’Shaughnessey
Caleb Reed-Jennings
Youth Ensemble &
Summer Youth Interns:
Michael Jones
Lena Thomas
Jonathan Wilson
Artistic Team
Christine Steyer, Bellissima Opera Artistic Director
Tim Pahel, Conductor & Chorus Master
Nick Sandys, Director/Fight Choreographer
David Shenton, Musical Preparation/Piano
Claudia Hommel/Working In Concert, Producer
Emil Clausing, Stage Manager
Cathy Dunn, Assistant Director/Choreographer
Peter Stigdon, Rehearsal Accompanist
Kerri Burkhardt, Administrative Assistant
Meredith Morris, Press Release
Juliana Engel Storms, Social Media & Internship Coordinator
Kenneth Gourlay, Website
Susan Huizinga, Molly Allsheid, Diane Piette, Reggie Janczyszyn, Hospitality
Maureen Kwiat Meshenberg, Author
Christine Steyer, Production Designer
Tim Pahel, Closed-Captioning Designer
Cindy Senneke, Closed-Captioning
Doug Cotsamire, Closed-Captioning
Reese Craig, Projection Designer
Garrett Bell, Lighting Designer
Jared Peters, Master Electrician
Antonio O’Neal, Audio
Paul Geiger & Peter Storms, Audio Recording
Paul Geiger & Cappy Kidd, Set
Kathy Rubel, Costume Consultant
Louise Gale, Wardrobe
Kimberly Huizinga, Wardrobe
Miranda Flanagan, Make-Up
Xandra Daigle, Props
Paul Brennan & Jesse Logan, Videography
Peter Pintozzi, Photography
Ben O’Connor, Video & Photo Documentarian
Top Row (left to right): Norah Lougachi, Caleb Reed-Jennings, Isabella Airato, Tekla Schreiner-Witte, Ruby O’Shaughnessey, Henry Lombardo
Bottom Row (left to right): Shiloh Jennings, Benjamin Govertsen, Sam Combs, Henry James Hansen, Amelia Holly
We are thrilled to have five young professionals from the Catalyst Circle Rock School (adjoining the Kehrein Center for the Arts) as cast members and hospitality team for Future Perfect!
Top Row (left to right): Rose Guccione, Brian Allen Pember Jr, Katie Rub, Sarah Kropski, Dominique Frigo
Second Row (left to right): Susan Lewis Friedman, Peter Stigdon, Wydetta Carter, Paul Geiger, Marcela Ossa
Third Row (left to right): Hailey Cohen, Barbara Smith, Christina Ray, Jeffrey Goldberg, Christine Steyer
Bottom Row (left to right): Kaleb Nuesse, Suzanne Walsh, Xandra Daigle, Dennis M. Kalup, Carl Ratner
The Kehrein Center for the Arts (KCA) is a home for storytelling through opera, music, theatre, dance, spoken word, and creative expression that animates and engages the human spirit.
Located in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, the KCA is the product of a years-long effort to restore an architecturally-significant but unused auditorium into a vibrant fine and performing arts center, complete with a 900-seat storytelling theater, art gallery, and community gathering place. Catalyst Circle Rock, a nonprofit charter school system, purchased the building and facilitated the planning of a massive renovation of this historic community space.