Program 2003

Christmas Revels 2003 transports us into Leonardo da Vinci's bustling Florentine workshop at the end of the 15th century, the height of the Renaissance, an age of exploration and an intoxicating elevation of the human imagination. Leonardo has invited courtiers, craftsmen and friends to celebrate the turning of the year. This Revels promises dancing and singing by the finest court musicians, a display of inventions, entertainment from commedia dell'arte street performers, and ... a total eclipse of the sun!

This year's fully staged Revels, directed by Scott Shattuck, is set in the Italian Renaissance workshop of Leonardo Da Vinci. Leonardo, played by Michael Burke, will be the main focus of an evening of singing, dancing and storytelling. The wonderful commedia dell'arte antics of Larry Pisoni, Brian Foley and April James will try to upstage him the whole time. You will even see a total eclipse of the sun and a flying machine! The scary and mysterious Zia Maletesta, played by Annemieke Farrow, will tell the story of La Befana, and Dorothy Olsson and her dance partner, Mark Mindek, will perform beautiful Renaissance dances together. There is a full adult chorus, children's chorus, brass ensemble and the wonderful musicians of Ensemble Sprezzatura (Robert Mealy, Deborah Booth, Lisa Terry and Daniel Swenberg), in addition to the zampogna (Italian bagpipe) player, Larry Cole. And Broadway's André Solomon-Glover will grace us this year with a stirring performance of the perennial favorite, Lord of the Dance.