Entertainment
Midtown International Theatre Festival presents a Crystal Theatre opera
By Press Release
Jul 7, 2008 - 12:55:29 AM

Melissa Labbadia stars as Cleopatra and Kyle Brenn is featured as Caesarion, her son by Julius Caesar, in Crystal Theatre's production of "Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled."

Crystal Theatre’s production of “Cleopatra: A Life Unparalleled” will be presented by the Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York City on July 16, 19, 22 and 31 and August 2 and 3 at the June Havoc Theater, 312 West 36th Street. Set in Egypt at the time of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, the production combines musical styles ranging from rock to Latin to reggae as it chronicles the life and times of the famous Egyptian queen, who was born in 69 BC and died in 30 BC. Tickets are $18.00 and reservations can be made by calling 212-279-4200 or at www.TicketCentral.com.

Cheryl Kemeny, who wrote and directs the musical, says, “Crystal Theatre is excited to have this opportunity to showcase our work in New York City. Our production features an outstanding cast headed by Melissa Labbadia in the title role with New York City Opera tenor Matthew Surapine as Julius Caesar and Gregory Kisken as Marc Antony. The cast also includes Cidalia Alves, Kyle Brenn, Daniel Hague, Samantha Kulish, Jessica Labbadia, Laura Piacenza, Joe Santaniello Jr., Jennifer Van Buskirk and David Vogel.” The production is co-directed by Char Fromentin of Dance Dimensions in Norwalk.

Kemeny did extensive research before writing the play and reports, “Most people don’t realize that Cleopatra VII was Greek, with no Egyptian blood. Although her life was exceedingly eventful, the only histories that exist were written by her enemies – the Romans. Whatever negative reports have been written about her, it can’t be denied that Cleopatra won the support of two of the most powerful men in history. Both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony defied violent public opposition to continue their liaisons with her.

“This time period was known for its gossip, passed along by traders on the Mediterranean between Rome, Athens, Tarsus and Alexandria,” Kemeny says. “Rome was a hotbed of jealousy and rebellion, while the Egyptian court was mired in intrigue and conspiracy. Cleopatra was called the ‘courtesan of the Nile’ by her enemies and the world was fascinated by her in much the same way that people follow gossip in the tabloids today. Her story is an incredible soap-opera and this intriguing woman has held our interest for 2,000 years, as evidenced by the many movies and books about her and, most recently, the HBO series, Rome.”

Kemeny says, “Cleopatra was a brilliant woman who spoke seven languages and ran her country like a business. The Egyptians were highly religious and, next to the Pharaoh, the High Priest was the most powerful person in Egypt. Also, they considered their ruler to be the physical incarnation of god on earth. By all accounts, Cleopatra was very religious and this aspect of her personality plays a large role in the Crystal Theatre production. Cleopatra believed that it was her destiny as ‘god on earth’ to unite the world under one rule, and so did her supporters.”

Crystal Theatre Inc., which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, is an independent, not-for-profit performing arts school that was founded by Cheryl and Alexandrea Kemeny, David Jackins and Mariner Pezza in 1987 under the auspices of the Norwalk Recreation & Parks Department. Dedicated to the development of children as creative artists, Crystal’s mission is to train students in the techniques of musical theater, produce and promote original works and provide performance opportunities for those who might otherwise not have a chance to sing, dance and act on stage. Each year the organization teaches an average of 700 students aged 6 to 21 and has entertained more than 100,000 audience members by producing 15-20 shows annually. Crystal Theatre also has an adult company and presents productions by the Crystal Opera Consortium.

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