Word: cantatas
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Cantata 2000 is an exciting theatrical event. Visiting director and composer Elizabeth Swados has put together an overwhelmingly uplifting production that affirms the wide creative possibilities of musical theater. Drawing upon the works of young writers facing a dizzying array of both comical and serious issues, Swados and her team of student actors, musicians, producers and designers have converted these pieces poetry and prose into a highly effective cabaret format...
...Cantata 2000 is a musical anthology that celebrates our existence at the turn of the millennium--even the angrier, sadder bits are imbued with the hope and energy of the cast. By the time the show's 35 songs and many monologues are over, the audience has seen how many disparate sources of inspiration can fit together in a remarkable and entertaining...
...Cantata 2000's experimental treatment of works by young writers is an important success, demonstrating how different forms of expression can be combined in a vibrant theatrical creation. The production is also valuable as sheer entertainment. The musical numbers are funny and moving, and the ten talented actors are engaging and play all of the roles with a seemingly unending reserve of energy. The show's approach to storytelling is original and holds together a unique panorama of current emotions and ideas, lending hope not only to the turn of millennium but to the ability of theater to entertain...
Swados chose the unconventional format for Cantata to ensure authenticity. "When people play characters, you can always tell," she says. Swados prefers music and singing because "someone is an instrument and someone is really conveying music and the person gives the energy...
...experience with Cantata 2000 and Harvard students has added Swados's optimism for the future. Upon seeing the energies and talents of the students she's worked with, Swados remarks "I think I'll feel less alone because I'll know the generations that are coming up are not so distant from me. I can reach out to them and they're there...