POW! BAM! Out Of The Box Presents The Amazing Adventures of Acis and Galatea, the Wonder Nymph

From the company that brought sopranos to a boxing ring for its Diva Cage Match comes a whole new theatrical experience. Out of the Box Opera presents The Amazing Adventures of Acis and Galatea, the Wonder Nymph with three performances only (5pm, 7pm and 9pm) on Saturday, May 11 at the A-Mill Artist Lofts, 315 Main Street SE.

Members of the audience won’t just be watching the show; they’ll be in it. Immersed in the action of this passionate, roaming opera, they’ll move to four locations inside the historic 1881 Pillsbury A Mill – from the crypt-like hydro power tunnels that predate the Civil War to the Mill’s dramatic rooftop overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown skyline. The last act performed on the rooftop will segue into an after-party for the audience.

Out of the Box Artistic Director David Lefkowich describes the show as “an intimate retelling of an epic story.” He explains, “It is our biggest production to date with more performers, musicians and theatrical elements than any previous show we have created. But due to the intimacy of the spaces in the A-Mill (each show is limited to 60 people), the audience will be participating in the drama as the story unfolds.” 

Lefkowich drew some of the inspiration for the show from comic books. He sees the story of Acis, the mortal, and Galatea, the nymph, as a kind of superhero adventure: “Girl meets boy; boy meets cyclops; cyclops kills boy and the girl brings him back to life. What could be more comic book than that?” The show also drew some of its inspiration from the New York underground sensation Sleep No More, where audience members explore an abandoned hotel interacting as they go with scenes based loosely on MacBeth. Lefkowich wants to work the same kind of theatrical magic: “We’ll create an environment where all five senses come alive and the audience experiences opera in a completely new way.”

Out of the Box is proud to be showcasing local Minnesota talent: Galatea is played by Siena Forest, a soaring soprano who won over the crowd at the first-ever Diva Cage Match by jumping on the ropes in stiletto heels. Tenor David Walton sings the role of Acis. He earned rave reviews for his recent performance in Glimmerglass Festival’s The Barber of Seville. And Andrew Witzkowski plays the role of the Cyclops, Polyphemus. He is no stranger to taking opera “out of the box,” having created his own show, Guns N' Rosenkavalier, as a mash up of art song and rock concert. The cast is rounded out by a “Greek chorus” of five ensemble singers. Lara Bolton serves as the music director.

The 1718 opera with music by George Handel, and a libretto by John Gay, with Alexander Pope and John Hughes, is based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. It was Handel's most performed opera during his lifetime.

Tickets are $60 for the 5pm and 7pm performances and $50 for the 9pm show. VIP tickets, which include two drinks of your choice from the full bar can be purchased for an additional $15 ($75 for the 5pm and 7pm shows and $65 for the 9pm show). Tickets