Save the Date: “War of the Worlds” Co-Produced by The Industry & NOW Art LA and with Set Production Design by Calder Greenwood – November 11th & November 18th

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THE MARTIANS ARE COMING!!!

Don’t miss WAR OF THE WORLDS, an opera based on the infamous 1938 “fake news” radio drama created by Orson Welles, that will blur the boundary between concert hall and the streets of Los Angeles!!

The Industry’s most audacious experiment since Hopscotch, WAR OF THE WORLDS. premieres this weekend with a performance on Sunday November 11th (2pm) and ends next Saturday November 18th (12pm and 2pm).

Hear what the creators of WAR OF THE WORLDS have to say about the project in the LA Times and stay tuned for Cartwheel Art preview photos!!

See it for free by visiting waroftheworlds.la and reserving a free spot at a siren site. Or purchase tickets for Walt Disney Concert Hall. (Best availability on November 18).

Presented by the LA Philharmonic and conducted by Christopher Rountree, with narration by Sigourney Weaver, WAR OF THE WORLDS, will have multisite performances. The performances co-produced by The Industry and NOW Art LA, will be broadcast live from Walt Disney Concert Hall across downtown Los Angeles to three former World War Two air raid sirens.

The production will include a unique chorale made from radio sounds by composer Annie Gosfeld, a performance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and include the grandiose stage designs by Calder Greenwood, a local DTLA artist, who is a favorite of Cartwheel Art, as well as a guest speaker with Cartwheel Art Tours. (Note: see the link here about Calder’s upcoming solo art show, opening at THESE DAYS art gallery on Saturday November 11th. THESE DAYS is located across the street from one of the performance sites).

Carmen Zella, the Founder and Creative Director of Now Art LA recently described WAR of the WORLDS:

“This vanguard public art project uses sound and performance to push forward the boundaries about what art can be. A great step in bringing ne art outside of institutions and into the streets. Art transforms and connects our communities through dialogue about the social and political events, of our past and future as a city.”

Now Art was instrumental to the development of War of The Worlds by identifying the production artist to design and produce the scenic sets that will accompany each performance site. Calder Greenwood, a Los Angeles based VFX artist by trade and an unparalleled genius at transforming cardboard scraps into urban art was handpicked for this project. He was chosen for his visceral knack at identifying the peculiarities of a location and creating artworks that engulf and bring out an otherworldly charm. Whether he’s crafting 3D Frankenstein heads, huge hanging spiders or unconventional modern art, Calder’s goal is the same: to inspire people to look up and notice the overlooked magic of their surroundings.

CREDITS
Concept, Direction, Text adaptation by Yuval Sharon Music by Annie Gos eld
Conducted by Christopher Rountree
Production Design by Calder Greenwood
Presented by the LA Phil

ABOUT LA PHILHARMONIC
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, is invested in a tradition of the new, through a commitment to foundational works and adventurous explorations.
The Philharmonic, recognized as one of the world’s outstanding orchestras, is leading the way in ground-breaking programming, both on stage and in the community, offering a diverse range of programs that reflect the orchestra’s artistry and demonstrate its vision.

THE INDUSTRY
Founded by Yuval Sharon in 2010, The Industry creates experimental productions that expand the traditional definition of opera. By merging media and engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations, we produce works that inspire new audiences for the art form. We believe that opera can be emergent and responsive to new perspectives and voices in contemporary culture. The Industry serves as an incubator for new talent and for artists predominantly based in Los Angeles.

ABOUT NOW ART LA
NOW Art is a public arts organization that facilitates creative exchanges, cultural production, and collaborations with urban influencers and artists. NOW Art LA is focused on the creation, and curation of site specific artworks that revitalize both physical and social landscapes and engage the public’s imagination. In 2016 NOW Art LA collaborated with The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and Poetic Kinetics, to create a kinetic sculpture by Patrick Shearn made of holographic mylar and mono lament that was installed across Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. Liquid Shard dazzled downtown Los Angeles as a surprise to the city from July 28th to August 11th 2016. This large-scale, kinetic sculpture spanned 15,000 sq. ft. and was comprised of two layers that rose from 15 feet off the ground to 115 feet in the air.

Check out our preview images below of Calder Greenwood’s set design. The photo’s were taken during Saturday’s rehearsal by Cindy Schwarzstein. Also check out Cartwheel Art Facebook Page and Cindy Schwarzstein Facebook Page to see live videos of the opera.

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