January 28-February 1, 2009

Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes
Monsters and Prodigies: The History of the Castrati
Los Angeles premiere

"A sophisticated yet good-natured lampoon..."The New York Times

Delivered with off-the-wall humor and terrific musical aplomb, this raucous farce from the internationally renowned Mexico City company reaches back to a florid chapter of European cultural history: the era of the castrati--superstars of 18th-century opera whose heavenly prepubescent voices won swooning adoration across the continent's highest courts. Scripted by the late Jorge Kuri and staged by Claudio Valdés Kuri, the production begins with a reflection on the role of castrati--seen as both artistic prodigies and disfigured monsters--but soon launches into a musical tour of opera history peppered with increasing doses of screwball antics and high-jinks. The cast of characters includes a hoof-stomping centaur, Siamese twins who run a surgery ward out of their Naples barbershop, a gossipy opera maven, Napoleon and, not least, Napoleon's horse.

Funded in part by a generous grant from The George and MaryLou Boone Fund for Artistic Advancement and support from Lillian and Jon Lovelace, Judith O. and Robert E. Rubin, and Abby Sher.