Please join us for an intimate, studio showing of FOXY, a contemporary cabaret interpretation of Stravinsky’s famed satirical opera-ballet, RENARD. Created in collaboration with acclaimed vocal chamber ensemble, Renaissance Men, KAIROS will premiere this project in Spring 2023.
The hour-long event will include a meet-and-greet with the audience, a showing of the first-draft of choreography (accompanied by a rehearsal recording of the music), and a post-performance discussion with artists from both KAIROS and RenMen.
Featuring eight dancers and a 20-piece orchestra, FOXY blends dance, theater, performance art, fashion, live music and theatrical lighting design into a one-act, Ballet Russes-inspired performance.
RENARD’s text is based upon Russian folk tales by Alexander Afanasyev depicting stories of a cockerel who is repeatedly lured into danger by a hungry vixen (fox) in disguise. However, the vixen’s dominance is short-lived, and she, in the end, receives a grisly comeuppance from the cat and the ram. The inspiration for this project is rooted in the desire to express the startling discord we are currently experiencing within our political sphere. FOXY explores methods of deceit: utilizing promises and flattery; religion as weapon; and vanity as the ultimate defeat, highlighting the unfortunate connection between societal past and present. The moralizing fable is one struck with an uncanny relevance to modern day movements – social media models and influencers, televangelists, fake news, and reality TV politicians. The lesson is always the same: in the end, the deceiver will ultimately be deceived.
Originally billed in 1922 at the Théâtre de l’Opéra in Paris as a “merry performance”, this colorful work draws on the irreverent Skoromokh tradition, a genre of popular Russian entertainment similar to cabaret, characterized by buffoonery, slapstick and satire. FOXY's Russian libretto has been translated into English, following Stravinsky’s stipulation that the fable must be performed in the language of the country in which it is being staged.
Led by conductor Eric Christopher Perry, Renaissance Men's musicians will elevate Stravinsky’s music to a level of marvel, using instrumentation that evokes the raw dissonances of a travelling circus band — nonsensical noises and animal outbursts of the vocalists echoed in the orchestra. Stravinsky’s original text, staging directions, and clear intent for dance to be the main focus, provide historic context and inspiration for a boisterous, thrilling and truly inventive performance event.
