Professor Debuts Trans-Media Opera in Miami
Joey Bargsten, Ph.D., a professor at FAU’s School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, saw his trans-media opera, “MelanchoLalaland,” make its world premiere.
By na | 9/15/2015
Joey Bargsten, Ph.D., a professor at FAU’s School of Communication and Multimedia Studies at the Davie campus, recently watched his trans-media opera, “MelanchoLalaland,” make its world premiere at the Miami Beach Cinematheque. In late 2013, Bargsten, composer of “MelanchoLalaland,” won a Knight Foundation Knights Art Challenge grant to complete his trans-media opera.
“MelanchoLalaland”focuses on the off-beat relationships between executives who run Melancuria, Inc., a global corporation that specializes in anti-melancholia drugs and self-pleasure technologies, and how they deal with mobs of protesters, disgruntled employees, and dissatisfied lovers, among many others. This production stars professional singers and dancers in a live mix with video, animation and digital music. According to Bargsten, this work has as much in common with pop and karaoke as it has with traditional opera.
Ƶ for“MelanchoLalaland” was provided by FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Advisory Board; The Bailyn Foundation; The Miami Foundation and The Avid Corporation.
Bargsten is quickly garnering print, TV and radio media coverage for “MelanchoLalaland.” This summer, the Sun-Sentinel published a feature on the opera, and PBS-affiliate TV station WPBT Channel 2’s “Art Loft” broadcasted a segment on Bargsten and “MelanchoLalaland.” National Public Radio-affiliate station WLRN-FM/91.3 also will air a news segment on Bargsten’s work sometime in September.
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