The last word with the creator of Supernatural Noir - Kico Gonzalez-Risso

Kico Gonzalez-Risso                                 photo by Angelina L. Cantada Photography

Describe yourself in three words.
A practical optimist.

What inspired you to write supernatural noir?
A love of mystery, bygone eras and ghosts.

How long has the process taken?
Just over two years - at last count.

Highs and lows so far for you writing/putting this show together
Working with a talented group of artists - starting with my composer: that's a high.  Hearing   the score is a thrill.  Fighting for support for the arts in this province: that's a low.  We're governed by an ignorant group whose policies are detrimental to a healthy society.  No wonder so many B.C. artists wind up going to Toronto and elsewhere.

Now, it's near the end of the run, how do think the show went?
I'm very pleased with the production; Cam (the composer) and I set out to create a different style of opera or music theatre and I think we've done that.  Audience feedback has been terrific, but I'm disappointed by the lack of coverage by our media.  SUPERNATURAL NOIR is the most innovative musical event in town, yet todate the mainstream press has virtually ignored it.  (apart from CBC, Burnaby Now, Westender, and Georgia Straight)

What are you going to do after November 5th?
 Begin writing the next libretto.  And rake leaves.

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A published playwright, director and librettist, Kico has had his work produced at various theatres, including The Arts Club, Waterfront Theatre, Richmond Gateway Theatre, Calgaryʼs Lunchbox Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Calgary Opera Association, Lancaster Opera, The Cleveland Institute of Music, NYUʼs Black Box Theater, Heartland Opera Theater and the Maryland Arts Festival. Among his professionally produced plays are the musical GHOSTS IN LOVE, WONDERVILLE, SLEEPWALKER, INSPECTOR SLYʼS SECOND-TO-LAST CASE, ART ATTACK, PHONING IT IN (for CBC Radio Drama), INQUISITION, THE FOREPLAY and VOODOO.

He has had his work broadcast on radio, including C.B.C.ʼs West Coast Performance and SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA. Kicoʼs monodrama for harpist Rita Costanzi premiered at Music Fest Vancouver and recently played in New York. He also wrote the chamber opera La Señorita Mundo with Chinese Canadian composer Njo Kong Kie for Torontoʼs Summerworks Festival. Kicoʼs texts for choral pieces have been performed by musica intima, the Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Turning Point Ensemble and the Vancouver Cantata Singers, among others. 

Kicoʼs latest collaboration with Cameron Wilson is a new choral piece which will be premiered by the Vancouver Bach Choir this December.

Cast photo shoot - photos taken by Angelina Cantada

Yesterday morning, the cast and some of the crew gathered together for their first photo shoot in the auditorium of VCC on Broadway.  Here are the results of Angelina Cantada's talent. We are so happy with them. Here's a peek!

Laura Di Cicco and Matt Palmer

Laura Di Cicco and Alex McMorran

Alex McMorran looking spectacularly evil!

Matt Palmer

Melanie Adams and Alex McMorran

Joe Trio with Matt Palmer

Alex McMorran plays Corbett MacPhee in Supernatural Noir

 Alex McMorran studied Theatre, Music and Math at UBC and at the University of Arizona. When he is not on stage,  he teaches and tutors high school math and science, and his specialty is helping students who claim that their artistic natures preclude any ability in Math; He serves as a counter-example to that theory!

Recent credits include: Wong the Water-Seller in A Good Woman of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht with Seven Tyrants Theatre. and Antonio Salieri in Amadeus by Peter Shaffer with Vagabond Players in New Westminster. Alex won the CTC Award for Best Actor in a Play as well as a TheatreBC Best Actor award for this role, which was one of his three dream roles. Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd with Fighting Chance Productions, another of his dream roles. He won the CTC Award for Best Actor in a Musical, the Ovation Award for Best Leading Actor and was named Best Actor of 2010 by the WestEnder newspaper. The show was a huge critical and box office success.

(By the way, Alex's third dream role is Iago in Othello.)

Other credits include Big Jule in Guys and Dolls and Cousin Jimmy in Emily, both at Gateway Theatre, Warwick in Saint Joan and McCaffrey in South Pacific, both at Chemainus Theatre, and Doctor/Man in The Dissociates with Sea Theatre.

Alex is also the co-producer of the Blank Slate Theatre Festival in Whistler and over the past two years, they have produced four plays in Whistler, including two new Canadian scripts, as well as the western Canadian premiere of Ethan Coen's Almost an Evening.

Among his directing credits are George F. Walker's Problem Child for the Blank Slate Festival, assistant directing Sarah Rodgers with Godspell at Pacific Theatre, and The Elizabeth Project for UBC School of Music, which was an experimental fusion of Shakespearean text with English Renaissance songs and music to tell the story of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.

If that's not enough, Alex also sings with the Pacifica Singers under the direction of John William Trotter. The choir is an adjunct to the world-famous Vancouver Chamber Choir. He also sings with another chamber ensemble called Concord of Voices. Next month, he will be singing the bass solo in Mozart's Coronation Mass in Victoria.

Supernatural Noir's ghostly trio brings talent and humour to the stage

Supernatural Noir's ghostly trio of musicians are most commonly known around these parts as Joe Trio, the classical crossover piano trio.  Cameron Wilson, Allen Stiles and Charles Inkman will spend the next few weeks preparing for their first full theatrical/operatic undertaking and boy, are they having fun and relishing the prospect.  Anyone who has ever seen them perform as Joe Trio knows how funny and irreverent these guys can be so for Joe Trio fans out there, Supernatural Noir is a MUST SEE! For people who are not familiar with Joe Trio, well here are the goods from the Joe Trio website....

Joe Trio is not your average piano trio.  They don’t want to be neatly categorized, but instead strive for diversity, versatility, and more than a little humour and unpredictability.  Their repertoire consists of the classics – from Papa Haydn to Uncle Shostakovich- new works by contemporary composers, and their own arrangements of popular, jazz and rock tunes.  And they’re not afraid to mix together so many styles of music into a single piece it makes your head spin. More than virtuosi, the Trio’s members are fantastic performers who engage the audience in a way few classical musicians can.  Amply witty, charming, and tremendously musical, Joe Trio leaves audiences with a new appreciation for classical music.

Since Joe Trio was formed in 1989, this classically trained violin-cello-piano threesome has presented hundreds of concerts throughout Canada and the United States - ten provinces, one territory, and thirty-six states so far. They’ve played everywhere from Whitehorse to Corpus Christi, and from Sacramento to St. John’s, and even in Ely, Nevada.  Joe has been heard on National Public Radio in the United States, RTE Lyric FM in Ireland, and on many CBC Radio shows. As well as giving concerts, the Trio enjoys offering their services for education outreach programs, and has played many school shows for children of all ages. Their latest album is called Cold Cuts and was released during the summer of 2011 to coincide with a tour of Ontario and their appearance at Ottawa Chamberfest.

Now to get down to the nuts and bolts...

Cameron Wilson is not only the violinist in this show, he's also the musical creator.  He spent nearly 20 years with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in the second violin section and during that time he also toured all over North America and Europe with a Celtic fusion folk band called Mad Pudding, and toured extensively with Joe as well as writing music for orchestral works, chamber ensembles and freelancing work around town.  He is also an astonishing jazz violinist with the gypsy jazz ensemble, Van Django and they play regularly around Vancouver.

Allen Stiles is the pianist and the musical director of Supernatural Noir. Allen grew up in Bella Coola and received his Master’s degree at the University of British Columbia studying under Lee Kum Sing. Allen is very much the country guy. In fact, he lives on a farm not far from Vancouver and has his own bees and goats. Plenty of honey in his future we're guessing!   He is a highly respected educator and is on faculty at both the Langley Community Music School and Douglas College's Community School. As well as being a member of the contemporary chamber group, Standing Wave, he is also the musical director of the Richmond Gateway Theatre's annual winter musical theatre productions.

Charles Inkman is the cellist and the "serious" face of Joe Trio. Charles has been playing cello since he was eight.  He has a Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance from the University of British Columbia where he studied with Eric Wilson.  Charles is a long-standing member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and spends his summers teaching at music camps in Canada and the United States.  A few private students, recording for the odd movie and television show and playing in pick-up bands for the likes of visiting artists such as Smokey Robinson, Rod Stewart and Pavarotti keep things interesting.  He has also recorded with numerous bands including Spirit of the West and the Cranberries.

To get a sense of Joe Trio, they have their own Youtube channel so pop along there and check them out. Their website is http://www.joetrio.com and they are also on Facebook.  FB them!

Matt Palmer takes on the role of Slim Diggins in Supernatural Noir

Matt is currently performing in the Arts Club’s Next to Normal (Go see it. It is fantastic!) and prior to that, he was seen as Corny Collins in Hairspray. Select credits: Will Rogers, Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue (RCMT); Rooster, Annie (Gateway Theatre); Pan/Bud/Daisy, Batboy: The Musical (PSP); Jerry, The Full Monty and Alan, Come Blow Your Horn (Mayfield, Edmonton); Bobby, Company and Lumiere, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Arts Club); Bobby, Urinetown: The Musical (Firehall)The Number 14 (Axis Theatre); Jamie, The Last Five Years (RLTC).

Supernatural Noir Poster

Supernatural Noir media release, Sept 11, 2011

For immediate release

September 11, 2011

An operatic murder mystery to premiere in Vancouver

Supernatural Noir, a new innovative chamber operetta in the classic film noir style premieres October 28th at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.

The plot - a private eye with psychic sensibilities, a businesswoman on the hunt for her missing husband, a pharmaceutical partnership worth millions and a formula that’s disappeared.

This deliciously dark murder mystery is the first operatic work in Canada to be written completely in the film noir tradition. Think “The Maltese Falcon”, “The Big Sleep” and “Chinatown”, meld it with a selection of Vancouver’s finest classical singers and musical theatre stars and firmly holding it all together, Joe Trio, the seriously talented and renowned piano trio.

With a score combining elements of jazz and classical, and the appearance of a lone didgeridoo, courtesy of Shine Edgar, Supernatural Noir is as unique as it is unsettling.

Starring Matt Palmer as Slim Diggins (currently performing as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine in The Arts Club's production of Next to Normal), Melanie Adams as Margot McGillen, Laura Di Cicco as Veronica Bouvet and Alex McMorran as Corbett MacPhee, Supernatural Noir was written by Kico Gonzalez-Risso and composed by Cameron Wilson. Musical direction by Allen Stiles. Internationally acclaimed Victoria artist, Deryk Houston is the designer.

Supernatural Noir previews October 27 and opens on October 28 through November 5th (except Monday) at 8:PM. Matinees are Thursdays and Saturdays 2:PM.

Ticket information can be found on the Fugue Theatre website - http://fugue.biz

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