Holidays at BAM

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Adam E. Max, BAM Board Chair Katy Clark, President

William I. Campbell and Nora Ann Wallace, David Binder, Artistic Director BAM Board Vice Chairs

A Very Meow Meow Holiday Show

Created and performed by Meow Meow (with a little help from her friends)

BAM Harvey Theater Dec 12—14 at 7:30pm; Dec 14 at 10pm

Running time: approx. 90mins, no intermission

Directed by Michael Kantor Design by Andrea Lauer Musical director Jethro Woodward Lighting design by Paul Jackson

Season Sponsor:

Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation A Very Meow Meow Holiday Show

Cast includes Michaela Burger, Mark Jones, Rio Kiyoshige, Noemi Trey, Margot Weintraub, Dan Witton, Jethro Woodward Direction Michael Kantor Musical direction Jethro Woodward Design Andrea Lauer Lighting design Paul Jackson Production stage manager Lisa Osborn Assistant stage manager Matilda Woodroofe Design assistant Taylor Friel Casting director, children Carol Blanco Producer (New York season) Jo Dyer for Soft Tread

ORIGINAL SONGS OTHER SONGS Meow Meow Radiohead Iain Grandage Julie London Thomas M. Lauderdale Brecht/Weill Megan Washington Sufjan Stevens Patty Griffin Nick Cave Rodgers and Hammerstein Luz Casal Stoller/Leiber Frank Loesser Chopin

Presented in association with Soft Tread Enterprises and Meow Meow Revolution.

Originally commissioned and produced by Southbank Centre, London as Apocalypse Meow: Crisis is Born.

MEOW MEOW WOULD LIKE TO THANK Original Southbank Centre Season: Annette McLaughlin, David Coulter, Lance Horne, Lez Brotherston (Meow Meow Revolution associate), Iain Grandage, Darren Stalmach-Ware, Pav Stalmach-Ware, Steven Gates, Wendy Martin, Karen Peterson, Jude Kelly, the crew at Southbank Centre and Tim Whitehead Management. Shakespeare’s Globe Season: Tiffany Graves, Bill Barclay, Ian Ross, Andrea Lauer (Design), Malcolm Rippeth (Lighting design), Simon Baker (Sound design), Cameron Menzies (Meow Meow Revolution associate), Lisa Osborn (Stage management and Meow Meow Revolution associate), Emma Rice, staff and crew at Shakespeare’s Globe London and Tim Whitehead Management. Malthouse Theatre Season: Michael Topple and Creative Representation, Jo Dyer and Soft Tread. US Season: David Binder and Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jo Dyer and Soft Tread (Production). Special thanks to Isaac Lummis Design (Rockettes all seasons), Virginia Hyam, Sydney Opera House, Nick Schlieper and Rodney Fisher, Iain Grandage, Thomas M. Lauderdale, Megan Washington, Tobias Round UK, Lady Deborah Macmillan (Parachute Transport), Tripod for “too Christmassy?” and “there’s a time and a place,” Alan Cumming, Rufus Wainwright, and Jake Shears. Photography and thanks to Magnus Hastings (Styling Harvey B-Brown, hair/makeup Darren Evans) and Pete Le May (Shakespeare’s Globe photography). A Very Meow Meow Holiday Show

MEOW MEOW MICHAELA BURGER

MARK JONES DAN WITTON JETHRO WOODWARD

Photo of Meow Meow by Karl Giant Shock. Other photos courtesy the artists. Who’s Who

MEOW MEOW (creator and performer), Hooper), and her album with Pink Martini band named one of the “Top Performers of the Year” leader Thomas M. Lauderdale, Hotel Amour, by The New Yorker, “The Queen of Chanson” including original songs and duets with Rufus (Berliner Zeitung), “sensational” (The Times), Wainwright, the Von Trapps, and Michel Legrand and “a phenomenon” by The Australian, the has launched this year with a European and US spectacular crowd-surfing tragi-comedienne has tour with Pink Martini including at Hollywood hypnotized, inspired, and terrified audiences Bowl. She recently performed Facade and Die around the globe from London’s Royal Festival Siebentodsünden in Berlin under Jurowski, and Hall, to Lincoln Center, to the LA Philharmonic, at the National Concert Hall with Blixa Bargeld to the Sydney Opera House. As well as being and Ute Lemper among others in a revisioning of a prolific original music and theater creator for Brecht for 2019. such commissioners as Pina Bausch, David Bowie, and Mikhail Baryshnikov, Meow Meow MICHAELA BURGER (cast), described by specializes in the Weimar repertoire and French Kate Ceberano as “an asset to the cabaret chanson. In addition to her own theater works community,” is the recipient of the inaugural (including the award-winning Meow Meow’s Adelaide Fringe Frank Ford award 2019, Best Little Match Girl, Vamp, Meow Meow’s Little Cabaret Adelaide Fringe 2019 weekly, Best Mermaid) and concerts of Meow Meow’s Cabaret Adelaide Fringe 2016, and also a Pandemonium with the London Philharmonic, two-time Helpmann Award nominee for Best Bergen Philharmonic, and Sydney Symphony Cabaret Performer, 2016 and 2019. She is the Orchestras, she recently appeared in Barry co-writer and star of the highly esteemed stage Humphries’ critically acclaimed Weimar season show Exposing Edith based on the life and songs at the Barbican; and at the Kennedy Center of Edith Piaf, and her recent award-winning (Washington, DC) as part of the renowned show, A Migrant’s Son (exploring migration to opera star Renée Fleming’s Voices concert Australia and featuring original music written series. She performed Reinbert de Leeuw’s by Burger) has received critical acclaim. Burger jump-cut homage to Schubert and Schumann has performed with one of Broadway’s most with the Hebrides Ensemble; played Titania/ sophisticated songwriters, Jason Robert Brown, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at as well as Australia’s own Tyran Park, John Shakespeare’s Globe (dir. Emma Rice), the devil Thorn, and Paul Capsis. Other performing Pegleg in Tom Wait’s opera The Black Rider credits include Rumpelstiltskin (Southbank (Victorian Opera/Malthouse), La Maitresse in Theatre London/Windmill & State Theatre SA); Michel Legrand and Kneehigh’s The Umbrellas The Merry Widow (State Opera of SA); Can You of Cherbourg (West End), and an acclaimed Hear Colour? (Adelaide Festival/Patch Theatre); Miss Adelaide in the recent Guys and Dolls with Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in the Royal Philharmonic at Royal Albert Hall. Paris (Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2017); and She has just finished filming Cats (dir. Tom Cranky Bear (Patch Theatre). Meow Meow. Photo: Magnus Hastings Who’s Who

MICHAEL KANTOR (director) is a theater, PAUL JACKSON (lighting designer) is a opera, and film director. He was artistic director multi-award-winning designer who works of the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne from across Australia and internationally. Design 2004—11. Among many productions, Kantor credits include Solaris, Cloudstreet, Blasted, directed for Malthouse the Australian feature Melancholia, Bliss, The Testament of Mary, film The Boy Castaways and an indigenous The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant version of King Lear called The Shadow King, Man, Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic which was performed as part of the Melbourne, Bullets, Away, I Am a Miracle, Picnic at Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane Festivals. anging Rock, Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid In 2016 the production played a season at (Malthouse Theatre); Love and Information, The Barbican Theatre, London. He received the 2015 Histrionic, The Trial (STC/Malthouse Theatre); Helpmann Award for Direction for The Shadow Mary Stuart, True West, The Mysteries: Genesis King. Recently Kantor directed the Australian (STC); Merchant of Venice, Othello, As You premiere production of the David Bowie musical Like It, Phèdre, Tartuffe, Julius Caesar (Bell Lazarus and is currently working with acclaimed Shakespeare); Seventeen, Nora, Oedipus Indonesian film director Garin Nugroho on a Rex (Belvoir); and Arbus & West, Gloria, The new operatic work, The Planet–A Lament, to Children, Three Little Words, Hay Fever, and Di premiere at Asiatopa, Arts Centre Melbourne in and Viv and Rose (MTC). Jackson has received early 2020. a Helpmann Award, a Sydney Theatre Award, seven Green Room Awards, three Australian ANDREA LAUER (designer) resides in New Production Design Guild Awards, and 31 York City and produces multimedia experiences Green Room Award nominations. He is the with a focus on the human form. Ongoing current recipient of an Australia Council for the collaborations include Meow Meow, Pilobolus Arts Fellowship. Jackson is a graduate of the Dance, NYU Langone Medical Center, and University of Melbourne and RMIT. choreographers Elizabeth Streb and Amanda Palmer. Lauer’s other credits include Rolling RIO KIYOSHIGE (cast) is excited to be joining Stone, Vogue, Interview, Nylon, Paper, and OUT A Very Meow Meow Holiday Show at BAM. Her magazine. Her work has also appeared at the passion for singing, dancing, and acting started Grammy Awards and on Broadway in American when she was three years old, singing along Idiot and Bring It On. She is the founder and to her own piano accompaniment of “Do You chief creative officer of RISEN from the Thread, Want to Build a Snowman?” from Frozen. Her a design thinking and innovation agency focused performances to date include the school musicals on the human body and its relationship with Singin’ In the Rain (Kathy Seldon), Matilda (Ms. technology and a sustainable jumpsuit line, Honey), and Willy Wonka (Veruca Salt). Stage is RISEN DIVISON. She was chosen as one of her happy place! Kiyoshige trains with Patricia Randi Zuckerberg’s #52Womenin52Weeks, is a Pineda (voice), Dance Molinari (dance), and BAA 2017 MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, and the (theater performance). She is fluent in Japanese current science resident at Pioneer works. and when not performing loves to read and play the ukulele. She lives in NYC with her family. Who’s Who

NOEMI TREY (cast) is excited to be making Aphids, Stuck Pigs Squealing, Rawcus, and more. her professional debut in A Very Meow Meow Recent works include Lazarus (The Production Holiday Show at BAM. She studies voice with Company); Distant Matter (Staatsballett Berlin); Miriam Daly and is proud to sing with the Common Ground (Chunky Move/Dance Massive); Brooklyn Youth Chorus. She is a fifth grade Rumplestiltskin (Windmill/Southbank Centre Brooklyn native. In addition to acting and London); Paul Capsis & The Fitzroy Youth singing, she loves to read. She would like to Orchestra (Sydney Festival); and Rita Dreaming (in thank her family, even her pesky little brothers, collaboration with Meow Meow for Sgt. Pepper’s for supporting her artistic endeavors. 50th Anniversary Festival, Liverpool). Woodward has won Green Room Awards for his work on MARGOT WEINTRAUB (cast) is delighted to be Song for a Weary Throat (Rawcus); For the performing A Very Meow Meow Holiday Show at Ones Who Walk Away (St Martins); The Bloody BAM. She studies voice with Tristian Wyant and Chamber (Malthouse Theatre); Moth and Goodbye Ballet at the Verterich Ballet Studio. She would Vaudeville Charlie Mudd (Malthouse Theatre/Arena like to thank her manager, John Mara, Jr. for the Theatre); and Irony Is Not Enough (Fragment support and encouragement. 31). In 2018, Woodward was the recipient of the GRAA Technical Achievement Award. DAN WITTON (musician) works in music and theater. In the past year he has played with JO DYER (producer) is one of Australia’s Paul Capsis, toured to India and the UK with leading producers of film and the performing post-modern Australian folk band Bush Gothic, arts, creating and presenting projects across played for babies at ArtPlay in Melbourne, and Australia, Europe, the US, and India in venues performed in Aviva Endean and Justin Marshall’s including the Sydney Opera House, the National Sonic Labyrinth in Melbourne and Castlemaine. Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai, and Other work has included as bassist in Opera the legendary Tropicana in Las Vegas. She has Australia’s The Rabbits, international touring with held significant roles in the Australian cultural Jumplead’s Still Awake Still, and performances industry, including as CEO of Sydney Writers’ with The Wikimen, Saray Illuminado, The Festival, general manager of Bangarra Dance Spooky Men’s Chorale, Alma Zygier, The Ennio Theatre, and executive producer of Sydney Morricone Experience, Chamber Made Opera, Theatre Company. She currently curates the desoxy Theatre, and the Anthem for Melbourne celebrated Adelaide Writers’ Week. Dyer’s debut Festival. film, Lucky Miles (2007), was nominated for best film at Australia’s AFI and IF Awards and JETHRO WOODWARD (musical direction) won awards around the world. Her most recent is a Melbourne-based composer, musical film, the internationally award-winning Girl director, arranger, musician, and sound designer Asleep (2016), was also nominated for best film recognized for his expansive and highly layered at the AACTA awards, won the best film award at film, theater, and dance scores. A multi Green the Seattle Film Festival and has been screened Room Award-winner and Helpmann nominee, he in cinemas and at festivals worldwide, most has worked with some of Australia’s leading major notably at the Berlin International Film Festival. and independent companies including MTC, STC, Other credits include the AACTA-nominated The Belvoir, MSO, Victorian Opera, Chamber Made Turning (2013) and The Boy Castaways (2013). Opera, Back to Back, Arena, Windmill, Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc, Australian Dance Theatre, Meow Meow. Photo: Magnus Hastings Who’s Who

LISA OSBORN (production stage manager) has Goodbye Vaudeville Charlie Mudd (Best Actor worked as a stage manager throughout Australia and composition 2010), The Beautiful Losers and internationally. Since 2018, Osborn (Cabaret Ensemble, 2006—07), Three Weill has been the lecturer in production (stage Men (musical direction, 2003), Me and Mr. management) at the Victorian College of the Arts Jones (Cabaret Ensemble, 2002), Jacques (VCA). Her stage manager credits for Malthouse Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Best Theatre include The Black Rider: The Casting Cabaret, 2000), and a Contribution to Cabaret of the Magic Bullets (Victorian Opera), Away award in 2018. (Sydney Theatre Company), Blaque Showgirls, Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid, The Shadow MATILDA WOODROOFE (assistant stage King, Love and Information (Sydney Theatre manager) is a performance designer with a Company), Calpurnia Descending (Sydney diverse body of work spanning theater, dance, Theatre Company), Baal (Sydney Theatre performance art, television, and film. In her Company), Meme Girls, The Good Person of final year of a fine arts degree in production Szechuan, Night on Bald Mountain, Pompeii, design, Woodroofe worked for the first time with L.A., Blood Wedding, and The Wild Duck the Sisters Hayes, as the design assistant on (with Belvoir St. Theatre). She has worked on Walking into the Bigness (Malthouse Theatre). productions for many leading theater companies She has worked with a myriad of performing including Chunky Move, BalletLab, Australian arts companies across Melbourne and Sydney Dance Theatre, State Theatre Company of South including Sydney Theatre Company, Victorian Australia, Brink Productions, and Windmill Opera, Melbourne Theatre Company, Arena Theatre, as well as presentations at major arts Theatre Company, and Bangarra Dance Theatre. festivals including Edinburgh International She also completed a year-long emerging artist Festival, Sydney Festival, Perth Festival, Adelaide placement with The Rabble in 2016. Her work Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Brisbane in film and TV includes Cleverman and Get Festival, and MONA FOMA. Krack!n for ABC and the feature length dance film, Spear, an Arenamedia, Brown Cab, and MARK JONES’ (musician) credits as a musical Bangarra Dance Theatre production. She has director, composer, and performer include recently finished working as part of the wardrobe A Golem Story (Malthouse Theatre); The team for Madman Production Company’s School for Wives (Bell Shakespeare); Goodbye feature documentary, 2040, exploring what our Vaudeville, Charlie Mudd (Malthouse Theatre); planet’s future might look like if already available Rosa Waxes Lyrical (Adelaide Cabaret Festival, environmental solutions were incorporated into Edinburgh Fringe); Elizabeth…Almost by Chance the mainstream. a Woman (Malthouse Theatre); The Beautiful Losers (Melbourne Comedy Festival, Adelaide TAYLOR FRIEL (design assistant) is a Las Vegas- Cabaret Festival); Cautionary Tales For Children born and New York-based designer and hot (Arena Theatre); Suburban Gothic (Melbourne chocolate lover. Recent credits include Cyrano Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival); (The New Group, Goodspeed Opera); Fiction Good Evening—The Sketches of Peter Cook & (600 Highwaymen); This Land Was Made Dudley Moore (national tour); I Love You, You’re (Vineyard Theatre), and Convention (Irondale Perfect Now Change! (Athenaeum Theatre); The Theatre). Commercial and event design credits Tales of Peter Rabbit (national tour); What’s include the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, a Girl to Do? (Malthouse Theatre); and Three Adidas MyShelter Experience, and YouTube Weill Men (Chapel Off Chapel, Adelaide Cabaret Space New York. Friel is a recent graduate of Festival). He received Victorian Green Room NYU/Tisch School of the Arts and extends thanks Awards for Cyrens (musical direction, 2017), to friends and family near and far.