Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream • NOI Philharmonic

A night of musical wonder awaits as NOI+F welcomes back conductor Andrew Grams for a program packed with Shakespearean fantasy and magical flights of fancy. We begin with a puckish and boisterous orchestral work by the postmodern Russian composer Alfred Schnittke, satirically titled (K)ein Sommernachtstraum or "(Not) a Midsummer Night's Dream." Next we visit the enchanted world of French composer Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer's Apprentice, immortalized by the famed Mickey Mouse vignette in Disney's Fantasia. After intermission, the dream becomes a reality for the premiere of a remarkable partnership between NOI+F and the Helen Hayes Award-winning director Mary Hall Surface for a dramatic rendition of Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare's classic comedy leaps to life with actors performing the work alongside Mendelssohn's beloved tunes. The acclaimed cast includes Tonya Beckman (Helena/Titania), Gerrad Taylor (Puck/Demetrius/Bottom), Ryan Sellers (Lysander/Oberon) and Jenna Berk (Hermia/First Fairy). The evening culminates with a full performance of the famed Wedding March, presented with guest vocal accompaniment from members of Wolf Trap Opera.