Works & Process returned to the Guggenheim to present Third Bird by Isaac Mizrahi and Nico Muhly. In this tale of modern times starring the Ostrich as our hero, we meet a flock of characters from a Cat to the Moon. Everyone was essential in this enigmatic, empathetic celebration of each other’s strengths. Isaac Mizrahi (photo from IsaacMizrahi.com)Mizrahi’s HomageSet in Central Park’s 15-acre lawn Sheep Meadow, Third Bird is Mizrahi’s homage to Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. To the audience's delight, the story unfolds as an unexpected character, a large fluffy Ostrich, appears in the park.Creative, Charming RepartéeIsaac Mizrahi is a famed performer, author, actor, TV show host, clothing designer, and producer. He continues to bring his creative, charming repartée to the stages of Manhattan’s Café Carlyle, Joe’s Pub, 54Below, The Guggenheim, and more.Charming Children’s StoryThe music for Third Bird was composed by Nico Muhly, who partnered with Mizrahi for this production. Their collaboration launched an imaginative and charming children’s story set to music that evolved from the Romantic melodic notions of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Third Bird is a contemporized homage to Prokofiev set to urbane, eclectic musical structures that evoke rich sonic and rhythmic timbres to depict characters and scenes.Experimental Music ElementsMuhly is an American contemporary classical composer known for uniquely blending classical, minimalist, and experimental music elements. His work for this production often featured complex, layered textures, subtle melodies, and dissonant harmonic language challenging traditional tonality.Urbane and EclecticNoting the sophisticated timbres and rhythmic angular motifs used in Third Bird, Muhly's music draws inspiration from the works of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Benjamin Britten, and others. Muhly’s urbane and eclectic approach to composing Third Bird was innovative and steeped in tradition.Delightfully WhimsicalThe Cat (Zach Gonder) danced to playful melodic and rhythmic themes superimposed over sustained discordant strings. The bass clarinet furtively depicted the delightfully whimsical character of the Ostrich. Nico Muhly. Photo by Heidi SolanderHigh-Wire Acts of Musical BravuraWoodwind solos were virtuosic with high-wire acts of musical bravura! Overall, it was an evening of charming storytelling. The musicians, lighting, dance, costumes, scenery, music, and narration were splendid.Third Bird by Isaac Mizrahi and Nico MuhlyNarration, Direction, Design, and Libretto by Isaac MizrahiMusic by Nico MuhlyConducted by Michael P. AtkinsonChoreography by John HeginbothamLighting Design by Brandon Stirling BakerDance HeginbothamMoon John HeginbothamZookeep Kara ChanOstrich Daniel PettrowOrnithologist Derrick ArthurGrandfather Norton OwenDuck Marjorie FolkmanCat Zach GonderBirdie Maxfield HaynesCarnegie Hall's Ensemble ConnectAnjali Shinde, FluteJoseph Jordan, Oboe/English HornBixby Kennedy, Clarinet/Bass ClarinetMarty Tung, BassoonOliver Xu, PercussionChelsea Wang, PianoRubén Rengel, Violin 1Mari Lee, Violin 2Isabella Bignasca, ViolaThapelo Masita, CelloMarguerite Cox, BassRuntime about 30 minutesThe Guggenheim1071 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10128(Between 88th and 89th Streets)Works & Process Ticket information at Guggenheim.org or [email protected]@worksandprocess.orgReaders may also enjoy our reviews of Christmas at Corpus Christi Church, The American Symphony Orchestra and Händel’s Judas Maccabaeus, Peter & the Wolf by Works & Process, Transcendent Triumph and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, and Musica Sacra at Carnegie Hall.https://youtu.be/fAv5QdOa-Ug?si=WJ5gFm7VAiat_1xu&t=24
