Acclaimed American String Quartet Ethel Partners with The Ringling Museum for Circus: Wandering City, a Vibrant Multimedia Stage Work

Performance: Circus: Wandering City 

Dates: January 26 and 27, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. 

Tickets: $30, $10 for students with ID

Venue:  The Historic Asolo Theater at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida, USA

ETHEL, the renowned New York City-based string quartet, will premiere Circus: Wandering City, an evening-length multimedia experience conjuring the unique thrill and vast American cultural significance of the circus through the centuries, January 26-27, 2018. While the quartet and their collaborators have been developing Circus since 2015, the recent closure of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, whose final performances took place in May of 2017, lends urgency to the project—rendering it both a celebration and an incidental, vital memorial at the end of an era. 

With their singular acts of daring and feats of strength, circus artists have pushed the boundaries of the human form to give countless audiences the opportunity to desire and dream. Commissioned by The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (The Ringling) in Sarasota, Circus: Wandering City conveys the spirit of the individuals who have brought excitement and mystery to one of America’s most iconographic popular culture experiences. Circus: Wandering City makes its world premiere in January 2018—the 250^th anniversary of the modern circus—at The Ringling, the distinct non-profit entity bringing together art, architecture, and circus in an inspiring and entertaining environment.

A dramatic and wistful score composed and performed by ETHEL drives this immersive homage, as it highlights the stories of circus performers past and present. Under the direction of Grant McDonald (The Official Prince Tribute, Esperanza Spalding's Emily’s D Evolution World Tour, Stars On Ice US & Canada Tours), Circus: Wandering City’s projections interweave arresting photographs and film footage from the Museum’s Archives into a montage that captures the essence of the circus through its long history. The production features projection design by John Narun, scenic design by Jason Ardizzone-West, costume design by Beth Goldenberg, lighting design by Oona Curley, and sound design by Stowe Nelson.  Produced by Jenney Shamash, Executive Producer Karen Jenkins

Circus came together through collaborating artists’ exposure to the vast resources of The Ringling, as well as input from contemporary circus artists. These human stories of those who conjured the stuff of dreams—to fly, to move mountains, to dance on air, to tame nature and to defy death—moved the artists to seek a way to carry forward the anticipation, sweat, fortitude, joy and transcendence that characterizes the lives behind the Big Top.

Michael Picton, the composer who scored the final six Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey productions, attended an early rehearsal of Circus: Wandering City, and writes, “Even prior to the incorporation of the show's visual elements, what I heard in ETHEL’s show was an evocation of history; of greasepaint, clowning, danger, and showmanship, the ambience of circuses through the years. Using their own original musical language rather than a program of traditional circus music, ETHEL creates a musical portrait of performers, events, emotion, atmosphere and history of the great American circus tradition - bittersweet clown comedy, tightrope tension, carnivalesque chaos, all elements of my familiar workspace reinterpreted through ETHEL’s own style. Like true circus artists, ETHEL pushes its own boundaries and puts on a show.”

Preserving and sharing the history and spirit of the American circus is part of the mission of The Ringling. Steven High, executive director at The Ringling, says of Circus, “It is wonderful to see these artifacts being used in such an innovative and creative way.”

Ralph Farris, co-founder and violist of ETHEL, says, “People adore the Circus for so many reasons – for the spectacle, for the music, for the feats of strength and agility… for the clowns! Through our exploration into the Ringling Museum’s extraordinary archives, we have come to love Circus, and most especially Circus People, for another reason heretofore unconsidered by most - Circus is a family. A big, bright, fabulous family that holds strong through thick and thin, and everything in-between. Love abounds in the Circus; love of the work, love of the art, love of community, love of living life to the fullest. And it is absolutely infectious, isn’t it? That joy, that wonder, that sense that you can leave all your cares behind and - for just a few hours - be a kid again. It ALL comes from that strength you find when you know your family has got your back, no matter what. THAT is Love. THAT is Circus.”

Described as “extraordinarily skilled, passionate musicians” by The New York Times and “virtuosic, vital and brilliant” by The New Yorker, ETHEL has garnered immense praise not only for their musicianship, but also for creating rich, often multimedia, stage productions such as ETHEL’s Documerica, inspired by the tens of thousands of images shot as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s decade-long Project Documerica, launched in 1971; The River, a collaboration with Taos Pueblo flutist Robert Mirabal; the introspective Grace, featuring ETHEL's arrangements of music by Ennio Morricone and Jeff Buckley; and Blue Dress, which pays homage to women making their musical mark on the 21st century. The ensemble is also in residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Denison University, where they culminate a three-year collaboration by receiving honorary degrees at the University’s commencement ceremony in spring 2017. 

About ETHEL

ETHEL was established in New York City in 1998, quickly earning a reputation as one of America’s most adventurous string quartets—heirs to the likes of the Kronos Quartet and Soldier String Quartet, and part of a generation of young artists blending uptown, conservatory musicianship with downtown genre-crossing—by playing with the intensity and accoutrements of a rock band. The New York Times has described them as “indefatigable and eclectic,” and The New Yorker has deemed them “vital and brilliant.” Nearly two decades into their singular career, ETHEL has in turn become seminal in its own right, a path-breaker for countless new genre-spanning ensembles, and a prolific commissioner of new music.

At the heart of ETHEL is a collaborative ethos—a quest for a common creative expression that is forged in the celebration of community. The quartet creates and tours rich, often multimedia, productions including the evening-length ETHEL’s Documerica, inspired by the tens of thousands of images shot as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s decade-long Project Documerica, launched in 1971; The River, a collaboration with Taos Pueblo flutist Robert Mirabal (album released June 2016); the introspective Grace, featuring ETHEL's arrangements of music by Ennio Morricone and Jeff Buckley; and Blue Dress, which pays homage to women making their musical mark on the 21st century.

ETHEL has collaborated with artists including David Byrne, Bang on a Can All Stars, Kaki King, Todd Rundgren, Joe Jackson, Ursula Oppens, Juana Molina, Tom Verlaine, STEW, Andrew Bird, Thomas Dolby, Jeff Peterson, Laurence Hobgood, Jake Shimabukuro and Vijay Iyer.

ETHEL’s self-titled debut album was a Billboard “Best Recording of ’03.” Light ranked #3 on Amazon.com’s “Best of ’06.” Oshtali: Music for String Quartet, ’10, is the first commercial recording of American Indian student works, and Heavy, ’12, was a Q-2 “Album of the Week.” The recording of ETHEL’S Documerica, ’15, was featured by The New York Times’ Press Play and on iTunes’ classical front page. The River with guest artist Robert Mirabal debuted in 2016, and was nominated for a NAMMY award.

ETHEL has appeared as a guest artist on over a dozen music labels, to include: Laurence Hobgood’s tesseterra (label TBD, 2017); The Paha Sapa Give-Back by Jerome Kitzke (Innova, 2014); (Cold Blue Two (Cold Blue Music, 2012); Glow by Kaki King (Velour Recordings, 2012); Blue Moth by Anna Clyne (Tzadik, 2012); The Duke by Joe Jackson (Razor & Tie, 2012); A Map of the Floating City by Thomas Dolby (Redeye Label, 2011); John the Revelator: A Mass for Six Voices by Phil Kline (Cantaloupe Music, 2008) with vocal group Lionheart; and the Grammy Award-winning, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman (Concord Records, 2009).

The quartet regularly performs works by all of the members of the ensemble, alongside music by Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe, John King, Phil Kline, David Lang, Dan Friel, John Zorn, Missy Mazzoli, Anna Clyne, Steve Reich, Don Byron, Aleksandra Vrebalov, Marcelo Zarvos, Pamela Z, Evan Ziporyn and Terry Riley. Over the past five years, ETHEL has premiered 150 new works, many of them commissioned by the quartet.

ETHEL is the Resident Ensemble at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Balcony Bar and Ensemble-in-Residence at Denison University, where the quartet members were awarded honorary doctorates during the 2017 commencement exercises. www.ethelcentral.org

ETHEL is: Ralph Farris (viola), Kip Jones (violin), Dorothy Lawson (cello) and Corin Lee (violin).

ETHEL is the Resident Ensemble at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Balcony Bar and Ensemble-in-Residence at Denison University.

ETHEL is Ralph Farris (viola), Kip Jones (violin), Dorothy Lawson (cello) and Corin Lee (violin). 

www.ethelcentral.org

About Grant McDonald

Grant McDonald is the Artistic Director of the techno-centric production company Rescue Agreement, where he has collaborated as Director or Projection Designer on dozens of concerts, theatre productions, installations and live events across the US and internationally. Current and recent projects include The Official Prince Tribute (Xcel Energy Center), Esperanza Spalding's Emily’s D Evolution (World Tour), Black Mountain Songs (The Barbican/BAM) and Dolce & Gabbana's Tirelli Tribute (NYC). McDonald has served as projection consultant on hundreds of productions across the globe, most recently Mariah Carey’s Number One to Infinity (Caesar’s Palace residency), De Materie (Park Avenue Armory) and Alt-J’s This is All Yours (World Tour). More on his collaborations can be found at www.GrantMcDonald.com.

About The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

The Ringling is a center for art, history and learning situated on 66 acres on Sarasota Bay. It is built on the legacy of circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier John Ringling and his wife Mable.

The Ringling inspires visitors with an acclaimed collection of Old Master paintings, explores with them the diverse cultures and art of Asia, delights them with the story of the American circus, and transports them to the Roaring Twenties during a tour of the magnificent Ca’ d’Zan mansion.The Ringling is also committed to exhibiting the work of an emerging community of living artists that moves beyond traditional practice and features dynamic and engaging contemporary visual and performing arts, including a diverse roster of theater, music and dance.

The Ringling is the State Art Museum of Florida. Affiliated with Florida State University, it is one of the largest university art centers in the nation. More information can be found at www.ringling.org.