Symphonie Fantastique

In 1998, puppeteer Basil Twist debuted his boundary-breaking response to Berlioz's 1830 "Symphonie Fantastique" to universal acclaim. In the two decades since this New York premiere, Twist has become an internationally recognized artist in opera, ballet, and on Broadway, and has won countless awards including the illustrious MacArthur Fellowship. In 2018 Twist revisited his legendary masterpiece in its original home, the HERE Arts Center in NYC with live accompaniment by the virtuosic Christopher O'Riley playing the exquisite Liszt transcription for concert piano and in a significantly larger aquarium. Symphonie floated and swirled for a critically lauded and sold-out six-month run, fortunately allowing the finest performances to be captured in front of, behind, and inside the 1,000-gallon water tank by Twist and with the help of past collaborator Bobby Sheehan of Working Pictures. Soon after, while on a Rome Prize fellowship, Twist was blessed to collaborate with master Italian film artisans to edit and refine the definitive filmed version of this iconic theatrical experience. The resulting film is not just a document of a performance but rather an artistic expression in its own right. It weaves imagery as seen by the audience with the unseen backstage ballet of the puppeteers and the emotional synergy of the live musical performance. The film's World premiere was at the 2019 World Puppetry Festival in Charleville Mezieres, France where Twist was the guest of honor. This is Basil Twist's first full length film. Created by Basil Twist Featuring pianist Christopher O'Riley Puppeteers: Kate Brehm, Ben Elling, Andy Gaukel, Jonothon Lyons, Rachel Shane, Lake Simons, and Patrick Newton Lighting Design by Andrew Hill The stage production was originally presented by HERE's Dream Music Puppetry Program (New York) in 1998 and again in 2018 celebrating its 20th Anniversary.