In Concert: Eric Whitacre's Sensational Electro-Musical "Paradise Lost: Shadows And Wings" At Walt Disney Concert Hall June 25th

Online, May 19, 2011 (Newswire.com) - A concert of Eric Whitacre's Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings starring Grammy Award-winning soprano Hila Plitmann and featuring a 300-voice choir will be presented at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday, June 25th, at 8 pm. The performance is presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), whose mission is to showcase heart-stoppingly innovative choral music at prestigious venues around the world.

A fully staged version of Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, was originally presented at the Theatre at Boston Court in Pasadena in the summer of 2007, where it received glowing reviews, was nominated for 10 Ovation Awards, and played to sold out houses. The production also garnered the ASCAP Harold Arlen Award, and composer Whitacre the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award for most promising musical theater composer. A Carnegie Hall presentation last summer was also critically well-received and enjoyed standing room only status.

Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings is a work of music theater with book by poet Edward Esch, music by Eric Whitacre, and lyrics by director David Noroña and Whitacre. The show, heavily influenced by Japanese anime and manga, is a powerful and visceral hybrid of musical theater, opera, electronica, film, and Asian drumming.

The story follows the last remaining tribe of angels, marooned as children in a post-apocalyptic Paradise and now grown into young adulthood. Within their fortress they have created a militant, martial society, training for the next attack. One angel, Exstasis (Hila Plitmann), untouched by the brutal world in which she lives, dreams only of flying.

Considered a phenom in the choral music world, Grammy-nominated Eric Whitacre is passionately committed to introducing young people to music through the participatory excitement of choral singing. Whitacre is the acclaimed composer and conductor behind the groundbreaking Virtual Choir 1.0 and 2.0, in which he worked with over 2,000 collaborators from 58 countries to create a YouTube choral masterpiece. With sheet music sales rivaling the likes of Bon Jovi, Bach and the Beatles, he has been named one of the three most popular composers of the year by Classic FM, and has been called "a younger, hipper Andrew Lloyd Webber, with fleeting hints of Bernstein and Sondheim. Legendary among choir singers are his "Whitacre chords" which are said to sweep singers into almost trancelike ecstatic states and evoke tears and gasps of joy in audiences. Many of Whitacre's works have entered the standard choral and symphonic repertoires and have become the subject of several scholarly works and doctoral dissertations. He also composes film scores and recently collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the score for Pirates of the Caribbean IV.

Juilliard-trained Hila Plitmann has quickly become a glittering jewel on the international music scene, known worldwide for her astonishing musicianship and gossamer voice. Described as "a crystalline-voiced soprano" by the New York Times's Steve Smith, Plitmann regularly performs as a guest artist with major symphonies throughout the U.S. and around the world. Most recently in Los Angeles, she performed in the LA Philharmonic's world premiere of Gerald Barry's The Importance of Being Earnest. Plitmann received an Ovation Award for her performance in the Boston Court production of Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings. In order to prepare for the martial arts scenes in the production, she studied tae kwon do and has subsequently earned her black belt.

The other soloists include: Damon Kirsche (Logos) who received an Ovation Award for the McCoy/Rigby production of My Fair Lady; Doug Kreeger (Ignis) who performed on Broadway in the revival of Les Miserables; Daniel Tatar (Fervio) whose LA credits include numerous productions at the Pasadena Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, and Reprise concerts; Sara Jean Ford (Pieta) who performed on Broadway in the revival of Finian's Rainbow, and the revival of The Fantasticks; Marie Wallace (Aia) whose awards and nominations include a Backstage Garland Award and Los Angeles Ticketholder Award; and Rodolfo Nieto (Gravitas), who is a Resident Artist with the Minnesota Opera.

Iris Derke, Co-Founder and General Director of DCINY says "Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings is an iconic feast for the ears, eyes and hearts which will have you so wrapped up in the story and music that you will soar with the angels." DCINY is thrilled to collaborate with Eric Whitacre, David Norona, and a power cast that not only brings together the best of Broadway but a Choir of Angels that showcases the talent of choirs from all across the country."

Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings will be at The Walt Disney Concert Hall for one performance only, Saturday, June 25th, at 8 pm. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

For more information on Eric Whitacre, visit http://ericwhitacre.com/.

For more information on Hila Plitmann, visit http://www.hilaplitmann.com/.

ABOUT DISTINGUISHED CONCERTS INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK (DCINY)
Founded by Iris Derke (General Director) and Jonathan Griffith (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor), Distinguished Concerts International is driven by passion, innovative vision, a total belief in its artists, and unwavering commitment to bringing forth unforgettable audience experiences. With more than 20 combined years of experience, DCINY is a creative producing entity with unimpeachable integrity. We are a talent incubator, a starâ€maker, and a presenter of broadly accessible, worldâ€class musical entertainment. Visit www.dciny.org for more information

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