Muhammad Ali’s Story Comes to Middlebury in “The Opulence of Integrity”
Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Town Hall Theater, Middlebury
Boxing’s outspoken superstar Muhammad Ali is many things – a U.S. Olympic gold medal winner, a social activist, a public martyr and a celebrity. On February 26 and 27, Middlebury College Chair of Dance Christal Brown brings Ali’s life and legacy to Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater in an original multimedia ensemble work. The Opulence of Integrity features a Broadway-caliber cast of performers exploring the inner struggle for identity faced by men of color in the United States.
The Middlebury performances of Opulence are dedicated to Black History/Black Future month and will be followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists.
"I came. I saw. I loved"
--Marlies Yearby, Tony-nominated choreographer of RENT on Broadway on “The Opulence of Integrity”
The Opulence of Integrity truly is a multimedia powerhouse. Choreographer Christal Brown deploys her “eclectic movement vernacular” to illustrate the turmoil of a life infused by divinity yet misinterpreted by humanity. A chorus of narrators quote Ali, setting the scene for each movement experience that follows. Projection fills the backdrop with the cultural and social energy of each time period. Music by Zimbabwean composer Farai Malianga, complements the choreography, while lighting design by Nick Hung allows the audience to watch history through the frames of old tattered photos. Aya Shibahara’s costuming infuses vibrancy and individualism into each character.
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”– Muhammad Ali
Brown pours her own experience into the work and dedicates it to her father, brother, and uncle who, in her words, “fought but did not win” and to her son “whose battle has not yet begun.” Brown goes on to say that, “To be born, branded by history, burdened by responsibility, and inspired towards greatness requires a committed heart and an opulence of integrity.”
The Opulence of Integrity premiered at the Guggenheim Museum and continues to tour to great acclaim, with audiences across the nation, rural and urban, giving it a standing ovations.
Performance begins at 7:00 p.m. The Opulence of Integrity is a 55-minute work with no intermission and is suitable for ages 7 and above. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students. Full details and tickets are available online through www.townhalltheater.org and in person at Town Hall Theater (box office open Monday - Saturday, noon - 5 p.m.). Opulence is a co-production of Inspirit Dance Company, Town Hall Theater, and Middlebury Underground, sponsored by the Middlebury College Dance Department.
For more information, email middleburyunderground@gmail.com.
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ADDITIONAL LINKS AND INFORMATION
OOI Official website: http://www.theopulenceofintegrity.com
OOI Facebook: Opulence of Integrity
OOI Twitter: @opulentinteg
OOI Instagram: @opulentinteg
Tickets/information: http://www.townhalltheater.org/calendar-and-tickets/
Middlebury UndergrounD (MUD): www.middunderground.org
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