ADAMS, Mass. — Locally rooted musical collective Floating Tower, working with Berkshire artist Joe Wheaton, will fill The Adams Theater July 1-2 with a musical tribute to the people of Ukraine. 

 

"Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors: An Immersive Musical Homage to the Spirit of Ukraine" centers around a classic Ukrainian art film of the same name. Using the film as a starting point, composer Mátti Kovler has brought together Ukrainian musicians and the artists in Floating Tower, all who have their own immigration and refugee stories. 

 

Proceeds from the show will be donated to benefit Razom for Ukraine, an organization supplying aid to vulnerable communities in Ukraine. Community members will be able to explore the sights and sounds during the performance, and seating will also be available. Tickets are available at www.adamstheater.org/upcoming. 

 

According to a press release:

 

It's a production that pushes the boundaries of traditional musical performance while exploring what a group of talented, multicultural musicians have created, using traditional Ukrainian folk music as source material. Local students and choral performers have also been called on to participate.

 

Floating Tower's mission is to create music and theater experiences that transcend the boundaries of language, geography or genre. The company's core collective comprises immigrant and refugee actors and musicians based in the U.S. They also operate an artist retreat in North Adams, where they workshop immersive performances and host immigrant and refugee musicians for artist residencies. 

 

Composer Mátti Kovler was born in Moscow, raised in Jerusalem, and is now based in Brooklyn and North Adams. A former Tanglewood fellow who wrote his first opera at age 17, Kovler has mastered a range of styles from folk and jazz to those steeped in the classical tradition, and brings these together in works of considerable dramatic scope, by turns comic, mystical, warm and searing. Kovler's eclectic output, from children's musicals to contemporary opera and symphonic work, has been compared to that of Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill and Alfred Schnittke. No matter the medium — from concert works to immersive music theatre — his work is characterized by a synthesis of styles stemming from a sense of musical wonderment and ravenous appetite for a wide swath of influences.

 

In-Person Box Office Hours: The theater is holding new in-person box office hours for community members who would like to buy tickets! Box office hours will take place Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m. at 27 Park Street.

 

Buy a ticket, give a ticket: All local students 17 and under can attend at least one Adams Theater show for free with pre-registration (email info@adamstheater.org). Theater patrons can help pay it forward by purchasing a Community Ticket in addition to their own. 

 

Season packages: The theater is also offering season packages, offering exclusive access to behind-the-scenes events and savings on ticket prices. 

 

The Adams Theater's programming season is supported by grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Mass Cultural Council, Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, and 1Berkshire, and sponsorship from local businesses including Adams Community Bank, Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Adams Plumbing & Heating, and SBM.