ABOUT
THE SHOW:
This
is not your grandmother's
harp!
Deborah
Henson-Conant is a
Grammy-nominated recording
artist, and the
world premiere electric
harpist. Together
with the CAMAC Harp
company, she developed
the world's first comercially-produced
carbon fibre electric
harp
-- the DHC Blue-Light,
named for her.
"I
spent the past 2 decades
shrinking my instrument from
a 6-foot-tall 75lb ornate
symphonic behemoth to
an 11lb carbon-fibre
electric
powerhouse. It
was a surreal adventure!"
says composer &
performer Deborah Henson-Conant.
I'll
begin my Nov. 6 show with
my new piece, “Honey,
I Shrunk the Harp!” which
the story of that journey
in 20 minutes of music
and theater. It's
a piece that
literally strips down the
instrument on stage - at
the historic Regent
Theatre in Arlington, MA.
"This
is as close as you get
to a musical instrument
striptease! And that'swhat
art is all about: strip
away the facade, get
down to what's fundamental
and then ... watch the
creative fireworks begin! I hope you'll be there!" Deborah Henson-Conant
Henson-Conant
combines music, theater
and spoken word. To get
an idea of some of the
other pieces that will
be featured on her Nov.
6th
show check
out these YouTube videos:
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Demo
Overview |
Dance with Me |
Beck's Blues |
The Nightingale |
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STUDENTS
There
are many ways to be creative.
To be heard. You
don’t
have to go the standard
route.
Come
see this Grammy-Nominated
artist, who’s
taken an unlikely instrument
and turned it into the
story of her life. Come
see what’s
possible if you
follow your own personal
passion ... because you
can create a life in music
and theater ... no matter
what you start with!
Special
student balcony seating:
$15
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Share
the widget
above with
your friends on Facebook,
Twitter,
MySpace, Digg,
Delicious and by Email.
Print
this PDF flyer and
post it or email it to
friends.
Join
Deborah's
Email List
Become
a
Facebook Fan. Come
to the show! |
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BE
OUR FILM CREW for the
SHOW!
This
is a brand new show
and it's very visual,
so bring your cameras
and videos to help
us document it! The
only caveats are:
no flash during the
show, and no big
or noisy cameras
that might distract
your neighbors.
Email
us to
let us know if
you'll be taping
or photographing
so we can arrange
a waiver of the
theater's no-photos-or-taping
policy for you.
And
after the show, let
us know what kind of
footage you got and
we'll figure out the
best way to get it,
edit it and post it! And
don't forget to wear
your film director's
beret!
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THEATRE
SPECIALS!
DINNER-THEATER:
TWO
great restaurants in
Arlington have
a special Dinner/Show
deal with the
Regent. For
$50 you get
a reserved
seat and a
3-course meal at
either Tryst or Flora restaurant. Just
look for the Dinner-Theatre
option when
you buy your
tickets
HOTEL:
For
out-of-towners,
The Regent has
a relationship
with the great
new ALOFT hotel
in Lexington and
they've offered
the Regent a
special price
of $89/$99 per
night. Here's
how to take advantage
of this offer:
Call the hotel
directly at 781-761-1700
and tell them
you want the
"Regent Theatre"
rate.
OTHER
RESTAURANTS
Check out Punjab, Asian
Fusion, Prose, Tryste, Flora, Za and for some spectacular ice
cream, The Chilly Cow. There's also a great new Japanese Restaurant
(so new we don't know the name!) right next door to the theater.
Arlington is a food mecca!
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TRANSPORTATION,
DIRECTIONS
& PARKING
Get
the full scoop here -
but, in a nutshell:
Location: 7
Medford Street
- Arlington,
MA - just off
Mass Ave in Arlington
Center
Parking:
There's
plenty of free parking
in the municipal
lot across from the
theater - it's free
after 6pm in general
and after 3pm on
Saturday.
Public Transport:
Take the T: Red
Line to Alewife
then either walk
up the
bikepath or take
either the 79
or 350 bus; or
take the GREEN
LINE to Lechemere
and then take either
the 80 or 87 bus
Bus: From
Harvard Square,
take the 77 to
Arlington
Center; From Lechemere,
take the 80 or
87
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Press
Release
(Newest
PDF Press Release)
WHO: Grammy
Nominated Recording Artist & Electric
Harpist: Deborah Henson-Conant
WHAT: "Honey, I Shrunk the Harp" A
Solo Musical Theater Piece
WHEN: Saturday, November 6, 2010 at
8pm
WHERE: The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford
Street, Arlington, MA
TIX: Tickets are $19.50-$35: Order
by phone at 781-646-4849, online http://www.regenttheatre.com/events/shrunk_harp.htm
MORE INFO
/ TO SCHEDULE INTERVIEW: Beatriz Harley: 781-483-3556 info@HipHarp.com
ARTIST
WEBSITE: http://www.HipHarp.com
HI-RES
IMAGES: http://www.hipharp.com/pressphotos.html
About
the Show & the Instrument
There’s a new breakthrough
technology coming to The Regent Theatre
in Arlingont, MA this November. Like
many successful hardware
devices, this one’s built to
interface with the human hand. Likewise,
the newest version is both smaller
and more powerful than previous models.
But it’s not an iPhone, an
iPod or even an iPad. It’s
a harp.
Grammy nominated composer, vocalist
and harpist Deborah Henson-Conant
is the world’s premiere electric
harpist, and she’s been so
instrumental in the development of
this new hybrid that the latest model
on the international scene, designed
in France by CAMAC, is named after
her: The “DHC-Blue-Light.”
“
It’s taken nearly two decades
to develop this instrument,” says
Henson-Conant, who will feature the
harness-able carbon-fibre instrument
at the solo show Sat. Nov. 6th at
the Regent. “My concept was
to take everything great about the
concert harp and put it in an interface
that’s more like electric guitar.
The instrument was developed specifically
for my performances - shows that
combine theater, music, movement
and stories – a kind of high-energy
solo Nouvelle-Cabaret that requires
a lot of physical freedom, and a
sound that can range convincingly
from ethereal ballads to all-out
distorted blues.”
Henson-Conant also uses a loop-pedal
which lets her orchestrate layered
accompaniments on the fly. “With
these two instruments – the
harp and the looper -- I can create
the impression of a full ensemble – but
because I’m solo, I’m
completely free o respond artistically,
to change the show spontaneously.
And because of the harp’s size
and weight, only 11 pounds, I can
move around the stage freely”
Artist
Bio
Deborah Henson-Conant is a Grammy-Nominated
composer-performer and the world’s
premiere electric harpist.? She sings,
plays and tells stories in Nouvelle-
Cabaret shows that combine styles
from Flamenco to Blues.? She’s
toured internationally, debuted with
the Boston Pops, opened for Ray Charles
at Tanglewood, jammed onstage with
Bobby McFerrin and offstage with
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, and starred
in her own music special on PBS, “Invention & Alchemy.” She's
been featured on shows from CBS’ “Sunday
Morning” and NBC’s “Today
Show” to NPR’s “Weekend
Edition,” and interviewed
by hosts and journalists from Scott
Simon, Susan Stamberg and Studs
Terkel
to Charlie Rose and Joan Rivers.
Press
Quotes
“
... dazzling harp playing, gorgeous
jazz/pop singing, comic timing and
impressive songwriting” Austin
American-Statesman
“
Striking flamenco sparks from the
strings … wrenching distorted
bends worthy of Eddie Van Halen … belting
gutbucket blues and crooning lullabies … the
intense focus commanded by a master
storyteller.” Springfield
Union-News
MORE
ABOUT "HONEY, I SHRUNK THE
HARP" in
the artist's words:
“Honey,
I Shrunk the Harp” combines
concert and theater,
the Nov. 6th performance
at the Regent is the
first Boston preview.
I’ve
spent the past 2 decades reinventing
my instrument, developing
new shows, even writing
full orchestra scores so I could
explore how this
new instrument interacts
with symphonies. The experience
was like a long slow whittling
away of everything that wasn't
essential and a focus on the fundamental
of the instrument.
From
a 75-lb ornately decorated symphonic
instrument to an 11-lb carbon-fibre
electric instrument, the journey
was fascinating and sometimes crazy.
What I want to show in "Honey,
I Shrunk the Harp!" is that metamorphosis,
in an almost cartoon-like, iconic
way. -
Deborah Henson-Conant (Sept. 2010)
ARTIST
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA:
• Website: http://www.HipHarp.com
• Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/HipHarp
• Blog: http://hipharp.wordpress.com/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/HipHarpist
• YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/HipHarpist
For more artist info or to schedule an interview,
contact:
Beatriz Harley, info@HipHarp.com,
781-483-3556
More Info: http://www.hipharp.com/publicity.html
Hi-Res Images: http://www.hipharp.com/pressphotos.html
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