ATTN:
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Daniel Cullen
Email: communications@sfems.org
Phone: (510) 560-6921
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2025
PRESS RELEASE—A PASTICHE OF MUSIC, DANCE, PANTOMIME AND PUPPETRY RECREATE THE VIBRANT MUSICAL THEATER WORLD OF 1700S LONDON IN “EMPEROR OF THE MOON”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Continuing a series of successful collaborations in historical music and dance, Nash Baroque and Dance Through Time present their fourth Bay Area collaboration, Emperor of the Moon, blending music, historical dance, pantomime, and theatrical storytelling to transport audiences to the vibrant world of London’s early 18th-century musical theater scene. The San Francisco Early Music Society (SFEMS) will present Emperor of the Moon June 6–8 in venues across the Bay Area including Redwood City, Berkeley, and San Francisco.
“This is not a reconstruction of a particular production but rather a re-imagining, taking a few liberties while staying true to the spirit and the content that might have been possible in a production of the period” explains Nash Baroque flutist and director, Vicki Melin. Using song texts and original plays as narrative sources, a commedia-style plot is woven together telling a whimsical story about the redemptive powers of love in a world where madness and reason collide.
Aiming to authentically recreate the dynamic artistic exchanges of the time, “Emperor of the Moon” is a pastiche—a convention of the time—drawing on multiple sources of music, staging, characters, and choreography from the period. In this exciting and tumultuous time, when scientific discoveries were shaking up long-held beliefs about humanity and the solar system, the story follows a cast of commedia dell’arte characters fascinated with the movement of the planets as they embark on a journey to the moon.
Following their sold-out shows of Venetian-inspired spettacolo (show) “Pulcinella’s Dream” at the 2023 San Francisco International Arts Festival, Nash Baroque Ensemble and Dance Through Time are joined by guest dancers from the New York Baroque Dance Company, a leading force in the revival of 18th century ballet. Music of the most famous composers for the stage in this period will accompany original 18th-century dance choreographies, with a focus on English choreographer Mr. Isaac (b. 1643) and dancer Hester Santlow (1690–1773). By using extant and reconstructed choreographies known to the London stage, Dance Through Time artistic director, Jennifer Meller notes, “Our accomplished historical dancers bring an immersive visual component to audiences, emphasizing the character of this evocative music as the story unfolds on stage.”
The production is based loosely on plays in the Commedia dell’arte tradition including Aphra Behn’s ”Emperor of the Moon” (1687), and its French precursor by Anne Maudit Fatouville “Arlequin Empereur dans la Lune” (1684), both exceedingly popular in their time and frequently revived. The story line is enhanced with elements from satirical adventure/sci-fi stories like Daniel Dafoe’s The Consolidator (1705), with its hero’s voyage to the Moon to meet the “Lunarians,” who study humans via magnifying glasses in order “to perceive the iniquities and absurdities of human life and governments.”
Nash Baroque, a period instrumental ensemble directed by Baroque flutist Vicki Melin, is joined by soprano Bethany Hill, with an ensemble including violinist Alexandra Santon; cellist Farley Pearce; theorbo/baroque guitarist Matthew Xie; and harpsichordist Katherine Heater, bringing life to the music of the period’s leading theater composers including Henry Purcell, John Blow, John Eccles and the often overlooked music of Gottfried Finger.
Emperor of the Moon is one of two events announced by The San Francisco Early Music Society for a summer season of theatrical productions. Also on the SFEMS calendar, renowned British vocal ensemble, The Gesualdo Six, will join forces with Bay Area early music consort Wildcat Viols in “Secret Byrd,” in a uniquely immersive, theatrical production conceived by Concert Theatre Works in San Francisco’s breathtaking Grace Cathedral (July 17–18). Secret Byrd brings the historical context of Renaissance composer William Byrd’s sublime music to life in a special production in San Francisco’s historic Gothic-style Grace Cathedral.
Tickets for Emperor of the Moon will be available in subscription packages and general admission seating with Pay-What-You-Can pricing offering tickets at a price named by the buyer. “We’re thrilled to continue with pay-what-you-can ticketing this year.” said executive director Derek Tam. “No other presenter in the Bay Area offers such depth and diversity in early music offerings, and pay-what-you-can has meaningfully opened the doors for new audiences to experience early music.”
SCHEDULE:
June 6–8: Nash Baroque and Dance Through Time — “Emperor of the Moon”
Nash Baroque and Dance Through Time present their fourth Bay Area collaboration, “Emperor of the Moon,” blending music, historical dance, pantomime, and theatrical storytelling to transport audiences to the vibrant world of London’s early 18th-century musical theater scene. The San Francisco Early Music Society (SFEMS) will present Emperor of the Moon June 6–8 in venues across the Bay Area including Redwood City, Berkeley, and San Francisco. Tickets on sale now at sfems.org.
WHEN & WHERE:
FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 7:30 PM, Carrington Hall, Redwood City
SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 4:00 & 7:30 PM, Live Oak Theater, Berkeley
SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2:30 PM, Gunn Theatre at The Legion of Honor, San Francisco
PRICING:
Individual tickets are available with pay-what-you-can pricing and General Admission. Subscription packages available with assigned seating. For more information, visit: sfems.org or call (510) 560-6921.
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ABOUT SFEMS:
Founded in 1975, the San Francisco Early Music Society is the Bay Area’s portal for early music, promoting engagement with historically informed performance spanning centuries and cultures, and creating a community reflective of our region’s diversity. Through concerts, educational programming, and other support services, SFEMS plays a major role in making the Bay Area one of North America’s preeminent hubs of historically informed performance.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Media Contact:
Daniel Cullen
Communications & Patron Services Manager
Email: communications@sfems.org
Phone: 510-683-1674
PHOTOS:
Bethany Hill, soprano. Photo by Robert Torres.
Production photo of Pucinella’s Dream. Photo courtesy of Nash Baroque.
Production photo of Pucinella’s Dream. Photo courtesy of Nash Baroque.
Dance Through Time Artistic Director, Jennifer Meller. Production photo of Pucinella’s Dream. Photo courtesy of Nash Baroque.
Portrait painting of Hester Booth (ca.1690-1773) as a female harlequin, oil on canvas by John Ellys (ca.1701-1757). Image Courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
