Latest news with #AGreatBigWorld
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
A.R.T. announces 2025/2026 season, will premiere new musical adapted from the film ‘Black Swan'
In a telephone interview, A.R.T. artistic director Diane Paulus said that 'Wonder' is driven by 'a very fresh, contemporary sound,' with 'equal parts catchy pop tunes and emotional heart' in the music and lyrics by A Great Big World, a duo consisting of singer-songwriters Ian Axel and Chad King. The book is by playwright Sarah Ruhl. Advertisement (Disclosure: Paulus directed my son Matt's opera, 'Crossing,' in 2015, and Ruhl collaborated with him on 'Eurydice,' an opera that premiered in 2021 and was based on her play of the same name.) The A.R.T.'s production of With music and lyrics by Dave Malloy (' Advertisement According to Paulus, 'Black Swan' will 'delve into the theme of perfection, the world of ballet, and the pressures on women.' She said that 'a story told through dance and movement' is 'right up A.R.T.'s alley,' adding: 'For me, theater as a form is physical. It's visceral. It's about communication, not only through text and words and music, but the body, and movement.' Starting this fall, Paulus will direct a concert tour of 'Dear Everything,' which was commissioned and developed by the A.R.T., and premiered in concert form in 2021 under the name 'WILD: A Musical Becoming,' starring Idina Menzel. The overall picture for the A.R.T., which is based at Harvard, is clouded by the university's ongoing confrontation with President Trump, who has cut billions of dollars in federal grants and contracts to Harvard. Asked how concerned she is about the potential impact on her company, Paulus replied: 'It's a very challenging time. We are navigating changing waters on a daily basis.' 'As a theater, as a company like A.R.T., we are committed to continuing to bring people together,' she added. 'Theater is a community builder. That is our greatest role, right? Humans coming together in time and space and listening to stories that are not our own.' The A.R.T.'s season will launch Sept. 2-26 with Advertisement The season will also include Sam Kissajukian's autobiographical solo show, '300 Paintings,' scheduled to be at Harvard's Farkas Hall Oct. 1-19, 2025. Paulus said '300 Paintings' explores 'how all of the arts and mental health and creativity are in relation to one another.' Don Aucoin can be reached at
CBS News
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
A Great Big World singer Chad King explains his decision to stop performing due to MS and helping others "feel less alone"
A Great Big World, the Grammy-winning musical duo of Chad King and Ian Axel, is entering a new chapter as King steps back from performing due to a multiple sclerosis diagnosis while releasing their new EP "Then There Were Sparks." King, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, made the difficult decision to stop performing after years of resistance. "I've been singing and performing since I was like seven, so the idea that I wouldn't be able to do that didn't make sense to me," King said during a "CBS Mornings" interview. "For the last few years, he's been trying to say, 'Chad, there are things going on with your body that you should be aware of.' And I wouldn't admit to it. I was telling him everything is fine." The physical challenges eventually became undeniable. King discovered the whole left side of his body would go weak by noon — including his vocal cords. "I made this decision, one because physically, I just couldn't do the same thing. And then two was I didn't want my inability to tour or perform to affect Ian's dreams," he said. The duo — who met in college in 2005, and rose to fame with their Grammy-winning collaboration with Christina Aguilera — are navigating the transition through therapy. "It allows us to talk to each other and listen to each other with someone there who's witnessing," Axel said. "That allows each other not to get defensive, and to really speak from our hearts." Despite the changes, the pair remains creatively active. Axel will continue performing shows, while they're both working on adapting "Wonder," the best-selling book by R. J. Palacio, for Broadway. "'Wonder' is a show about a boy named Auggie who was born with a facial difference," Axel explained. "It's about him navigating his first year in middle school. But really it's a show about kindness and empathy and courage." Meanwhile, King sees his openness about multiple sclerosis as an opportunity to help others. "There are so many people going through something and to be able to connect and make them feel less alone. That warms my heart."
