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New York Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Counterfeit Opera' Comes Together Like a Madcap Caper
'The Counterfeit Opera: A Beggar's Opera for a Grifter City,' which opens the summer season at Little Island on Friday, wears its influences on its sleeve. It draws not only from John Gay and Johann Christoph Pepusch's 'The Beggar's Opera,' which is often credited as birthing the modern musical in 1728, but also that show's 1928 adaptation, 'The Threepenny Opera,' by Bertolt Brecht, Elisabeth Hauptmann and Kurt Weill. Indeed, many of the characters' names — including the scoundrel Macheath and his paramours Polly and Lucy — are the same in all three works. But 'The Counterfeit Opera' is also a 'fake opera,' according to Kate Tarker, who wrote the book and lyrics. The story is still rooted in underworld figures. Now, though, they are a gang of modern-day burglars who use their plundered loot from places including the Metropolitan Opera, to put on a show. 'These thieves are calling it an opera,' the show's director, Dustin Wills, said with a laugh. 'They probably don't go to the opera very often.' 'The Counterfeit Opera' has had a fast and furious gestation; Wills said it has been like ''Project Runway' for directing.' It started late last fall, when Zack Winokur, Little Island's producing artistic director, approached Wills and the composer-arranger Dan Schlosberg, the music director of Heartbeat Opera. Wills and Schlosberg had teamed up on last summer's Little Island production of 'The Marriage of Figaro,' in which the opera star Anthony Roth Costanzo sang all the parts, and Winokur asked if they would be interested in taking on 'The Beggar's Opera.' But instead of a revival, they pitched a new show, and brought in Tarker. (She and they had worked on her play 'Montag,' at Soho Rep, in 2022). In January, she started writing the libretto and lyrics, and the trio essentially devised a new musical in six months. 'We had a really madcap development process,' Tarker said after a recent rehearsal. 'Why am I speaking in the past tense? We are still locked into a particular madness that we have foisted upon ourselves.' The show that the thieves put on in 'The Counterfeit Opera' is set in 1855, in the Manhattan neighborhood of Five Points (where the Martin Scorsese film 'Gangs of New York' takes place). 'It was kind of a golden age of counterfeiting in the U.S., before we had a standardized bank note,' Tarker said. 'The line between legitimacy and criminal behavior was very thin, which is a moment that we're in again,' she added. 'It really felt like we can use this to talk about today.' Both 'The Beggar's Opera' and 'Threepenny' have a satirical tone that is essential — and very much a part of the new piece as well, though the humor and slapstick evident at the rehearsal suggested a homegrown influence, the Marx Brothers film 'A Night at the Opera' (1935). In general, the 'Counterfeit' creators have been upping the ante with more shenanigans and more pushing of the envelope. In 'The Beggar's Opera,' for example, Lucy tries to poison Polly. That was taken out in 'Threepenny,' and now Tarker has chosen yet another route. 'We're not doing one poisoning, we're not doing zero poisonings — we're doing double poisoning,' she said. 'And we're going to take this scene as far as it can go.' Tarker said that some of her lyrics were inspired by indie rock and pop. She was thinking of the Brandy and Monica hit 'The Boy Is Mine,' for example, when writing the 'jealousy duet' between Polly and Lucy. For his part, Schlosberg mentioned Nino Rota, Americana, Angelo Badalamenti and 'Weill, specifically in the accompaniment of one of the songs.' Weill, though, is also 'kind of infused' in the score, Schlosberg said, 'because I love certain aspects of that music: dryness, brutality, just kind of in your face, unadorned.' The show's sound has also been shaped by the cast members, most of whom come from musical theater, including Damon Daunno ('Oklahoma!') as Macheath and Lauren Patten ('Jagged Little Pill') as Jenny. Schlosberg was intrigued by the countertenor range of Daunno, who grew up admiring jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and would adopt a higher register when singing along with them. 'I used to call it my fake voice,' Daunno said in a phone interview. 'I used to be sort of afraid to use it and think I was doing something wrong or cheap, or fake.' He started relaxing into his upper register when he created the role of Orpheus in the Off Broadway production of the musical 'Hadestown' in 2016, and recently he has been studying with Katharina Rössner, an instructor at Mozarteum University Salzburg in Austria. 'It's been a real opera-centric moment in my life,' Daunno said. 'It felt like the perfect sort of preparation, like training camp to do right before stepping into this show.' Once Schlosberg discovered Daunno's interest in testing his own boundaries, he ran with it. 'He can sing all the way up to a high G sharp, A — that's sopranos,' Schlosberg said. 'In his love duet with Polly, I made a point to keep him in his baritone, then we start hearing them together and he sings above her and then goes back. So there's a lot of sleight-of-voice that I'm interested in. 'I'm trying to always keep myself and listeners and actors on their toes,' Schlosberg added. 'The first song that Polly sings transitions on a dime from rock to opera, to Björk, to oddball comedy.' Like the thieves piecing together a show from motley pieces of scenery and fabric, the team behind 'The Counterfeit Opera' is mixing and matching in a hurry, as if they, too, were in the middle of a caper. 'It's very fitting with the nature of this piece that it is thrown together and that they're still rewriting, and we still haven't teched and it's going to rain again next week, and who the hell knows?' Daunno said. 'But guess what? We're all in it together.'
Fashion Network
23-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Longchamp's revamped La Maison Unique demonstrates a fresh approach to sustainability
Retail's golden rule has always been that the ground-floor storefront is the only option. However, in some cases, it turns out that subsequent higher floors offer the most square footage for retail selling. Such was the case for French accessories giant Longchamp when they purchased a building at 132 Spring Street over 20 years ago. They scored a design coup by enlisting world-renowned architect Thomas Heatherwick of Little Island and The Vessel fame, among other masterpieces, as the English designer is not known for retail designs. As the innovative design he created for the New York store dubbed "La Maison Unique" approaches the 20-year mark, Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain and Heatherwick sat in conversation at the store's penthouse floor and shared with an audience the journey of the distinctive store and its new look. CEO Cassegrain walked through the space, pointing out the design changes. "We had several goals to make the store brighter, so we removed some of these wooden wall units and set them back from the windows to create more natural light as these units are beautiful from behind too," Cassegrain said as he pointed to massive corner windows, now adorned with a neon green logo. "We wanted people to flow more freely. So, we've opened the space toward the street and the daylight," he added. The floors were sanded to reveal a light blonde finish, and new lighting and display hooks using magnet technology were also installed. Heatherwick further designated the space in the roughly 4,000-square-foot floor by covering the classic architectural columns typical in SoHo's cast-iron buildings with a green carpet that oozed out into a green-patterned circular rug, designating sections of the space. Custom consoles and movable shelving, like a layered Lazy Susan, were used to display products. Side chairs, curved "croissant" couches, and a Gio Ponti side table are among the new furniture that inhabit the spaces. There are also bits of vintage bric-a-brac, including vintage leather-covered pipes to hold tobacco in a nod to the brand's origins, all a visual feast for mid-century modern lovers. As lovely as it is, Cassegrain quickly points out that the concept is just for New York. "It's made for here; the scale and location make it unique and special and meant to stay here. There is no intention to duplicate it," he continued. The revamp, which is less wasteful and has less negative environmental impact than a complete gut and redo, is a result of the brand's retail reset post-COVID. "We've been putting more emphasis on welcoming the customer, making the space geared toward the customer rather than designed to solve our internal problems. Some constraints don't exist anymore, which has allowed us to give more space to the customer, create places that can be enjoyed, which is also why we have brought in some artwork," Cassegrain explained, pointing out a Japanese ceramic sculpture on a coffee table. "In the past four or five years, we've redone most of our stores worldwide. So this one is being redone too, but in its own unique way, with the same brand DNA and principles but still on brand," he added. During the chat, Heatherwick recalled the design problems that needed solving when he entered the space with a small first-floor footprint. "We had to design a staircase that wasn't too imposing or unwelcoming. Even the balustrade was carefully considered, not only for safety concerns but also because glass panes define space with harsh edges and reflections. Hence, we made a giant 'toaster' to melt this acrylic panel, which gives a softer edge," Heatherwick told the crowd of the infamous green 'lanes' that flow upwardly in a curvy pattern to the second and third floors on the open-design staircase, which is bathed in light thanks to the hole in the ceiling the designer said he made to let in the light. Heatherwick joked that discussing how the building presented design challenges and how they worked it out "felt like a therapy session" and added the numerous meetings with the various multi-generation family members and teamwork, which he remembered fondly. To celebrate the brand, Heatherwick and co. hosted a reopening party attended by some of the buzziest VIPs currently, such as Emma Roberts, Ego Nwodim, Natalia Dyer, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Isabela Merced, and more, a DJ set by Amrit Tietz and Mona Matsuoka, and a specially choreographed dance performance inspired by the space from Jacob Jonas The Company. To manage the new opening and share news with the public, event coordinators tried to get a permit to block a traffic lane, only to discover it was just a sliver of the street, to their surprise. It's the same for guests arriving at the compact ground floor of the 8,600-square-foot space in SoHo. "It's a place to discover. It's unassuming because you don't see it from the street," Cassegrain noted.
Fashion Network
23-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Longchamp's revamped La Maison Unique demonstrates a fresh approach to sustainability
Retail's golden rule has always been that the ground-floor storefront is the only option. However, in some cases, it turns out that subsequent higher floors offer the most square footage for retail selling. Such was the case for French accessories giant Longchamp when they purchased a building at 132 Spring Street over 20 years ago. They scored a design coup by enlisting world-renowned architect Thomas Heatherwick of Little Island and The Vessel fame, among other masterpieces, as the English designer is not known for retail designs. As the innovative design he created for the New York store dubbed "La Maison Unique" approaches the 20-year mark, Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain and Heatherwick sat in conversation at the store's penthouse floor and shared with an audience the journey of the distinctive store and its new look. CEO Cassegrain walked through the space, pointing out the design changes. "We had several goals to make the store brighter, so we removed some of these wooden wall units and set them back from the windows to create more natural light as these units are beautiful from behind too," Cassegrain said as he pointed to massive corner windows, now adorned with a neon green logo. "We wanted people to flow more freely. So, we've opened the space toward the street and the daylight," he added. The floors were sanded to reveal a light blonde finish, and new lighting and display hooks using magnet technology were also installed. Heatherwick further designated the space in the roughly 4,000-square-foot floor by covering the classic architectural columns typical in SoHo's cast-iron buildings with a green carpet that oozed out into a green-patterned circular rug, designating sections of the space. Custom consoles and movable shelving, like a layered Lazy Susan, were used to display products. Side chairs, curved "croissant" couches, and a Gio Ponti side table are among the new furniture that inhabit the spaces. There are also bits of vintage bric-a-brac, including vintage leather-covered pipes to hold tobacco in a nod to the brand's origins, all a visual feast for mid-century modern lovers. As lovely as it is, Cassegrain quickly points out that the concept is just for New York. "It's made for here; the scale and location make it unique and special and meant to stay here. There is no intention to duplicate it," he continued. The revamp, which is less wasteful and has less negative environmental impact than a complete gut and redo, is a result of the brand's retail reset post-COVID. "We've been putting more emphasis on welcoming the customer, making the space geared toward the customer rather than designed to solve our internal problems. Some constraints don't exist anymore, which has allowed us to give more space to the customer, create places that can be enjoyed, which is also why we have brought in some artwork," Cassegrain explained, pointing out a Japanese ceramic sculpture on a coffee table. "In the past four or five years, we've redone most of our stores worldwide. So this one is being redone too, but in its own unique way, with the same brand DNA and principles but still on brand," he added. During the chat, Heatherwick recalled the design problems that needed solving when he entered the space with a small first-floor footprint. "We had to design a staircase that wasn't too imposing or unwelcoming. Even the balustrade was carefully considered, not only for safety concerns but also because glass panes define space with harsh edges and reflections. Hence, we made a giant 'toaster' to melt this acrylic panel, which gives a softer edge," Heatherwick told the crowd of the infamous green 'lanes' that flow upwardly in a curvy pattern to the second and third floors on the open-design staircase, which is bathed in light thanks to the hole in the ceiling the designer said he made to let in the light. Heatherwick joked that discussing how the building presented design challenges and how they worked it out "felt like a therapy session" and added the numerous meetings with the various multi-generation family members and teamwork, which he remembered fondly. To celebrate the brand, Heatherwick and co. hosted a reopening party attended by some of the buzziest VIPs currently, such as Emma Roberts, Ego Nwodim, Natalia Dyer, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Isabela Merced, and more, a DJ set by Amrit Tietz and Mona Matsuoka, and a specially choreographed dance performance inspired by the space from Jacob Jonas The Company. To manage the new opening and share news with the public, event coordinators tried to get a permit to block a traffic lane, only to discover it was just a sliver of the street, to their surprise. It's the same for guests arriving at the compact ground floor of the 8,600-square-foot space in SoHo. "It's a place to discover. It's unassuming because you don't see it from the street," Cassegrain noted.
Fashion Network
23-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Longchamp's revamped La Maison Unique demonstrates a fresh approach to sustainability
Retail's golden rule has always been that the ground-floor storefront is the only option. However, in some cases, it turns out that subsequent higher floors offer the most square footage for retail selling. Such was the case for French accessories giant Longchamp when they purchased a building at 132 Spring Street over 20 years ago. They scored a design coup by enlisting world-renowned architect Thomas Heatherwick of Little Island and The Vessel fame, among other masterpieces, as the English designer is not known for retail designs. As the innovative design he created for the New York store dubbed "La Maison Unique" approaches the 20-year mark, Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain and Heatherwick sat in conversation at the store's penthouse floor and shared with an audience the journey of the distinctive store and its new look. CEO Cassegrain walked through the space, pointing out the design changes. "We had several goals to make the store brighter, so we removed some of these wooden wall units and set them back from the windows to create more natural light as these units are beautiful from behind too," Cassegrain said as he pointed to massive corner windows, now adorned with a neon green logo. "We wanted people to flow more freely. So, we've opened the space toward the street and the daylight," he added. The floors were sanded to reveal a light blonde finish, and new lighting and display hooks using magnet technology were also installed. Heatherwick further designated the space in the roughly 4,000-square-foot floor by covering the classic architectural columns typical in SoHo's cast-iron buildings with a green carpet that oozed out into a green-patterned circular rug, designating sections of the space. Custom consoles and movable shelving, like a layered Lazy Susan, were used to display products. Side chairs, curved "croissant" couches, and a Gio Ponti side table are among the new furniture that inhabit the spaces. There are also bits of vintage bric-a-brac, including vintage leather-covered pipes to hold tobacco in a nod to the brand's origins, all a visual feast for mid-century modern lovers. As lovely as it is, Cassegrain quickly points out that the concept is just for New York. "It's made for here; the scale and location make it unique and special and meant to stay here. There is no intention to duplicate it," he continued. The revamp, which is less wasteful and has less negative environmental impact than a complete gut and redo, is a result of the brand's retail reset post-COVID. "We've been putting more emphasis on welcoming the customer, making the space geared toward the customer rather than designed to solve our internal problems. Some constraints don't exist anymore, which has allowed us to give more space to the customer, create places that can be enjoyed, which is also why we have brought in some artwork," Cassegrain explained, pointing out a Japanese ceramic sculpture on a coffee table. "In the past four or five years, we've redone most of our stores worldwide. So this one is being redone too, but in its own unique way, with the same brand DNA and principles but still on brand," he added. During the chat, Heatherwick recalled the design problems that needed solving when he entered the space with a small first-floor footprint. "We had to design a staircase that wasn't too imposing or unwelcoming. Even the balustrade was carefully considered, not only for safety concerns but also because glass panes define space with harsh edges and reflections. Hence, we made a giant 'toaster' to melt this acrylic panel, which gives a softer edge," Heatherwick told the crowd of the infamous green 'lanes' that flow upwardly in a curvy pattern to the second and third floors on the open-design staircase, which is bathed in light thanks to the hole in the ceiling the designer said he made to let in the light. Heatherwick joked that discussing how the building presented design challenges and how they worked it out "felt like a therapy session" and added the numerous meetings with the various multi-generation family members and teamwork, which he remembered fondly. To celebrate the brand, Heatherwick and co. hosted a reopening party attended by some of the buzziest VIPs currently, such as Emma Roberts, Ego Nwodim, Natalia Dyer, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Isabela Merced, and more, a DJ set by Amrit Tietz and Mona Matsuoka, and a specially choreographed dance performance inspired by the space from Jacob Jonas The Company. To manage the new opening and share news with the public, event coordinators tried to get a permit to block a traffic lane, only to discover it was just a sliver of the street, to their surprise. It's the same for guests arriving at the compact ground floor of the 8,600-square-foot space in SoHo. "It's a place to discover. It's unassuming because you don't see it from the street," Cassegrain noted.
Fashion Network
23-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Longchamp's revamped La Maison Unique demonstrates a fresh approach to sustainability
Retail's golden rule has always been that the ground-floor storefront is the only option. However, in some cases, it turns out that subsequent higher floors offer the most square footage for retail selling. Such was the case for French accessories giant Longchamp when they purchased a building at 132 Spring Street over 20 years ago. They scored a design coup by enlisting world-renowned architect Thomas Heatherwick of Little Island and The Vessel fame, among other masterpieces, as the English designer is not known for retail designs. As the innovative design he created for the New York store dubbed "La Maison Unique" approaches the 20-year mark, Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain and Heatherwick sat in conversation at the store's penthouse floor and shared with an audience the journey of the distinctive store and its new look. CEO Cassegrain walked through the space, pointing out the design changes. "We had several goals to make the store brighter, so we removed some of these wooden wall units and set them back from the windows to create more natural light as these units are beautiful from behind too," Cassegrain said as he pointed to massive corner windows, now adorned with a neon green logo. "We wanted people to flow more freely. So, we've opened the space toward the street and the daylight," he added. The floors were sanded to reveal a light blonde finish, and new lighting and display hooks using magnet technology were also installed. Heatherwick further designated the space in the roughly 4,000-square-foot floor by covering the classic architectural columns typical in SoHo's cast-iron buildings with a green carpet that oozed out into a green-patterned circular rug, designating sections of the space. Custom consoles and movable shelving, like a layered Lazy Susan, were used to display products. Side chairs, curved "croissant" couches, and a Gio Ponti side table are among the new furniture that inhabit the spaces. There are also bits of vintage bric-a-brac, including vintage leather-covered pipes to hold tobacco in a nod to the brand's origins, all a visual feast for mid-century modern lovers. As lovely as it is, Cassegrain quickly points out that the concept is just for New York. "It's made for here; the scale and location make it unique and special and meant to stay here. There is no intention to duplicate it," he continued. The revamp, which is less wasteful and has less negative environmental impact than a complete gut and redo, is a result of the brand's retail reset post-COVID. "We've been putting more emphasis on welcoming the customer, making the space geared toward the customer rather than designed to solve our internal problems. Some constraints don't exist anymore, which has allowed us to give more space to the customer, create places that can be enjoyed, which is also why we have brought in some artwork," Cassegrain explained, pointing out a Japanese ceramic sculpture on a coffee table. "In the past four or five years, we've redone most of our stores worldwide. So this one is being redone too, but in its own unique way, with the same brand DNA and principles but still on brand," he added. During the chat, Heatherwick recalled the design problems that needed solving when he entered the space with a small first-floor footprint. "We had to design a staircase that wasn't too imposing or unwelcoming. Even the balustrade was carefully considered, not only for safety concerns but also because glass panes define space with harsh edges and reflections. Hence, we made a giant 'toaster' to melt this acrylic panel, which gives a softer edge," Heatherwick told the crowd of the infamous green 'lanes' that flow upwardly in a curvy pattern to the second and third floors on the open-design staircase, which is bathed in light thanks to the hole in the ceiling the designer said he made to let in the light. Heatherwick joked that discussing how the building presented design challenges and how they worked it out "felt like a therapy session" and added the numerous meetings with the various multi-generation family members and teamwork, which he remembered fondly. To celebrate the brand, Heatherwick and co. hosted a reopening party attended by some of the buzziest VIPs currently, such as Emma Roberts, Ego Nwodim, Natalia Dyer, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Isabela Merced, and more, a DJ set by Amrit Tietz and Mona Matsuoka, and a specially choreographed dance performance inspired by the space from Jacob Jonas The Company. To manage the new opening and share news with the public, event coordinators tried to get a permit to block a traffic lane, only to discover it was just a sliver of the street, to their surprise. It's the same for guests arriving at the compact ground floor of the 8,600-square-foot space in SoHo. "It's a place to discover. It's unassuming because you don't see it from the street," Cassegrain noted.
