Houdini Opera Program-Aspen Musical Festival-Aug 1979-Mark Mazzarella-v.FINE-Af

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Houdini Opera Program-Aspen Musical Festival-Aug 1979-Mark Mazzarella-v.FINE--
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ITEM:   Here is a four page large newsprint program for Houdini A Circus Opera.  It took place at the Aspen Music Festival, in Aspen Colorado, in August of 1979.  First page has image of ogre standing over the water torture cell, with text on various opera staff.  Magic Consultant was Peter Mazzarella, who performed as one of the three Houdinis in the opera, as the escape artist.  Page two has three images taken from original Houdini images.  Cast list, production staff and Synopsis of show is in the text.  Page three has notes from various opera staff.  Page four has bio info on the cast.
From Wild about Harry:
Houdini, A Circus Opera
debuted at the Carre Theater in Amsterdam on September 29, 1977. It was a theater that Houdini himself had performed in. Part of the play was staged inside a circus ring (the theater had to clear out stalls to accomplish this), and the pre-show atmosphere was enhanced with fire eaters, clowns, and film footage of Houdini flying his Vision biplane. Music was by Dutch composer Peter Schat with a libretto by British writer Adrian Mitchell.
A true novelty of the show was that Houdini was played by three different men in the course of the evening. Tenor Jerold Norman -- who in makeup looks strikingly like Houdini -- sung the role of Houdini in the dramatic scenes. Clint Farha played Harry in the dance numbers. British escape artist Howard Peters performed Houdini's escapes, which included a suspended straitjacket, the Milk Can, prison cell, iron box, and the Water Torture Cell.
In August 1979
Houdini, A Circus Opera
traveled to the U.S. where it played as a special feature at the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado. The show was ideally suited to the venue, as the stage for the Aspen festival was inside a giant circus tent.
For this U.S. production, Daniel Lordon took over as the dancing Houdini while Mark Mazzarella took over the escape artist role from Howard Peters. Mazzarella was only 19 at the time and had dropped out of the University of Hartford to star in the show. He touted himself as the youngest magician to ever escape from Houdini's Water Torture Cell. Walter B. Gibson was brought on to work with Mazzarella, and Sidney Radner loaned several authentic Houdini escape props to the production.
DATE: 1979
SIZE:  11 3/8 by 17 inches, four pages.
COND:  News print paper has minor age discoloration.   All  in otherwise very Fine, almost Mint condition.  Please view the attached image to see the quality of this fine item.
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