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The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island (illustration by Ben Katchor)The New Operetta
You might call it Neo-Operetta. It's a growing genre that's cropping up around Downtown arts spaces and today we feature two prominent examples. "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island, or the Friends of Dr. Rushower," is a musical theater work that combines the images and words of cartoonist Ben Katchor ("The Jew of New York" and "Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer") and the music of Mark Mulcahy (former lead singer for Miracle Legion and Polaris). Scored for a rock band and featuring Katchor's drawings as backdrops, it depicts the efforts of a New York philanthropist to bring the modern poetry to a group of exploited island workers. We get a preview in advance of the musical's run at The Kitchen. We're also joined by singer and composer Cynthia Hopkins, whose new operetta "Accidental Nostalgia," explores the pros and cons of amnesia. The piece unfolds as a story about a woman who suffers from severe memory loss and embarks on an investigation of her own history, only to find it might be better left unremembered.
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Go behind the scenes!
Find out what John Schaefer and the Soundcheck staff have to say about recent segments on the show. Plus, watch videos from in-studio performances.
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Introducing our Video Contest
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John Schaefer gives the lowdown on Soundcheck's music video challenge with the Fiery Furnaces.
In Studio: Angel Deradoorian
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The 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist performs live in our studio.
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Cucu Diamantes Performs Amor Cronico
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Cucu Diamantes went from a tough childhood in Havana, Cuba, to an art school in Rome to underground New York City, where she co-founded the Latin alternative band Yerba Buena.
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In Studio: Stephanie McKay
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The local singer-songwriter performs "Jackson Avenue," a nostalgic toast to her childhood in the South Bronx.
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In Studio: The Decemberists
The Portland, Ore., band's latest album, "The Hazards of Love," is a concept album with a mythological flair. They joined Soundcheck to play live for a studio audience in WNYC's Greene Space.
Sound Off
Soundcheck
Throughout May, Soundcheck presents “Sound Off” a Friday series on the many aspects of noise in music and our lives. The series -- which coincides with “Better Hearing and Speech Month” -- looks at issues like New York’s noisiest neighborhoods, the latest research on iPods and hearing loss, and what happens when noise becomes a musical ingredient.
