February 4, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Curious aliens from outer space visit Earth and try to take over the orchestra as Magic Circle Mime Company joins Assistant Conductor Mei-Ann Chen and the Oregon Symphony to present “Orchestra X from Outer Space,” the third Kids Concert on Sunday, March 6, at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Media support is provided by Metro Parent and Radio Disney.
This unique concert is created by Magic Circle Mime Company’s skilled co-founders Maggie Petersen and Douglas MacIntyre, who present two inquisitive extraterrestrials from Planet X who sneak into a Symphony Kids concert in the hopes of learning about American music. The aliens, along with the audience, learn about the language, people, places, historical events and technology that make this music uniquely American. The aliens also manage to disrupt the concert with their hilarious antics.
Chen and the Symphony (along with the aliens) will perform excerpts from Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and “Rodeo,” Joplin’s “The Entertainer,” Don Gillis’ “ All American City,” Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s “Night in the Tropics,” Morton Gould’s “Symphonette No. 2,” Anderson’s “The Typewriter” and John Williams’ film music from “E.T.”
Magic Circle Mime Company’s unique productions merge theater with orchestra performances in imaginative, entertaining and educational ways. They have appeared with orchestras across North America and have recently performed with orchestras in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taipei.
Tickets range from $7 to $33 and may be purchased in advance at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at (503) 228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (503-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.
Magic Circle Mime Company is regarded as one of today’s premier family attractions. Their highly acclaimed performances, which unite the concert orchestra with visual theater, are consistently praised for imaginative, engaging, educational, and innovative content.
Magic Circle Mime Company performs with virtually every major orchestra in North America and orchestras around the globe. They regularly appear with the Symphonies of Chicago, Saint Louis, Atlanta, Charlotte, Seattle and Toronto, the National Symphony and the Orchestras of Philadelphia and Cleveland, among many others.
Over the past 10 years, MCMCo. has developed a presence in the Far East. They have performed at festivals and with major orchestras in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China. Appearances include the Beijing Music Festival, The Taiwan International Children’s Festival, the Tokyo Philharmonic, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. In 2004 they appear with the Hong Kong Philharmonic for the sixth time, the Taipei Symphony for the fourth time and the Malaysia Philharmonic for the first time.
Magic Circle Mime Company is the creative partnership of Maggie Petersen and Douglas MacIntyre. Both artists have backgrounds in theatre and instrumental music, and have utilized that training to create their highly regarded programs. From their West Coast homes Ms. Petersen and Mr. MacIntyre continue to create new programs for music ensembles of all sizes.
