shaun bengson illness

"We asked the question, 'well, what would we do, if we didn't very much time left together, if we did get the the terrible news, how would we handle it?'" More upcoming/ in development: Ohio (piece by piece productions). A large-scale show with a chorus, its intended as the second part of a trilogy that will continue with a musical about Mr. Bengsons early life. Their remarkable submission - just 27 minutes, streaming free through the Arena website - shows the couple sharing their lives through the cruel winter of our pandemic, but also willing and very able to sing about it in real time. Shaun Bengson, Abigail Bengson, Jeff Augustin, Joshua Kahan Brody, Billy Eugene Jones, Chris Myers From: Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE SEA at Manhattan Theatre Club My Joy Is Heavy! Andrew Gans No doubt "My Joy is Heavy!" Sonya Tayeh, currently Tony-nominated for Moulin Rouge!, serves as movement director. | Set in crunchy small-town New England (a part of Vermont that happens to be in Maine), its a follow-up to Hundred Days, a musical memoir of the Bengsons beginnings as a couple that was a hit last fall at New York Theater Workshop. Living Life to the Fullest | Chicago Theatre Review Other "Arena Riffs" are "The Freewheeling Insurgents" by Psalmayene 'Psalm" 24, which begins March 31 at 7 p.m. and "A More Perfect Union" by Rona Siddiqui April 14 at 7 p.m. Information can be found here. The Broadway revival, on hold due to the pandemic, will now begin previews March 9, 2022. The family saga, starring Adrian Lester, Simon Russell Beale, and Adam Godley, plays the Nederlander Theatre. Abigail and Shaun Bengson are a married composing and performing duo based in NYC and VT who have performed across the country and around the world. March 3, 2022, By He seems gentle, diffident but steely underneath, while theres a sparkle to her, and a healthy dash of punk spicing her earth-mother serenity. And I can't imagine wanting it any other way. It wouldn't affect what would happen one way or another, and it may be healthier in the long run. Andrew Gans Those interviews became part of the piece. The Bengsons create new indie-folk musical for Arena Stage Now, they invite the public to participate in a hybrid congregation., In our new work, the idea is that loss is the mechanism by which God comes close, says Abigail Bengson. The Bengsons display the pleasures, joys and the emotional tolls of the events of the past year and how they managed to cultivate and hold onto happiness even during these dark, difficult times. Three weeks later, the couple got married. | Dan Meyer June 24, 2021, By April 9, 2021. January 10, 2022, By That changed a few times as our lives changed, as she ran with us as things kept evolving.. That was 13 years ago, and today, the dynamic duo composes and performs together around the world. The Bengsons | Actors Theatre With a full rock band, a choir of singers, dazzling sets, and breathtaking music, Hundred Days is the Bay Area's hottest world premiere of the year. Ars Novawill celebrate its 20th Anniversary and honor its foundersJenny & Jon SteingartatNova Ball, Ars Novas annual benefit-turned-party of the season. Hundred Days Z SPACE By February 3, 2022, By By Some of those tapes, she said, have been to prison and back cassettes on which her budding-songwriter self set down in music the fraught emotions she couldnt speak. Would just being grateful and happy during the same period be a better approach? Before the pandemic hit, the couple were working on the music for a play at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, and after one performance, the country shut down. Abigail Bengson says that she. const paragraph = document.querySelector('.my-paragraph'); | As you may gather from the fact that they are now married and performing together, the Bengsons got over their crisis of faith long enough to commit to a relationship that, life being what it is, will never be a sure thing. Dan Meyer Arriving at this realization has been the seed for all sorts of lyric reflections, be it from ancient Greek odists, Renaissance sonneteers or pop balladeers. April 14, 2022, By Log in. Logan Culwell-Block | This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. wait for it. | Leah Putnam Three of their singles have been featured on So You Think You Can Dance (FOX). Anyone can read what you share. My Joy is Heavy! Actors' Equity Sets Protocols For the Return of In-Person Auditions, Playwrights Horizons Drops COVID-19 Booster Requirement, Two Years After the Shutdown, Broadway is Back, Broadway Mask, Vaccination Policies to Remain in Place as New York Lifts Its Own Requirements, Broadway COVID Safety Team Celebrates 2,000 Broadway Performances, Broadway Week's 2-For-1 Ticket Deals Extend Through February 27, Audible Theater Sets Off-Broadway Return for, New York City Center Will Require Proof of COVID-19 Booster in Addition to Complete Vaccination, The Public Theater Will Require Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster, Go Inside Rehearsal for Jason Robert Browns, 2020 Tony Award Nominations Announced October 15. By "To do the show, honestly, I really have to look squarely at what is terrifying me right now, and there's plenty to be afraid of, and say, 'okay, let's keep moving, let's love each other anyway, let's love the world anyway and see what happens,'" Abigail said. Up Close & Sweaty with Haus of Sequins, Nightbeast & Kiml, Vienna Light Orchestra Presents: A Tribute to Broadway & The Greatest Showman, The Map for Healing & Recovery Orientation & Sign Up, Darke County Food Truck Rally & Craft Show, Bridgerton Inspired Friends Chai Tea Party. May 25, 2022, By The play is currently in previews at the August Wilson Theatre. We made the whole piece on our cell phones, filming each other and things that were going on.. Though initially charming, Hundred Days goes off course during its second half. Theater Review (NYC): '100 Days' Starring Abigail Bengson and Shaun September 5, 2021. When not writing, Keith can be found playing with his daughters, Jordan and Cassidy. styleElement.appendChild(document.createTextNode(cssRule)); Shaun's fast and folky acoustic-guitar strumming and Abigail's delightful alt-rock vocals establish a beautifully resonant intimacy and then swell into a magnificent full-ensemble sound with the drums thundering and the ensemble singing in transcendent unison. Staged with resonant economy by the talented Anne Kauffman, with sharp and subtle movement direction by Sonya Tayeh, Hundred Days is cabaret as cri de coeur, and it is advisable to watch it with a handkerchief at the ready. Anyone can read what you share. | By And saying, 'yes the world is a terrifying place, yes we don't know how long we'll have with the ones we love, but I'm going to live anyway and I'm going to keep moving forward and let my heart be open and let my heart break as it will.'". | Dan Meyer Hundred Days runs through April 6, 2014 at Z Space in San Francisco. January 18, 2022, By Silhouettes appear through the windows of the rear wall as shadows of the world that carries on outside at a markedly different pace from the life lived behind closed doors. Hayley Levitt, Her older sibling, so-called, would respond with feedback on her craftsmanship that helped to shape her as an artist. | Were interested in seeing if we can look at that loss as an opportunity to see the divinity in one another.. They begin awkwardly and self-consciously, as if reluctant to commit even to performing. The limited engagement of the Jason Robert Brown revue will begin in February 2021. November 21, 2022, By The more the piece evolved and the more collaborators got involved, the more the couple moved toward an honest and real portrayal of their feelings, fears and everything in between. But she thinks of Eden now as a place you have to outgrow, accepting the complexity of life and the presence of darkness without fixating on the darkness. | That doesnt mean Broadway productions will reopen this monthbut they do have the state government go-ahead now. The Bengsons. The previously announced Boy Falls from the Sky, Room, and more have new dates. 2020 Jonathan Larson Grant recipients Abigail and Shaun Bengson share what this grant means to them in a virtual acceptance speech. Allen Willner's shifting lights accentuate that live-gig atmosphere, bathing the stage in one color or another when it's time to really rock out. Set to Music? Then, the pair started to strip the concept back and they arrived at theirpresent concept: "using the theatricality that we gathered and learned along the way, but in service to a humbler story that is hopefully more honest as well," Abigail said. The production opened on Wednesday, November 2, and will conclude as scheduled this Sunday, November 27. Check out photos from opening night here! The album is produced by The Bengsons, Ian Kagey, and Kurt . The stage managers are Amanda Spooner and Christopher Kee Anaya-Gorman. | We wanted to make it really intimate and trying not to replicate the experience of being in a theater with us, but figuring out what would be most enjoyable over this medium.. Then in early July a pivotal phone call came. paragraph.style.height = '0px'; The personable and talented married singer-songwriter couple, Shaun and Abigail Bengson explore their lives in this uneven concert musical. And I do mean overwhelming. First he attended college at Indiana University (studied Ethnomusicology & Traditional Indiana Fiddling), then after graduation Shaun moved to New York City as a part of the city's teaching fellows program. Unexplained rise in life-threatening brain infections in children paragraph.style.position = 'absolute'; Andrew Gans Shaun's contributions include a deft melodic touch, technological prowess and musical ear that allows the inclusion of drums, guitar, accordion, and all manner of other instruments as well as harmony vocals often on backing tapes to give the duo an added grandeur. Quirky true love songs - Chicago Reader September 22, 2020. April 15, 2021. Its conversational, sometimes it seems like a music video or a dance party, sometimes it seems like youre going for a walk with us, Shaun said. In 2017, the couples Off-Broadway theatrical concert, Hundred Days, toured across the U.S. and was a big hit. May 10, 2021. In a quieter, more reserved performance, Shaun Bengson is played by the talented Alec Phan, with Royen Kent alternating in the role on weekends. Not all the songs are like that, certainly; there's a lot of stylistic variety while maintaining a distinctive unified sound. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! September 24, 2021. By The front-line team has provided COVID compliance safety for 1.8 million audience members seeing more than 30 shows on Broadway and beyond. Its become a language we speak together.. Michael R. Jackson, John Gallagher, Jr. & More to be Featured in Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 Concert Series, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tina Fey & More to Celebrate Ars Nova 20th Anniversary at NOVA BALL, Photos: On the Red Carpet for the 66th Annual Obie Awards, Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE SEA at Manhattan Theatre Club, Photos: First Look at WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE SEA at Manhattan Theatre Club, Photo Coverage: The Public Theater Celebrates Launch of 13th Annual UNDER THE RADAR. I know that in taking this on, I cant be meek, I cant glaze over, I cant allow fear or denial to be the story of our family, because that was toxic, too.. By Website by, The Bengsons create new indie-folk musical for Arena Stage, A global community celebrates Passover with The Third Seder concert on Sunday, Washington Stage Guild revives Shaws Devils Disciple with simplicity and skill, Getting to know Elizabeth Dinkova: I like creating a brave space, When I like a play, I get obsessed: Karin Rosnizeck on The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield, I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky remains sharply poignant, Calendar: Play Readings, Workshops, and Theater Events in the DMV, Rorschach Theatre announces free staged readings of three new plays, Keegans Boiler Room Series announces seven new play workshops, 2023 Womens Storytelling Festival to feature 27 performers, Brett Widmann, Chicago WordPress Developer. And with those words, Mr. Bengson and his wife, Abigail the other half of the folk-rock duo the Bengsons, the indie-theater darlings who created the show for Ars Nova attempt to draw a cloak of privacy around themselves and the people they love. But its what Im trying to do., One of my sisters, she said, Dont let your fear get in the way of the truth of this, Ms. Bengson added. The cast of Hundred Days was made up of Colette Alexander, Abigail Bengson, Shaun Bengson, Jo Lampert, Dani Markham, and Reggie D. White. I'm A Celebrity star Shaun Ryder's health woes: Alopecia, thyroid INTO THE WOODS & More Lead 2023 Drama League Award Nominations. } else { Then, in one cataclysmic season, it all falls apart, beginning with a killing that might have been prevented if only the parents hadnt been so committed to a you-choose-your-feelings worldview that they dismissed the signs of mental illness in one of the kids. In her own family, opinion about the existence of the show is divided some of those depicted vehemently in favor, some opposed. Abigail Bengson is such a compelling, empathetic figure, with a voice grounded in a folk, shape note singing and gospel as she expresses herself further with upraised hands. Ms. Bengson, 35, has a tale to tell about the autumn she was 15, when her family shattered and the seemingly safe Eden she grew up in was lost forever. Abigail & Shaun Bengson (@thebengsons) - Instagram const styleElement = document.createElement('style'); | A Childhood Eden Seared by Violence. Marc J. Franklin Certainly there are heartbreaking moments in the play, but the overwhelming experience of Hundred Days is one of joy. But The Bengsons find catharsis and direction through music and convey a triumphant humanity no matter what the obstacle. raises the possibility of continued commissioned filmed projects from theater companies long after theaters reopen. I wonder if she really wanted to give me eggs, or if she just wanted to make sure I was O.K.. by The Bengsons arenastage1 2.96K subscribers Subscribe 1.2K 50K views 1 year ago Arena Stage is excited to present a newly commissioned filmed music series, Arena Riffs, featuring. Manhattan Theatre Club has announced full casting and performance dates for Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, written by AUDELCO Award nominee Jeff Augustin (The New Englanders, The Morning Show) and directed by Princess Grace Award winner Joshua Kahan Brody, with music by The Bengsons (Hundred Days, The Lucky Ones). The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical also features Rhys Whitfield as Raoul. Theyre people with a lot of pain and a lot of damage, she said, but also a lot of strength and a lot of magic., They are also so intertwined, personally and professionally, that they share a bio in the program for The Lucky Ones., Is that gross? Ms. Bengson asked recently, in the tone of someone checking to make sure she doesnt have lipstick on her teeth. // Get the

element with the my-paragraph class Three weeks later, the couple got married. At least at the start, they also nursed the nave wish to repair what had been broken in Ms. Bengsons adolescence to Parent Trap the family, as Mr. Bengson put it. Review: Waltzing With Love and Death in 'Hundred Days' - New York Times November 9, 2020. Know Theatre Favorite Indie-Folk Acting Duo The Bengsons Produce the Andrew Gans Three of their singles have been featured on So You Think You Can Dance (FOX). By Is it possible to tell the truth kindly? Ms. Bengson said. For tickets and information visit zspace.org. Andrew Gans May 7, 2021. At first, we were thinking about one thingliving with chronic pain and mental illness, and how that affects the ability to cultivate pleasure and joy. Hundred Days (the title refers to packing a whole lifes experience into that period of time) was performed in an earlier version in January at the Under the Radar Festival of experimental theater. | Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Shaun has struggled with other health issues over the years, including non-cancerous cysts in his testicles, which he first noticed during lockdown, meaning he was unable to have them operated on. Our memoir pieces need to reflect whats going on in our own hearts and bodies as we process the world, Abigail said. | They have received the Jonathan Larson and Richard Rodgers Awards and nominations for the Drama Desk, Drama League, and Lucille Lortel Awards. Three of their singles have been featured on "So You Think You Can Dance" (FOX). Abigail and Shaun Bengson in Hundred Days; photo: Mark Leialoha. // Set the style properties for the paragraph element But accompanied by a wonderfully droll quartet of singing musicians Colette Alexander, Jo Lampert, Dani Markham and Reggie D. White the Bengsons are stirring, and surprisingly witty, company. Andrew Gans Dan Meyer Arena Stage debuts the Bengsons' musical 'My Joy Is Heavy!' - The The long-running favorite returns to the Orpheum Theatre. James Monroe Iglehart unveils the list of nominees for a season cut short due to the pandemic. Roger Catlin, a member of the American Theatre Critics Association,is a Washington D.C.-based arts writer whose work appears regularly in SmithsonianMagazine.com. Most of the cast will return to the roles they were playing when previews began prior to the pandemic. July 27, 2021. This is a true story, Shaun Bengson tells the audience from the stage of the Connelly Theater in the East Village. Part co-authored memoir and part touching voyage into an emotional soundscape, this new work in development is a beautiful testament to the sort of inquires made in tandem by the human mind and spirit. Phylicia Rashad and Brandon J. Dirden star in the Manhattan Theatre Club premiere by Tony nominee Dominique Morisseau. And I really hoped that wasnt so.. In the new show, an extended family runs a school together, raising their children Abigail, her sisters and their cousins in a kind of hippie idyll. Yet the acceptability of drawing bystanders into ones own art is one of the great ethical debates in any kind of autobiography. Copyright 2023 DC Theater Arts. Hundred Days now takes place entirely in New York City (mostly in Astoria, Queens), with lots of internal detours into the twisty corridors of each partners mind.