Baroque opera and Kabuki theater might have more in common than you realize. One link is that both genres have a long history of onstage cross-dressing. In “Primadonna!” these classical art forms of the East and West converge into an evening of fun and curiosity!
“Primadonna!” will be an exploration of how gender plays a significant role in Baroque opera and Kabuki theater. Recent headlines might have one believing that drag performance is a newer trend when in reality, it is a centuries-old art form. The program will be a lovely potpourri of Kabuki performances, and serenades of Italian opera, accompanied by engaging discussions about both genres. Don’t miss out on the fun and join us for a fantastic start of the SF Salon Music season!
Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 4 pm, followed by the concert. Desserts are offered after the concert.
Performers
Dylan Benander, Countertenor
Dylan Benander (they/them) is an emerging countertenor who moved to the Bay Area in 2022. After receiving their BA in music with a queer studies minor from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 2022, they began to graduate vocal study at San Francisco State University and expect to graduate in 2024 with a Master's in Vocal Performance. Specializing in the music of castrati and sacred music of the Baroque period,
Dylan has performed as the Sorceress in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and has presented excerpts from varied roles in myriad scene shows. These excerpts include operatic works by Mozart and Handel and more contemporary Broadway music from Six! The Musical and Carousel.
Dana Marie Chan, Pianist
Dana Marie Chan has performed as a collaborative and solo pianist and trumpeter in recitals, competitions, orchestras, wind, jazz, and new music ensembles in the United States and Asia.
She received her Master’s degree in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Collaborative Piano and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California San Diego with a double major in Music - Piano Performance and International Business.
She is the Operations and Development Assistant at the San Francisco Performances. She teaches piano and performs in the Bay Area as a collaborative pianist.
Mark Frey, Kabuki aficionado
Mark Frey developed a passion for Kabuki theatre and Japanese performing arts while living and working in Japan on the JET Program. Since returning to the Bay Area, he has been an active member of the San Mateo Japanese American Community Center’s Kabuki Kai.
In 2010, he founded JETAANC Kabuki Club and has led classes in our community to foster a love of Japanese performing arts. When Mark is not involved with Kabuki, he is active in the JET Program Alumni Association of Northern California and Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City Association.
Nick Ishimaru, Co-founder of Kunoichi Productions
Nick Ishimaru (he/him) is a co-founder of San Francisco-based Kunoichi Productions. Prior to working with Kunoichi, he served as the Artistic Director of the Theatre of Yugen from 2016 to 2020. He holds a BA in Performing Arts from Colorado State University, where he directed a kabuki adaptation of Macbeth, a Masters in Drama from San Francisco State University, and did additional doctorate work at the University of Hawaii. He has trained in noh and kyōgen for over 10 years with the Theatre of Yugen, Theatre Nohgaku, and the Kita School noh master Oshima Teruhisa in Tokyo. Ishimaru has also studied kabuki, jingju (Beijing Opera), and nihon buyo (traditional Japanese dance). He has led master classes on various performing arts topics for all levels from elementary school through university and has presented work at conferences and university lectures both in the Bay Area and internationally.
