Friday-Saturday, March 20-21, 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 22, 3 pm

Tickets $25, MCA members $20
Buy Tickets Online
or call the MCA Box Office, 312.397.4010

Direct from Mexico City, Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes' Claudio Valdés is causing a worldwide sensation with his award winning theater/opera about the castrati - boys castrated before puberty to preserve the soprano range of their voices, an 18th century practice that propelled many boys from poverty to stardom. Through brilliant musical performances and extreme physical comedy, Monsters and Prodigies offers a humorous and sophisticated satire of Baroque opera and a century of music ruled by the castrati.

Running time: 105 minutes, no intermission
Recommended for mature audiences
No late seating permitted
Performed in Spanish with English supertitles

Roundtable: The Age of the Castrati: Music, Myths, and Medicine
Tuesday, March 17, 6 pm
FREE
Featured sopranista Javier Medina leads a discussion on the lives of the castrati in history and opera with David Schrader, the renowned harpsichordist and organist and professor of music history at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Additional discussants planned include music faculty in opera as well as young vocalists appearing with Chicago Opera Theater.

First-night post-show talk with the artists
Friday, March 20

Roundtable: The Baroque is Now
Saturday, March 21, 2 pm
FREE, Reservations requested
Artistic Director Claudio Valdés Kuri and General Director of Chicago Opera Theater Brian Dickie, discuss the enduring allure of the Baroque and how it influences experimental theater and opera today. This wide-ranging conversation also draws from the directors' creative approaches to directing provocative artistic teams as well as reinterpreting overlooked works for insight into contemporary intersections between opera and theater. Beatriz Margain, Cultural Attaché for the Consulate of Mexico, facilitates the discussion. Reservations requested through the MCA Box Office at 312.397.4010 or online.

Roundtable: Carmen: New Renderings
Monday, April 20, 6 pm
FREE, Reservations suggested at 312.704.8420 ext 23 or education@chicagooperatheater.org
Extending MCA's investigation into the intersections between different art disciplines, director Andrew Eggert and conductor Alexander Platt of Chicago Opera Theater (COT) provide insight into their collaboration toward COT's La Tragédie de Carmen, running May 2-15 at the Harris Theater. Sponsored in part by Instituto Cervantes Chicago

Film screening: Carlos Saura's Carmen
Tuesday, April 21, 4 and 6 pm
FREE as a part of MCA's Free Tuesdays
Mérimée's classic tale Carmen has been a source of artistic inspiration, not least as the source for one of the most famous operas of all time. In recognition of its continued influence in our time, and in conjunction with Chicago Opera Theater's production of La Tragédie de Carmen, the MCA presents another contemporary take on this fascinating tale. Filmmaker Carlos Saura's Carmen, about a fictional rehearsal for Bizet's opera, is set in a flamenco dance school. The first in his critically acclaimed flamenco trilogy, Carmen (1983, 102 min) features many flamenco legends including guitarist Paco de Lucia, dancer/chorographers Cristina Hoyos and the late Antonio Gades (whose original stage show is the source for Saura's film), and Laura del Sol in the title role.

Students
Single tickets are just $10 with valid student ID (subject to availability).

Subscribers
Save up to 20% and receive flexible exchange privileges* when you purchase tickets to three or more shows.
*Tickets may be exchanged up to 48 hours prior to the performance (subject to availability).

Groups
Save 20% when you buy 10 or more tickets for a performance.

Our flexible payment plan makes reservations easy and risk-free. Call 312.397.4010 to make a reservation for your group. Ask about private meet-the-artist and reception opportunities.

MCA members
Only MCA members enjoy discounts on performance tickets, at Puck's, and in the MCA Store, plus unlimited free access to the museum and so much more! Join today and become a part of the art.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 312.397.4010 or visit www.mcachicago.org.

MCA Stage ushers
See the show for free! MCA Stage ushers take tickets, direct theater patrons to their seats, escort disabled patrons, and provide other assistance as directed by the house manager. For more information, call 312.397.4072 or e-mail mcaperformances@hotmail.com.


MORE SAVINGS
$10 Parking
MCA Stage patrons receive $10 discounted parking at the MCA garage (220 E Chicago Ave) and Olympia garage (161 E Chicago Ave), located within two blocks east of Michigan Avenue and operated by InterParking. To receive $10 parking, MCA Stage patrons are asked to show their garage ticket to theater coat check staff who will issue a discount validation voucher. The $10 parking voucher is limited to six hours on date of performance.

The MCA garage is automated and may be without an attendant. Garage parking is limited. Please allow half an hour for parking before curtain time.

Museum admission
Redeem your performance ticket stub to receive free museum admission, valid during regular museum hours up to seven days from the performance date.