NMM Live! | Flower & Flame's "A Christmas Carol"

Description

The show is one that everyone might recognize, but few may have seen presented in this way. Flower and Flame was conceived by Magdalena (Maggie) Modzelewska, the violinist for the group. This South Dakota based ensemble has been performing in America and Europe since 2002. But what has it become, exactly? The concept is an antique one. It was originally called the “melody-drama” (or melodrama) in which music and words take an equal part in the show. In the old days, audiences thought nothing of the actors leaving the stage or becoming silent while the musicians continued the story with only their music. Both Modzelewska and Fickbohm wondered if that would work—would people nowadays be wanting more music and less acting. Or the opposite? “The stage time is shared equally between the story and the music—absolutely 50/50,” says Fickbohm. “Our Christmas Carol runs along and even the kids sit spellbound the whole time. We like to say that this production is the result of many years of trial and success. It’s funny and ghostly, but mostly it always seems brand new.” The players are: Violin: Magdalena Modzelewska Actor: Script & Narration, Darrel Fickbohm Viola: Yi-Chun Lin Oboe: Jeff Paul Bassoon: John Tomkins The NMM Live! Series is made possible by the USD Student Government Association and the South Dakota Arts Council through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts. FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION A live stream of this concert will be available to watch for free at: https://www.nmmusd.org/nmm-live-video