“One ordinary night in February, it all goes upside-down.”
WHO: Mira-Rose Kingsbury Lee
WHAT: “New York, 1969. Sarina Lemonde is an editor at the struggling Atalanta Post, with no plans to shake up her quiet, respectable life anytime soon. But one night, it all goes upside down: her wealthy estranged mother sweeps back into her life, her closeted husband begins an ill-advised affair with her boss, and Sarina is unexpectedly installed as the first female president of the Atalanta Post. Harvard’s Fringe debut, Atalanta combines jazz, hip-hop, and rock in a smash hit which earned a standing ovation every night of its sold-out Boston run. ‘Hats off… a touching story that sticks’ (Independent).”
WHERE: theSpace @ Surgeons Hall – Fleming Theatre (Venue 53)
WHEN: 11:10 (90 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Yes! This is Atalanta’s debut at the Fringe – and, not only that, it’s Harvard’s first-ever show at the Fringe, written, produced, and performed by current Harvard students.
Although our cast & crew are all Fringe newcomers, I’ve been to the Fringe twice, both times as an audience member. What’s really special about Edfringe in particular is the energy on the street – the massive crowds on the Mile, of course, but also all the coloured flyers papering the city, the street performers, the unforgettable experience of being the 1 person in an audience, and of course the feeling that at any moment you could turn and go inside any one of those theatres and find an absolute pearl.
That’s a big reason for why I’m putting up Atalanta at the Fringe – to introduce my cast & crew of 11 newcomers to the magic of Edfringe.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Our first production at the American Repertory Theater was in April 2023, so as far as we’re concerned, you’ll have to ask us again next year…
Tell us about your show.
I wrote the book, lyrics, and music for Atalanta. The music was arranged & orchestrated by a fantastic & multitalented team of musicians, all Harvard students: Wills Goldsmith, Henry Wu, Ben Dreier, and Keagan Yap. For our smaller run at the Fringe, Henry Wu (also music director and piano accompaniment for the production!) re-arranged the music for piano instead of a full band.
Atalanta is set in New York, 1969, and follows Sarina, a young female news editor at the struggling Atalanta Post. Sarina lives a quiet, respectable life, and has no plans to change that anytime soon. But one ordinary night in February, it all goes upside-down: her estranged mother sweeps back into her life, her closeted husband begins an ill-advised affair, and Sarina is unexpectedly installed as the first female president of the Atalanta Post. The music combines jazz, hip-hop, rock, and the music of golden-age Broadway into an “eclectic mix of catchy tunes.”
We premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts in April 2023, to a sold-out audience who gave us a standing ovation every night of the run. We also had an excellent review from The Harvard Independent, which encouraged us to bring the show across the pond: https://harvardindependent.com/review-atalanta/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=review-atalanta
After the Fringe, we’re planning on bringing Atalanta to NYC, and then back to Boston.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
We’ve been looking at a bunch of other student-run productions and trying to connect with them. They all look absolutely terrific: the musical parody of Ed Sheeran (Cambridge), the Oxford Belles (a cappella), Palindrome: The Musical (Cambridge), and the Importance of Being Nihilists (Oxford). With a show at 11:10 am, our cast and crew have plenty of time to check out other shows! Reach us on Twitter/Instagram at @atalantaharvard with your recommendations!
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