Shenandoah Conservatory welcomes London-based choreographer as its guest choreographer and movement director for this season鈥檚 main stage opera, 鈥Moscow, Cheryomushki,鈥 running Friday, April 26, through Sunday, April 28, in Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre. Haigh is collaborating with Director of Opera and Associate Professor Ella Marchment, B.Mus., to present this operetta featuring music by Dmitri Shostakovich and libretto by Vladimir Mass and Mikhail Chervinsky, as arranged by Gerard McBurney.
鈥淲hen Ella approached me about the possibility of coming over to America to choreograph 鈥楳oscow, Cheryomushki,鈥 I knew this was something that would excite me due to the nature of the piece,鈥 said Haigh. 鈥淭he physical comedy and heightened world that Ella has created with Moscow, naturally lends itself to musical comedy which is fundamentally my background.鈥
Haigh added, 鈥渉aving a ballet in the opera, once again lends itself to a musical theatre structure as this is usually when the characters are exploring their inner feelings and desires and fantasies are played with.鈥
A satirical musical comedy in three acts, the operetta features lively choruses, polkas and jazz-influenced turns performed expertly by the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Director of Orchestral Studies and Associate Professor of Conducting Emanuele Andrizzi, D.M.A.
About Adam Haigh
Adam will open 鈥淛esus Christ Superstar鈥 this year in Oslo, Norway, as associate director/choreographer to Cressida Carr茅. He will also be choreographing Stephen Mulhern鈥檚 new 2024 鈥淢agic Show.鈥
Musical theatre credits include 鈥淯shers,鈥 鈥淭he Front of House Musical鈥 (The Other Palace); 鈥淥h What a Lovely War鈥 (UK Tour); 鈥淜iss Me Kate鈥 (Leicester Curve); 鈥淐opacabana,鈥 鈥淐ry Baby鈥 (Italia Conti); 鈥淪oho Cinders鈥 (Charing Cross Theatre); 鈥淕rease鈥 (Italy); 鈥淐hess鈥 (Leicester Curve, Broadway World Nomination for Best Choreography); UK premiere of 鈥淏rooklyn the Musical鈥 (Greenwich Theatre); 鈥淭he Wizard of Oz鈥 (New Lincoln Theatre Royal); 鈥淎nything Goes鈥 (The Other Palace); 鈥淐hicago鈥 (Minack Theatre); 鈥淟ittle Women,鈥 鈥淟egally Blonde鈥 (British Theatre Academy); 鈥淓legies for Angels,鈥 鈥淧unks and Raging Queens,鈥 鈥淐armen,鈥 鈥淢arket Boy,鈥 鈥淭he Cherry Orchard鈥 (Union Theatre); 鈥25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee鈥 (nominated for Best Off West End Director 2018); 鈥淐an Can鈥 (nominated for Best Off West End Choreographer 2018); 鈥淥nce Upon a Quarry Hil鈥漧 (Leeds Playhouse); 鈥淭oys, A New Musical鈥 (City Walk, Dubai); 鈥淪eussical the Musical/Wind in the Willows鈥 (BYMT); 鈥淐leopatra, A New Musical-Workshop鈥 (Actors Church); and 鈥淯nfolding Tales,鈥 and 鈥淎 New Musical鈥 (Stockwell Playhouse).
Upcoming work includes 鈥淐ry Baby鈥 (Chichester University), guest choreographer (Jazz Co UK Tour 2024) and the U.K. premiere of 鈥淔enellies the Musical鈥 (Wonderville).