Maria Anna Nannerl Mozart was a musical genius equal to her younger brother, Amadeus Mozart, but her name has remained virtually unknown. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Arts & Issues series will bring her story center stage when it presents “The Other Mozart” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28 at Dunham Hall Theater.
Created, written and performed by Sylvia Milo, “The Other Mozart” is a revealing biography of the older sister of Amadeus Mozart. Nannerl was a prodigy and virtuoso musician and composer who performed and toured throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim. However, when she turned 18 she stopped. A little girl could perform and tour, but a woman doing so risked her reputation. The play transports the audience into a world of outsized beauty and delight — but also of overwhelming restrictions and prejudice. There, in communion with the audience, this other Mozart at last tells her story.
The play is set in a stunning 18-foot dress, designed by Magdalena Dabrowska of the National Theater of Poland. Directed by Isaac Byrne, “The Other Mozart” is based on facts, stories and lines pulled directly from the Mozart family’s humorous and heartbreaking letters. The music is composed by Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen.
“Sylvia Milo brings Nannerl Mozart back to the stage and gives her the recognition denied her in life,” said Grant Andree, director of the Arts & Issues series. “The play is a haunting, beautiful, sometimes humorous, look at this uniquely talented woman.”
Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at artsandissues.com, by phone at 1-866-698-4253 or at the Morris University Center (MUC) Welcome Desk. The show is sponsored by TheBANK of Edwardsville.
Prior to the show, take advantage of the SIUE Friends of Music’s dinner buffet in Fixins’ Restaurant, located in SIUE’s Morris University Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a reception with dinner starting at 6 p.m.
Dinner tickets are $25 and are separate from the Arts & Issues performance. Preferred seating at the performance will be available for those attending the dinner. In addition, those who purchase tickets for both the dinner and the performance, Arts & Issues will contribute the cost of the performance ticket to the Friends of Music Scholarship Fund.
Arts & Issues is tied to the academic mission of the University. For more than 34 years, the series has presented some of the world’s finest performing artists and showcased speakers from across the spectrum in areas such as science, history, literature and politics. The program also offers unique opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the community to engage with these performers and speakers through master classes and special sessions.
Photo: Sylvia Milo’s “The Other Mozart” will open at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28 at SIUE’s Dunham Hall Theater.