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Christian McLeer
I commend Christian McLeer…
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Opera Shorts
Fruit of the Musical Loom
Tom Cipullo’s “Lucy”… was an ideal example of short-form opera…
…Patrick Soluri’s “Figaro’s Last Hangover” did the same to a comical extreme…
… Bierman’s crowd-pleasing work was a pleasure from beginning to end.
… McLeer opened the evening with a dramatic bang, an intense “Adrift,”... a compact, effective powerhouse which depicts a true internal journey. And “Fire” answered the musical question of how George Antheil would have sounded in the stone-age. [Flabiano, Roche, Harte and Amisano] dressed as Flintstone characters, conveyed a pre-verbal libretto which followed a dramatic journey through group comity, conflict, disintegration and reconciliation, conveyed musically by an adaption of the theme from Jeopardy, some modern-primitive ragtime, a twelve-bar blues, counterpoint in the style of Bach, and a final choral tribute to rocks. It was really well-made, and a real treat.
Along with the generally fine singing, McLeer and Noby Ishida handled the piano accompaniment and music direction, joined on some of the works by the youthful and confident Vox4 Quartet, with some nice hammy turns from cellist Seth Woods.
- Soundtime.worldpress
RTB Outreach Tour to Special-Needs and At-Risk Children
I support Remarkable Theater Brigade's important work.
- Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President
2009/2010 Season
HOUSE
We’ve never had a performance like this. It was wonderful.
- Director, Head Start Program, Harlem
Remarkable Theater Brigade at Roulette
The Remarkable Theatre Brigade’s New Vocal Chamber Music production (November 19, 2008) boasted something for music lovers of every stripe—thanks in part to several diverse and modern pieces by multi-faceted, multi-instrumentalist, composer Christian McLeer. McLeer’s unique melding of electronics and classical includes Are You Done Yet--edgy, but accessible, and appealing to fans of Nine Inch Nails, punk and classical alike… ideal soundtrack for Children of Men. Alive… is rhapsodic and fitting for those who appreciate everything from Pearl Jam to Prokofiev.
Composer George Brunner’s song cycle, Songs From Another Place, was hauntingly performed by Monica Harte, Nancy Merriam and Brunner… Harte’s petite stature belying a powerful voice and big emotional presence. The songs, featuring the poetry of Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Strand, are spare, ethereal… meshing of Strand’s words and Brunner’s music both complementary and cool.
- Katherine Turman
November 21 2008
www.katherineturman.com
2008/2009 Season
Requiem CD: Agnus Dei track
How unusual for the winds parts to be so prominent! If I'm not mistaken, this is a recording of live performance? Wonderful material. The solo voice has presence and a wow range.
- Wallace Taylor
Broadjam.com
August 2008
Comes & Goes
…a little bass, a little jazz piano, a little dramatic operatic solo... and you made it work!
- Kenneth Lavone
Broadjam.com
August 2008
Comes & Goes
Top Notch! Well written and arranged. Superb vocal and piano performances. Great.
- Cameron Smith
Broadjam.com
August 2008
2007/2008 Season
G Train the Musical
This is the best show we’ve ever produced for the Educational Outreach Tour. The children have never had such a great time at an opera.
- David Blackburn, Artistic Director Natchez Festival of Music
April 2008
Glory Denied
Even with a huge budget, there is not a company that could have put together a better production of Glory Denied than RTB.
- Tom Cipullo, composer
June 2008
Glory Denied
What a performance… [Monica Harte] brought Young Alyce to life.
- Tom Philpott, author
June 2008
2005/2006 Season
SHOT
…A community gem, The Remarkable Theater Brigade brings work to rising stars in New York City and simultaneously gives back to the community by exposing it to the beauty and fun of all forms of performance. All the participants of this program have something quite wonderful on their hands.
- Justine Manzano
g-pop welcome to our world
May 2006
2003/2004 Season
HOUSE
It ís no fun having to go to the hospital, and itís even worse if youíre a child. But children at Long Island College Hospital (LICH) last Wednesday had their spirits lifted by House, a 30-minute opera with characters dressed in zany, colorful costumes, fun effects and talented performers.
HOUSE features six young dancers and singers who play a scientist, a football player, a table-lamp, door, mailbox and other characters. The rag-style electronic music complemented the players pure, operatic voices which wowed the children and adults on the ward.
- Mary Frost Brooklyn Eagle
April 2004
Clearly McLeer
Christian McLeer doesn’t believe a chasm should separate classical compositions from commercial music. So, he bridges the gap …a rock song featuring a coloratura soprano or an aria about football… seems natural.
- Forest Hartman
Reno Gazette Journal
September 2003
Clearly McLeer
Clearly - McLeer has talent… his music has merit... …the show's first half [included] Harte singing such lovely songs as In a Field in duet with bassist Dan Jeselsohn and Mendez singing such fun or soul-searching songs as Football Aria and Passageway… The orchestral portion of the program - Red Hot, Ruby Overture, the piano concerto and the ballet - were managed nicely by members of the Reno Chamber Orchestra adroitly conducted by Richard Barrett. …a rousing number reminiscent of Sophie Tucker with Cami Thompson doing the honors on Red Hot (as in mama) and doing it very well… Nevada Opera founder Ted Puffer can be credited with encouraging the cast of Remarkable Theater Brigade. And they should be encouraged. The troupe does have talent. Bravo to all who worked so hard to make Clearly McLeer memorable”
- Jack Neal
Jack Neals Music Reviews September 2003
I commend Christian McLeer…
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Opera Shorts
Fruit of the Musical Loom
Tom Cipullo’s “Lucy”… was an ideal example of short-form opera…
…Patrick Soluri’s “Figaro’s Last Hangover” did the same to a comical extreme…
… Bierman’s crowd-pleasing work was a pleasure from beginning to end.
… McLeer opened the evening with a dramatic bang, an intense “Adrift,”... a compact, effective powerhouse which depicts a true internal journey. And “Fire” answered the musical question of how George Antheil would have sounded in the stone-age. [Flabiano, Roche, Harte and Amisano] dressed as Flintstone characters, conveyed a pre-verbal libretto which followed a dramatic journey through group comity, conflict, disintegration and reconciliation, conveyed musically by an adaption of the theme from Jeopardy, some modern-primitive ragtime, a twelve-bar blues, counterpoint in the style of Bach, and a final choral tribute to rocks. It was really well-made, and a real treat.
Along with the generally fine singing, McLeer and Noby Ishida handled the piano accompaniment and music direction, joined on some of the works by the youthful and confident Vox4 Quartet, with some nice hammy turns from cellist Seth Woods.
- Soundtime.worldpress
RTB Outreach Tour to Special-Needs and At-Risk Children
I support Remarkable Theater Brigade's important work.
- Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President
2009/2010 Season
HOUSE
We’ve never had a performance like this. It was wonderful.
- Director, Head Start Program, Harlem
Remarkable Theater Brigade at Roulette
The Remarkable Theatre Brigade’s New Vocal Chamber Music production (November 19, 2008) boasted something for music lovers of every stripe—thanks in part to several diverse and modern pieces by multi-faceted, multi-instrumentalist, composer Christian McLeer. McLeer’s unique melding of electronics and classical includes Are You Done Yet--edgy, but accessible, and appealing to fans of Nine Inch Nails, punk and classical alike… ideal soundtrack for Children of Men. Alive… is rhapsodic and fitting for those who appreciate everything from Pearl Jam to Prokofiev.
Composer George Brunner’s song cycle, Songs From Another Place, was hauntingly performed by Monica Harte, Nancy Merriam and Brunner… Harte’s petite stature belying a powerful voice and big emotional presence. The songs, featuring the poetry of Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Strand, are spare, ethereal… meshing of Strand’s words and Brunner’s music both complementary and cool.
- Katherine Turman
November 21 2008
www.katherineturman.com
2008/2009 Season
Requiem CD: Agnus Dei track
How unusual for the winds parts to be so prominent! If I'm not mistaken, this is a recording of live performance? Wonderful material. The solo voice has presence and a wow range.
- Wallace Taylor
Broadjam.com
August 2008
Comes & Goes
…a little bass, a little jazz piano, a little dramatic operatic solo... and you made it work!
- Kenneth Lavone
Broadjam.com
August 2008
Comes & Goes
Top Notch! Well written and arranged. Superb vocal and piano performances. Great.
- Cameron Smith
Broadjam.com
August 2008
2007/2008 Season
G Train the Musical
This is the best show we’ve ever produced for the Educational Outreach Tour. The children have never had such a great time at an opera.
- David Blackburn, Artistic Director Natchez Festival of Music
April 2008
Glory Denied
Even with a huge budget, there is not a company that could have put together a better production of Glory Denied than RTB.
- Tom Cipullo, composer
June 2008
Glory Denied
What a performance… [Monica Harte] brought Young Alyce to life.
- Tom Philpott, author
June 2008
2005/2006 Season
SHOT
…A community gem, The Remarkable Theater Brigade brings work to rising stars in New York City and simultaneously gives back to the community by exposing it to the beauty and fun of all forms of performance. All the participants of this program have something quite wonderful on their hands.
- Justine Manzano
g-pop welcome to our world
May 2006
2003/2004 Season
HOUSE
It ís no fun having to go to the hospital, and itís even worse if youíre a child. But children at Long Island College Hospital (LICH) last Wednesday had their spirits lifted by House, a 30-minute opera with characters dressed in zany, colorful costumes, fun effects and talented performers.
HOUSE features six young dancers and singers who play a scientist, a football player, a table-lamp, door, mailbox and other characters. The rag-style electronic music complemented the players pure, operatic voices which wowed the children and adults on the ward.
- Mary Frost Brooklyn Eagle
April 2004
Clearly McLeer
Christian McLeer doesn’t believe a chasm should separate classical compositions from commercial music. So, he bridges the gap …a rock song featuring a coloratura soprano or an aria about football… seems natural.
- Forest Hartman
Reno Gazette Journal
September 2003
Clearly McLeer
Clearly - McLeer has talent… his music has merit... …the show's first half [included] Harte singing such lovely songs as In a Field in duet with bassist Dan Jeselsohn and Mendez singing such fun or soul-searching songs as Football Aria and Passageway… The orchestral portion of the program - Red Hot, Ruby Overture, the piano concerto and the ballet - were managed nicely by members of the Reno Chamber Orchestra adroitly conducted by Richard Barrett. …a rousing number reminiscent of Sophie Tucker with Cami Thompson doing the honors on Red Hot (as in mama) and doing it very well… Nevada Opera founder Ted Puffer can be credited with encouraging the cast of Remarkable Theater Brigade. And they should be encouraged. The troupe does have talent. Bravo to all who worked so hard to make Clearly McLeer memorable”
- Jack Neal
Jack Neals Music Reviews September 2003
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