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`Big Bang` will make its U.S. debut, at Artpark, this summer. (Dragos Dumitru photo provided by Artpark & Company)
"Big Bang" will make its U.S. debut, at Artpark, this summer. (Dragos Dumitru photo provided by Artpark & Company)

Artpark adds 'Big Bang' by Plasticiens Volants, William Close & The Earth Harp Collective

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Tue, May 2nd 2017 11:35 am

In concert at Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater

Season finale event Sept. 2

For over four decades, Artpark has been a unique destination for new and experimental statements of art, nature and performance. In keeping with that idea this summer, Artpark & Company has announced a concert featuring two visually stunning outdoor spectacles: William Close & The Earth Harp Collective, and "Big Bang" by the French performance group Plasticiens Volants. The show will conclude the 2017 season on Saturday, Sept. 2.

William Close & The Earth Harp Collective will open the event in the Outdoor Amphitheater at 6 p.m. The group is an internationally renowned ensemble that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, composers and choreographers. The stunning centerpiece of the instrumentation - the earth harp - is just one of the many new and cutting-edge instruments in this show. With a resonating chamber on stage and illuminated strings suspended above the audience, any performance space is instantly transformed into a musical instrument, creating the ultimate multidimensional concert experience.

More information is available online at http://www.earthharpsymphony.com/.

William Close & The Earth Harp Collective 

William Close & The Earth Harp Collective (Photo provided by Artpark & Company)

At 8:30 p.m., Artpark will present the U.S. premiere of "Big Bang." Plasticiens Volants, a group from France, creates spectacular stories using giant inflated puppets and objects. The exotic, illuminated inflatables present stories from history, mythology and literature against the evening sky.

Controlled by equally mesmerizing costumed actor-operators who interact with the audience at the ground level, these giant inflated puppets and objects fly over the observers to demonstrate the evolution of the universe in a poetic way.

"I believe the common ground between the scientists and the artists is in imagination. While using different tools, both are bound by the common goal: to know and understand the world," said Marc Bureau, the author of "Big Bang."

Plasticiens Volants has thrilled audiences across continents, with high-profile appearances at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Rio and Sochi, the Paralympic Games in Australia, and festivals in Canada.

And yet, they have never performed in the U.S.

Artpark's scenic location will provide a dramatic backdrop for the fantastic inflatables, and an exclusive opportunity for spectators of all ages to experience this unique performance.

More information about Plasticiens Volants can be found at http://www.plasticiensvolants.com/gb/compagnie.htm.

 

Tickets for "Big Bang" are $15 general admission and $35 reserved seating (available for Earth Harp performance only). Tickets are on sale now at tickets.com and artpark.net, by phone at 1-888-223-6000, and at the Artpark box office, 450 S. Fourth St.

"Big Bang" is presented by M&T Bank and sponsored by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Support is also provided by through a grant from Empire State Development's "I Love New York" program under Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's Market NY initiative.

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