Nina
1976, Nina Simone performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. As usual, she felt the need to speak to the audience. Sitting at the piano, she paused, resumed singing and stopped again, in a moment of absolute freedom. 2023, singer Claron McFadden "is" Nina. This show is not a re-enactment, but a duet with a powerful ghost: the presence of an unforgettable voice in another singular voice. The Italian company Fanny & Alexander imagined Nina as a raw investigation into a unique artistic figure, with personal and shared grievances, through pain, joy, anger, political injustice, illness and sorrow. "I'm really excited about this production being a woman of color, a musician, who also left her country for similar reasons, but not quite as dramatic as Nina’s." (Claron McFadden)
Luigi De Angelis conception and direction
Chiara Lagani dramaturgy
Claron McFadden interpretation
Andrea Argentieri coaching
Damiano Meacci / Tempo Reale sound
Manuel Poletti IRCAM computer music collaboration