The
Tenth Muse
at the 2009 Minnesota Fringe Festival
Created and performed
by Elisa Korenne
Directed and developed by Maggie Cino
Technical Director: Annie Katsura Rollins
When
Thursday Jul 30 7pm
Saturday Aug 1 2:30pm
Monday Aug 3 8:30pm
Friday Aug 7 8:30pm
Sunday Aug 9 4pm
Special preview on Sunday July 26 at 7:30pm at the New York Mills Cultural Center in New York Mills, MN. Tix available at the door.
Tickets
$12 adult/$10 senior/$5 child + $4 fringe button
More info and tix available at www.fringefestival.org.
Venue
University of Minnesota Rarig Center Arena
330 21st Ave S, Minneapolis
In the West Bank Arts Quarter on the west bank campus of the University
of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
Getting There
Campus parking lots at NE corner of 4th St & 20th Ave and
SE corner of Riverside Ave & 20th Ave. Free street parking in residential
areas 2+ blocks south of theater along 20th Ave and east along Riverside
Ave.
Bus routes (# blocks from bus stop): 2, 3(1), 7(1), 19(1)
Show Description
Did you know that the first female presidential candidate was a former fake psychic who bedded Cornelius Vanderbilt? How about that Dr. Bronner (the verbose natural soap king) began his career in an insane asylum? Did you ever meet the Root Beer Lady, a wilderness woman who served rootbeer to tourists from her cabin in the Boundary Waters? Featuring biographical songs penned by nationally-acclaimed songwriter Elisa Korenne, the Tenth Muse explores the question: “How fringe can a person get?”
Korenne is a songwriter’s songwriter and a crowd-pleasing performer who specializes in songs about oddballs. With her acoustic guitar, hand-drum, or using only her mesmerizing voice, Korenne sings stories about people too fascinating for the history books. The Tenth Muse is Korenne’s theatrical story and song concert about some of the most unlikely subjects she’s encountered. On the trail of the ordinarily unsung, Korenne also tells her own story: how she found her way from an elitist education to an unlikely musical path and then from New York City to rural west central Minnesota.
Korenne and her parade of real life members of the American fringe—including a lightbulb-eating sideshow performer, a suicidal madam, a cheerleading nun, and a Russian immigrant with Munchausen's syndrome—will help you get the most fringe out of the fringe festival. Get more fringe. Join the musical romp through fringe folk history with award-winning singer-songwriter Elisa Korenne.
Listen to excerpts of songs:
Andy
the Lightbulb Eater
Root Beer Lady - The Dorothy Moulter Song
Hold On
- The Dr. Bronner Song
Butte -
The Madame Elinor Knott Song
“Elisa’s rich voice is amazingly addictive.” — Pulse Weekly
Along with her rich voice, smoldering live performances, and elegant songcraft, Elisa Korenne brings a rare authenticity to her music. After cutting her teeth in the high-caliber New York City music scene, the preeminent independent music retailer CD Baby hailed Elisa as “one of the best we’ve ever heard” and Singer & Musician magazine said she “belongs on anyone’s must-play list.” Over the last two years, Elisa has been gaining national recognition as a songwriter and composer. The Jerome Foundation, the Ucross Foundation, the Hedgebrook Foundation, and the Robert M. MacNamara Foundation selected Elisa as a recipient of four prestigious artistic fellowships based on the quality of her music. As a performer, Elisa has been a headliner at regional, national, and international festivals. In 2005, the Nevers-a-Vif music festival in France chose Elisa to open the line-up of international artists. She has earned songwriting awards from the Plowshares Songwriting Contest, Sisters Folk Festival, Great American Song Contest, Song of the Year, Song Prize, and the Philadelphia Songwriters’ Project. Elisa’s live performances match her songwriting talent; her arresting presence combined with humor, playful insouciance, and her often-remarked upon husky vocals lend her the rare ability of consummate performers to keep listeners riveted.
Elisa’s performing experience spans pop-rock and funk-rock bands, an Israeli blues band, a cappella singing groups, theater, and, most recently, the pop-rock-folk troubadour tradition. After receiving her BA in History from Yale University, Elisa took a break from performing music while she earned a master's degree in international development from the London School of Economics, co-founded the international technology nonprofit Geekcorps, and created an innovative policy consulting firm. Reconnecting with her first love—music—Elisa has dedicated herself to writing, recording, and performing and has created a sound featuring vocal intensity and captivating songwriting. Elisa’s music can now be heard on her debut album, Favorite, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Indie Releases of 2005 by Singer & Musician magazine. In addition to touring and songwriting, Elisa is now working on the Ordinarily Unsung project, a collection of songs about members of the fringe in American history that will be incorporated into a one-woman theatrical concert, an interactive educational workshop, and, ultimately, a musical.