{"id":113269,"date":"2025-04-04T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T19:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=113269"},"modified":"2025-04-24T14:35:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T18:35:50","slug":"preview-grain-theatre-presents-identity-song-cycle-baritone-elliot-madore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/04\/04\/preview-grain-theatre-presents-identity-song-cycle-baritone-elliot-madore\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Against The Grain Theatre Presents Identity: A Song Cycle With Baritone Elliot Madore"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Baritone
Baritone Elliot Madore (Photo: Cyrill Matter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back in 2020 when the pandemic lockdowns were at their worst, and racial tensions put the Black Lives Matter movement in headlines across the continent, Baritone Elliot Madore took to social media to express himself, like so many.<\/p>\n

In a very personal post<\/a>, Madore talked about his struggles with identity as a bi-racial man.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually, I tried to dodge that question altogether, rationalizing that it was easier to avoid the conversation than having to convince someone of my own authenticity. […]<\/p>\n

\u201cNeedless to say, unabashedly expressing my own identity is something I\u2019ve sorely lacked until this day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Artistic Director of Against the Grain Theatre Joel Ivany saw the post and reached out to talk about the possibility of turning that expression into creation. Identity: A Song Cycle was the eventual result, and it became a video project that debuted in 2022 after the pandemic.<\/p>\n

With new songs and staging, the live concert version will see its world premiere on May 23 and 24 in the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre on Berkeley Street.<\/p>\n

The songs weave together personal stories with music that blends elements of jazz and Western classical music. The music for Identity: A Song Cycle was composed by Dinuk Wijeratne to poetry by Shauntay Grant. Joel Ivany directs, with musicians Nick Halley (percussion), Tyler Emond (bass), and Dinuk Wijeratne on piano.<\/p>\n