BOUNCE The Basketball Opera

Ardea Arts announces the World Premiere of BOUNCE The Basketball Opera. Performances will take place at Calvary Baptist Church Recreation Center, 150 E. High Street, Lexington, KY, on Friday and Saturday, November 10 & 11 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, November 12at 2pm. General Admission, $18, Students $9. For more information, visit www.ardeaarts.com/bounce/.

BOUNCE is grounded in pressing issues facing today’s audiences. Based on the Greek myth The Flight of Icarus, BOUNCE tells the story of Ike “The Flight” Harris, a high school basketball star bound for stardom. Audiences will see if “Flight” can rebound from the emotional and physical pain of gun violence, as the story plays out on local basketball courts across the country. First Stop - Lexington KY.

BOUNCE pairs diverse casting with a fresh approach to arts engagement. Local youth ages 16-26 and UK Students work alongside seasoned professionals and are integrated into the production using the powerful medium of basketball. They become the basketball players, the cheerleaders and Flight’s classmates and teammates. Local and national community leaders also participate in a number of the guest adult roles.

The creative team includes: Glen Roven (Lead Composer/Music Supervisor), Charles R. Smith, Jr. (Story and Libretto), Grethe Barrett Holby (Concept & Stage Director), with additional music by Tomás Doncker (Global Soul Composer) and Ansel Elgort (Basketball Tracks-EDM Composer), and David Wolfson (Orchestrations). The Production staff includes Dr. Everett McCorvey (Conductor), Marcellus Barksdale (Basketball Choreographer/Coach), Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (Set Designer), and Chidi Ozieh (Media Director).

The BOUNCE cast features Philip Gay as ‘Ike “The Flight” Harris’, UK Senior Blake Denson as ‘TJ “The Future” King’, Troy Press as ‘Game Announcer’, with basketball players Javone Blincoe, Ryan Brightwell, Ezra Garner, Marc-Andre Petitfrere, Dante Stewart, Trayvon Thompson and Jamere Walker.

Ardea Arts has been developing BOUNCE in partnership with The University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. BOUNCE partners and advocates include prominent local council members, community leaders, and basketball industry advocates, many whom will participate in the production, including basketball legend and KY radio sports celebrity Matt Jones and former Big Blue WildcatJohnathon Davis. This project is made possible in part by the support of OPERA America’s Audience Development Grant, Art Works/The National Endowment for the Arts, The John and Jody Arnhold Foundation, UK Women and Philanthropy, The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, and many private individuals, including Ardea Arts board member J. Speed Carroll. Corporate sponsors include in-kind contributions from Alltech, Bryant’s Rent-All, Liquor Barn, OperaLex, Highbridge, Springs Water and 21C Museum Hotels.