Music Theatre students honor Michael Matthews during the Nijmeegse Kunstnacht
- Music
- Theatre
"During the auditions for the Music Theatre course, something happened that I had not experienced in quite the same way before. One of the tasks was to create something with a small group. What happens when you gather a few people who want the exact same thing and are just as motivated as you are is almost indescribable. Within moments, you create something truly special together. At that moment, I knew for sure: if I get accepted, I want to study here at the Academy of Music in Arnhem." - Fieke Westland
Performing during the Nijmeegse Kunstnacht
Fieke is currently in her third year of the course. An important part of this phase is creating and performing outside the walls of the Academy of Music for a paying audience. At the beginning of the third year, Fieke's class collaborated with director Nita Kersten on a piece inspired by the work The Monster Trilogy by maker Michael Matthews. This impressive work was created during a difficult period when Matthews was suffering from AIDS, to which he ultimately succumbed in 1996. He based his piece, which explores profound themes of danger, fear, and death, on three 19th-century gothic novels that created three modern myths: Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley, Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson."
What I find most fascinating about the combination of music and theater is when a musician becomes an actor, and vice versa."
Long lines of paying visitors.
While Matthews incorporated references to pop culture into his work in the 1980s and 1990s, Fieke and her classmates have brought these references into the contemporary era. The theatrical concert performed by Fieke and her class during the Nijmegen Art Night on September 16, 2023, included both modern covers and rewritten monologues. This performance pays tribute to the eccentric maker Matthews and what he has created. The paying audience was also present; they stood in long lines at the entrance of LUX in Nijmegen."
Film and edit: Jovan Smilda
Bachelor Music Theatre
"What I find most fascinating about the combination of music and theater is when a musician becomes an actor, and vice versa. You acquire a craft, in my case focused on piano and singing, while simultaneously being inspired and developing yourself by engaging with various disciplines. You can also see that reflected in our performance of The Monster Trilogy; it's truly theater and at the same time a genuine concert."
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