Azerbaijani Operetta “Arşın Mal Alan” to be performed in Los Angeles

The world-famous Azerbaijani musical comedy (operetta) “Cloth Peddler/Arşın Mal Alan” will be performed in Los Angeles on September 7, 2013. Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the operetta, the performance is organized by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles.

The performance will take place in the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which is one of the largest and most renowned opera houses of the world. Besides being home to the eminent Los Angeles Opera, the Pavilion is also famous for hosting Oscar Awards ceremonies in 1970-90s.

Produced by award-winning American producer Michael Schnack, the musical commedy will be performed by outstanding American opera singers, who will be singing in original Azerbaijani (with projected English translations) and speaking in English. Michael Schnack was also the producer of the same operetta staged in Vienna Chamber Orchestra (Austria) in 2006 to a great acclaim.

A Los Angeles-based orchestra of exquisite musicians will play the music.

It is the first time that this unique musical comedy will be performed at such a scale and form in the English-speaking world in general, and the U.S. in particular.

Regular updates about the performance will be posted on www.facebook.com/theclothpeddler 

All interview requests addressing the producer and singers should be sent to office@azconsulatela.org 

Tickets can be obtained from www.clothpeddler.us 

The Cloth Peddler/Arşın Mal Alan was composed and staged by the founder of Azerbaijani opera and classical music Uzeyir Hajibeyli in 1913 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This musical comedy with amazing music and breathtaking plot is considered to be the first operetta in the entire Muslim world. Over the last 100 years, the operetta has been successfully performed in a plethora of languages in over 60 countries of the world, including in Austria, France, China, Greece, India, Russia, Turkey, etc.