Tag: art

creativity

NYC’s Secrets & Lies: The Power of Partnership and Resilience in Live Events

Christa Avampato
Ashley Semrick, Erin Hunkemoeller, Carla Katz, and Christa Avampato

I’m proud to share that the NYC’s Secrets & Lies holiday show this week about secret NYC maritime history at the South Street Seaport Museum was a huge success! I’m still GLOWING from all the good cheer. ✨️

This show is a dream passion project for me, and I feel so lucky to do this work. The phenomenal storytellers, the engaged and joyful audience, and the perfect museum partner team and venue made for such a special holiday celebration. I’m beyond grateful to everyone who came out to the show.

We had a packed house that enjoyed a special evening of history and stories, complete with snack table filled with historically accurate treats that all had a backstory! This event was our first location-based event; all the stories were thematically linked to the space where we performed creating an immersive environment where the audience didn’t just hear the stories but could feel them.

It was also a powerful case study in the critical value of collaboration. Working with the Seaport Museum team was seamless, proving that when partners share a clear vision, we can create an immersive meaningful experience for our audience that stays with them long after the show ends.

Live events are a masterclass in crisis management. As the creator and producer, successfully navigating the unexpected is part of the job description. Though it might sound crazy to some, this is what I love about producing: problem-solving, thinking on my feet, and taking care of everyone involved in making the show possible. The ultimate reward is delivering a high-quality experience for the audience and seeing the talented storytellers shine.

A little behind-the-scenes secret – I was more nervous about this show than any show we’ve ever done. Between my back injury, the cookie baking, a brand new venue with a brand new partner, this being our first location-based show, and a last minute emergency I didn’t expect, my natural stage fright was flying high. But through collaboration and partnership and joy, it all worked out. Once I focused solely on the storytellers, our audience, and our museum partner, the nerves finally faded. We are always stronger and better together.🫶

And good news (a la Buddy the Elf!): I saw a dachshund outside the museum as I arrived and another dachshund outside the museum on my way home. My Phinny is always with me!🐾

Thank you again to the phenomenal team, the storytellers, and everyone who came out to support live storytelling and New York history. This is proof that focused passion and strong partnerships can achieve anything!

Below are some photos from the show. Happy Holidays!

creativity

Hadestown is effective climate storytelling at its finest

Christa Avampato

I finally went to see Hadestown on Broadway. I know, I know. What took me so long?! After seeing it, I truly have no idea because it’s a transformative theater experience. A huge thank you to my dear friend, Dan Fortune, for taking me.

This was a very special performance because all 5 of the leads are brand new to the show. Music legend Kurt Elling, Jack Wolfe, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Morgan Dudley, and Paulo Szot knocked it out of the park, and the audience literally shouted with delight.

Yes, it’s all the things you’ve heard. It’s beautiful in every way, heart-filled, and filled with fascinating twists and turns woven between mythology and present day.

It’s also an incredibly effective climate story – the call to protect nature to reverse the harmful impacts of climate change on the food supply, mental and physical health, politics, and the economy.

It’s an immigration story, a migration story, a working class story about the power of generosity, community, and our own voices to lead change, to create a world where all beings are happy, healthy, and free. It’s a story of hope found in difficult, dark times and turning that hope into empowerment that leads to action. And art, specifically music, as a lever for all of that change.

Reminiscent of the call and response of spirituals with the essence of New Orleans, it’s a show that is of-the-moment even though it’s been on Broadway since 2019. Go see it. Cheer, clap, sing, get swept up in the beauty. And then carry all of it out into our world that is crying out for change. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

creativity

A Banner Year for Broadway

Christa Avampato
Photo from Playbill. It features Cynthia Erivo, the host of the Tony Awards this year.

It’s been a record year for Broadway theater. 4.85 million viewers watched the Tony Awards on CBS on Sunday, the largest broadcast audience since 2019 and a 38% increase over 2024. It set a new record for streaming with a 208% year-over-year increase. This is on the heels of Broadway’s highest grossing year ever – $2 billion in revenue from 14.7 million tickets sold.

Working in the performing arts in many different capacities for a good portion of my career, including Broadway theater, regional theater, touring, and now for Carnegie Hall, it’s inspiring and gratifying to see so many people choosing to spend their time and money to experience live performances. Most of my work is now in the digital media space, and I’m especially excited to see digital and live melding together as is the case for the current Broadway incarnations of Sunset Boulevard and The Picture of Dorian Grey

We often hear platitudes that theater is an escape from our everyday lives. We sit together in a dark theater with total strangers for 2+ hours as a way to get away from our worries and cares, to forget the outside world for a little while, to find some kind of reprieve.

I’ve always seen live performance as a way to come home to myself, to my deepest dreams, to the core of who I am. It helps me to reimagine what I might create, what I might aspire to do next. That’s why I keep going back. I think that may be why in these troubling, dangerous times so many people are gathering together in theaters – to affirm their belief that our best and brightest days are still ahead of us.

creativity

Monument Valley 3, a video game I worked on, is now on Netflix

Christa Avampato
Monument Valley 3 – https://go.ustwo.games/mv3

Monument Valley 3, a gorgeous video game with heart, is now out in the world on Netflix. I’m honored to be a Climate Expert for the game. I wrote about it as part of my Master’s program in Sustainability Leadership at the the University of Cambridge. Goethe said, “In the end we retain from our studies only that which we practically apply.” I’m grateful that my applied learnings from Cambridge now have the potential to reach the 3 billion people around the world who play video games.

Of course I’m most proud of the exceptional group of talented people who made Monument Valley 3, especially the Game Director and my dear friend, Jennifer Estaris, whom I love and admire so much. May this game inspire all of us to care for each other, our communities, and this beautiful planet we share.

Please download, play, rate, review, and share Monument Valley 3, and let me know what you think! To play, click this link on your mobile device: https://go.ustwo.games/mv3

creativity

Hope is a Renewable Resource

Christa Avampato
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2053590/episodes/16000698

With everything happening in the world now, hope may feel in short supply. I’ve got something that will help. I had the honor of being a guest on the Art Heals All Wounds podcast with host Pam Uzzell. 

During our conversation, I share my journey from growing up on a rural apple farm amidst adversity to becoming a climate advocate. I talk about my passion for reshaping the narratives and storytelling around sustainability and human design, and how my process of healing from cancer in the depths of the pandemic gave me perspective on healing the planet and the collective responsibility we all share for our planet’s future. This echos what the climate scientist, Dr. Michael Mann, calls “channeling dooming into doing.”

I also make the case for kindness (especially in urban settings), the urgency of transitioning to clean energy, and my plans for fostering environmental restoration, rewilding, and community engagement so we grow stronger together. Thank you, Pam, for the opportunity to talk about everything I love.

Listen to our conversation at https://www.buzzsprout.com/2053590/episodes/16000698

creativity

Reduce stress with Fall scenes and relaxing music

Christa Avampato

Image by Relaxing Jazz Corner

If you’re stressed, I’ve got something for you. I made this YouTube playlist of cozy Fall scenes with relaxing music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF8SWzj5Blq3uG2Zgig6jI4lOhefMF5VG

Crawl into one that looks inviting. Take a few deep breaths. Relax your face, neck, and shoulders. These scenes and this music are easy on all the senses. Even a few minutes of conscious relaxation will do wonders for your mind, body, and spirit. After some rest, you’ll bring a whole new perspective to your to-do list.

You’re doing the best you can. It’s okay to rest for a bit. Take care of you so you can take care of others.

Images from https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF8SWzj5Blq3uG2Zgig6jI4lOhefMF5VG

creativity

Carnegie Hall radiates joy as Dudamel, Lang Lang, and Castillo open the 2024–2025 season

Christa Avampato
Carnegie Hall 2024–2025 Season

Last night I had the great honor of joining a sold out crowd to open Carnegie Hall’s 2024–2025 season, and I’m so happy my friend, Ashley, could enjoy it with me. There were so many surprises and delights as the program mixed well-known favorites with first-of-their kind discoveries during a thrilling concert. 

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel is beloved among classical music lovers and Hollywood as one of the greatest of our time. He gives a full-body experience to his conducting and the joy he gets from leading the exceptional Los Angeles Philharmonic is evident to everyone who has the good fortune to see him do the work he loves. What knocked me out was the absence of a physical score. He conducted entirely from memory and never missed a beat. Even among world-class conductors, this was an incredible feat. 

Lang Lang joined Dudamel as the soloist for Rachmaninoff’s well-known Piano Concerto №2 in C Minor, Op. 18. At turns sweeping, fun, serious, and heartfelt, it spans the range of human emotion. Like Dudamel, Lang Lang gives his entire being to the music and also performs entirely from memory. At multiple points in this piece, Lang Lang’s hands and fingers were moving so quickly they appeared to blur. He’s an absolute wonder to see live and the audience was on their feet as soon as the piece ended demanding an encore, which Lang Lang happily gave.

The second half of the program was anchored by baritone soloist Gustavo Castillo performing Estancia, Op. 8 by Alberto Ginastera. The lyrics derive from José Hernández’s poem Martín Fierro, a heartbreaking story of the plight of the gaucho (a farmer or cattle herder in Argentina) losing his rural way of life. Last night this work received its first complete Carnegie Hall performance on record, demonstrating the Hall’s dedication to lesser-known works deserving of the spotlight. Castillo, Dudamel, and the Philharmonic kept the audience’s rapt attention right to the end. 

This season at Carnegie Hall will prove to be a bright light for music lovers of all genres, especially classical, pop, salsa, and reggaeton. With opening night, Dudamel and Castillo officially began the 2024–2025 season-long Nuestros Sonidos (Our Sounds) festival that celebrates the heritage and influence of Latin culture in the U.S., including those from the Caribbean. As usual, a plethora of talent will grace the Hall’s stages. I’m particularly excited about Pink Martini, Angélique Kidjo, Joyce DiDonato’s master class series, Ivy Queen, Asmik Grigorian, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson, Angel Blue and Lang Lang, and Samara Joy. 

There’s no better way to spend a year than reveling in music, familiar and new. See the full program and purchase tickets at https://www.carnegiehall.org/.

Photos below by Christa Avampato.

creativity

I fell hard for Liverpool; you will, too.

Christa Avampato
The Beatles statue. Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool. Photo by Christa Avampato.

I love a gritty city – one peppered with history, music, art, and salt-of-the-earth people. I fell for Liverpool as soon as I arrived. I walked out of the train station and into the cool morning light. I immediately felt at home. The food is delicious, the people are kind, and the city is thriving with art and music everywhere. It’s also very affordable. I could easily live there and be very happy!

Some highlights:

As a port city, Liverpool has an extensive dock area. It’s been refurbished as the Royal Albert Dock, filled with restaurants, cafes, bakeries, pubs, and art. It’s a fun area to spend an afternoon. (Rough Handmade is one of the greatest bakeries I’ve ever been to anywhere!)

Bold Street is one of the main commercial areas filled with shops, food, and bookstores. Open early to late, there’s something for everyone there. I spent an event there at Mowgli, enjoying some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. There are a few Mowgli locations in Liverpool and each of them is beautiful, buzzy, and relaxed.

Seeing the Beatles childhood homes and the Cavern Club was the main reason I went to Liverpool. I love their story and music. My old neighborhood on the Upper West Side has the Dakota, the last home of John Lennon, and Strawberry Fields in Central Park where the “Imagine” sundial honors John’s legacy. The two childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney in Liverpool are very different from one another. They’re time capsules that tell their story of friendship and happenstance in the wake of WWII. No pictures are allowed inside the houses, but you can get excellent indoor tours with the National Trust. The tour picks up at Speke Hall, another great National Trust home (that’s 400 years old!) and grounds that I highly recommend seeing. Become a member of the National Trust and this tour (as well as Speke Hall), along with many other UK sites, are deeply discounted or free.

Liverpool is home to many museums, my favorite being the Maritime Museum. It pays homage to the Titanic because the White Star Line, the ship’s owner, was based there. The museum also exposes the city’s horrific role in the transatlantic slave trade. While many cities and countries attempt to sweep tragedy under the rug, Liverpool addresses directly and honestly in this museum and throughout the city.

The Resident is a fantastic boutique hotel that emphasizes sustainability and is a repurposed factory. Incredible service and great accommodations, it’s located very close to Bold Street and within walking distance of all the great sites of the city.

While Liverpool isn’t as flashy as some other European destination, it’s filled with heart and soul. It’s well worth a visit. I’m already looking forward to visiting again.

The collage below are my favorite photos from Liverpool, all taken by me.

creativity

Celebrating National Cancer Survivors Month

Christa Avampato
Superpower by Brian Andreas

This year I learned June is National Cancer Survivors Month. I ended active treatment (for me, that was the end of primary surgeries, intravenous chemotherapy, and radiation) at the end of May 2021 so it perfectly coincides with my official cancer-free anniversary. 3 years on and I’m feeling terrific!

Being a survivor is daily work. Diet, exercise, medication, meditation, mindfulness, sleep, and stress-reduction are incredibly important parts of my routine helping me stay cancer-free. It can sometimes be a lonely road. Unless someone has walked this path themselves, it’s difficult to understand how it feels. My body does not look nor feel the way my pre-cancer body did. It never will. I’ve had to make peace with a new normal, scars and all. I miss my pre-cancer body and I’m grateful for the one I have. We can simultaneously carry mourning and gratitude. I carry them every day.

What I never lose sight of, not for a single moment, is that I’m extraordinarily lucky to be here at all. Even luckier still to be living a life I love and to be healthy. 2024 thus far has been challenging for me — personally, academically, and professionally. The world is a difficult place. My corner of the world is difficult, too, albeit for very different reasons. And still, I’m finding and cultivating beauty, wonder, joy, and love every day, in my work and in my life.

It’s a beautiful coincidence that this morning Brian Andreas, one of my favorite artists, posted this image that he created called Superpower. I’ll be buying this one to hang in my bedroom. It’s me. My superpower is waking up every day constantly amazed at being alive. Long may it continue.

creativity

My second novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, launches today

Christa Avampato
My new novel is available now everywhere books are sold

Today’s the day! My second novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is available now everywhere books are sold including Amazon (Paperback and eBook), Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Books-A-Million.

Synopsis:
It’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Just as Emerson Page is about to celebrate the start of her 15th birthday, she comes face-to-face with a family friend-turned-traitor. They begin a dangerous race against time, both willing to give their lives for the lost treasure her mother died trying to protect: an ancient book authored by the Greek muses, Emerson’s ancestors, that contains the secrets to unlimited creativity. Its wisdom is both a powerful tool and a dangerous weapon.

To find the book, Emerson, her friends Skylar and Truman, and her service dog Friday, have to entrust their lives to a series of mythological creatures to usher them deep below the streets of Dublin, Ireland into the land of the faeries. There, they’ll have to convince the faeries to give them the book by exchanging it for a priceless gift of their own.

Can Emerson and her best friends finish the work her mother began and protect the power of human imagination forever, or will her enemy capture the book to boost his own power?

Two notes:
Local bookstores and libraries can order the book with ISBN: 978-1-958901-80-9. The book is distributed by Ingram.

Though Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads is a sequel to my first novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, readers don’t have to read the first book to enjoy the second.