Hollywood, FL – January 24, 2011 - South Florida Playwrights’ Initiative is proud to announce its inaugural project: the creation and development of the musical TANTO AMOR. Music, lyrics and story by two-time Grammy nominated/BMI award winning Elsten Torres; book by Emmy Award nominated Christopher De Paola.
About TANTO AMOR
TANTO AMOR is a unique, bilingual musical journey of unrequited love, passionate songs, and a modern love story entangled within the lives of two brothers, Diego & Raffa, and the girl who is their muse, Malena. Portraying the rawness of the most unforgiving of emotions, TANTO AMOR is an epic exploration of love in its many manifestations- obsession, romance, sex, sacrifice, jealousy, crime, violence, and worship.
TANTO AMOR is being created and developed by South Florida Playwrights’ Initiative. This announcement is intended to garner support by bringing playwrights, patrons, people of interest, and theatres together DURING the creation process. By allowing the public to become intimately involved and invested in new work from its inception and through the development process, the audience engages theatre in a way that goes far beyond buying a ticket.
Press Quotes
“Around late 2007, I had a dream one night. The dream involved me watching a play that I had written. As I watched my play, the songs were all the songs originally intended for a previously unreleased album of mine titled TANTO AMOR. The next day, I sat down and started writing a story for TANTO AMOR. I wrote several different stories with several different plots, but was never 100% satisfied… In 2010, I had the good fortune of meeting Christopher De Paola, Founder of the South Florida Playwrights' Initiative. Instantly, TANTO AMOR popped up in my head and I knew that I had met my collaborator for the story.” –Elsten Torres
“When I founded SFPI, I thought I would be putting down the pen and taking on the role of developer full time. But when Elsten came to me with such a compelling narrative, gorgeous music and lyrics, and asked me to write the book, I would have been a fool not to accept.” –Christopher De Paola
“A musical revolution has emerged from Miami with a powerfully fresh new sound, and in the center of this movement stands Elsten Torres.” –Variety
“Miami’s mad cultural mix has finally produced something extraordinarily ‘cool’… Elsten Torres.” –Ocean Drive
“Elsten Torres goes for capturing the poignant or exuberant moment with that elusive union of feeling and melody that pop can do so well.” –The Miami Herald
“Elsten displays his diversity and originality with a force that few artists possess in the music scene.” –Chicago Tribune
“Elsten’s music carries a unique musical message that connects somehow to both Latinos and to the rest of us.” –Miami New Times
Elsten Torres (music/lyrics/story)
Elsten Torres is a Two-Time Grammy Nominated/BMI award-winning Cuban born – New York City raised singer/songwriter/producer/actor. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the BMG/RCA Bilingual Rock band, FULANO DE TAL. After the break-up of the band, Elsten has continued both his own career as a solo artist and has had success writing for other well-known performers such as: Ricky Martin; Luis Fonsi; Obie Bermudez; Alejandra Guzman; Julio Iglesias Jr. and many others. He has been nominated for two Grammies. The second Grammy nomination was for his first solo independent album, INDIVIDUAL in 2007. He has won several BMI music awards for his songwriting. Elsten has had several Billboard Top Ten hits including a #1 song for 5 consecutive weeks. Elsten has performed on stages all over the world including: England; Spain; Mexico; South America; Canada; the Caribbean as well as touring all over the continental U.S. He is on the board of governors for NARAS. Elsten also works with charity organizations such as H.O.P.E., and the Musicians On Call organization.
Christopher De Paola (book)
Christopher De Paola [deh-POW-la] is a native South Floridian who has just returned to the area after spending the last several years developing new plays in Chicago. He has assisted theatres such as Victory Gardens and Chicago Dramatists with new work. He is co-founder of LOCAL 75, a workshop focused on seeking out and developing working class plays. Christopher is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists, where he also co-founded, produced and hosted Instant Theatre, a monthly evening of new work. His play THE IMAGINE MAN was presented in the Victory Gardens’ festival Ignition: Emerging Playwrights of Color. He spent all of 2007 as head writer on the television series GREEN SCREEN ADVENTURES. His two plays MORNING TRAFFIC and DREAM WATER were commissioned and published by Pearson Education/Scott Foresman. His plays STREETS COME KNOCKING and RECOVERED were presented in Chicago Dramatists’ 2006 & 2007 Many Voices Project. Productions include: WHAT I KNEW THEN (NYC); THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN MEN & WOMEN (NYC). Christopher is also an Emmy Award nominated actor for his role as co-star of the series GREEN SCREEN ADVENTURES. He has extensive acting credits in Florida, Chicago and NYC. Christopher is also a founding member of the NYC improve troupe Devil’s Dancebelt. His teaching credits include playwriting and acting classes at Ohio University, Marietta College, Steppenwolf Theater, After School Matters, John Casablancas and various Chicago Public High Schools. He holds a BFA in Acting from Otterbein College, and an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.
About South Florida Playwrights’ Initiative:
The ultimate goal of South Florida Playwrights’ Initiative is to make new play development a vital part of theatre in South Florida. By injecting innovative and relevant new plays and musicals into the American repertoire, the Initiative intends to thrust South Florida onto the national stage as a premier incubator of new work.
For concept photos, songs from the musical, more about Elsten, and the inspirational material generating the ideas behind TANTO AMOR, please visit the South Florida Playwrights’ Initiative website at: www.sofloplaywrights.com
Press Contact:
Email: christopher@sofloplaywrights.com
Website: www.sofloplaywrights.com
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