Stephen Kitsakos

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Stephen Kitsakos
Stephen Kitsakos.jpg
Born
Stephen Spero Kitsakos

(1956-04-23) April 23, 1956 (age 67)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States of America
Education(Bachelor of Arts)
Alma materNew York University
Occupation
Spouse(s)John DeWald

Stephen Kitsakos was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 23, 1956. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University in 1979. He was admitted to the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop in 1995.

Professional

In 2021, the Seattle Opera announced the production of A Thousand Splendid Suns, with Kitsakos as librettist [1]. Its world premiere will be February 25, 2023. [2]. The opera was adapted from the novel by Khaled Hosseini, & commissioned in 2019. The score is by the American composer Sheila Silver.

With Silver, Kitsakos also wrote the libretti for The Wooden Sword, winner of the 2007 Sackler Prize in Composition [3], & The White Rooster, A Tale of Compassion for the Smithsonian Institution's Freer & Sackler Galleries[4].

With the composer Martin Hennessy, Kitsakos wrote the libretti for the one-act operas An Incident in Sutton Square & The Woman in Penthouse A, which were paired with The Other Room by Mark Campbell (librettist) under the unified title Single Occupancies, Three Opera Theatre Monologues[5]. It premiered at The Studios of Key West in January, 2020. An Incident in Sutton Square was subsequently produced by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville[6].

In April, 2022, Kitsakos & Hennessy's cabaret opera The Pleasing Recollection will premiere in New York City at Feinstein's/54 Below[7].

Kitsakos was a contributor to The Sondheim Review from 2009 to 2013. The Review no longer maintains a website, but Kitsakos maintains the list of his published Review articles on his own website.” [8].

Kitsakos's chapter on musical theater appears in the ABC-CLIO compendium Music in American Life[9].

Kitsakos is the author of a novel The Accidental Pilgrim, published in 2015 by ASD Media[10].

Kitsakos is a member of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers.

Charitable service

Kitsakos served as the Board President of The Studios of Key West from 2018-2021 [11]. He is now Chairman of their Advisory Council[12].

During the pandemic in 2020, Kitsakos helped The Studios continue with its mission to use the arts to establish Key West as a hub of cultural activity by creating as well as as serving as Executive Director for the digital conversation series Between Two Palms [13]. Notable guests included Stephanie Blythe, Kate Burton, Marissa Tomei, Tony Shalhoub, Kenny Leon, Dorie Greenspan, Paula Vogel, Donald Margulies, Michael R. Jackson, Judith Light, Joy Behar, & Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland.

Kitsakos also produced & directed the digital streaming play Smithtown by Drew Larimore, a former Artist in Residence. It starred Michael Urie, Constance Shulman, Ann Harada, & Colby Lewis.

Personal life

Kitsakos met his husband, John DeWald, retired Senior Vice President of Program Operations for NBC Comcast, in 1981. They were married in Stockbridge, MA in 2010.

References

  1. "A Thousand Splendid Suns (opera)". Wikipedia.
  2. "A Thousand Splendid Suns World Premiere". The Seattle Opera.
  3. "The Wooden Sword". Sheila Silver.
  4. "Tapestry Ensemble Weaves a Vocal Story". The New Paltz Oracle. April 28, 2011.
  5. "Single Occupancies reimagines opera with intimate monologues that deliver". Florida Weekly. January 23, 2020.
  6. "UTOT Live at World's Fair Park". Kevin Class. April 10, 2021.
  7. "Michael Kelly in The Pleasing Recollection". Feinstein's/54 Below.
  8. "The Sondheim Review". Stephen Kitsakos.
  9. "Musical Theater". Stephen Kitsakos.
  10. "Adult Books". ASD Media.
  11. "New Board Leadership at The Studios". The Studios of Key West. July 23, 2018.
  12. "Staff and Board". The Studios of Key West.
  13. "Between Two Palms". The Studios of Key West.

External links

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