Peter Dizozza

The other night I dined with Peter Dizozza, whose poetry appears in Emanations: Foray into Forever.  We had Indian food and discussed, well, Indian food... and otherwise compared notes on New York, writing, and the production of the new book, in which he has two poems. One of his contributions is a lyric about Orson Wells, and the other is a passage from the libretto he wrote for an opera called Paradise Found.  And, yes, we talked a lot about Milton. Accompanying himself on piano, he performed a section of Paradise Found. I learned that the entire opera had been staged at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, and we discussed the logistics of staging an opera in an art gallery.  

Peter performs "The Orson Welles Song" HERE.

Click HERE to view the entire Paradise Found opera.

According to a description I found on YouTube, Paradise Found opens like this:

In this variation of the Adam and Eve Story, Victorianus befriends a serpent while on his vision quest. He takes the serpent home. The serpent offers to be called by various names, Bishop Faustus, Magway... but it is really Lilith dressed as a serpent offering to take Victorianus and Pristina back to the Garden of Eden. Can the serpent be the savior? Let's ask Prometheus...

Peter Dizozza is a native of New York City. Since 1999, Peter has been Theater Director for the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center. His musical theater background and focus on artistic collaboration has led him to a number of opportunities including composing the score for the 2014 Off-Broadway show, 155 Through the Roof.  Visit his website HERE.