I. The Path to Frida - Inspiration

​

1) Common Places (Solo Piano w/electronics)

a) Introduction - by guest local radio personality/DJ

b) Starr plays Common Places

c) Starr then tells the story of the song, how it was inspired by her daughter, which inspired her journey of creating, recording and performing solo piano works and lead to the path of Frida Kahlo’s inspiration. (script for future shows includes more information on Starr’s exploring family ties to Mexico and her father - Roy Parodi - being a contemporary of Frida)

​

2) Albinoni Adagio (Solo Piano improv.)

a) Starr tells the story of this adagio’s legacy and it's near total destruction during the bombings of Dresden in WWII. (The only written scores were housed in the Dresden Library and only six small segments of the score survived the Allied bombings.)

b) The lost art of Baroque improvisation in classical music.

c) Starr plays her improvisation  on Albinoni's Adagio.

​

3) Kenya (Solo Piano improv.)

a)  Inspired by a postcard that arrives from a friend, this is a “touchstone” piece for Starr.  She first recored it with full band and choir and later transitioned it into a solo piano piece that is incredibly enjoyable to perform.

b) the Maasai don't understand the false borders of colonialism. This song draws inspiration from the idea of breaking down false borders we put around ourselves and others - it also relates to the universal inspiration of Frida.

 

II. Discovering Frida (and her twin)

​

4) Hardly Touching (Piano with Steben Twins  on low swing)

a) Intro to Frida's Story through tableaux vivant and the Laguna Festival Of Arts.

b) Frida quote about her imaginary twin who echoes her strange uniqueness.

c) The real “earthbound - flesh and blood” Frida enters stage left and strolls with her love Diego until she discovers the low swing (stage right).
d) Frida discovers her imaginary unafflicted twin at the low swing, they begin a low aerial routine that plays the imaginary Frida taking the real Frida into playful unbridled fun on the swing until reality suddenly sets in and the imaginary  Frida leaves the real Frida at the end of the piece. (for a while)

 

5) Nights In White Satin (Solo Piano w/electronics)

a)Frida’s romantic side in contrast to her starkness and reality.
b) This song like a painting, ventures deeply into aural colors.

​

6) The Overture Of Color (solo piano) a tribute to Frida’s artistic vision.

7) The Heart Of Frida (solo piano with the Steben Twins on stationary trapeze)
 a) Starr talks about meeting the Steben twins many years ago with Arsenio Hall (where she was a featured member of his band) and Elizabeth Taylor at a special Cirque du Soleil event. She describes how Frida has brought them together.    
 b) Starr reads a poetic quote of Diego Rivera “acid & tender, hard as steel and delicate and fine     as a butterfly’s wing.....and cruel as the bitterness of life” This quote brings out the Steben Twins     uncovered and revealed by Diego in both male and female dress in a large picture frame. The imagery strongly portrays Frida’s “duality”    The twins walk out of the frame and undress each other to their corseted (fashioned with the influence of a back brace) costume below.  There is lots of imagery here that shows the  extremes of both Frida’s frailty and inner strength and external toughness.        
c) Starr plays The Heart Of Frida while the Steben Twins perform a suspenseful & riveting aerial choreography.

8)When Doves Cry (Solo Piano w/ electronics & Guest Vocalist)
a) Starr talks about the Elephant and the Dove,  The 300 lb. Diego and diminutive 94 lb. Frida, their love and conflict.
    

b) Starr introduces her longtime close friend and early mentor Louis Price (who was the lead singer of The Temptations) and how she pictured him singing this song with this feel while recording it.



9)The Lightness Of Frida (solo piano & atmospheric violin with death of Frida, her release from this world and swinging trapeze - sense of flying

a) Frida enters the stage accompanied by the other Frida, she is dressed in white and wearing beautiful flowing skirt with one very large hoop that follows her.


b)The two Fridas hug and say goodbye, the earthbound Frida succumbs.
The unencumbered Frida ascends towards the ceiling revealing a beautiful 20+ ft. long skirt.
The unencumbered Frida reaches the ceiling and drops the skirt, revealing the fallen Frida below. Diego places the fallen Frida in a red suspended silk, she then rolls herself up the silk to join the ascended Frida.


c) The Fridas perform a high swinging trapeze to Starr’s “The Lightness of Frida” it signifies Frida’s release from this plane and her pain, overcoming the obstacles of her life through her art & courage.



Encore
10) Love Is The Answer (Starr on piano w/all cast singing, Louis on lead vocals w/audience participation)

​