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At the dawn of the 20th century, Brooklyn is being targeted by real estate developers with plans to build the world’s highest tower right in the centre of the New York borough. When master carpenter Lev is commissioned to construct a carrousel to crown the skyscraper, he finds himself torn between his ambition and his loyalty to the community. Brooklyn Babylon is an urban fable which unfolds wordlessly. The performance combines the grim animations and live painting by graphic and comic artist Danijel Zezelj with the exciting, cosmopolitan polyphony of Secret Society, an 18-piece bigband led by Darcy James Argue – regarded as one of the great American jazz musicians of the new generation.

  • © James Matthew

  • © James Matthew

  • © James Matthew

credits

music Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society story Danijel Zezelj animation Danijel Zezelj live painting Danijel Zezelj video design Jim Findlay external eye Isaac Butler costumes Paloma Young lighting design Scott Bolmanregie creative producer Beth Morrison Projects commissioned by Brooklyn Academy of Music, Next Wave Festival with the support of The MAP Fund, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Creative Capital, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation