Michael Cooper's Wondertales Captivate All Ages

Media Contact:

Kristen Gleason
Director of Marketing
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.979.1922 ext. 103
kristen@theparamount.net

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2007

With breathtaking handcrafted masks, original stories of courage and wonder, outlandish stilt dancing,  and a physical repertoire that ranges from the madcap to the sublime, Michael Cooper is a one-man extravaganza with a show for all ages.   A visual artist and virtuoso mime who has dazzled audiences with humor, poignancy, nimble speech, and eloquent gesture for almost thirty years, Cooper captivates audiences with his storytelling, comedy, and dazzling “moving sculpture.” 

A perfect outing for the whole family, Cooper will bring Masked Marvels & Wondertales to The Paramount Theater on Saturday, July 14 at 3 pm. 

Special Media Sponsor for this event is AlbemarleFamily.

Michael Cooper has trained with the two greatest mime teachers of the twentieth century -- Etienne Decroux of Paris, France and Tony Montanaro of Paris, Maine.  He has crisscrossed the world with his show, making appearances in such varied places as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Hong Kong International Children’s Festival, The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, and the Dublin Theater Festival.

Combining the mythical and the autobiographical, Cooper has the amazing ability to convince all who witness his work that creativity belongs to everyone.  Everyday occurrences are shown for what they really are, miraculous, through a joyful parade of timeless archetypes -- a baby crawling, a horse breaking into a gallop, giants wandering, the sun rising, noses exploding, bulls snorting.   Taking up to three hundred hours to produce a single paper or cloth mask, Cooper has elevated this most ancient of theater crafts to the level of a fine art.

Local children will have the opportunity to learn from Cooper during his visit to Charlottesville at a mask-making workshop for ages 9 to 11 that will be held at the theater Saturday, July 14 at 11 am.  Using templates supplied by Cooper, each participant will cut and fold their own paper mask, learning basics of sculpture.  All materials are included, and a fee will be charged.  Space is limited.  To make reservations, contact The Paramount’s Box Office at 434.979.1333.

In addition, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is offering an incentive in conjunction with the performance.  Encouraging young people to read throughout the summer, the Friends of the Library is having a drawing for free tickets to the 3 pm performance for all those who register for the library’s summer reading programs.  The drawing for tickets will be held on July 6th, so those interested should sign up before then.  Each winner will receive two tickets.  Information about the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is available online at jmrl.org.

  Tickets for Michael Cooper’s 3 pm performance of Masked Marvels and Wondertales on Saturday, July 14 are $25.50, with a Youth/Child price of $20.50 applying to ages 12 and under. 

The 11 am mask-making workshop is separately priced at $25 (materials included).  A combination ticket for both the workshop and performance is available at $45.50 for adults and $40.50 for those 12 and under.  Half-price student rush tickets and group discounts are also available. 

Tickets and further details may be found online  or through The Paramount’s Box Office at 434.979.1333.            

For more information about Michael Cooper, please visit www.themaskedmarvel.com.