Perfect Lives Jersey City

Perfect Lives press image

Con Vivo Music and Art House Productions present:
Perfect Lives Jersey City

An opera by Robert Ashley
Arranged and performed by Varispeed with Con Vivo Music
Saturday, September 19, 2015
A FREE Day-Long Music Event

In a small Midwest town, two traveling musicians and two local siblings hatch a plan to take all the money from the Bank across state lines to Indiana for one day and then bring it back, thus performing the perfect crime… or a work of art. Originally released in the 1980s as episodes of a music-based BBC television show, Perfect Lives is Robert Ashley’s quirky, energetic, and philosophical modern opera, adapted anew by Varispeed and narrated by the band and guest musicians. Its seven episodes weave the intersecting stories of people in the American Midwest, centered around a mysterious crime, an elopement, and the mischief of two itinerant musicians.

Our performance will take place in seven 30-minute episodes at seven Jersey City venues throughout one day. Before each episode we will recap the story so far and between episodes you are encouraged to visit the All About Downtown Festival and open houses at our partner organizations.

For full details, visit our event page.
Download our PDF program: Perfect Lives Jersey City program and map

Schedule Overview:
11:00am THE PARK – All About Downtown Street Fair stage (242 Bay St)
1:30pm THE BANK – Provident Bank (239 Washington St)
3:00pm THE SUPERMARKET – Key Food (574 Jersey Ave)
4:00pm Art House open house and tours – Art House Productions (136 Magnolia Avenue)
5:00pm THE CHURCH – St Paul Lutheran Church (440 Hoboken Ave)
6:15pm Goat petting and refreshments – The Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery (435 Newark Ave)
7:00pm THE BACKYARD – The Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery (435 Newark Ave)
8:15pm Barrow Mansion tours – Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne Street)
9:00pm THE LIVING ROOM – Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne Street)
11:00pm THE BAR – Brightside Tavern (141 Bright St)

PLEASE NOTE: There is no seating at the PARK and SUPERMARKET episodes and there is limited seating at the BANK episode. There are a few instances of discrete coarse language in the BANK, SUPERMARKET, CHURCH, and LIVING ROOM episodes.

CVM Perfect Lives Jersey City map
Click the image to view full size.

Sponsored By: Remco Press and The Barrow Mansion Development Corporation
A huge thanks to Helen Yi for designing our program/map!
Photo credit: Courtesy of Mathew Pokoik and Mt. Tremper Arts

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. DeGise, County Executive, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.