Global InformationSquonk Opera information
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Squonk Opera is a group of interdisciplinary performing artists from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Led by artistic directors Jackie Dempsey and Steve O'Hearn, Squonk Opera formed in 1992 and has created fifteen distinct shows and performed in over 250 venues in 36 of the United States. Squonk Opera has been touring internationally since 2003 - to Scotland, Belgium, Germany and twice to South Korea, where they opened both the Busan International Performing Arts Festival and the World Music Theater Festival. In 2017, Squonk was one of the first western acts to perform at the Qingdao International Beer Festival in Qingdao, China. Over 1,000,000 people have seen Squonk around the world, and reviews include “a multimedia troupe of infinite jest with an imagination to match” from The New York Times, "insane majesty" from The Scotsman, and "...surreal and poetic" from USA Today.
Squonk Opera's shows consist of music, visual art, and acting elements in an attempt to make a form of opera accessible to all people. Dempsey says "we like to think of ourselves as a wacky, provincial opera company." They named the group "Squonk" after a description of a jazz saxophonist's playing as a "squonk-fest", rather than the legendary creature of the same name.
In 2000, Squonk Opera took their show Bigsmörgåsbørdwünderwerk onto Broadway from its previous off-Broadway run. Though the venture wasn't a commercial success, the exposure it gained them was ultimately beneficial.
In 2011, Squonk Opera performed on the popular television show America's Got Talent. They were sent directly past the Vegas round into Hollywood, and thus did not compete until the first quarterfinals. The group was eliminated, being buzzed by Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan.
Squonk Opera has received over 100 grants and awards for their work, including eight NEA awards, an American Theater Wing Award, and grants from other national funders such as the Rockefeller M.A.P. Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Jim Henson Foundation, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additionally, Squonk Opera has been supported by numerous local and regional funders, including Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation, PNC Charitable Trust, Grable Foundation, Buhl Foundation, The Opportunity Fund, and many others.