Composer's Note

An original 20-minute musical inspired by the 19th-century Austrian painter Hans Makart and the Empress Elisabeth (nickamed Sisi) of Austria, written with Kara Cutruzzula (book and lyrics) for the New York Public Library's Across A Crowded Room program of 2019.

Synopsis (by Kara Cutruzzula)

Hans Makart is the Andy Warhol of 1880 Vienna. He's bold (his paintings are 10 feet high), he's eccentric (he wears period costumes...for fun), and he's beloved (the public pays to tour his studio atelier). When he's tasked with throwing a giant parade for the emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria's silver wedding anniversary, Makart must tap every resource he has, fight back critics who say his work is "immoral," and stoke his own ego in order to pull off the event.

But first he must paint a portrait of the Empress herself, which isn't going to be easy: obsessed with maintaining a youthful appearance, she's fanatical about her diet, her hair, and her beauty routine, and has refused to sit for any artists for the last decade. (She's only 42 now.) Plus, since she's shy and reclusive by nature, she's not exactly excited about the prospect of a parade in her honor — and is intent on stopping it at all costs.

Through their meeting at his famous studio, the odd couple of Hans and the Empress (whose nickname is "Sisi") trade barbs, beliefs, and histories. While rooted in historical details, The Eyes of Vienna explores a range of contemporary issues: the value of art, the responsibility of being an "influencer," the possibility of unexpected connection, and how to maintain privacy in an increasingly public world.

First Performance

Staged: December 2020, Tulane Chamber Musical Festival, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Reading: September 2019, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, New York, NY