If you saw Sufjan Steven’s orchestral, cinematic performance, The BQE, you likely remember how Deborah Johnson’s hallucinogenic visuals heightened the music and made the show all the more memorable. Well, Sufjan and Johnson are returning March 21-24 for another symphonic evening in BAM Harvey Theater, this time with Bryce Dessner of The National and composer Nico Muhly. The three were commissioned to write a song cycle about the solar system, a subject far more majestic than our local expressway. The reviews from Planetarium’s premiere at the Sydney Opera House were not glowing—the overall consensus being that there was too much Sufjan, and the collaboration was not cohesive—but since Johnson was tasked with creating projections for a giant black orb that hangs above the stage, it is guaranteed to look stunning. Tickets are on sale, and the good seats are selling quickly.
