Stay Together with MTT

Over the years, Tilson Thomas attended several of Goode's performances and became intrigued by the choreographer's fusion of text, song, multi-media and high-velocity movement. When the two began work on this new piece, they selected one of MTT's theater songs, Stay Together, the composer's "mordant homage to a bygone era of pop." Though the song is the central musical element of the dance, it is a touchstone for other musical purposes of Goode's narrative. Goode comments, "Our efforts, thus far, have resulted in a new music and movement sections that are inspired by a tiny gesture in the original composition or a fragment of the original lyrics. Of course, for me, just the title alone offers endless possibilities of how we stay together in a society that dogmatically emphasizes the new." A national tour of Stay Together is planned for next season.