Niguma - A Mantra Opera

NIGUMA is a GROUNDBREAKING, contemporary MANTRA opera. This operatic experience weaves ancient yoga teachings and timeless wisdom through song, dance, and mantra inspired by the 11th century yogini, Lady Niguma. It is designed to take the audience on a journey that will inspire them to connect with their heart space, illumine their own timeless wisdom and to stir an audience into exercising their altruism. The songs, elaborate creative direction, and imagery bring listeners and viewers into a space of deeper listening, creating an evening of freedom, fun, and unforgettable melodies.

SYNOPSIS

Niguma Opera is a tale of a young girl named Manda, and her enchanting journey of awakening. Her inner world is defined by struggles, trapped in chains, which bind her to the material world. Determined to choose a life path liberated by higher truth, she enters into a mystical dream world. Within this dreamscape, she encounters Lady Niguma, along with her angelic disciples, on the magical island of Sosa. Through the teachings of Lady Niguma, she discovers her true powers, her purity, and the realization that, “All is One.”

MUSIC FROM THE OPERA

CREDITS

Producers – Britten Park and Sangeeta Kaur
Creative Producer – Jerry Park
Creative Director – Bobby Newberry
Assistant Creative Director - Mel Mah
Choreographer – Talia Favia
Choreographer – Andrew Winghart
Choreographer – Julz Tocker
Writers – Michael George Land and Sangeeta Kaur
Music Director – Nicolas Neidhardt
Music by – Sangeeta Kaur

CAST

LADY NIGUMA – Rachael Markarian
MANDA – Sangeeta Kaur
SUITOR – Chaz Buzan
MANDA'S MOTHER – Sloan-Taylor Rabinor
MANDA'S FATHER – Chazz Cooks

DANCERS

Purity – Summer Vu (13yrs old)
Yogini 1 – Jorgen Makena
Yogini 2 – Haley Messick
Yogini 3 – Madelyne Spang
Yogi – Grayson McGuire

AERIALISTS

Antonio Martinez – The Throat Chakra (blue)
Meredith Ostrowsky – The Brow Chakra (indigo)

MUSICIANS

Vocals – Sangeeta Kaur
Backing Vocals – Onyay Pheori
Keyboard – Nicolas Neidhardt
Electric Guitar – Fritz Heede
Acoustic Guitar – Dat Nguyen
Bass – Mark Gorman
Percussions – Cedric Leonardi
Harp – Wendy Tahara
Strings – Autry String Quartet (Étienne Gara, Suyeon Kim, Haruka Horii, Kevin Hsu)

VISUALS BY – IMMANENT

ABOUT SANGEETA

Sangeeta Kaur (Teresa Mai) is a Vietnamese American trained opera singer, mantra singer, producer, and Global Peace Song Awards 2016 winner. She is a sound artist who is inspired to bring healing and awakening through music and yoga. Sangeeta was musically trained at California State University of Long Beach Music School and also at The Boston Conservatory of Music, with focuses in Opera and Voice. She has performed many different operatic roles throughout the US and Europe. Her love for mantra music began when she met her spiritual teachers in New York City who then guided her toward the practice and studies of Tibetan Buddhism, Kundalini Yoga, Yoga of Lady Niguma and the Yoga of Sound and Mantra. She released her first mantra album "Yoga is Love" in 2012 and her latest mantra crossover album "Niguma" was released in 2016. Sangeeta performs in various concerts and productions and teaches Kundalini yoga and voice internationally. As a way of giving back to her community, she runs Sat Nam Yoga, a not-for-profit community Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Center in Orange County, CA.