Natalie Weiss – Creator/Composer/Lyricist
Musician/ Puppeteer / Playwright / Performing Artist Natalie Weiss has been creating music under the moniker Unicornicopia since 2001. Her eclectic Unicornicopia performances are as well received at world-renown art shows such as the Performa Biennial and the Museum of Modern Art’s Warm Up at P.S. 1 as they are at rock and cabaret venues such as The Knitting Factory, the Box and Joe’s Pub. She collaborates extensively with costume designer riderhood and prominent music producers such as Joe McGinty (Losers Lounge, Psychedelic Furs), Jeff Saltzman (producer of The Killers, The Black Keys), and duets with Ann Magnuson (of Bongwater) on the upcoming Fischerspooner album.
Her postmodern compositional style also extends into the realm of musical theatre: she has written, composed, directed, designed and produced three full-length musicals, two of which utilized her skills a puppeteer. Using a style developed while teaching AIDS education in Africa, Weiss is a deft designer, performer and director of multiple mask and puppetry types. Her third original musical, the smash Off-Off Broadway hit Jack and the Beanstalk, featured 6-foot two-wheeled human-integrated puppets as well as Vietnamese-influenced water puppets that were manipulated in a pool of water by non-actors in a converted mayonnaise factory. She is currently in the midst of developing her 4th original musical – CAMP WANATACHI – a collaboration with glitch pioneer Machinedrum that is executive produced by Ian Pai (co-founder of Blue Man Group).
Weiss’ smart and playful genre mashing isn’t restricted to original music - she also works as a music supervisor for fashion and theatre regularly. Music supervision highlights include Meryl Streep’s benefit for the Soho Repertory Theater, Steve Martin’s benefit for Elevator Repair Service and Monica Byrne’s Spring/Summer 2008 presentation at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
CONTACT:
campwanatachi at gmail dot com
