VIII. Music Theater

Volume VIII.

Music

Theater:

KEY to voice types: C: coloratura or high soprano; S: soprano; M: mezzo-soprano;
A: alto; CT: countertenor; T: tenor; b: baritone; Bb: bass-baritone B: bass; N: narrator.
Fachs and genders may be changed as desired.

I. Music Theater for Children:

Alice: Two Radio Plays based on the writings of Lewis Carroll: Selections from both plays have been performed by Ben Sears,
b and Brad Conner, pianist. Recorded with William Cavness as narrator; Sid Tarlowe as Alice, Shinobu Takagi, M; & Robert Towne, T, with the composer, Bb & piano Selections heard on WHRB Radio, with M, Angeliki Theoharis & the composer, piano. Photo of Lewis Carroll to the right. Dedicated to the performers

Lewis Carroll: author

Alice in Wonderland

Through the Looking-Glass

1a. Alice in Wonderland: 90 minutes for C S A T b b B with seven additional spoken voices & piano; Alice enjoys Wonder-land with her cat by her side. The 1862 illustration of "The Mad
Tea Party" by John Tenniel is to the left.

1b. Through the Looking-Glass: 60 minutes: C S A T b + 5 additional spoken voices & piano. Alice goes through the Looking-Glass to be a pawn in a strange game of chess,
where she eventually becomes a queen. The 1972
illustration of "Queen Alice" by John Tenniel, is to the left.

Shinobu Takagi, Mouse Angeliki Theoharis, Duchess Brad Conner, pianist; & Ben Sears; Mad Hatter

2. Isand Curse: 11#s 40 minutes; radio musical for S A T Bb; two narrators (film crew)
& piano. Mockumentary of a strange island, where everyone sings, & strangers are forbidden to fall in love with islanders, otherwise a curse will be activated. Guess what happens when the S (Sarah) and the T (Bob) meet? Selections recorded by Shinobu Takagi, M, Robert Town, T; Angeliki Theoharris, M; and the composer, Bb and pianist.
"I'm in Heaven" performed by the composer, pianist, at the opening of the Chirkoff Theater Company of Cambridge, MA; & at Boston Metro Opera by M, Susan Craft
Larson, to the left, below in the clip; with T, Christopher Aaron Smith, picture to
the right, below; & pianist, Yelena Beriyeva on 1/27/12. Dedicated to all of the performers.
Please click on the button below to hear this performance:

DavidEdgarWalther · Heaven: Craft Larson/Smith

Susan Craft Larson Christopher Aaron Smith

3. Peter Crocodile: 22#s 60 minute radio musical based on "Peter Pan" by J. M. Barrie.
for S M cT Bb; opt. choruses, N & piano. Deducated to, & selections recorded by
Drew Hubbard, Bb & Angeliki Theoharis, M, the composer, Bb & piano; Heard on WMRB, Cambridge, MA.. A withheld version of "Peter Pan" (along with a musical based on
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens): dedicated to, commissioned & performed by "Prime Time for Kids" at Massasoit College, Brockton, MA. 1911 Illustration of "Neverland" by D, F, Bedford. Dedicated to the performers.

J. M. Barrie: author Illustration by F. D. Bedford, 1911

4. Pinocchio: 60 minute: withheld ballet musical after Carlo Collodi (photo to the right): 22#s for S & Bb (or three high & three low voices); dancers, narrator, flute & guitar. Some numbers available with piano. Narrations by Florence Whipple & Kristin Webb. Commissioned by, dedicated to, and premiered by The North Shore Civic Ballet and The Putnam Court Players: Mary Saunders, S, Kristin Webb, flute, ad Russell Southcott, guitar,with the composer, Bb. Choreographed by Florence Whipple, Jimmy Ray as Pinocchio; narrations by Florence Whipple and Kristin Webb. Cablecast on The Boston Neighborhood Netork (BNN-TV). Narrations, under revision. Please see IV/V/1. 1883 illustration of Pinocchio by Enrico Mazzanti.

Pinocchio by Enrico Mazzanti. Mary Saunders, soprano Florence Whipple, choreographer Carlo Collodi, author

5. Reigning Cats and Dogs: a radio musical: for two narrators (cats); & 8 singers S S M M T b B B (dogs) and piano; 1 hour; 10#. Queen Lilly has lost her ball, Detective Lucky
is asked to help discover who has taken it. Without it, Queen Lilly's reign over the dog park will be in jepardy. Selections recorded by: Nancy King, S; Catherine Radmer, M; Drew Hubbard, Bb & the composer, Bb & piano. Otherwise unperformed.

Whinnie-The-Pooh

6. Whinnie-The-Pooh: A radio musical; 90 minutes;
7 scenes based on A. A. Milne (photo to the right)
for S M T T B & N & piano. Commissioned by, & dedicated to, Florence Whipple & The North Shore Civic Ballet. Please see IV/V/3. 1928 illustration
by E. H. Shepherd to the left (of the bear "Growler").

A. A. Milne, author

II. Music Theater for Adults:

1. Big Eddy: A radio musical: one hour for: 2 narrators; 12#; S T b B & piano; one song lyric is by Keats. A drug kingpin and his ex-junkie boyfriend have problems with the company lawyer and Big Eddy's ex-wife. Based on "Edward II" by Christopher Marlowe; please see VII/1/2. Dedicataed to the performers: Shinobu Takagi, M; & Drew Hubbard, Bb. Otherwise unperformed.

Cinderella

2. Cindyfella: A drag costume musical; book written with my husband, Drew Hubbard (to the right); 13#; one hour; 5 singers and piano, with optional chorus. Based on the work of the Brothers Grimm. "Cinderella in the kitchen" is by Charles Robinson, 1900 (to the left). Selections performed by the composer, Bb & pianist.
To see the score and book to this piece, please click on the picture of Drew Hubbard to the right:

Drew Hubbard, author

3. Egg or Gd., The Musical: a philosophic radio play with songs; 10#; about an hour in duration; for 7 singing actors & piano. A star ship encounters an enormous object in its monitors. The crew try to figure out what it is. (It is a veiled simily for 7 view points on the nature of Gd. and the conclusion that everyone agrees that Gd. exists and what is the nature of that existence

4. Gaynocchio: 40 minute parody ballet of "Pinocchio" VIII/I/4, in which Gaypetto creates a gay puppet, narrated by a very queer cricket. The video uses a shortened version of the original video, with voice overs by the composer. Please see IV/V/2: Click on one of the donkeys to watch "Gaynocchio"

Lampwick & Gaynocchio

5. George Scrobe: 5# pocket musical for: 2 or 3 singers: cT, T or b, & a low gravelly voiced rock singer, N (stand-up dvl.), synthesizer & piano. A gay man tries to kill himself & finds love in the process. Genders and fachs may be changed. Unperformed.

Hansel and Gretel

6. Hansel and Gretel: 13# jazz radio opera for S S b
b B N: M & piano. Two juvenile delinquents torment
a kindly male witch. Selections recorded by Mary Saunders, S; Brett Johnson, b; Drew Hubbard,
Bb & the composer, Bb & pianist. Otherwise unperformed. Dedicated to the performers. Based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm (right); Illustration by Alexander Zick (left). May be performed as a second half of a program, following "Masque of The Witches" VIII/3/3 below.

Jacob & Wilhem Grimm

7. Sex Mystery or Off-nights at The Sometimes Café: 17# cabaret in 10 scenes; just over an hour (52 minutes & 25 seconds of music); for S M T b; 2 dancers, & N/pianist; Selections heard on WMBR Radio with M, Angeliki Theoharis & the composer, piano. A mystery of "who likes whom?" A shorter 20 minute version was shown on BNN-TV with Amelia Broome, S as Sara Spangle; Philip Jenkins, T; Ben Sears, b; the composer,bBb; & Brad Conner, piano; wth the dancers: Dana Danzel & James Spellman (choreographer);
TJ Norris, actor; Chris Gentes & Candy Hologram, cinematographers. Dedicated to all
of the performers. Special thanks to Amelia Broome for the use of her wonderful restaurant. Please see IV/V/4. This work was originaly composed entirely with lyrics by Emily Dickinson, please see "Emily Dickinson" under "Pieces" above.There are two versions of the book: one is for more mature audience. Please click on a photo, below, Amelia, Jim, or Dana to see the video; or further below to hear songs from the musical:

Amemila Broom, soprano Jim Spellman, dancer/choreopgrapher Dana Danzell, dancer

1. Always Sometimes

DavidEdgarWalther · Sometimes Café 1. Always Sometimes: Broome/Jensen/Conner

2. Alone

DavidEdgarWalther · Sometimes Café 2. Alone: Walther

3. Touch

DavidEdgarWalther · 3. Touch

4. Loneliness

DavidEdgarWalther · 4. Loneliness

5. Honey Lambkin

DavidEdgarWalther · Sometimes Café 5. Honey Lambkin: Broome/Conner

6. Always Again

DavidEdgarWalther · 6. Always Again!

7. Forever Sometimes

DavidEdgarWalther · 7. Forever Sometimes

Angelique Theoharis, mezzo-soprano Brad Conner, pianist & Ben Sears, baritone Chris Gentes, cinematographer

III. Jazz Based Cantatas & Song Cycles:

1. Canon Law: for 1-7 voices & piano; 30 minute song cycle: 9#s; texts by Mother Goose. A Catholic Priest relates the stories of paritioners who challenged his faith.
Sections recorded by Drew Hubbard, and the composer. Otherwise unperformed.

2. The Inquisition: 11 minutes: 5#s for cT, T, b, B & piano. From a dream, in response to censorship of "The Mystery Caller" (see #4 below); chronicles a trial, with charges similar to "offenses" found in "The Mystery Caller." The dialogue parodies the movie "The Wizard of Oz." Cablecast as a one man show by the composer. May be done with
a cast of four. Please watch THE INQUISITION
by clicking on the defendant to the right or
listen to the entire score, below:

The Defendant

1. The Judge:

2. The Prosecutor:

3. The Defendant

4. The Fairy Defense Attorney:

5. The Verdict

3. Masque of The Witches: 20#; 13 scenes, staged or unstaged occult thriller. Uses anonymous poets; & Jean Bodel, Rutebeuf, & Giordano Bruno. Selections recorded by Shinobu Takagi, M & the composer, Bb & piano. Otherwise unperformed. Also included in "Choral Music" VI/III/5. See shorter version: V/IVa/4 "When the Heart is full of Love"
for soprano with piano. See also VI/II/2c-f. May be performed as the first half of a program, followed by "Hansel and Grettle" VIII/2/6 above.
3a. Mask of The Witches: 45+ minutes; S M BT Bb B N & SATB quartet or choir, large
SATB chorus, actors, dancers & medium orchestra 2/2/2/2 2/2/2/1 perc. hrp. strings.
3b. Mask of the Witches: 35+ minutes; 5+ singers, opt. SATB choir & chorus, & piano.

Giordoano Bruno, poet/philosopher Rutebeuf, playwright Bodel, playwright

4. The Mystery Caller: 16-19 minutes radio musical; 4-5#s N, Bb, & piano. Originally called "Phone Sex." A gay man (the composer, mime) receives erotic musical phone calls from a mystery caller (Leonard Diggins, mime). The video is narrated by Fuzzy's lover (John Kristensen); animation by Zed. Cablecast on BNN-TV under the name "Phone Sex" & censured (moved from 6 p.m. to 1.30 a.m.) and, as a result, it was shown at Mobius in a show of censured works. Below please listen to the narrations (performed by John Kristensen, right) with the four original
songs as recorded by the composer, Bb, synthesizer & piano.

John Kristensen, narrator

1. Urban Serenade:

2. High Noon:

3. Endless Twilight:

4. Goodnight, my mystery love!

To see this video of you must be over 18 years of age:
Please click the appropriate button under "Fuzzy" to watch "The Mystery Caller" a.k.a. "Phone Sex"

I am under 18

I am over 18

5a. The Search for Mr. Big: 10#s; a 20 minute jazz song cycle for Bb & piano. A gay man falls for 2 large men. Contains 1 more song than the video below; omits 2 instrumentals.
5b. The Search for Mr. Big: 10#s: a 20 minute video for Bb & synthesizer with 3 actors. The work chronicles two of the large men loved by a gay man, played by Brian Mark. Both of his boyfriends, Harold & Paul are played by Tony Stegal. Jimmie York plays Harold's mother & Paul's land-lady. Dedicated to the performers, and cablecast on
BNN-TV & shown informally at The Boston Ramrod under the original name: "Confessions of a Fat Slut". Please see the video, or listen to the music below:

To the right (top) please click on Harold's mother
to watch the story of Tommy & Harold;

To the right (bottom) please click on Paul
or Tommy to see the story of their love: