Orpheus

2007-06-12T16:59:00.000-04:00

2007-05-13T16:36:00.000-04:00

Congrats to the entire cast and crew of Orpheus on a job well done this weekend!

Watch this space for updates on:
- The status of the show: Where is it going? Will it be edited?
- The tentative plans for a new show...

2007-05-10T14:37:00.001-04:00

Well, all the hard work is about to pay off:

ORPHEUS
May 10th, 11th, and 12th at 8:00 PM in the '92 Theater
May 12th at 2:00 PM in the '92 Theater

Tickets available at the Wesleyan Box Office.

2007-04-19T11:17:00.000-04:00

A quick writers cut of the opening scene of Act II that got left on the cutting room floor (For good reason):

Orpheus and Eurydice were supposed to get engaged before they got married. The first act would have ended just as it does currently. However, the second act would have opened with a very "One Year Later" sort of feel with a lot of exposition as to what happened in the passing time. Topics of conversation would have included, but was not limited to:
- What happened to Penny, Polly, and Peggy
- How long they had been dating
- More development of Claudius and Julia
- A really cliche opening song outlining the proposal
- It would have been in a cafe. Yeah. I don't know.
- The transition would have been from the cafe morphing into the chapel morphing into the funeral.

All this and more in the next director's cut!

2007-04-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

The new calendar is up on Google with all the required rehearsals. This is probably when everyone's going to have to start making sacrifices. We're only about 5 weeks out.

2007-03-08T09:53:00.000-05:00

Tonight will be the first rehearsal with both Chorus and Band. Please bring your A-Game, guys, it's probably going to be the most fun we've had so far. BE ON TIME!!!

I hope everyone's memorized....

2007-01-31T18:04:00.000-05:00

Here's some Orpheus Trivia for all you cast members and random people who want to know more about the show and how it came about:

Claudius and Julia were originally going to be in a band with Orpheus, and romantic interests for each other. In the middle of the first act, they were going to sing a country duet at the end of which it was perfectly clear that they got together. (This was scrapped, because, let's face it, I can't write a country song.) The elimination of Brutus as a character made it possible for them to act in a different capacity as Orpheus's managers on both sides of the spectrum of friendliness to manageriness.

Exodus and Star-Crossed were written at roughly the same time based on two different note patterns that came up while piano noodling.

The show was originally going to be set in Roman times simply because the names of Roman Deities lend themselves better to rhyming and meter.

Hades was going to be much more evil and much less neutral. In the planning stages, Brutus made a deal with Hades to make Orpheus famous. When Orpheus broke his contract by getting married, Hades would tell Brutus to arrange for Eurydice to be killed. This was scrapped with the concept of Brutus because it didn't make any sense to distract from the main plot of the myth: Orpheus and Eurydice falling in love and being tragically torn apart. There was no need for soap opera type plot devices.

Megara was going to be of the mentality of Penny, Polly, and Peggy that Orpheus is the greatest thing since Doric Columns, while Eurydice was going to be much more critical of pop in general, as well as of Orpheus.

The first characters to be created were Cassandra and Tireseus, and Orpheus and Eurydice, obviously. However, the next characters to be created were Penny, Polly, and Peggy, along with their song What's So Great About Orpheus?

Persephone was going to be much more despondant about her situation in the underworld. This was changed after A Better Half, A Bitter Half was written.

Penny, Polly, and Peggy are named thusly because I started with Polly and Peggy and chose Penny due to the P(vowel)(two consonants)y makeup of her name.

A swing number was included in the original draft of the show.

The number of songs in the original draft numbered about 20 -- 10 in the first act and 10 in the second. This was reduced when I didn't write 20 songs.

I am now going to leave the music studios and get food before my next rehearsal. I hope you've enjoyed round one of Orpheus Trivia!

2007-01-23T14:07:00.001-05:00

We have the entire crew! The show will be going up as planned May 10th, 11th, and 12th!

2006-12-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

A new version of the script was sent out last night, as well as two rehearsal tracks.

There will be at least one more rehearsal track sent by the end of the week. It is important to note that only the people who are actually singing solos in the tracks are getting them at this point as the chorus parts are too complicated for me to sing on my own until I hammer them out completely. However, I do have a list of the numbers the chorus will not be in:

Introduction
Orpheus's Song (Act 1 & 2)
Star-Crossed
Lampost Song

This list is subject to change.

You should all get at least one more script rewrite (with minor changes) by the end of the break.

2006-12-26T16:57:00.000-05:00

Merry Day After December 25th!

The script work is going well, I've already made changes to the version the cast currently has. So, if you're in the cast and you haven't read the old version, or you don't have the old version, please, please, please email me as soon as possible in order to get it. It is imperative that you read the script before winter break is over so that you can be as familiar with it as possible by the time we start music.

As for the backing tracks: I have three of the major ones finished. (Finished enough for the soloists involved)

Edits continue, writing continues, Happy Holidays!

2006-12-23T03:51:00.000-05:00

The script has finished and I am now taking a second pass at it after sending the first draft to the cast and some of the crew. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, please email me immediately. The updated version will be going out in about a week once I've finished making edits to the number of appearences of Penny, Polly, and Peggy (increased), and many of Megara and Persephone's scenes (also increased). Cassandra and Tireseus will (hopefully) have more interludes. Also, I'll be adding and deleting any lines that I dislike or I feel like don't fit the current plot (as there are many. Those of you who have read through it know what I'm talking about.)

We are still looking for a Set Designer and Master Electrician. If you can serve in either of these capacities, please notify me at once via comments.

The backing tracks are not coming along as well as I would have hoped. I will most likely not be able to send out but 3 of them over winter break. Sorry, guys! I will do my best to get more headway done, but there just isn't the right equipment here at home to record what I need to be recorded. I may try to make a poor-man's rehearsal tape using a tapedeck and then slaving it to a cd burner, but that's only if I have the time.

On a side note, we have a date for the show: mark your calendars for May 10th, 11th, and 12th at the '92 Theater at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticuit!

2006-12-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

Auditions have finished and we have an amazing cast!

Orpheus - Seth Cohen
Eurydice - Elizabeth Trammell
Tireseus - Jon Short
Cassandra - Stephanie Ross
Hades - Sydney Berkman
Persephone - Lauren Russell
Claudius - Gabriel Fries
Julia - Tussy Alam
Megara - Leah Lucid
Polly - Chase Parr
Penny - Ariela Rotenberg
Peggy - Marika Tabilio
Chorus - Julien Burns, Tom Beckwith, Karl Grindal, Rob Boyd

Thanks to all who auditioned, we had a very talented pool of people, and it made casting incredibly difficult.

2006-11-30T11:16:00.001-05:00

AUDITION INFORMATION

Auditions for ORPHEUS!
Friday, December 8th
1:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Alpha Delta Phi Greene Room

Sign up for a 15 minute audition slot in the CFA Theater and Dance Studios.

Be prepared to sing a song. If you do not bring a song, one will be provided for you.
Cold readings will be provided.

email ssunu wesleyan edu for more information.

2006-11-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

After a long hiatus from the Blogging world, Orpheus Updates are now back in full swing!

First, the music is done, and work proceeds on the script. It is projected to be done by the end of next week in time for auditions. (See Next Post)

Also, the character list has been finalized, along with cast size:

Cassandra – A woman who nobody believes but is always right about the future. Serves as one narrator.
Tireseus – A blind man who can tell the future. Serves as one narrator.
Orpheus – Lead singer in the most popular band in all of Greece.
Eurydice – A student at the local university against pop in all its forms.
Penny, Polly, and Peggy – Three vapid and shallow girls who go to every one of Orpheus’s shows.
Megara – Eurydice’s best friend
Claudius – Orpheus’s best friend and co-manager.
Julia – Orpheus’s best galpal and co-manager.
Hades – God of the underworld.
Persephone – Hades’ wife

In addition to these 12 principle roles, up to 6 other chorus parts will be cast. The chorus will have parts in most scenes, playing many different parts. All characters except Orpheus, Eurydice, Cassandra, and Tireseus will at some point sing in the chorus.

Thanks for your continued support and good wishes. Audition information to follow.

2006-08-24T11:41:00.000-04:00

As the last full remaining week in the North Carolina development stage winds down to a close, the plan is for the first act to be finished before Tuesday, the 29th. Upon arrival at Wesleyan, work will really begin on Act II, and then the entire soundtrack will be presented to a limited group of close friends (mostly those who have known about it since its very early beginnings first semester, or those who will be abroad in the spring. There are, as always, exceptions to this rule, so expect to hear from me soon as to getting a sneak peek.).

Thanks for your continued support!

2006-08-14T10:41:00.000-04:00

As I continue to write the music for Orpheus, it becomes apparent that notation of any sort is unlikely. What will probably happen is that I will give out rehearsal cds/tapes with me singing the part, and then a track without me singing the part.

Also, Eurydice's solo is finished. Those of you who are interested in a preview of the music can contact me for a copy of this song once it is recorded. This will be one of (a possible) three tracks I may be releasing to the general public before the show goes up. (This is a possiblity. I may not release any tracks at all.)

Expect more updates by the end of the week.

2006-08-11T13:30:00.000-04:00

The Editing Session on Tuesday went very well, and although plans have changed for the first act, the second remains completely in tact.

Notable changes:

1) Claudius and Julia will have a song. They have not been cut, but they will only be in a total of one song, with chorus parts during most of the rest of the first act, and the first half of the second.

2) Act One will have more spoken lines than Act Two. Act Two will primarily be done in the form of music, with a few lines for exposition.

3) Brutus has been cut from the musical entirely, and with him two numbers in the first act. With this edit, a number of lines have been edited in the script, giving Claudius and Julia more lines.

4) Orpheus will be performing a solo song for the third number.

Progress proceeds on completing the second half of the first act through the first half of the second act. The music is 60% finished, and all the numbers should be finished by the end of August.

New Developments:

- Eurydice's solo in Act One is 50% finished
- The plotline is as close to finished as it will get before the rest of the music is written
- Hades and Persephone have a duet. Hades will have a solo in one song in the second act, but Persephone will not have a song to herself as of this moment.

Keep an eye on this blog for more developments as they occur.

2006-08-08T13:45:00.000-04:00

Today, there will be a major editing session of the bulk of the first act and the latter half of the second act. Many of the edits will include major rewrites of Claudius and Julia, as well as some of the songs they are featured in. Orpheus's first solo will be finished as of tonight, as will the penultimate, powerful number of the show. The major point of conflict I'm having is whether to have the story end marginally happily or not at all happy in the least. The original idea was to make it end sadly because that's how the story is. The moral being, that not every love story has any sort of happy ending. Though frankly, that's a little bit depressing.

The exclamation point at the end of the title kind of scares me. Perhaps a title change is in order.

So far, Eurydice's major song has not been written. It is planned for the first act shortly after Orpheus sets out to find her. However, it has taken some time to come up with the sound I want to have for Eurydice. This song should be one of the highest points of the entire show.

Stay tuned for more updates on completion!

2006-08-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

Cuts, edits, and additions are slowly being made to the original outline of Orpheus! in the form of some numbers, and one major character. The story as it stood was far too complicated to tell in musical format. Thus, the character of Brutus, the agent, will most likely be stricken from the show, and the band will already be established. As a result, Eurydice's death will be as a result of pure, tragic happenstance. (This final descision has not been made yet, but will probably be made by Thursday at the latest.) This will strike three songs entirely from the first act (two of which have already been written, which is a disappointment), shortening it to a bearable time-frame. In addition, I am considering cutting Julia from the script entirely and reducing Claudius's role. This would be an extreme measure, and would mean a re-write of the opening number. What will most likely happen is that Orpheus will be a solo artist instead of part of a band. Julia and Claudius will be friends of his, and instrumental in managing his crew, but not actually part of the band. This will still mean an edit of the opening number, but not a complete rehashing of lyrics and parts.

Act One now has seven planned songs (originally eleven) while Act Two has eight (originally unplanned). Notation proceeds slowly, especially as I do not have a midi keyboard. I may be able to borrow one from somebody when I get back to school. However, if I am not, I will need some help with notation. Please stay tuned for completion announcements to come in about three weeks.

2006-08-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

Work proceeds apace on Orpheus! as various songs are being rewritten and reworked. So far, this is the detailed cast of characters who will have at least one solo part somewhere in the musical. This list is subject to change at any time.

Orpheus - The main character. A rockstar who falls in love at first sight with a woman who could not care less about the image he presents to his adoring public.
Eurydice - The heroine of the story. A free-thinking, outspoken liberal girl severely out of place in Ancient Greece.
Julia and Claudius - Orpheus's best friends ~~and bandmates~~. They help convince him to go after the girl of his dreams.
Megara - Eurydice's best friend who wants to stay on top of some of the latest trends. Tries to adapt to Eurydice's Hades-May-Care style of thinking, but finds it hard sometimes to do so.
Brutus - Manager of Orpheus's band, The Exiles. He has regular dealings with Hades to make the bands he manages successful.Edit 8/07: This character has been taken out of the show.
Hades - Ruler of the Underworld
Persephone - Hades' reluctant wife and Queen of the Underworld during winter and fall.
Penny, Polly, and Peggy - Three vapid, blonde Orpheus fans who may not be all that they seem to be.
Cassandra and Tireseus - Two seers each with their own disabilities. Cassandra is unable to make anyone believe what she knows to be true, and Tireseus is blind. Each uses their special gifts to help narrate the sad tale of Orpheus and Eurydice as it unfolds.

In the coming weeks, I will be slowly releasing tidbits of music to be featured in the musical, prospective performance dates and locations, cast and crew, and scraps of the ultimate plot.