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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.