gnimmel (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} gnimmel) wrote,@ 2006-11-19 23:32:00 |
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Get yer 17th & 18th Century Underworld Here
So: there is to be Housewarming on the 2nd of December.
As part of this Housewarming there is to be a read/singthrough of the Beggar's Opera, and perhaps a readthrough later on (after Gin has been consumed) of the Farce of Sodom. Although the philosophy of this singthrough is that if there has to be a choice between enjoyability and quality, enjoyability should kick quality's arse, this is still less than two weeks away, so it would be wise to assign parts and such. To that end, the way I'm doing casting is as follows:
1. Both scripts, scanned pages of all the songs and mp3s of most of the songs are up on the fluffhouse server here.
2. If no-one volunteers to sing or read anything, I will personally sing and read every single song and line in the entirety of both plays. You owe it to the world to stop me doing this.
3. If you'd like a part (summaries of all the parts are beneath the cut below), comment to this post. Comments are automatically screened and will not be unscreened unless they're obviously non-casting related or you ask. You should say which parts you'd potentially like, and you can also say if e.g. there are people you'd prefer not to have romantic scenes with or suchlike.
4. I wait a couple of days, and then assign parts.
5. Giant lizards take over Tokyo.
NB. Don't be alarmed by the number of songs; they're all very short and generally rather simple. If necessary, various parts can be played by the same people: e.g. Mrs Peachum and Lucy. Pianists are also welcome, althoughpurplepiano will be doing at least some of the piano-playing.
The characters in the Beggar's opera, in vague order of size-of-part are as follows:
SINGING PARTS:
MACHEATH: Rogue, rake, highwayman, archetypal antihero &c. Based vaguely on Jack Sheppard. In the score I have, a baritone (range F 1 1/2 octaves below middle C to E just above middle C). Sings in 15 songs.
POLLY PEACHUM: Surprisingly innocent and virtuous daughter of Mr & Mrs. Peachum. Soprano (range middle C - high A, optional high B flat). In love with Macheath. 18 songs.
LUCY LOCKIT: Slightly less virtuous, daughter of Lockit, also in love with Macheath. Mezzo (range A below middle C (optional F below middle C) to high G sharp). 13 songs.
MR. PEACHUM: Fence and 'thief-taker' (which is to say, a la Jonathan Wild, that he recovers for reward stolen goods (which have been stolen by his gang of thieves) and assists the police with the capture of criminals (when they are members of rival gangs)). Baritone (range B flat an octave and a bit below middle C to F above middle C). Seven songs. Provisionallypseudomonas.
MRS PEACHUM: Common-law wife of Mr. Peachum and mother of Polly. Mezzo (range middle C to the F sharp an octave and a bit above). Six songs.
LOCKIT: Newgate jailer and friend of Peachum. Father of Lucy. Baritone (range B flat an octave and a bit below middle C to E above middle C). Five songs.
FILCH: member of Peachum's household. One song. Tenor (range C below middle C to high G).
MATT OF THE MINT: A member of Macheath's gang (may optionally be filled in by Filch; different scores differ about who sings his songs). Same range as Filch. Two songs.
JENNY DIVER: Prostitute, previously involved with Macheath. One song. Alto (range middle C sharp to the D just over an octave above).
DIANA TRAPES: Older prostitute, now working as a madam. One song. Alto (range B flat below middle C to the C an octave above middle C). Provisionallycaulkhead.
SATB chorus (Whores and Ruffians, 2 songs SA, 2 songs TB with a small amount of TTBB, 2 songs SATB)
NON-SINGING PARTS:
BEGGAR: Fictional author of the play.
PLAYER: Joins the Beggar in conversation.
JEMMY TWITCHER, CROOK-FINGERED JACK, WAT DREARY, ROBIN OF BAGSHOT, NIMMING NED, HARRY PADINGTON and BEN BUDGE: Members of Macheath's gang.
MRS COAXER, DOLLY TRULL, MRS VIXEN, BETTY DOXY, MRS SLAMMERKIN, SUKY TAWDRY and MOLLY BRAZEN: Sundry Ladies of the Night.
There is also the matter, of course, of the Farce of Sodom (script also included on the website - and mark ye well! I transcribed it from the paper copy I have; as far as I know this is the only copy available on't interweb. See, the interweb had given me so many things I thought it was time to give it something back it could truly appreciate.) I'm happy to cast it just before we read it, but just in case you want to pre-order a part, I should let it be known that the speaking characters therein are:
BOLLOXIMIAN: King of Sodom
CUNTIGRATIA: His Queen
PRICKETT: Young Prince
SWIVIA: Princess
BUGGERANTHUS: General of the Army
POCKENELLO: Pimp, catamite and the King's Favourite
BORASTUS: Buggermaster-general
PENE & TOOLY: Pimps of Honour
LADY OFFICINA: She-pimp of Honour
FUCKADILLA: Maid of Honour (has a song)
CUNTICULA: `` `` (has a song)
CLITORIS: `` ``
FLUX: Physician-in-ordinary to the King
VIRTUOSO: Dildo and Merkin maker to the Court
VOICE: (non-speaking, has a song)
YOUTH: (non-speaking, has a song)
Various non-speaking parts, e.g. catamites, demons (who sing)
and that if you're offended by any of the names then you really don't want a part in it. The songs do not yet have tunes -- we'll probably just set them to any pre-existing tune that fits the metre.
So: there is to be Housewarming on the 2nd of December.
As part of this Housewarming there is to be a read/singthrough of the Beggar's Opera, and perhaps a readthrough later on (after Gin has been consumed) of the Farce of Sodom. Although the philosophy of this singthrough is that if there has to be a choice between enjoyability and quality, enjoyability should kick quality's arse, this is still less than two weeks away, so it would be wise to assign parts and such. To that end, the way I'm doing casting is as follows:
1. Both scripts, scanned pages of all the songs and mp3s of most of the songs are up on the fluffhouse server here.
2. If no-one volunteers to sing or read anything, I will personally sing and read every single song and line in the entirety of both plays. You owe it to the world to stop me doing this.
3. If you'd like a part (summaries of all the parts are beneath the cut below), comment to this post. Comments are automatically screened and will not be unscreened unless they're obviously non-casting related or you ask. You should say which parts you'd potentially like, and you can also say if e.g. there are people you'd prefer not to have romantic scenes with or suchlike.
4. I wait a couple of days, and then assign parts.
5. Giant lizards take over Tokyo.
NB. Don't be alarmed by the number of songs; they're all very short and generally rather simple. If necessary, various parts can be played by the same people: e.g. Mrs Peachum and Lucy. Pianists are also welcome, although
purplepiano will be doing at least some of the piano-playing.The characters in the Beggar's opera, in vague order of size-of-part are as follows:
SINGING PARTS:
MACHEATH: Rogue, rake, highwayman, archetypal antihero &c. Based vaguely on Jack Sheppard. In the score I have, a baritone (range F 1 1/2 octaves below middle C to E just above middle C). Sings in 15 songs.
POLLY PEACHUM: Surprisingly innocent and virtuous daughter of Mr & Mrs. Peachum. Soprano (range middle C - high A, optional high B flat). In love with Macheath. 18 songs.
LUCY LOCKIT: Slightly less virtuous, daughter of Lockit, also in love with Macheath. Mezzo (range A below middle C (optional F below middle C) to high G sharp). 13 songs.
MR. PEACHUM: Fence and 'thief-taker' (which is to say, a la Jonathan Wild, that he recovers for reward stolen goods (which have been stolen by his gang of thieves) and assists the police with the capture of criminals (when they are members of rival gangs)). Baritone (range B flat an octave and a bit below middle C to F above middle C). Seven songs. Provisionally
pseudomonas. MRS PEACHUM: Common-law wife of Mr. Peachum and mother of Polly. Mezzo (range middle C to the F sharp an octave and a bit above). Six songs.
LOCKIT: Newgate jailer and friend of Peachum. Father of Lucy. Baritone (range B flat an octave and a bit below middle C to E above middle C). Five songs.
FILCH: member of Peachum's household. One song. Tenor (range C below middle C to high G).
MATT OF THE MINT: A member of Macheath's gang (may optionally be filled in by Filch; different scores differ about who sings his songs). Same range as Filch. Two songs.
JENNY DIVER: Prostitute, previously involved with Macheath. One song. Alto (range middle C sharp to the D just over an octave above).
DIANA TRAPES: Older prostitute, now working as a madam. One song. Alto (range B flat below middle C to the C an octave above middle C). Provisionally
caulkhead.SATB chorus (Whores and Ruffians, 2 songs SA, 2 songs TB with a small amount of TTBB, 2 songs SATB)
NON-SINGING PARTS:
BEGGAR: Fictional author of the play.
PLAYER: Joins the Beggar in conversation.
JEMMY TWITCHER, CROOK-FINGERED JACK, WAT DREARY, ROBIN OF BAGSHOT, NIMMING NED, HARRY PADINGTON and BEN BUDGE: Members of Macheath's gang.
MRS COAXER, DOLLY TRULL, MRS VIXEN, BETTY DOXY, MRS SLAMMERKIN, SUKY TAWDRY and MOLLY BRAZEN: Sundry Ladies of the Night.
There is also the matter, of course, of the Farce of Sodom (script also included on the website - and mark ye well! I transcribed it from the paper copy I have; as far as I know this is the only copy available on't interweb. See, the interweb had given me so many things I thought it was time to give it something back it could truly appreciate.) I'm happy to cast it just before we read it, but just in case you want to pre-order a part, I should let it be known that the speaking characters therein are:
BOLLOXIMIAN: King of Sodom
CUNTIGRATIA: His Queen
PRICKETT: Young Prince
SWIVIA: Princess
BUGGERANTHUS: General of the Army
POCKENELLO: Pimp, catamite and the King's Favourite
BORASTUS: Buggermaster-general
PENE & TOOLY: Pimps of Honour
LADY OFFICINA: She-pimp of Honour
FUCKADILLA: Maid of Honour (has a song)
CUNTICULA: `` `` (has a song)
CLITORIS: `` ``
FLUX: Physician-in-ordinary to the King
VIRTUOSO: Dildo and Merkin maker to the Court
VOICE: (non-speaking, has a song)
YOUTH: (non-speaking, has a song)
Various non-speaking parts, e.g. catamites, demons (who sing)
and that if you're offended by any of the names then you really don't want a part in it. The songs do not yet have tunes -- we'll probably just set them to any pre-existing tune that fits the metre.
