13

Nov

Snag the Lemons: Following the new musical ‘On the Eve’

What happens when the music of an indie rock band collides with a story about Marie Antoinette and a time traveling hot air balloon?  A musical?  You can’t be serious.  Believe it. 

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Over the course of the following week, 7½ Cents will be guiding readers through an in-depth look at the new musical On the Eve and its road to San Diego State University (SDSU) where it will receive a reading on November 19, 2015 in conjunction with La Jolla Playhouse.  With music and lyrics by Seth Magill and Shawn Magill and book by Michael Federico, this quirky show gleefully bends the rules of musical theatre.

Today’s post includes the 411.  Creators Seth and Shawn Magill are a husband and wife duo who front the Dallas-based band Home By Hovercraft.  The sound of the show is a direct reflection of the band’s indie rock sound, and this is precisely why On the Eve has generated such buzz around it at both the 2014 Dallas production and the very recent reading at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) conference in Oct. 2015.  Click the links throughout the post to direct you to more information.

Though the score is partly interpolation of previously written songs, partly new songs for the piece, and partly brand-new material since the NAMT reading, much of the On the Eve score can be heard on Home By Hovercraft’s LP Are We Chameleons?  At first blush, Home By Hovercraft has a sound akin to Vampire Weekend with repetitive musical patterns, clever instrumentation, and poetic—if non-linear, non-storytelling—lyrics.  The opening number serves as a good taste of On the Eve.  It also features step dancing by Seth’s sister Abbey Magill, a sound which represents the coming of the revolution.

Future posts will include a thorough look at the musical score, a recap of the first week of staging rehearsals of the SDSU reading, a discussion on the tightly wrapped metaphors around Michael Federico’s book, and a glimpse into the potential future of the piece.  Readers should feel free to send questions or comment below, as updates will be happening daily.

In the meantime, have a gander at the Home By Hovercraft homepage or browse the official website for On the Eve.

Read PART 2 in the series exploring the music On the Eve here.

ON THE EVE SDSU Workshop

Director—Stephen Brotebeck

Musical Director—Robert Meffe
Talking Man/Captain Boulder—Randall Eames

Antoinette/Marie—Courtney Kattengell

Louis/HAMOTCB—Jacob Brent

Joseph—Bradley J. Behrmann

Simone/Caroline—Jessica Humphrey

Chase Spacegrove—Kikau Alvaro

Statue/Clio—Liv Stevns Petersen

Bureaucrat/Dr. Scientist/Mother—Julia Cuppy

Young Marie/Young Antoinette—Amy Perkins

Etienne/Pundit—Sean Boyd

Stage Manager—Stephanie Kwik

Assistant Stage Manager—Aimee Holland

Lighting Desiger—Walter Lopez

Dramaturg—Rachel Mink

10 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Musical Theatre Musings

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25

Sep

It’s Not Hamilton, But You Could JUST PRETEND

I am trying to focus on writing today’s post, but I am too busy listening to Hamilton.  Maybe it’s just foolish to be dropping a new video from your humble little show that premiered in your hometown on a day when most Broadway aficionados are abuzz with the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s super-popular, super-ground-breaking, super-phat-beatz-n-rhymz-bustin’ new musical.  Maybe I’m just pretending people will notice me.

But here’s trying.

Orin and I are happy to release this video of one of our favorite numbers from our not-so-much-phat-beatz-as-what-we-hope-is-smart-sophisticated-tuneful-and-soul-filling show, Just Pretend.  It premiered June 27, 2015 at Youth Sing Praise.  This scene sets up the song “Faith Enough.”  Esther has just heard a decree that she is to be part of a contest to find a new Queen of Persia; her uncle, Mordechai, urges her forward despite her misgivings.

We will be sharing some other freshly-mastered excerpts from the show in the coming weeks.  Look for a full soundtrack to be available by Christmas.  Thanks to all for your support of this new work thus far.  Interested in learning more?  Head over to our official website here.

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Musical Theatre Musings

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17

Sep

In Your BLOOD: Comparing “Be Italian” Across Genres

For those who are fans of the musical Nine, I would be willing to wager that your exposure to the work goes in reverse chronological order.  There’s the 2009 movie musical version by Rob Marshall featuring a glittering constellation of stars from Kate Hudson to Marion Cotillard to Sophia Loren all swirling around Daniel Day Lewis.  There’s the 2003 Broadway revival at Roundabout starring Antonio Banderas.  Then there’s the original musical by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit and stylishly directed by Tommy Tune.  It was a sleeper hit of 1982.  But they all derive from Federico Fellini’s 1963 film masterpiece 8 1/2.  

Fergie as Saraghina in the 2009 movie musical of Nine directed by Rob Marshall
Antonio Banderas surrounded by his harem in the 2003 Roundabout production of Nine.
Kathi Moss as Saraghina in the original 1982 Broadway production of Nine.
Eddra Gale as the original Saraghina in Fellini’s 1963 film, 8 1/2.

The scene we will focus on today is what musical theatre nerds will know as “Be Italian.”  Our hero, Guido, recalls a time when he and his friends run off to the beach and–for a few coins–persuade the sensuous, provocative Saraghina to dance for them.  In the original source material, Saraghina dances “La Rumba.”  The musical transforms this memory into a number wherein Saraghina gives them a lesson in manhood, telling them that what they really need to do to successfully woo a woman is to simply “Be Italian.”

Following is a sequence that shows three versions of this scene.  We start with the original Broadway production.  Notice Tommy Tune’s use of black and white to create a film noir aesthetic.  Then we look at the same opening moment in the 1963 source material with a strangely alluring Eddra Gale.  After Saraghina starts her dance, we hop over to Rob Marshall’s interpretation for the 2009 film.  It is a brilliant amalgamation of the two.  As the musical number progresses, enjoy the vocal stylings of both Kathi Moss (1982) and Fergie (2009); they are equally sexy in their own way.

To discuss imagery in brief, observe that our scene takes place on the beach.  The sands of time keep slipping through our fingers.  There are also the coins that the boys use to pay Saraghina.  Musically, they become the coins on the tambourines as the song turns to a tarantella.  All three versions involve a sexuality lesson for these young boys with Saraghina as teacher.  Furthermore, the 2009 pays particular homage to the source material with a flirtatious use of conceal and reveal.

What is your favorite scene from Nine?  Comment below.

10 years ago Short URL Comments

Musical Theatre Musings

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