THE MUSIC OF SEYMOUR BARAB
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ONE ACT Operas

Cast of  One           Cast of Two           Cast of Three           Cast of Four

ONE ACT
CAST OF ONE
EVERYTHING MUST BE PERFECT (25 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Mezzo
Set: Exterior. The South. The Present.
Instrumentation: Wind Quintet, String quartet, Bass.

A mother's inability to persuade her 12 year-old daughter to attend her own birthday party forebodes a less than perfect summer ahead.


ONE ACT
CAST OF TWO
OUT THE WINDOW (45 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Mezzo, Baritone
Set: An urban apartment. The Present.
Instrumentation: Piano.

The wife of an insanely jealous husband enlists the aid of a neighbor to assist her in feigning an infidelity, believing this will cure her husband of his jealousy. unfortunately the neighbor has an insanely jealous wife.

PASSION IN THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE (20 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Soprano, Tenor
Set: An urban elementary school. 1930.
Instrumentation: Piano

Our 8-year old heroine and 9 year-old hero, compounding their ignorance of the facts of life, believe that marriage will be the solution to their problems.

THE RUINED MAID (25 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: 2 Sopranos
Set: A London Street. 1900
Instrumentation: Piano

A former scullery maid, dismissed from service by a jealous employer, accidentally meets her former mistress. The maid is now a wealthy courtesan, while her former employer has fallen to a low estate. Each envies the other.

PREDATORS (70 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Mezzo, Baritone
Set: The ground-floor apartment in a Manhattan brownstone. The present time. 
Instrumentation: Piano

A Jewish mother with an unmarried daughter encounters a suitable man. She tries to interest him in the daughter, but he has other, more sinister, plans.

PUBLIC DEFENDER (60 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Tenor, Baritone
Set: The interviewing room of a city prison. The present time.
Instrumentation: Piano

A failed attorney is appointed Public Defender to a confessed criminal. He desperately needs a courtroom victory to salvage his career, but the criminal staunchly maintains his own guilt.

LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT LENNY ANYMORE (40 Min.) Theodore Presser Co.
Cast: Soprano, Baritone
Set: An urban apartment. The present. 
Instrumentation: Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Strings

He, shy and unaggressive, has deceived her into believing he is a knight in shining armor. She, a liberated woman, has deceived him into believing she is an old-fashioned girl. Of course, the truth will out, but since both are so adept at deception, they could prove to be an ideal match after all.

MATING HABITS OF THE RADICAL CHIC (40 Min.) Theodore Presser Co.
Cast: Soprano, Baritone
Set: An urban house. The present.
Instrumentation: Piano

This blasé, intellectual couple stimulate each other romantically by playing some outrageous games.


ONE ACT
CAST OF THREE
NOT A SPANISH KISS (30 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Soprano, Tenor, Baritone
Set: Ancient Spain
Instrumentation: Piano

The impecunious Poet is smitten with love for the most beautiful woman in town - who happens to be the Financier's wife. The Poet offers to buy a kiss from her for a sum the greedy Financier cannot refuse. The Poet gets his kiss and the Financier finds that you can't get blood from a turnip.

FORTUNE'S FAVORITES (45 Min.) ECS Publishing
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Baritone
Set: Interior. A restaurant. The present.
Instrumentation: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, Strings

The former lovers, both superstitious, meet again. The omens seem to indicate that this is no chance meeting -- they are meant to marry. The number thirteen intrudes itself into their plans. Bad news? Not necessarily.

THE PERFECT WIFE Boosey-Hawkes, Inc.
Music by Pergolesi (adapted from his La Serva Padrona)
Cast: Soprano, Baritone, Mime
Set: Italy. 18th Century. 
Instrumentation: Strings, Continuo

In which the servant becomes the mistress of the house.


ONE ACT
CAST OF FOUR
CHANTICLEER (45 Min.) Boosey Hawkes, Inc.
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone
Set: A farmyard. The present.
Instrumentation: Flute, Oboe, 2 Clarinets, 2 Horns, Trumpet, Trombone, Timp., Perc., Harp, Strings.

Chanticleer, a conceited rooster, falls into the clutches of a fox who is a flatterer.

A GAME OF CHANCE (40 Min.) Boosey Hawkes, Inc. 
Cast: Soprano, 2 Mezzos, Baritone
Set: A garden. The present.
Instrumentation: Flute, Oboe, 2 Clarinets, Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Timp., Perc., Harp, Strings.

A Representative, the eternal messenger of Fate, brings to each of three young women her dearest wish. Instead of happiness, they find regret -- they have not asked for enough.

JEWISH HUMOR FROM OY TO VEY (up to 75 Min.) Theodore Presser
A selection of Jewish jokes, dramatized.
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone 
Set: Various or neutral
Instrumentation: Piano

Overture
1. Ages of Man
2. Francise
3. Futility
4. Thirst
5. Questionnaire
6. In the Cards
7. Hopeless
8. The Time
9. Identity
10. Prayer
11. True Love
12. Bed and Breakfast
13. Man Wanted
14. Cosmic Conundrum
15. Prospects
16. Deduction
17. Rarity
18. Wisdom
19. Onions

SAY CHEESE (45 Min.) Theodore Presser
Cast: Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass
Set: Interior. A store-front photographer's studio.
Instrumentation: Piano

Jimmy, a photographer rejected by the art world and his girlfriend, Kitty, prepare to end it all. A lot of dangerous stuff happens when Feldman and Derek enter with drawn guns, but Kitty saves the day -- no one dies.

LITTLE STORIES IN TOMORROW'S PAPER (60 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Mezzo (in 3 roles; 3 Mezzos may be present) 2 Baritones, Bass
Setting: Exterior. A forest. The present time. 
Instrumentation: Piano or Celeste, Electric Piano, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion (Vib., Glock., Bongos), Harp, Bass, Drum Set.

In this dark comedy, two murderers hiding from the law meet with a man whom they befriend, thinking he is a criminal like themselves. When they discover he is innocent of any crime, they try to revenge themselves for his "deception."

LA PIZZA CON FUNGHI (THE MUSHROOM PIE) (60 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone
Set: Interior. Italy. 1800s.
Instrumentation:

A satire on Italian opera of the period. Voluptua is in love with Scorpio. In order to be free to marry him, she plans to poison her husband, Count Formaggio. Her maid, Phobia, warns the Count of his wife's duplicity. For this show of loyalty, she must lose her life. Eventually, of course, so must all the other members of the cast.

THE HUSBAND, THE WIFE, THE LOVER (up to 60 Min.) Theodore Presser
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone, Man (non-singing, may be Stage Manager)
Set: Various
Instrumentation: Piano

1. My Sweet Wifey
2. My! My!
3. The Duel
4. Powerful Medicine
5. Busybody

Variations on a theme. The theme is infidelity.

ONE ACT
CAST OF FIVE OR SIX
AT LAST I'VE FOUND YOU (60 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Set: Interior and Exterior
Instrumentation: Piano

Beings from a distant galaxy land on Earth. Two government agents are dispatched to wrest the secret of intergalactic space flight from them. The agents succeed in their mission, but perhaps it would have been better if they had not.

AMERICAN PUNCHLINES (up to 60 Min.) Theodore Presser
A selection of dramatized jokes.
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone, Bass
Set: Various
Instrumentation: Piano

Overture
1. Smoking Gun
2. Limerick
3. Strawberry Ice Cream
4. Aprés un Rève
5. Prescription
6. Marriage
7. Volunteer
8. Pick-up
9. Sex and Sailing
10. High Tech
11. Quick Fix
12. Savoir-faire
13. Irresistible Me
14. Visit to an Artist's Studio
15. Swami
16. New Girl in the Office
17. Anniversary Waltz
18. Help Wanted
19. Dino's Deli
20. The Beautiful Veranda

I CAN'T STAND WAGNER (40 Min.) G. Schirmer
Cast: 3 Sopranos, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone 
Setting: A Manhattan apartment. The Present.
Instrumentation


A composer's masterpiece, "The Zeus Symphony," is premiered in Athens under the direction of the composer. It is acclaimed by all who hear it except Zeus himself, who is so incensed by the association of his regal name with the unpleasant avant-garde symphony that he causes the composer to be pursued by the Three Furies.

THE RAJAH'S RUBY (45 Min.) Comic opera. G. Schirmer
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Baritone, Bass, Man speaking

Set: An ordinary living-room
Instrumentation

A quiet evening at home for this middle-class, middle-aged couple suddenly turns into an exciting psychological thriller.

ONE ACT
CAST OF MORE THAN SIX
THE BETROTHAL OF BECKY BROWN (40 Min.) Theodore Presser
Cast: Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, 2 Baritones, Bass, Solo Chorus SATB
Set: Interior and Exterior. Wild West
Instrumentation: Piano
A child is born to the notorious Nasty Brown. Much to his chagrin, the child is not only a girl — Becky -- but one who will grow up to be repelled by dishonesty.

REBA (30 Min.) Theodore Presser
Large cast
Set: The South. A backyard. 1920.
Instrumentation: Piano

Reba's mother is a servant in the home of a white family. A funeral is being held for the young daughter of the house, who until her illness was Reba's playmate. Reba envies the attention being given the dead child.




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