Prologue May 2010 Journal of the Queanbeyan Players Fame – the Musical! The Gondoliers Fame – the Musical opens Friday 21 May! But there will be life after Fame , and QP’s next There is a fabulous buzz around this show and we show will be Gilbert and Sullivan’s The think audiences are going to be absolutely wowed. Gondoliers , to be co-directed by Janetta McRae The hugely talented cast have been singing and and Greg Wallace with musical direction by dancing through rehearsals for months, and the Jennifer Groom . Auditions will be on 19 and 20 show is looking and sounding amazing. June, with audition bookings to open on 4 June – QP’s publicity machine has hit top gear, with keep an eye out for audition notices. lots of media attention. We’re expecting a feature Synopsis on WIN News on Friday 21 May, so record it if Set in Venice in the mid eighteenth century, you can! There have also been several items in the The Gondoliers tells the story of two young men, Queanbeyan Age, as well as the Canberra Times Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri, who ply the trade and the Chronicle. Cast members Jordan Kelly , of gondoliers. However, whilst one may be a Bill Bourchier , Beth Deer and Pete Ricardo were gondolier, the other is actually the rightful heir to interviewed on 666 ABC Canberra – you can the throne of the kingdom of Barataria. As a listen to the interview at baby, he was spirited away by The Grand http://blogs.abc.net.au/canberra/2010/05/i- Inquisitor of Spain after his royal father had want-to-live-forever- founded a peculiar religion of his own, to be fame.html?site=canberra&program=canberra_dr brought up by a “highly respectable gondolier”. ive . Unfortunately, the old gondolier has died and no- There will be performances at 8.00pm on one knows which is the king and “which the Friday 21, Saturday 22, Thursday 27, Friday 28, gondolier”. Saturday 29 May and Thursday 3, Friday 4 and When our story opens, Marco and Giuseppe Saturday 5 June, with 2.00pm matinees on each choose a bride (Gianetta and Tessa) from Saturday 29 May and Saturday 5 June, and a amongst the crowd of young women who sell twilight performance at 5.00pm on Sunday 30 flowers on the Piazetta in Venice. This dismays May. the Grand Inquisitor, who has come to Venice Tickets are selling fast, and you won’t want to looking for the man who is now the new king of miss this one. Book your tickets now at The Q! Barataria. Visit the box office or call 6298 0290 (opening Also in Venice looking for the new king, are the hours Monday to Friday 10.00am to 4.00pm; impoverished Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro, Saturday 10.00am to 3.00pm; closed public their daughter Casilda and their servant Luiz. holidays), or book online 24 hours a day at Casilda is distressed to learn that she was married www.theq.net.au . in baby-hood to the infant king, as she and Luiz are secretly in love. The Grand Inquisitor Prologue: journal of the Queanbeyan Players persuades Marco and Giuseppe to go to Barataria is published by the Queanbeyan Players, Inc. and rule jointly until Luiz can fetch his mother, PO Box 390, Queanbeyan NSW 2620 Inez, once the baby prince’s nurse. Surely she will ISSN 1834-6308 (Print) be able to tell which is which. He does not ISSN 1834-6316 (Online) mention the marriage, so it comes as a shock to To subscribe to the online edition, visit www.qp.org.au Marco and Giuseppe to learn that one of them may be “an unintentional bigamist”. President – Peter Smith 0427 879 774 Inez arrives and announces that the rightful Vice president – Anna Wise 0415 837 001 king is actually … Luiz! So everything ends Secretary – Janette Humphrey 6231 2020 happily with three pairs of lovers re-united. Characters would be preferable if we heard you sing your Each principal character is listed with their part of “There was a time”.) Stage age early main solo. If you are auditioning for a principal twenties. role, we would prefer that you sang this number. Luiz : Servant to the Ducal party. He and However, if you don’t know it, something similar Casilda are secretly in love, but their love-affair from the G&S repertoire would be suitable. now looks even more hopeless than it did before. Chorus, sing some G&S if possible, otherwise (Tenor/high baritone “There was a time”.) Luiz something that gives us an idea of your vocal actually turns out to be the rightful heir to the range. throne of Barataria, so he needs to be a little more We will have scores of most G& S shows at the noble & aristocratic than the two gondoliers. auditions, but if it’s anything other than G & S, Stage age early twenties. please bring your own sheet music for the pianist. Don Alhambra Del Bolero, the Grand Dress comfortably because we will be asking Inquisitor of Spain : A ruthless schemer who you to do some simple movement, with the view cynically manipulates all around him. Quietly to using the more nimble amongst you to sinister. (Bass-baritone – “I stole the prince”) augment the dancing. Stage age 50+. “Stage age” means the age you have to look on The following are minor principals who have stage NOT your chronological age. some solo singing and in the case of the men, some dialogue. Marco and Guiseppe Palmieri : Our two heroes, both presently plying the trade of gondoliers. Inez : A cameo part if ever there was one! Inez Staunch republicans both. Marco (Tenor – “Take is a gypsy who was the young King of Barataria’s a pair of sparkling eyes’) is the quieter, more foster mother. She appears in the Act Two finale romantic of the pair. Giuseppe (Baritone – to reveal the identity of the true king. (Mezzo- “Rising early in the morning”) the more sop). Stage age 50+. Inez can sing with the flamboyant, given to making fiery speeches about chorus in the early part of the show if she wishes. the joys of being a republican. (Until he discovers Fiametta : One of the Contadine (Sop – “Two that he just may be a king.) Stage age early there are”.) Stage age – late teens/early twenties. twenties. Vittoria (Mezzo-sop) and Giulia (Sop): Gianetta and Tessa : Two Venetian Contadine Contadine. Stage age – late teens/early twenties. (peasant girls who sell flowers on thePiazetta in Antonio : One of the gondoliers. (Baritone – Venice). Gianetta (Soprano – “Kind sir you “For the merriest fellows are we”.) Stage age – cannot have the heart”) is the livelier of the two, twenties/thirties. whilst Tessa (Mezzo–sop – “When a merry Francesco (Tenor) and Giorgio (Bass): maiden marries) is the more dreamy & romantic. Gondoliers. Stage age – twenties/thirties. In the true tradition of opposites attracting, Women’s Chorus : Flower sellers on the Gianetta marries Marco and Tessa marries Piazetta. Ages 15 and up. The younger women Giuseppe. Stage age early twenties. are hoping that Marco or Giuseppe will choose The Duke of Plaza-Toro : This is the patter-song them as brides. The older women are probably part, so good, crisp diction required. (Baritone - hoping that Marco or Giuseppe would like to “In enterprise of martial kind”.) A cheerful and marry their daughter. First and second sopranos. unrepentantly immoral character, the Duke is NB The first soprano part is quite high. If you are into any devious and more than slightly dubious not comfortable singing at this height, we will put scheme for making money. Stage age 45+. you into the second soprano line. This may mean The Duchess of Plaza-Toro : The Duke’s that you have to tackle some part singing (a formidable wife, whose attitude to life is similar challenge, but one that we will help you meet with to the Duke’s, but perhaps more ruthless. lots of rehearsals and a midi to help you learn (Mezzo-sop – “On the day that I was wedded”. your part) but we do not want to ruin anyone’s Stage age 45+. voice by asking them to strain for notes that they Casilda : Their beautiful young daughter, who is should not be singing. distressed to learn that she has been wedded Men’s Chorus : Gondoliers. Ages 15 and up. since baby-hood to the missing heir to the throne Tenors and basses. Fine, independent fellows of Barataria. (Soprano – Casilda & Luiz do not who are never the less quite attracted to the idea have any solos, instead they have two duets. It of becoming courtiers. May 2010 2 Prologue Dancers : Contadine for most of the story, Pinafore and many, many more), Jim Bowring although they do briefly become sailors, then (Yeomen etc), Norma Roach (involved in every pages. Singing not required. show in some way over the last 36+ years), Viv Children : Although there are actually no Arnold (director/producer who directed Fiddler children in this show, we can accommodate a few on the Roof , Sand Fairy , Isabella , Thunderbolt (ages 10+) as peasant children and as attendants etc), Patrick McLoughlin ( Yeomen , The King and for the Ducal party. Come with a song to sing and I), Ann Neville ( Fiddler on the Roof ), Christine dress comfortably so that you can do some Philipp (Pirates ), Michael Hemming ( Seven movement. Brides for Seven Brothers ) and a cast of AND … WE STILL NEED A newcomers of all ages who do a fantastic job! As CHOREOGRAPHER! Please contact Janetta at one audience members said "Where are the CAT [email protected] .