Neptune Theatre Company

http://www.neptuneprods.com

NEPTUNE THEATRE PLAYBILL 2010

January 2010

Youth Theatre Workshop

“Little Red Ridinghood and Friends”

for kids and teenagers 5- 18 years at the Tweed Civic Centre.

Workshop: Weekdays - Wednesday 13th – Friday 22nd January
Full Dress Rehearsal: 11am(QLD time) Saturday 23rd January
Public Performance: 2pm (QLD time) Saturday 23rd January

May 2010

“SALAD!”

The first ever home grown vegetarian musical
Almost written by Jim Fury
Performance dates to be advised.

September 2010
The Desert Song
Return Season by popular Demand!

Directed by Wendy Fahey
Choreography by Caroline Jones
By permission of ORiGiN TM Theatrical
On behalf of Warner/Chappell Music Australia

THE CLASSICAL HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL
BOOK AND LYRICS BY OTTO HARBACH, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II & FRANK MANDEL
MUSIC BY SIGMUND ROMBERG

NEPTUNE PRODUCTIONS
By permission of OriGiN Theatrical On behalf of Warner/Chappell Music Australia
Book & Lyrics By Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel
Music by Sigmund Romberg
PRESENTS

BY POPULAR DEMAND, A RETURN SEASON OF THE
The Hauntingly Beautiful Musical
THE DESERT SONG
Director: Wendy Fahey ph. 5536 2446, email neptuneprods@bigpond.com
Choreographer: Caroline Thomas

AUDITIONS: TWEED CIVIC CENTRE – Wharf St Tweed Heads, next to the Tweed Bowls Cl.
SUNDAY 30th May, 3-5pm. Ring for appointment. Singers 3pm, Dancers 4pm
CALL BACK Monday 31st 6.30pm. Rehearsals rostered Mon. and Wed. nights.
Most Principals and chorus are reprising the roles they played in the ’09 production
Performances: Sept 17, 18, 24, 25, 7.30pm Tables of 10 Cabaret Seating BYO food and drinks.
Matinees Sept 18, 19, 25, 26, 1.30pm Theatre Seating

CHARACTERS: 13male 6 female. Music melodic, jazzy, up tempo compared to the original score.
A great story line, excellent acting, singing, and the addition of tap and exotic native dancing.

MALES: SID – The Red Shadow’s Lieutenant, Lyric Tenor; MINDAR – singer/actor; HADJI - actor; THAN – singer/actor; HASSI – Riff, big and hairy, actor/singer; SENTINEL; RED SHADOW / PIERRE BIRABEAU – General Birabeau’s only son – Tenor, actor, 25-35yrs; CAPTAIN PAUL FONTAINE of the French Foreign Legion – Tenor, Actor 25-35yrs; BENJAMIN – English Reporter, comedian, tap dancing tenor; GENERAL BIRABEAU – Pierre’s father, actor; ALI BEN ALI – Caid of the Riff Tribe, Strong Bass, Actor 35-50yrs; LIEUT. LA VERGNE and SERGEANT DE BOUSSAC – French Officers, singers, baritones.

FEMALES: NERI – Hadji’s daughter, singer 15-30yrs; SUSAN – Birabeau’s ward, comedy/singer; EDITH – Birabeau’s ward, soprano, Tap dancer 15-40yrs; MARGOT BONVALET – guest of Gen. Birabeau; AZURI – Captain Paul’s lover; exotic native dancer, actor 20-35yrs; CLEMENTINA – A Spanish “Lady” soprano, Spanish dancer, 20-35yrs;
CHORUS of Riffs, French Soldiers, Spanish Girls, Soldiers’ Wives and fiancées must all sing and hold a part – Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, tap and exotic native dancers, and a few children who can sing, act, perform gymnasts, and dance. We particularly want sopranos who can reach top Bb.

Time – 1925 LOCATION: NORTHERN AFRICA

THE STORY

The smash hit of 1926, Sigmund Romberg’s Classic The Desert Song has Its exotic setting in old French Morocco. This gave the composer an opportunity not only to write beautiful waltzes and ballads but introduce melodies bathed in the sultry colours of North Africa and the Near East. In 1929, The Desert Song became the first all-talking, all-singing screen operetta, with John Boles and Carlotta King. Gordon MacRae and Kathryn Grayson starred in the 1953 film version. The DESERT SONG is an ageless piece of theatrical magic.

Our story opens with the Riffs, a rebel desert band, resting after a hard day’s riding. The Riffs are discussing Captain Fontaine, the new commander of the French Army, and the fact that their leader, the Red Shadow, would be his equal. The Riffs have spies everywhere. They have reports of a young comely French woman, Margot Bonvalet, who has followed Captain Paul Fontaine, to be his bride. Captain Fontaine has promised to bring Margot the head of the Red Shadow as a wedding present.

Pierre, formerly a French soldier had resigned, due to the previous cruel Governor, Captain Paul Fontaine’s father. In a twist reminiscent of Robin Hood the true identity of the Red Shadow is Pierre, the supposedly stupid and timid son of the Governor of Morocco, General Birabeau. The General has a mission to ‘wipe out’ the Red Shadow (his son, Pierre) and his rebel band.

Bennie, an English reporter sent out from France to report on the Red Shadow and his band, stumbles upon
the Riff camp. Bennie has fallen off his horse/camel while riding with his friend Pierre. Naturally the Red Shadow (Pierre) lets Bennie escape to return to Morocco and his dim-witted girlfriend, Susan.

The French soldiers wives, children, and Margot, lament the fact that their husbands give them little attention, excitement or romance, as they are always after the Riffs.

Enter Azuri, a desert girl and mistress of Paul Fontaine. She is also a spy for the Riffs. Azuri threatens Paul and tries to blackmail him. Pierre is in love with Margot and has entered the General’s headquarters as the Red Shadow. He sings Margot a love song – she screams for help, and the Red Shadow disappears - only to be
replaced by the dull Pierre. The General, Pierre, and Paul discuss tactics with Margot and leave. The Red Shadow returns, sings another love song, kidnaps Margot and Susan – and whisks them off to the Desert.

Bennie sets off in pursuit and finds himself in the company of the ladies of Spain, and Clementina, a dancer, singer, and seductress, and Ali Ben Ali the Caid of the Riffs. He is rescued by, none other than Susan!

Paul and the French army are closing in on the Riffs. The rebels are tracked down, and the Red Shadow (Pierre) finds himself in the unenviable position of having to duel his own father, General Birabeau. Naturally Pierre backs down, much to the derision of his not so merry band, who cast him into the desert to die. Captain Paul Fontaine vows to bring the Red Shadow in dead or alive.

The jealous Arab girl, Azuri, meets with General Birabeau and reveals the true identity of The Red Shadow as none other than his son, Pierre. Birabeau is distraught, as he has sent Paul Fontaine out to kill The Red Shadow. Paul returns jubilant that they have killed the Red Shadow and leaves to celebrate. Birabeau is heartbroken, until Pierre enters with the Red Shadow’s mask, hat and cloak and announces that he is the man who put an end to the Red Shadow. All is forgiven. Birabeau will keep his son’s secret, as the Riff Robin Hood is no more.

Enter Margot who is another distraught soul declaring, as women do, that she loves the Red Shadow – ‘as she would never love another’! She sings their love duet as Pierre, hidden, puts on the Red Shadow’s cloak and joins her in song for a romantic ending.