VENICE (The Beach)
A Musical Tragi-Comedy
by G. F. Mlely
Jazz
| A small group of mainly
homeless in Venice, California, circa 1990, find conflict and
support. What happens when
you outlaw
homelessness? Where do you go when you’ve reached the edge of the
sea? And "the cops and robbers
will be by any day." And despite injustice, how can they
sing a song called "Hope" in jail? |
Characters
Songs
| FIRST
READING At Rosalie & Alva's Performance Gallery in San Pedro, CA |
Rehearsing
the music [l - r] G. F. Mlely (author-composer), LizBeth Lucca (Shrangri-La Owner), Bruce Rise (Gable), Kerr Lordygan (Reb), Wren Taylor (Cassie), Jennifer G. Smith (various characters), Jason C. Decker (Philo), Kathy Bell Denton (Rhea), Stephen Coates (Otus). The Reading  (far left at table) Yvis Cannvale (Momus) and previously id'd participants Dramaturge and actors  (l - r) Wren Taylor (Cassie), LizBeth Lucca (Shangri-La Owner), Stephen Coates (Otus), Cindy Marie (Fulchino) Jenkins (Dramaturge/Bookshop Theatre Group) Working it out  Cassie (LizBeth Lucca) sings "What Are You Doing Here?" NOT SHOWN Weston Blakesly (Bard), Sudro Brown II (various characters), Bradley Spann (Wayne). |
Order of Songs
| CHARACTERS & PLAYERS (of any ethnicity) |
THE BAND
Minimum 3 jazz musicians, piano, bass, percussion.
CHORUS
Various players
THE HOMELESS:
GABLE (Male 35, major role, featured soloist) good-looking unemployed actor, bi-polar. RANGE: midBb-hiF.
PHILO (Male 40, major role, minor ensemble singing) the "Philosopher" with spiritual answers to life. RANGE: midD-octD.
REB (Male 40, major role, supporting soloist) unemployed blue-collar, contentious, with earthly answers to life. RANGE: midC-octC.
MOMUS (Male 40, supporting role, minor ensemble singing) unemployed blue-collar, ever with the wise crack.
RHEA (Female 25, supporting role, soloist) loving "mother" of prop infant she sees and treats as real. RANGE: lowA-octC#
OTUS (Male 30, supporting role, soloist) none-too bright, Rhea's attentively loving companion. RANGE: lowA-octBb.
CHRIS (Male, young-ish, supporting role, minor ensemble singing) bible-bearing Christian. RANGE: midD-octD.
BOY or GIRL 10.
•
NOT HOMELESS
CASSIE (Female 25-35, major role, featured soloist) good-looking tarot card-reader, striking dresser. RANGE: lowBb-hiC.
BARD (Male 25-35, major role, featured soloist) striving composer-lyricist, occasionally employed to some small success. RANGE: midB-hiEb.
SHANGRI-LA OWNER (Female, indeterminate age, major role, featured soloist) touch absurd in manner of protest, against her grain of sympathy towards the homeless. RANGE midBb-hiF.
SAX PLAYER (Male, indeterminate age, supporting role) street jazz musician, mainstream player, sometimes joins The Band.
WAYNE (Male 30, supporting role) violent gangster leader, martial art expert.
NAMELESS DOUBLED ROLES:
Shangri-La Patrons
Citizen Passerby
Male Thieves (2)
Cops (2)
Jailers (2)
Yuppie Couples (4)
Citizens (5)
Homeless Drunk
Homeless Older Man
Jail Types (2)
Wayne’s gangsters (2)
Homeless Extras
| ORDER OF SONGS mp3 ADVISORY: Not for Mozilla Firefox NOTE These are demos, not precisely how they are to be when finally arranged and performed with cast. |
ACT 1
Scene 1
• IN THE LAND OF FAT CHANCE (1st A) Chorus [sung by Kerr Lordygan & Greg Franklin & Marta Woodhull & Kate Palmer]
• IS THERE TRUTH? Gable (confronting life's occurring issue) [sung by Bruce Rise]
• ASCAP REGRETS Bard (a songwriter sings the quandary of his life) [sung by Anon]
COME GET YOUR READING HERE Cassie (Tarot reader hawks her wares) [sung by Wren Taylor]
• IN THE LAND OF FAT CHANCE (2nd A) Chorus [sung by Marta Woodhull & Greg Franklin & Kerr Lordygan & Michael Laurino & Kate Palmer & Anon]
• RHEA’S SONG Rhea, Otus, Chorus [sung by Sheri Cyrkin & Greg Franklin & Anon]
• WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? Shangri-La Owner, Chorus [sung by Kate Palmer]
Scene 2
• IN THE LAND OF FAT CHANCE (1st B) Chorus [sung by Greg Franklin & Kerr Lordygan & Michael Laurino]
• LA LA SAMBA CALIFORNIA Gable, Philo, Cassie, Chris, Chorus (Gable gets Cassie to sing and dance with him) [sung by Bruce Rise & Wren Taylor]
Scene 3
• FIND MYSELF Gable (an unemployed bi-polar actor sings of his quandary) [sung by Bruce Rise]
• BY THE EDGE OF A SEA Gable, Cassie, Chorus (lovers merge with the environment) [sung by Wren Taylor & Bruce Rise]
Scene 4
• IN THE LAND OF FAT CHANCE (3rd A) Chorus [sung by Michael Laurino & Kerr Lordygan & Greg Franklin & Marta Woodhull & Kate Palmer & Anon]
Scene 5
• IN THE LAND OF FAT CHANCE (4th A) Reb, Momus, Gable, Rhea, Chorus [sung by Marta Woodhull & Michael Laurino & Kate Palmer & Kerr Lordygan & Greg Franklin & Anon]
• THE CARDS HAVE FALLEN Cassie, Reb, Chorus [sung by Kate Palmer & Patrick Leveque]
• IN THE LAND OF FAT CHANCE (2nd B) Momus, Otus, Rhea, Reb [sung by Greg Franklin & Michael Laurino & Kerr Lordygan]
Scene 1
• IS THERE TRUTH? Gable [sung by Bruce Rise]
ACT 2
Scene 1
• WEIRD, YOU SAID Gable, Chorus (Cassie walks) [sung by Bruce Rise]
• IN THE LAND OF FAT CHANCE (5th A) Reb, Momus, Gable, Otus, Rhea [sung by Kate Palmer & Michael Laurino & Greg Franklin & Marta Woodhull & Kerr Lordygan]
Scene 2
• HOPE Gable, Reb, Philo, Momus, Chris, Chorus [sung by Patrick Leveque & Greg Franklin & Anon]
Scene 3
• MAN ALONE IS NOT ALONE Cassie, Gable, Ensemble [sung by Kate Palmer & Bruce Rise]
• STAY OUT OF HELL, IF YOU CAN (Finale) Ensemble [sung by Greg Franklin & Kate Palmer & Kerr Lordygan & Marta Woodhull & Michael Laurino & Anon]