Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist
Mark was part of Jerusalem's first Christian community, whose members gathered in his mother's house for prayer. Thanks, Mom. Got anything to eat?
Happy Spring ! Hardy Chicago flowers bloom in the wild April storms. And we've got some great news to report to you at last, patient Pope Joan Workshop Web readers!
Tom O'Horgan -- thank you, Goddess -- will direct both the upcoming Chicago workshop and the future New York or London productions of POPE JOAN. Both Michael Butler, our stalwart producer, and our hard-working playwright are thrilled with our choice. Tom's contributions to Joan's next incarnation will be priceless.
As many long-term fans of both theatre and opera know, Tom O'Horgan's credits straddle both worlds. Tom revitalized and revolutionized the face of contemporary theatre on Broadway when he became the only director in history to have four Broadway shows running simultaneously: HAIR, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, LENNY and INNER CITY. He gave new life to off-Broadway with FUTZ, TOMN PAINE and THE ARCHITECT AND THE EMPEROR OF ASSYRIA. With Ellen Stewart, O'Horgan founded New York's La MaMa Theatre. And -- one of my personal favorites -- he staged Leonard Bernstein's MASS at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His opera credits include Berlioz's LES TROYENS for the Vienna State Opera, LILY by Leon Kirchner for the New York City Opera, and Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE for the Connecticut Grand Opera. He directed the post-minimalist opera POWER FAILURE by Paul Dresher for the Ameican Music Theatre Festival, and at New York's Circle in the Square Theatre, he staged Harry Partch's microtonal opera THE WAYWARD. SENATOR JOE, the opera he wrote with Perry Arthur Kroeger, appeared on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre. Bottom line: what a privilege to have him work with POPE JOAN.
As we get closer to the workshop, I'll write next about the cast and work that Christopher, Tom and Dan Stetzel (the workshop musical director) are planning.
And -- maybe for you, my reader -- here's an opportunity to see our Papessa at work! I found out this week that the O'Malley Theatre at Roosevelt University (where the workshop is being held) holds more seats than I'd originally thought. So I'm able to offer RESERVATION ONLY seats -- first come, first served -- for the workshop performances on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of May at 7:30 p.m. Because this is a workshop, the seats are free. Interested? Contact me by e-mail at Susan@orlok.com. Maybe we'll get a chance to meet at a workshop performance of POPE JOAN!
March 4, 1997
Feast of St. Lucius I, Pope and Martyr
Lucius ruled the Church while Gallus and Valerian ruled Rome. He was martyred in 254 for publicly upholding Jesus' name.
And he's a lot of people's favorite character in POPE JOAN. In performance, the audience always went wild at Lucius' curtain call. It's the killer male ingenue role in the show -- very tricky to cast, since it requires an angelic tenor voice and a face to match it, but extremely emotionally mature acting to handle in the scenes.
I'm thinking about casting again for good reason -- we've set dates (May 7th through 17th) for the next workshop of POPE JOAN ... this time, not for the public. We're extremely pleased that Jeff Ortmann and Roosevelt University have graciously agreed to allow us to use their theatre space for this process. It's a wonderful and much-needed opportunity to stage the rewrites to the play. And it'll be an extremely cool opportunity for Roosevelt theatre students to get involved with the process -- probably playing some roles, and certainly assisting elsewhere. They'll have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see what happens at this stage of a musical's development. And we'll have a place to work. Goddess bless us all -- everybody benefits.
I wish I could give you the name of the person who'll be conducting the workshop -- one of the theatre's greats -- but we must detail the deal. And that's happening as I write. I'm a great believer in only giving the news after the contracts are signed -- and long-term readers of these chronicles will certainly remember that even that doesn't guarantee what's going to happen!
Anyway, it's a big load off our collective minds. We need to stage the rewrite, and work with the new director. And we need to do the kind of work you can only do at this stage with music, actors, and real space. Too much is at stake at the next public showing, and it would be just foolish not to make sure things worked.
And work on the demo proceeds. Again, detailing, detailing to get it right.
Last Saturday, it was false spring in the city -- sixty degrees at the lake, where I happily played hooky. This activity is highly recommended.
January 8, 1997 -- Feast of St. Fulgentius of Ruspe (468-533)
"Love, indeed, is the source of all good things. It is an impregnable defense, and the way that leads to heaven. He who walks in love can neither go astray nor be afraid. Love guides him, protects him and brings him to the journey's end."Happy New Year, everybody. May all your dreams come true this year. With the Goddess' grace, we'll run the good race this year to its completion.Or her, Fulgentius.
There is wonderful news to report regarding POPE JOAN, and the realization of the first serious step towards New York. Our faithful producer, Michael Butler, has come to agreement -- with the rapturous concurrence of our playwright, Christopher Moore, of course -- with Don Sebesky. Don has enthusiastically agreed to arrange the score of POPE JOAN for its New York production.
Those of you who know musicals intimately know the vital importance of the arranger in the professional team -- this person is the one who creates the final "sound" of the show.
And what glorious music Don Sebesky has created! I literally couldn't list all his credits. On Broadway, a few of the shows he's arranged include WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, CYRANO, THE BOYS CHOIR OF HARLEM & FRIENDS LIVE ON BROADWAY, THE GOODBYE GIRL, and BETTY BUCKLEY AT CARNEGIE HALL. As a composer/arranger/producer, Don has worked with Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli, Carly Simon, George Benson, Prince, Michael Feinstein, Sinead O'Connor, Vanessa Williams, John Pizzatielli, and Bernadette Peters. He has 15 Grammy nominations to his credit. And one of my personal recorded favorites: SYMPHONIC SONDHEIM. Plus recording, television, film, and commercials. And a few books on the subject. Let's just say he's only awesomely qualified for the job, and leave it an understatement. It's a privilege to have him on the team.
Don was so excited about the POPE JOAN score that he traveled to New York to meet with Christopher when he was there in November. Their chemistry and musical understanding was instant. It's a match they both wanted to make.
Believe me, when that long-awaited recording happens-- note to all you kind folks who have been writing about the availability of the POPE JOAN score -- this is why we waited. We wanted to give you the most beautiful POPE JOAN music possible.
Next time, with Her continued grace, we'll finally announce our director.
Stay warm in your hearts, no matter the wind chill.
"The only way out is up." RENT Amen.
October 24, 1996 -- Feast of St. Raphael, Archangel
"I offered thy prayer to the Lord . . . for I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the Lord." Tobias 12
It's almost Samhain, all you fall celebrators. For many of the bretheren, the holiest of days approaches.
Yes, we all had all manner of fall icks around the extended family, but we're all on the road to Wellville, thank you.
Our great lesson for the quarter: the closer to New York we get, the greater the impact of The Sacred Schedule. Just finding a copacetic time when everybody and everything that Christopher needs to see . . . don't get me started. But we think we've finally gotten our schedules in sync -- a major undertaking nicely done, thank you again -- and Christopher is off to Manhattan. But not until November. The idea is be able to meet the three directors we're interested in. Plus see a critical product running now. And chat up everybody very seriously as to vision, intent, philosophy of budgets, and that all-important chemistry. And not waste any time or money in Manhattan, where one purchases a hotel room for a night for the same price one can rent an apartment for a month in most towns. But the dates are finally set.
This is a critical step. This is the person whose vision is going to most deeply affect the next decisions. I'm very excited for the opportunity this affords Christopher -- just hearing what three very different but equally gifted individuals would do next. There's a education worth having. We're so grateful for a producer who understands how important this is.
I'm off to set a good example for Halloween celebrators everywhere: what's wrong with you? Why haven't you made sure the chocolate for the trick-or-treaters isn't poisoned? You'd better try some right now just to be sure.
September 17, 1996 -- Feast of the Impression of the Stigmata of St. Francis
Gotta dig the heaviest of heavy-duty mystical experiences.
Happy fall -- at least in the air around here. The Democrats have gone, and walking Loop streets at a normal city pace is possible again. It's jacket weather, and everyone I know is revving up for the school year. My cats are shedding their summer coats directly into my hard drive.
HAIR officially closed in Chicago at the beginning of the month, but what fun they all had! My personal favorite moment was seeing our mutual producer, Michael Butler, chatting on-air with Aaron Freeman on closing night. As always, there's nothing like hearing stories of '68 -- and '96 -- from the man who sees the relationship so acutely.
Christopher is happy to report that copacetic conversations have turned into our choice for an arranger. Negotiations are underway, and I hope we'll be able to officially report the person's name soon. Bigger is the direction. More instruments. And more through-singing.
Meanwhile, the great director search continues. Christopher is heading to New York by the end of the month to meet with some candidates. As we've said many times here, the rewrite this time intends to be extremely influenced by the next director. We'd like the final vision to be all of a piece.
And so we're having to put a lot of potential European interest on hold for awhile. We're explaining that we're not selling the current version of POPE JOAN. The version that's being created right now will be the version ultimately sold abroad ... and recorded, to answer many readers' questions.
Being Polish in heritage, I have an urge to houseclean. It's my favorite season.
August 11, 1996 --
Feast of St. Susanna, Virgin and Martyr
Happy nameday to me. Some guy got martyred too, but for once,
my gal's gonna get top billing. (Okay, he was Tiburtius, for
all you Martyrology fans. In 295.)
It's August in Chicago (think cotton, and as little as possible). But it's cool in every sense of the world around the New Athenaeum Theatre, where HAIR is a hit. Even the critics are telling folks -- dig it, groovy people: the box office lines are long, it's only here for this month. My favorite comment came from a friend who compared the Chicago experience to a Grateful Dead concert in the best old days -- raw around the edges, but what treasures revealed in all the spontaneity. My favorite observation, me to myself: yes, We Were That Young When We Did That.
POPE JOAN news adds another Coast to the mix. Christopher may be traveling to Manhattan late this month to confer with a director there. The pros and cons of moving directly off Broadway next are on the table again. We're nothing if not adaptable. Which would be in the play's best interest?
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our site's Webmistress, Marian Hank, the woman who's responsible for incredible amounts creativity around her company, Imaginary Landscape, tells me that the innovation of a computer terminal with the HAIR website (our sister site under the Orlok curtain page) in the Athenaeum lobby has really caught the eyes of the press here. SCREEN magazine -- a very important trade mag here -- is doing a feature on Imaginary Landscape. They deserve it -- they're the best. And Marian gets my personal award for her abilities to explain technology to the cyberslow -- moi.
Feel Her summer bearing sweet fruit for you.
July 31, 1996 --
Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Confessor
Jesuits -- gotta love 'em ... or whatever.
In my (arguably misspent) youth, I was taught by Jesuits. Unusual for a girl. Yes, it has permanently warped my mind -- as they intended it would, Goddess love them.
Los Angeles interest in the next production of POPE JOAN is getting very hot now. While our producer was on the West Coast doing last-minute HAIR company business, many preliminary discussions were held. There's a theatre in that town that looks like it would be perfect -- and available. Still, we haven't ruled out other options, which may play out in the next few weeks. As always, you'll read it here first.
Folks have noticed the cool POPE JOAN merchandise that's finally up (and yes, for sale) on another part of the site. And they've written to ask me: when can we buy the script? Or the score? Or the CD?
Soon, I pray. But not now. We're not going to publish and sell the script yet, because -- as you know, if you've been following this musical theatre odyssey -- it's not done yet. There will be another rewrite before the next production. THEN we'll print it. The same goes for the score ... and the CD.
Why didn't we record it in Chicago? Two little words, boys and girls: Union costs. It would have cost us as much to record the show as produce the show, amazing as it sounds -- virtually all of it in Union actor salaries. For good or for ill, that means the cast recording will most likely happen -- again -- at the next production. And you have, in a nutshell, the reason, from this gal's perspective, why so few musical theatre recordings are made and released each year. Grouse, grouse.
In the meantime, actors from the two Chicago companies of POPE JOAN -- the Bailiwick and the Mercury (and some actors performed in both productions) will be reuniting with Michael Butler at the preview of HAIR tomorrow night. Should be fun. Myself, I'm wearing my genuine 1968 bell-bottoms with the day-glo magenta paint splashes from silk-screening. There haven't been too many occasions before or since when they seemed the fashionable thing to do.
July 19, 1996 --
Feast of St. Vincent de Paul
Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him the special patron of works of
charity. The religious orders he founded do tons of work in
Chicago ... DePaul University, anybody?.
Happy humidity! Thank the Goddess that the Athenaeum, where HAIR is being performed starting at the end of this month, has air conditioning! I don't know about your town, but in ours, summer reviews definitely report the cool quotient of the theatres -- sometimes before they rate the performances. You haven't lived until you've suffered through a Chicago theatre without it ... "bring a book and a towel" is still a classic quote from a reviewer here who feel asleep one night in a hot black-box.
The Pope Joan Store is now open 24 hours a day on the Internet. Merchandise available includes handsome denim shirts and the breathtaking premier edition poster.
I got a phone call from Germany this week, from someone querying about the non-professional rights to POPE JOAN for a group there. First -- how cool that the Internet can acquaint folks with works long before they leave their hometown. And second, we had to let our caller know, of course, that the show isn't yet available for amateur licensing, since Mr. Butler's professional option enables him to develop the show first.
But it got me thinking: folks who are interested in producing a Christopher Moore musical NOW -- before POPE JOAN rights are available -- may want to explore working with one of his earlier shows that aren't currently under professional option. SON OF FIRE, his Jeff Citation-winning musical drama (Best New Work 1994) about a controversial '80s art world scandal in Chicago, was proclaimed one of the "hot summer musicals" the year of its debut. The biggest challenge in this musical is the Asian casting challenges for two of the leads. And it's adult fare. In contrast, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, Christopher's adaptation of Mark Twain's novel as a musical, delighted audiences of all ages here the year before. It was very popular holiday fare -- our town is top-heavy in productions of CHRISTMAS CAROL and NUTCRACKER SUITE -- isn't yours? --- but Twain's wit plays well all year around. The "look alike" casting problem you'd think would be there just disappears with the convention of the story, as long as you cast out of the same physical type for the Prince/Pauper actors. PRICK O' THE ROSE, Christopher's bawdy Restoration parody, has one and two-act versions. Anyway ... those are some ideas if your theatre group is eager to try some Christopher Moore material. You can contact me, his agent, by phone, fax, e-mail or snail mail -- see my contact under "Matters Artistic" in the POPE JOAN mailbox.
Keep cool, everybody. See you at HAIR in the meantime.
July 12, 1996 --
Feast of St. John Gualbert, Abbott
What a story on this guy: he's a Florentine nobleman who set
out to avenge the death of his brother. Normal Florentine of
the 11th century. But it was Good Friday, and his brother's
assassin begged for his life in the name of Christ crucified.
Change of heart time, big time, by God's grace. (Some
persuasive assassin!)
Do you have your tickets for HAIR yet? Word of mouth on this production is great. And it's only here a month, coincident with our Democratic visitors. Goddess bless the lovely synchronicity of politics and art, and producers who put them together. Be sure to travel to the website -- it's chock-full of current and historical information about one of the great American musicals.
And speaking of what we in our part of the world consider another great American musical ...
Christopher hopes to be traveling to one coast very soon to spend some time with a potential director for POPE JOAN, next incarnation. We continue to applaud our producer's wisdom in knowing that the chemistry on this next level will be very important to the rewrite. Another director on our short list is -- alas -- currently unavailable until sometime in the next millennium, practically -- hello to the challenges of putting together teams of talent at this level. Simultaneous venue exploration, of course. The potential palette grows richer as we move into national/international choices. We'll keep you posted.
Have a delicious, light-filled July, full of summer dreams fulfilled.
July 1, 1996 --
Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Reasons for the feast aside (thanks to God for a return to the
Vatican after a period of exile in the Italian revolution of
1848), the passionate expression of this articulation of God's
presence has gripped the collective psyche. And caused great
scandal at it's inherent -- well, messy -- implications. Yes,
we ARE a primitive and ritualistic bunch. But we still
viscerally respond to blood-images. Our audiences in JOAN
showed us that.
Happy summer from POPE JOAN and her creators! Please forgive this author's extended silence.
Here's why. News at this stage of development can be tricky to share -- the deal-making is extremely delicate and the players so globally recognizable that we don't always feel comfortable plopping down some of the names as potential "marriages" of director, playwright, theatre, and producer are explored. But what fun we're having as we begin to see how JOAN is seen through the eyes of others! (Like a hit.) At this stage, we're dealing with great artists who may want to add their gifted hands to the product the show will ultimately become. Practically speaking ... long-term schedules. The challenge of being in the same city at the same time. Who's committed to what -- and in what combination.
We know it's going to be London, Los Angeles, or New York. And we know we want the finest chemistry and artistry to flow together. So it's "getting to know you" time -- mutually -- between Christopher and the artists who might be placing their stamp on his work next. We're down to a short list of directors, and every one is a winner.
So Christopher's taking a lot of phone conferences. And Michael's doing a lot of traveling -- both for this deal and to finesse the coming of HAIR to Chicago again at the end of this month! (Read all about it in the latest edition of his Journal -- tickets are on sale now for the extremely limited run. And it looks like a hot ticket already, thank you Goddess.)
I love a quote that Michael e-mailed Christopher and me this week: "Don't be afraid to be outrageous; the critics will shoot you down anyway." Laurence Olivier (to Anthony Hopkins) Seems experientially axiomatic to me, kids. Talk to you soon -- and see you at HAIR!
News of the Week
Former News of the Week - January - July, '96
Former News of the Week - October - December, '95
Former News of the Week - June - September,'95
The Production History
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