Viriditas Opera - The Tsar Has His Photograph Taken


Viriditas Mary E. Larew Productions The Soldier's Tale Antigone Herod and the Slaughter of the Innocents The Tsar Has His Photograph Taken Image of Saint Nicholas Press Recordings Contact	THE TSAR HAS HIS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN SYNOPSIS The action of The Tsar Has His Photograph Taken takes place in a fashionable Parisian photographer's studio, where the Tsar has arranged to have his picture taken. However, unbeknownst to the Tsar and his entourage, revolutionaries plan to kidnap the photographer Angèle and replace her with an assassin, who proceeds to place a loaded gun in the camera which will fire when the shutter is pressed. The situation is complicated when the Tsar, in a flighty of romantic fancy more suited to a lovelorn boy than imperialistic dictator, tries to get the photographer to pose for the picture instead, resulting in a farcical ballet as the hunter and the hunted each try to photograph the other before the plot is discovered and the Tsar's entourage returns. The opera, although seldom performed in modern times, was the most frequently performed piece in Germany prior to the takeover of the theatres by the Nazis in 1933. It also enjoys the distinction of being the first dramatic work to incorporate the use of recording technology, as at the climax of the work the orchestra falls silent and leave the singers accompanied only by sounds emanating from an on-stage gramophone recording which had been conducted by Weill three weeks before the original performance. This three minute piece (the so-called 'Tango Angèle') became one of Weimar Germany's top-selling discs, propelling Kurt Weill into the popular consciousness and providing a model for his later synthesis of classical conventions and popular music in The Threepenny Opera and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. CAST LIST Boy: Melanie Jones Assistant: Chris Palmer Angèle: Francesca Geach Leader: Cara Curran False Boy: Rosemary Carlton-Willis False Assistant: Matthew Badham False Angèle: Alisun Russell Tsar: Chris Macklin Equerry: Nick Ashby Men's Chorus: James Calver Ben Crawley Jon Hughes J. Mark Pim Omar Shahryar Orchestra Conductor: Jay Crossland Flute, Piccolo: Jessica Quiñones, Alex Thomas Oboe: Kate Fisher, Mark Hutchinson Cor Anglais: Mark Hutchinson Clarinet: Jon Sage, Flora Death Bassoon: Richard Byrne Smith Horn: Rachel Wilkinson, Ben Gait Trumpet: Dave Badger Trombone: Raphael Clarkson Percussion: Mark Knight Timpani: Graham Walker Piano: Edd Caine Violins: Paul Walster (Leader), Andrew Harding, Chris O'Shea, Valerie Pearson, Meo Posmyk, Lucy Wallington Violas: Vicky Bernath, Bianca Brajuha, Philip Bartai Cellos: Matthew Barlow, India Bourne, Emily Rice Production Team Co-Directors: Mary E. Larew and Omar Shahryar Musical Director: Jay Crossland Technical Director: Omar Shahryar Repetiteur: Edd Caine Costumes: The Cast Light Board Operator: Dorothy Fenwick Producer: Chris Macklin We would like to extend a tremendous Thank You to our benefactors. Without their support, this production would have been impossible. Patrons: Oberlin Conservatory of Music, David Stull, dean Richard and Sandra Macklin Angela and Robert Hawthorne Supporters: Choir of the Church of the Risen Savior, Albuquerque, New Mexico Gisela and Roderic Knight In-kind: Expressions Retro Shop Dramasoc Thanks also to Helen Gillie, Celia Frisby, Penelope Walcott, Nicola LeFanu, Roger Marsh and John Potter for their help and support.

Viriditas

THE TSAR HAS HIS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN

SYNOPSIS

The action of The Tsar Has His Photograph Taken takes place in a fashionable Parisian photographer's studio, where the Tsar has arranged to have his picture taken. However, unbeknownst to the Tsar and his entourage, revolutionaries plan to kidnap the photographer Angèle and replace her with an assassin, who proceeds to place a loaded gun in the camera which will fire when the shutter is pressed. The situation is complicated when the Tsar, in a flighty of romantic fancy more suited to a lovelorn boy than imperialistic dictator, tries to get the photographer to pose for the picture instead, resulting in a farcical ballet as the hunter and the hunted each try to photograph the other before the plot is discovered and the Tsar's entourage returns.

The opera, although seldom performed in modern times, was the most frequently performed piece in Germany prior to the takeover of the theatres by the Nazis in 1933. It also enjoys the distinction of being the first dramatic work to incorporate the use of recording technology, as at the climax of the work the orchestra falls silent and leave the singers accompanied only by sounds emanating from an on-stage gramophone recording which had been conducted by Weill three weeks before the original performance. This three minute piece (the so-called 'Tango Angèle') became one of Weimar Germany's top-selling discs, propelling Kurt Weill into the popular consciousness and providing a model for his later synthesis of classical conventions and popular music in The Threepenny Opera and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.

CAST LIST

Boy: Melanie Jones
Assistant: Chris Palmer
Angèle: Francesca Geach
Leader: Cara Curran
False Boy: Rosemary Carlton-Willis
False Assistant: Matthew Badham
False Angèle: Alisun Russell
Tsar: Chris Macklin
Equerry: Nick Ashby

Men's Chorus:
James Calver
Ben Crawley
Jon Hughes
J. Mark Pim
Omar Shahryar

Orchestra
Conductor: Jay Crossland
Flute, Piccolo: Jessica Quiñones, Alex Thomas
Oboe: Kate Fisher, Mark Hutchinson
Cor Anglais: Mark Hutchinson
Clarinet: Jon Sage, Flora Death
Bassoon: Richard Byrne Smith
Horn: Rachel Wilkinson, Ben Gait
Trumpet: Dave Badger
Trombone: Raphael Clarkson
Percussion: Mark Knight
Timpani: Graham Walker
Piano: Edd Caine
Violins: Paul Walster (Leader), Andrew Harding, Chris O'Shea, Valerie Pearson, Meo Posmyk, Lucy Wallington
Violas: Vicky Bernath, Bianca Brajuha, Philip Bartai
Cellos: Matthew Barlow, India Bourne, Emily Rice

Production Team
Co-Directors: Mary E. Larew and Omar Shahryar
Musical Director: Jay Crossland
Technical Director: Omar Shahryar
Repetiteur: Edd Caine
Costumes: The Cast
Light Board Operator: Dorothy Fenwick
Producer: Chris Macklin

We would like to extend a tremendous Thank You to our benefactors. Without their support, this production would have been impossible.

Patrons:
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, David Stull, dean
Richard and Sandra Macklin
Angela and Robert Hawthorne

Supporters:
Choir of the Church of the Risen Savior, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Gisela and Roderic Knight

In-kind:
Expressions Retro Shop
Dramasoc

Thanks also to Helen Gillie, Celia Frisby, Penelope Walcott, Nicola LeFanu, Roger Marsh and John Potter for their help and support.