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inMiami's VoicePronounced likeMiami SavoysWith a Mafia hoodlum slur.A comic opera parody with new lyrics by Alan Beech and old music by Arthur Sullivan |
About Savoy
Gilbert and Sullivan were a
famous team who wrote and composed comic operas in Victorian times. They were
the toast of London
and the operas also enjoyed long runs on Broadway. After the company settled in
its new home at the Savoy Theatre, they were called the Savoy Operas.
About "Miami
It is a short irreverent opera
with lyrics that parody famous arias in five Savoy operas. They are strung together in a
story set in a fictitious South
Beach Miami
Savoys
Synopsis Act 1
The set is a fictitious bar in South Beach ,
Miami . Claude
and Cecil are cleaning up before opening time. They sing “We are happy on the
job here” as they work. Barmaid Rita joins them and as they finish, Salacio,
the bar owner, enters. He greets Claude and Cecil and sings “I am the owner of
a South Beach Bar”, telling how he came to America . Claude & Cecil leave
to get supplies and Salacio continues his song, describing the escort service.
Rita shows she does not approve of it. Salacio suffers this criticism as she is
the friend of Dr. Sleaze, a powerful local crook. Claude and Cecil return and
join in “Our exclusive escort sideline”. Then the bar opens.
Customers come in and sing “Gin
gives a happy cheer”, calling orders to the waiters. Then Roger, an athletic
young man, newly-hired as a bouncer, enters and sings “Once I taught school but
I took early retirement” explaining he is new as a bar bouncer and he wants to
meet someone simple and demure, not like women who usually come to the bar.
Rita consoles him with “Don’t feel sad, friend Roger” and the customer chorus
joins in. Three women in the escort service sing “When I go to a bar with a
very cute date”.
Chloe, an apparently homely
young woman in plain clothes enters. Salacio welcomes her and sings that they
are one family at the bar and invites her to tell her story. Chloe sings “I
come from Chicago ”, that she’s sheltered and
ever so shy and glad to get away from Chicago .
Salacio, Claude and Cecil fuss around and befriend her as part of the scheme to
inveigle her into the escort service. They give her a free drink and sing “You
are really quite delighting”.
Roger is smitten with Chloe. Rita, Roger and the chorus
sing “Shy homely one”. Chloe doesn't hear them sing “Beware this place and thy
steps retrace”. The others sympathize with Roger and his attraction to Chloe.
Salacio, Claude and Cecil sing “You have told us what you’re here for” to
Chloe. They offer her a free beauty makeover to get her to work for them. Chloe
says she will think about it.
The Mafia Commissioner, Dr
Sleaze, enters and. embraces Rita and the chorus sings “He is the Mafia
Commissioner”. Sleaze enjoys the attention and sings them his life story “When
I was a lad I served a term”. Chloe accepts the offer of free beauty treatment.
She sings “My folks back in Chicago ”
rejoicing at her good fortune. Salacio tells Sleaze he has a private matter to
discuss. When he is alone Salacio sings to him about Chloe, “That’s the chick
we’re trying to captivate” offering Sleaze the first date after she is in the
escort service. Rita talks with Roger about the escort service. They sing “Oh,
is there not one woman here”. Rita asks for respect and equal treatment and
Roger pleads for Chloe, thinking that bad things are going to happen to her.
Synopsis Act 2 Scene 1
Early next afternoon, Claude and
Cecil sing “It is very hard to get up”, because the South Beach
When they answer the door, Rita comes in with Chloe. She
explains in “Hi, greetings to you guys” that she met Chloe accidentally when
she was jogging. Chloe sings that Rita also wants the beauty treatment. Claude
is willing but has to phone Salacio for approval, as the gowns are expensive
and only for ‘special’ customers. Rita stops him, saying she changed her mind.
In “OK, Chloe you come now”, Chloe gets the beauty treatment, some seen by the
audience and some hidden by the screen. She emerges looking beautiful with a
new hairdo and lovely gown. Before the women leave, Claude tells Chloe that
Salacio is inviting her to a private bachelor party the same evening. She accepts
as she wants to show off her new look and clothes.
Synopsis Act 2 scene 2
In semi-darkness before the
party, Rita and Roger creep in with flashlights. Roger sings that he’s a vice
squad cop waiting to catch Salacio in the act of forcing a woman to be an
escort and Rita is helping him as a friend. They hide behind the upstage
screen. When the party is under way, Salacio sings “A bachelor is a soaring
soul” to the tuxedo-clad men. Roger and Rita pop their heads out while the men
are at the bar to sing “These rowdies are the kind of lout we do not care a fig
about”. Claude and Cecil bring in escorts who sing “Three little escorts cool are we”.
Chloe enters, Salacio conducts
her to Sleaze’s table with “Chloe, meet Sleaze the High Commissioner”. Rita
peeks while Sleaze sings “Now that you are a family member” and “I want your
body, it is sublime”. They grab Chloe during the aria. She screams and
struggles and Roger and Rita jump out.
Roger tells them to move their
filthy hands or get a short sharp shock, his trigger finger’s itchy, he’s a
jerked off jock. Two policemen enter and three escorts sing ”So, Sleaze, you
cur, we much regret”. The police take them away. Roger and Chloe sing “Miss
Chloe, I’m glad you are safe and sound”. While they are singing Chloe gets in
close with Roger and they kiss. The aria “Call the daily news announcer” begins
with general rejoicing that the villains have been captured and that Roger and
Chloe are lovebirds
Aria First Lines
Act I
Aria
1 “We are Cleaning up the Glasses”
based
on “Never mind the why or wherefore” H.M.S. Pinafore.
2 “I am
the Owner of a South Beach Bar”
based on “He is the Captain of the Pinafore” H.M.S.
Pinafore.
3 “Our Exclusive Escort Sideline.”
Reprise
“Never mind the why or wherefore” H.M.S. Pinafore.
4 “Gin Gives a Happy Cheer”
based
on “We sail the ocean blue” H.M.S.
Pinafore.
5 “Once I Taught School”
based
on “When a felon’s not engaged in his employment” The Pirates of Penzance.
6 “Don’t Feel Sad, Friend Roger”
based
on “Good morning, good lover” Iolanthe
7 “When I Go to a Bar”
based
on “When I went to the bar as a very young
man” Iolanthe.
8 “I’ve Just Come from Chicago ”
based
on “I’m called little Buttercup”
HMS. Pinafore.
HMS. Pinafore.
9 “You are Really Quite Delighting.”
Reprise
“Never mind the why or wherefore”
H.M.S. Pinafore.
H.M.S. Pinafore.
10 “Shy Homely One”
based
on “Poor wandering one”
The Pirates of Penzance.
The Pirates of Penzance.
11 “You have Told me What you’re Here for.”
Reprise
“Never mind the why or wherefore”
H.M.S. Pinafore.
H.M.S. Pinafore.
12 “He is the Mafia Commissioner”
based
on “Behold the Lord High Executioner”
The Mikado.
The Mikado.
13 “When I was a Lad I Served a Term”
based
on “When I was a lad I served a term”
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
14 “People Back in Chicago .”
Reprise
“I’m called little Buttercup” HMS.
Pinafore.
15 “That’s the Chick For You.”
Reprise
“Behold the Lord High Executioner”
The Mikado.
The Mikado.
16 “Oh! Is There Not One Woman Here”
based
on “Oh! Is there not a maiden breast”
The Pirates ofPenzance
The Pirates of
Act II
17 “It is Very Hard to Get Up.”
Reprise
“Never mind the why or wherefore”
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
18 “When a Herring we Would Catch”
based
on “When the foeman bares his steel”
The Pirates ofPenzance .
The Pirates of
19 “Surprised it's Me Talking?”
based
on “Good morrow good lover”
Iolanthe
Iolanthe
20 “OK. Chloe, You Come Now.”
Reprise
“When the foeman bares his steel”
The Pirates of Penzance.
The Pirates of Penzance.
21 “I am
a Cop”
based on “This
Very Night” HMS.Pinafore.
22 “A Bachelor is a Soaring Soul,”
based
on “A British tar is a soaring soul”
HMS Pinafore.
HMS Pinafore.
23 “These Rowdies are the Kind of Lout”
based
on “Young Strephon is the kind of lout”
Iolanthe.
Iolanthe.
24 “Three Little Escorts Cool are We”
based
on “Three little maids from school are we”
The Mikado.
The Mikado.
25 “Chloe, meet Sleaze.”
Reprise
“Behold the Lord High Executioner”
The Mikado
The Mikado
26: “Miss Chloe
Does Not Look Demure”
Reprise. “Young Strephon is the kind of lout”
Iolanthe.
Iolanthe.
27 “Now that You
are a Family Member”
based on “A more humane Mikado”
The Mikado.
The Mikado.
28 “So, Sleaze,
you Cur, we Much Regret”
based on “So please you sir, we much regret”
The Mikado
The Mikado
29 “Miss Chloe,
I’m Thankful You are Safe and Sound.”
based on “I once was a very abandoned person” Ruddigore
30 “Call the Daily
News Announcer”
based on “Ring the merry bells on board ship”
HMS Pinafore.
HMS Pinafore.
Cast in order of appearance
Claude andCecil Two
waiters/assistants to Salacio (Tenor)
Young,
slender, metrosexual.
Rita Barmaid
and girl friend of Dr. Sleaze (Soprano)
20-40
medium build.
Salacio The
owner of the Bar and Escort Service (Base)
30-60
any build.
John,Juan, Jean Three
men bar customers
18-30
years old.
Roger Bar
bouncer, newly hired. (Tenor)
20-35
years old.
Ya-Ya,We-We,Ci-Ci Three
women bar customers and escorts.
(Sopranos)
Young, attractive.
Chloe Visitor
from Chicago
(Contralto)
Young,
attractive.
Dr. Sleaze The
Mafia Commissioner (Base)
Older
man.
Chorus Young
people. Must include some dancers.
Number
varies with stage size and production.
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