Building the House

It's hard to believe, but it's been over two and a half years since I started writing my first musical: "Tragedy! (A Musical Comedy)". I have forgotten nearly everything specific about the experience, which is a terrible shame.

Since the (for now) completion of that project last August, I have been contentedly lazing about... writing small pieces, going to China, etc.... It was going to China that inspired me to write my first blog, Digging for China. I had so much fun writing that blog and creating a permanent record of my travels that I decided to do the same for my newest musical project based on "The Fall of the House of Usher."

This is how it started.

After I graduated Woodberry Forest in 2005, I periodically hounded my old Drama Teacher/Adviser/Director, Brent Cirves, about a potential collaboration. I would say very subtle things such as "hey, when are we going to write something together?" or "you know, I'm not doing anything this summer. I sure wish I were writing a musical."

In China, I received an e-mail from Mr. C regarding some pieces that I had written for a production of "Hamlet" that he did at Woodberry. At the end of his debrief, almost an aside- was the following:

"As to the process--yes, let's talk about that some more....
I would like to write a complete show with you some day, if you're game."

I attacked like a feral mongoose, sending e-mail after e-mail encouraging this flame. When the time was right, I said "let's do it" and set a goal: a musical, to be completed in time for submission to the 2009 New York Fringe Festival. And that, my friends, is exactly what we are doing.

We agreed on "Usher" mainly because it was a story about a musician who can't stand the sound of music (due to a strange illness). It was also the story of friendship: people building each other up through grand music and philosophy... and the limits that friendship can reach. Mostly, though, we agreed because a house falls down at the end. A whole house. The Phantom (of the Opera) gets what? A lousy chandelier? Usher gets a house. As those of you who know me are aware, I enjoy epic.

Since the story of Usher is too short for a full length musical, we decided early on to make up a first act, before the events of the story begin. In this, the relationships of all the characters will be established, and we will, as Mr. C puts it, "shoot many arrows into the sky." While we were shooting arrows already, we decided to add another one of Poe's creations: Annabel Lee. With the addition of this fourth character, we are able to have love triangles, AND quadrangles. Plus, we get to include her namesake poem in a climactic death scene. High drama, indeed.

The division of labor is as follows: Mr. Cirves (who at one point asked me to call him Brent, which I won't, because it's weird) will write the book and a good chunk of the lyrics. I will write all of the music, including incidental. Edgar Allan Poe will provide some plot and a smattering of lyrics.

Last week, I was up at Woodberry and Mr. C and I officially commenced draft one. For now, at least, we're calling it "The Fall of the House of Usher." I think that it needs a new name... one that indicates something other than the short story merely placed on stage....

The music, which will be the primary focus of this blog from this point on, is going to be very challenging. But, as Roderick Usher says (at least in our version)... nothing beautiful is simple.