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Melancholy Play: a chamber musical

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  3w, 3m

In this chamber musical version of Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play, Tilly’s melancholy is of an exquisite quality. She turns her melancholy into a sexy thing, and every stranger she meets falls in love with her.

Melancholy Play: a chamber musical

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Sarah Ruhl is the 2003 recipient of the Whiting Award for Drama
Also Available

Details

Summary
In this chamber musical version of Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play, Tilly’s melancholy is of an exquisite quality. She turns her melancholy into a sexy thing, and every stranger she meets falls in love with her. One day, inexplicably, Tilly becomes happy, and wreaks havoc on the lives of her paramours. Frances, Tilly’s hairdresser, becomes so melancholy that she turns into an almond. It is up to Tilly to get her back.
History
Melancholy Play was first produced at the Piven Theatre under the Artistic Direction of Joyce Piven, opening on June 28, 2002, in Evanston, IL, directed by Jessica Thebus, music by Greg Hirte. Melacholy Play: a chamber musical was first produced by 13P at the Invisible Dog, in Brooklyn, directed by Davis McCallum.
FRANK – A tailor
TILLY – A bank teller
FRANCES – A hairdresser
JOAN – A British nurse
LORENZO THE UNFEELING – A psychiatrist
JULIAN – A musician

in addition to Matthew, the pianist, there is ideally a string quartet.

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting Illinois. The present moment.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“A classy show... with a sparse elegance.” – Chicago Tribune

REVIEWS

“Could turn out to be quite a central pillar of the Ruhl canon… an extensive score from (Todd) Almond that, formatively at least, puts you in mind of some Stephen Sondheim chamber musical like Passion, or maybe something by William Finn… the addition of music feels very organic to the work... you'd have no idea that was not the plan all along. The music adds to the considerable sensuality, and the notable wit, of the piece. This is a classy show [at Piven], with a sparse elegance.” - Chicago Tribune

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

The Simple Path of Melancholy Play
by Todd Almond
May 29, 2015

Videos

  • Melancholy Play, Arbor Cafe trailer youtube thumbnail

    Melancholy Play, Arbor Cafe trailer

  • Sarah Ruhl on Melancholy Play youtube thumbnail

    Sarah Ruhl on Melancholy Play

Music

Song Samples

Tilly
Frances Explains to Joan about Her affair with Tilly
Beauty Shop
Frank and Tilly Make Love
I'm Happy Now
Tilly's Aria
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Folk
  • Vocal DemandsDifficult
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
6 Piano-Conductor
Violin 1
Violin 2
Viola
Cello
6 Piano-Conductor

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Todd Almond

Todd Almond is a composer, lyricist and playwright. For The Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park, he wrote the music and lyrics for the Public Works production of The Tempest at the Delacorte Theater (a production in which he also starred as Ariel). His musicals include Gir ...
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Sarah Ruhl

Sarah Ruhl’s plays include In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, The Clean House, Passion Play, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Melancholy Play, For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday, The Oldest Boy, Stage Kiss, Dear Elizabeth, Eurydice, How to Transcend a Happy Marriage, Orlando, Late ...

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