Star Wares: The Next Generation

Music by Linda Eisenstein; book & lyrics co-written with James A. Levin.

SYNOPSIS:

A satiric sci-fi rock opera. A radical graffiti artist and his activist gang link up with a suburban family to save the planet from eco-disaster -- taking on evil developers, the Military Industrial Entertainment Complex, & the Sludge Monsters from Wango-Wango who are secretly running everything.

CAST: 4f, 6m, 1 child

MUSICIANS: Rock band (guitar, bass, drums, 2 keyboards).

AWARDS: Winner, 1991 Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, Playwriting

2 acts, 2 1/2 hours. Unit set.

  

 

Donna (Mary Alice Beck) & the Graffiti Bandit (John Meadows) confront one of the evil FIC's (Donald J. Morrison, Jr.). Photo, Robert Schnellbacher, CPT.

 "No-holds-barred, home-grown political satire, aimed at targets from global pollution to tax abatement, and full of brash energy and wit..." - Plain Dealer

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

THE GRAFFITI BANDIT: Bari-tenor. An outlaw artist.
DONNA: Mezzo. A well-meaning girl from the 'burbs.
FATHER: Baritone. Her defense contractor father.
MOTHER: Mezzo/alto. Her obsessive housewife mother.
FIC #1 ("JAKE"): Baritone. A charmingly ruthless space alien.
FIC #2: Tenor. His petulant sidekick.
SPAGHETTI SHAMAN/WAIF: Child soprano. The Grandmother to the Universe.
T.V./JOURNALIST/TEMPTER: Tenor. The FIC's sycophant.
DANDELION/BAG-LADY/TEMPTER: Soprano. An aging flower-child.
CHIEF/INDIAN/EAGLE/TEMPTER Bass-baritone. A blue collar Native American.
SAMARA/PALESTINIAN/TEMPTER Mezzo/alto. An urban radical.


"The show...practically explodes on the old second floor stage. The music has a mostly rock and roll sound with every lyric intended to raise the consciousness of the audience about the politically ignored issues that trouble the world. To say that Levin and Eisenstein succeed is an understatement. While their message of a world on the brink of self destruction is most assuredly rammed home, they never fail to strike the humorous and often a harshly funny chord...The songs, which are all extremely clever, clearly advance the plot." - The Chagrin Valley Times

LIST OF MUSICAL NUMBERS:

ACT I
TOXINS CHANT/IS IT TOO LATE?/THE GRAFFITI BANDIT IS COMING All, Quartet  CD
FAMILY POLITICS Mother, Father, Donna, TV CD
SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER FICS & Chorus CD
IS THERE ANYTHING ANYONE CAN DO TO CHANGE THE WORLD? Donna CD
GRAFFITI! Bandit CD
THE WAR ON DRUGS Samara & Gang CD
TOXINS IN THE WATERWAYS Bandit & Gang CD
TRUTH HURTS Bandit, Donna, Gang CD
SLUDGE, SLUDGE, SLUDGE FICS CD
HEY, BANDIT, IT'S OVER All CD

ACT II
STAR WARES TV CD
MARTIAN CHRISTMAS LETTER Father, Mother, TV CD
TRICKLE DOWN FIC #1, Father, Donna, Gang CD
IS THERE ANYTHING (Reprise) Bandit, Donna, Company CD
TEMPTATIONS OF THE BANDIT FIC #2, Bandit, Tempters CD
BANDIT, YOU REALLY MADE IT Bandit, Quartet CD
TAX ABATEMENT LOVE DUET Donna & FIC #1 CD
THE GRAFFITI BANDIT IS COMING II Minions, Donna CD
IT'S TOO LATE/FINAL BATTLE Minions, All CD
FINALE: DECIDE Spaghetti Shaman, All CD

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