Script and Program Notes

RAZIA’S SHADOW: A MUSICAL
THE SCRIPT


GENESIS

NARRATION:
This is the beginning and the end. The rise and the fall. Our gait will begin its saunter at the source, when the infant learns to crawl.

AHRIMA:
Place your hand on mine. Untie your mind.

O THE SCIENTIST:
Let your bloated brain balloon and float away.

AHRIMA:
Wet the end of the thread.

O THE SCIENTIST:
Thimble upon your index.

AHRIMA & O THE SCIENTIST:
Set the needle on its path, bobbing up and down and past. Tears and seams all turn to one with every stitch and each spool spun.

O THE SCIENTIST:
Feed the line through its eye.

AHRIMA:
Draw it from the other side.

O THE SCIENTIST:
Pull the strand to satisfy.

AHRIMA:
The need to compose.

O THE SCIENTIST:
The genetic map.

AHRIMA:
The scientific gap.

O THE SCIENTIST:
The detailed blueprints.

AHRIMA:
Swept away under carpets.

AHRIMA & O THE SCIENTIST:
All we did was thread the eye of the silver splinter. We simply planted the seed and nursed it through winter.

O THE SCIENTIST:
The rest is up to you to do with what you'll do.

AHRIMA & O THE SCIENTIST:
To learn and love and laugh until the cycle circles back. I'll just separate, weigh anchor, disengage. Divide and disappear. And see you in the mirror.

AHRIMA:
I’m a slave to the sight.

NARRATION:
O The Scientist was the author and the architect. The angels were His ink slingers, His actors and actresses. His two purest talents were Ahrima and Nidria, two destined hearts, bound by the same idea; the unrelenting constancy of love and hope can rescue and restore you from any scope. In her, Ahrima confided his curbing frustration. His gifts had been exhausted. Oh, how they’d misused them. She averted his passion and eased his blood. And so he confessed it to her, he had fallen in love.

AHRIMA:
A slave to your eyes.


THE MISSING PIECE

AHRIMA:
What a splendid mess He's made of this. O The Scientist and His Genesis. He overlooked my gift and benefit. She's the only one who knows what I could've done.

I must be patient. They will realize what I know inside. I was meant to lead this world to greater things. It's my destiny.

Everything seems to fade when I see her face. The sky and trees all blur every time I look at her. Nobody understood me ‘til her eyes fixed upon me. My puzzle life’s complete now that I found the missing piece.

NIDRIA:
Don't you worry, boy. It's a waste of time. Place your hand on mine. Untie your mind.
We'll just float away into the day. You're not the only one who thinks they're falling in love.

You must be patient. They will realize what I see inside. You were meant to lead this world to greater things. It's your destiny.

AHRIMA:
Everything seems to fade when I see her face. The sky and trees all blur every time I look at her. Nobody understood me ‘til her eyes fixed upon me. My puzzle life’s complete now that I found the missing piece.

You're the meaning. Nidria please listen, I'd like to explain. I should have told you sooner, it's been gnawing at my brain. My mind's in knots, it’s got me lost. Please help me through the maze. You're the key. The lock, turning. The breaking of these chains.

NIDRIA:
Everything seems to fade when I see his face. The sun and stars turn dim every time I look at him. Nobody understood me ‘til his eyes fixed upon me. My puzzle life’s complete now that I found the missing piece.

AHRIMA:
Everything seems to fade when I see her face. The sky and trees all blur every time I look at her. Nobody understood me ‘til her eyes fixed upon me. My puzzle life’s complete now that I found the missing piece.

Narration:
Ahrima, the most gifted seraph, the utmost skilled of the cherubs, he felt his aptitude and sleight were being misused, shamed. He repined this to O The Scientist, who replied with a calm face, expressionless.

AHRIMA:
Dream with your eyes closed. Try and pluck the pearls from your bones.


LIFE IS LOOKING UP

AHRIMA:
Could this be the day I have waited for? When all my hard work doesn’t go ignored. Maybe she was right; they will realize. I can change the world, open up their eyes.

They know I am more than some eager blood. Not some average bones, I believe in love. I just want to prove I deserve this gift. I will change this world. Baby, this is it.

I can see it now. All the colors smear up and down the page, but the shapes are there. I will build the lamps in this reverie, then they’ll understand this was meant for me.

This is my fate. I can almost hear them say,

“Let the lamps shine! Let them burn so bright! Open all our eyes, shower us in light! Let the lamps shine! Let them burn so bright! Set the sky ablaze, fill the night with paint, smother all the shade, flood it through my blood, breathe it through my lungs, give us all your love!”

They know I am more than some eager blood. Not some average bones, I believe in love. I just want to prove I deserve this gift. I will change this world. Baby, this is it.

I can see it now, floating like a dream right above my head. Perfect symmetry. Lines in harmony. I can see his face, when he sees the lamps, I can hear him say,

“Let the lamps shine! Let them burn so bright! Open all our eyes, shower us in light! Let the lamps shine! Let them burn so bright! Set the sky ablaze, fill the night with paint, smother all the shade, flood it through my blood, breathe it through my lungs, give us all your love!”

Dream with your eyes closed. Try and pluck the pearls from your bones.

All the plans pirouette right through my mind, become set. The lines become definite. Glowing hues fill this vignette. Tall and proud the lamps will stand, built from these two very hands. No one will be able to deny my skill nor love for you.

Dream with your eyes closed. Try and pluck the pearls from your bones.

“Let the lamps shine! Let them burn so bright! Open all our eyes, shower us in light! Let the lamps shine! Let the burn so bright! Set the sky ablaze, fill the night with paint, smother all the shade, flood it through my blood, breathe it through my lungs, give us all your love!”

You can’t change me. You can’t have me.

NARRATION:
The vision of the world had been realized, but the sculpture of the earth was looked upon by jealous eyes. Ahrima refused to relent, he demanded to be heard; “Let my unique deft hands be known!” he asserted. But even this brash avowal was met in return by no mouthful. O simply just smiled. So, defeated and galled, Ahrima headed for the darkness. No one seemed to understand. Only the shadows would hearken. He sat in peace, but on his shoulder, at rest, perched a dinky, brownish spider, named Barayas.

AHRIMA:
What have you done? I was your son. You can’t change me. You can’t have me. I’ll simply leave.


THE SPIDER AND THE LAMPS

BARAYAS THE SPIDER:
So you're Ahrima. Nice to finally meet ya. Heard so much about you, and I hope it's all true. I saw what they did.

AHRIMA: Yeah, such arrogance.

BARAYAS THE SPIDER:
I'm the spider. Crawl inside her.

I'm going to show you this once, and then you're going to do it.

You have a special gift, but they still treat you like you're a kid. It must hurt so bad with a knife in your back. They don't understand. This is their last chance. No more idle hands. You'll destroy the lamps, then they'll know who's in control.

Bring those lamps back to me. Don't leave them in one piece. Make sure there's a crowd, then tear them to the ground. Bring those lamps back to me. Don't leave them in one piece. It's your chance for revenge. This will show them.

Now it's your turn. C'mon, like you mean it!

AHRIMA:
I have a special gift, but they still treat me like I'm a kid. It hurts so bad with a knife in your back. They don't understand. This is their last chance. No more idle hands. I'll destroy the lamps, then they'll know who's in control.

BARAYAS THE SPIDER:
They can't stop you. Bring those lamps back to me. Go now! Don't stop! They underestimate you and your gift.

AHRIMA:
Tear those lamps to the ground! Let them cry their eyes out! Tear those lamps to the ground! Let them hear the sound.

NARRATION:
The seed had been sown, now the evil would grow. His keen, young veins were ripe for this aim. So Ahrima set forth to use the lamps as a torch. And with everyone around, he tore them to the ground and, suddenly, without warning, their creation was burning. Their design, ignited. All that hard work, slighted. So Toba The Tura was sent to hold Ahrima responsible for his mess, to ban him to this fiery abyss, while the remaining found a new place to live.


TOBA THE TURA

TOBA THE TURA:
So you're Ahrima, collusive dreamer. I watched the lamps fall, you pushed them over. They say you're gifted, well I just see a scared kid. They must have flipped it, your skills are latent.

O, you snuffed the glow. Replaced it with coals. Threw away the throne.
O, you snuffed the glow. Replaced it with coals. Burnt down my home.

You had a life of privilege, hope and love. But now that's all gone. Maybe the design's flawed. So that's why I'm here, to preserve the remainder of what chance we have left at an existence.

O, the desolate dirt. The raw, scorched earth. It's a trophy of your worth.
O, the desolate dirt. The raw, scorched earth. It's a scar of my hurt.

Your cold, wicked soul boasts a foul scent.

AHRIMA:
No, a stench.

TOBA THE TURA:
The formidable taste of pure contempt. Every dark corner will soon see the light.

AHRIMA:
O, so bright.

TOBA THE TURA:
The beaming flood will pour right through the blinds.

My words will tear through the air, pierce through the despair, to find your arrogant, throbbing ears. If it's too much to bear, or to hear, or to take, I'll be frank, let my inflection be crystal clear.

This mess that you've made, it's a six-foot grave. It's a home for your lonesome bones that remain. We'll disappear, but you'll stay here to rot as The King of The Dark and Forgot.

AHRIMA:
What have I done? Please make me your son. What have I become? Destroyed all I love.

TOBA THE TURA:
O, what have you done? Disobedient son, you’ve broken the trust of your father’s love.

NARRATION:
The arid, fallow earth would be Ahrima’s new hearth. He would remain while he watched his family strain, and the girl that he loved, vacate to a new place, to start over on fresh terrain. And from his desolate throne he watched them compose a mountainous wall of stone, to separate themselves from him. A massive, jagged barricade to lock themselves in. Theirs would be the Light, his would be the Dark. For a century these halves would wait. One world, set apart.

AHRIMA:
Place your hand on mine. Untie your mind. We’ll just disengage. Float away.


THE ORACLE

GARGUL THE ORACLE:
What a tragic mess you fools have made of this. The soil’s filled with vacancy. You’ve spoiled all the crops and seed. This was a birth, a gift. You daftly wasted it. The dust and dirt will stain your fists. You can't escape your own skin.

AHRIMA:
Every creation is plucked from a boundless hole of perception, doomed to endure flaws of its fountain. The boy will one day cross the mountains.

GARGUL THE ORACLE:
And reunite this world’s divided halves, fulfill their history. This is more than divine decree, it’s his destiny.

ANGELS:
So please take heed of this prophecy. Lifetimes from now there will be two chosen, bound to meet. Inside her lock he will turn the key. Their love will be strong enough to erase all the wrong we’ve done, return us to where we belong, with the Light and Dark as one.

GARGUL THE ORACLE:
One day the strands will mend. All the torn seams and frayed ends will turn to one single thread. The cycle will begin. The choices he made that day, to burn down what he'd helped create. You have made this bed, now you must sleep in it.

AHRIMA:
Every creation is plucked from a boundless hole of perception, doomed to endure flaws of its fountain. The boy will one day cross the mountains.

GARGUL THE ORACLE:
And reunite this world’s divided halves, fulfill their history. This is more than divine decree, it’s his destiny.

NIDRIA:
So take heed of this prophecy. Lifetimes from now there will be two chosen, bound to meet. In her lock he’ll turn the key.

NIDRIA & AHRIMA:
Their true love will be strong enough.

AHRIMA:
To erase the wrong we've done, the Dark and Light will become one.

NIDRIA & AHRIMA:
Their true love will be strong enough.

AHRIMA:
To erase the wrong we've done, the Dark and Light will become one.

What a tragic mess you fools have made of this.

NARRATION:
Time flashed by for the Dark and the Light. The two fragments, recessed, still left unaddressed, stranded in unrest. In the Dark lived two brothers, Adakias, the youngest, and the heir, Pallis. As children, of the lists of myths, their favorite was the narrative of Holy The Sea And The Divided Terrene. Adakias would always dream of a destiny to leave, of fulfilling the prophecy. But he was laughed at, fitted with an unfavorable grafted cast for a foolish dreamer, a romance seeker. The streets frowned, but deep down he screamed out. He knew there was accuracy in the antiquated legacy. Legitimacy to the famed sea. A quiet certainty to his fated fantasies.


A HUNDRED-YEAR, MINUTE-LONG INTERMISSION

ADAKIAS:
Place your hand on mine. Untie your mind. Let your bloated brain balloon and float away.

GARGUL THE ORACLE:
Float away into the day.

ADAKIAS:
Wet the end of the thread, thimble upon your index. Feed the line through its eye, draw it from the other side. Pull the strand to satisfy the need to compose this entire naïve globe.

GARGUL THE ORACLE:
Tears and seams all turn to one.

ADAKIAS:
Set the needle on its path, bobbing up and down and past. Tears and seams all turn to one with every stitch and each spool spun.


THE EXIT

ADAKIAS:
Look at all that which surrounds me. I’m supposed to call this home? The Dark has become so overwhelming, so why don’t I just go?

SANGARA & TOWNSFOLK:
Why can’t you be more like your brother? Together you would rule the throne, the evil and darkness would grow. This kingdom needs you!

ADAKIAS:
“Why can’t you be more like Pallis?” they always ask. Could this feeling deep in me be the prophecy? As a child I heard such wonderful stories of The Lamps, and The Oracle, and Holy The Sea.

SANGARA & TOWNSFOLK:
Silly boy, you speak of fiction. Silly boy, you can’t just leave everything for some fairy-tale ending, myth or legend.

ADAKIAS:
O, what’s the use? Maybe they’re right. What’s the point of dreaming if it can never materialize? Townsfolk are ashamed. Why can’t I live up to my family name? Well it’s not me that you see, it’s just my pedigree.

SANGARA & TOWNSFOLK:
You’re a reckless and romantic rogue. Your head is in the clouds. You’ll be chained here all your life, shackled to the ground. You’re not the chosen one!

ADAKIAS:
Don’t you ever dream of some place better? Or a life that’s greater? Don’t you ever feel like you’ve been destined for something bigger than your skin?

PALLIS:
You are so foolish. The Dark has been your home. If you elope, I’ll hunt you down, through suffering you’ll atone.

ADAKIAS:
Dear Pallis, you’re my brother, you’ve loved and watched over me, but there’s something bigger at stake, my purpose is this journey.

PALLIS:
Brother, you are shortsighted, naïve and starry-eyed. You are not the chosen one. This will be your demise.

ADAKIAS:
Brother, I can’t help this feeling. My heart tells me to run. You were meant to rule the Dark, I was meant to see the sun.

Don’t you ever dream of some place better, where the lights shine brighter? Don’t you ever feel like you’ve been destined for something bigger than your skin?

I think I’ll just go.

NARRATION:
Adakias, tired of fiction and bound by his ambition, left his home for the city of Light. Disguised as a citizen, his identity was hidden within a city that sat glistening. He was eager for this new life. He contemplated, and hated, why had he waited so long? To flee his home, forever shaded, where the jaded were never wrong. He took a deep breath, he was finally gone. His hope was left strong that a meaning would be found that had kept him withdrawn. His stare had caught a light, and he fell for the sight. Her name was Princess Anhura and she suffered from the same strife. And, like Adakias, she spent most of her time dreaming of a different life.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Don’t you ever feel like you’ve been destined for something bigger than your skin?


IT’S TRUE LOVE

ADAKIAS:
It seems to me like every star agreed to meet right over our heads tonight, to flex their bright.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
The light collects in your eyes, turns and reflects, jumps into mine. I'm a slave to the sight.

ADAKIAS:
My hands shake. Our minds race from the thought of love, yet we curb our speech because words are not enough. To etch this instant, burn this moment, into our memory.

Let go. Take my hand and trust in me. Anhura, can't you see that we were meant to be?

It’s true love.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
I never would guess your touch could fill me with such thoughts to marry you, have your babies, too. Is it too good to be true?

ADAKIAS:
I can't let her learn about my past. If she found out where I came from, she'd turn so fast and not look back. I can't go back, I just won't go back.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
I can't slow down. I'm scared I'm falling too fast. Adakias, can't you see that I knew at first kiss? We were meant to be.

ADAKIAS:
Don't you ever feel like you've been destined for something bigger than your skin?

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Don't you ever feel like you've been destined for something bigger than your skin?

ADAKIAS:
I can feel it, affirming my significance, rendering me weightless, confirming my purpose.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Tendons tensing in its wake, shifting my shoulder blades, trickling down my veins, it’s subtle as a tidal wave.

ADAKIAS & PRINCESS ANHURA:
It's true love.

NARRATION:
Love was everywhere, you could taste it in the air. The couple was eager to trade vows, to float away and settle down. But first Adakias had to meet Anhura’s father, his majesty, the one and only. His royal highness, the King. He had to kiss his jeweled fist and bow to the crown. Kneeling on the ground, he would propound to become her prince.


MEET THE KING

KING MALKA:
So, you're the boy I've heard so much about from my daughter's open mouth. She's described for me wild fantasies of true love and ancient prophecies. Did you think that you could waltz right in and steal the Princess for yourself? Seducing her with empty dreams and a rusting ring? Well I'm the King, it won't be that easy.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Father, you don't understand.

ADAKIAS:
I’m not after your throne or jewels.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
You can't justify demands.

ADAKIAS:
Not looking for a crown or holy rule.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Father, don’t you understand?

ADAKIAS:
I just want your daughter’s heart, you fool.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
You can't hold onto my hand, 'cause I have found my man.

KING MALKA:
Daughter, my dear, please open both your ears. There is something not right here. Well I can't place my finger on it, but this young man’s filled with darkness. If you think I'll just sit back and let this slide, then you are mistaken. I will surely not give up without a fight, ‘cause I'm the King, it won't be that easy.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Father, you don't understand.

ADAKIAS:
I’m not after your throne or jewels.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
You can't justify demands.

ADAKIAS:
Not looking for a crown or holy rule.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Father, don’t you understand?

ADAKIAS:
I just want your daughter’s heart, you fool.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
You can't hold onto my hand, 'cause I have found my man.

ADAKIAS:
Please sir, let me say something on my behalf. I love your daughter and she, well, she loves me back.

ADAKIAS & PRINCESS ANHURA:
All we have is love, my King, so let's sing 'la-da-da-da'!

NARRATION:
Denied by the King and his greed, the pair would indeed be married in secrecy. But before they had agreed when and where to meet, the Princess felt queasy and weak, could barely speak. Adakias knew instantly why she was so green and what had caused the disease. It was his proximity. She was ill from his company. Evil’s ubiquity. You can’t run from your history. Your past will seek you, endlessly. He knew the only remedy to her viral malady resided and abided on the opposite side of the petrous levee and its harsh, barbed, concrete peak. So while avoiding the leak of his true identity, Adakias convinced the Princess of their leave. They would meet with a specialist, and rid her blood of this. He kissed her on the lips and assured her a life long-lived.


HOLY THE SEA

BARUKA BAWABA:
Please take a seat. Let me tell you both a tale of love and hope. It’s a story that you may have heard before, told as mythical lore. But this translation is clear, unlike the embellishments that have reached your ears. There was a boy who shared your bones, your eager blood, your affinity for love. He had it all in his hands, and he watched it all turn to sand.

ADAKIAS:
If this boy they speak of sincerely sits atop my family tree, then I was truly meant to leave the Dark, down this path set out in front of me. I will reunite this world’s divided halves. Fulfill my history. This is more than divine decree, it’s my destiny.

BABA BAWABA:
Digging ‘round the deep, only missing out on sleep. Chasing ‘bout my head like the wolf that found the sheep. Don't go digging ‘round there, you be slipping bit too much. Milling muck and mud with the mind that lost its touch. I been traveling ‘bout in time, never stepping out for much. Deepest of the deep with the wolf that lost those sheep. Because it’s more than a little but less than a bunch, found their way around with the blind that lost its touch.

BAWABA BROTHERS:
The choices he made that day to burn down the world he'd helped create. Don't be scared, kid. You're gifted. Follow this stream, and live out that prophecy.

Watch out for the wicked ones who call themselves beloved ones. Beware of the medicine before you lay your head again. Watch out for the wicked ones who call themselves beloved ones.

NARRATION:
So they arrived at the doctor’s camp, his crude shack. A shanty with walls of broken glass, light leaking through the shattered cracks. And though he was cordial, the young couple was doubtful.

ADAKIAS:
If this boy they speak of sincerely sits atop my family tree, I was truly meant to leave the Dark down this path set out in front of me.

NARRATION:
...for the longshoremen had warned them to keep a close eye on their adored ones. But they had journeyed for a reason, they were here for the medicine. To cure the infection. But nothing could prepare him for the events that would ensnare them. All he could do is trust what he knew. He would listen to his gut and live for his love.


DOCTOR DOCTOR

DR. DUMAYA:
Welcome to my humble abode, please don't mind the mess. Just nest yourself down comfortable, let the doctor do the rest. Dear ghost, you look white as a sheet, just have yourself a seat. Open wide, say 'Ah!' Let the doctor take a peek. Now I must admit I knew you'd come, the boy and his love. Eloped to save her from disease, wash your hands of her blood.

I don't want to alarm you, but you certainly are ill, stricken with a sickness deadly enough to kill. Even the strongest man would drop dead where he stands. I urge that we make haste if you are to stand a chance.

Now what you got ain't no quick fix, it ain't no common cold. What you need's a bona fide doctor's miracle. Now the thing about miracles is that they don't grow on trees. They don't fall from the sky, you need a doctor like me. Lucky for you, you found me, so the rest should be no fuss, but before we get to saving lives there's a few things to discuss.

Now I'm sure you're wondering, what's in it for me? Surely I would not perform these miracles for free. I'm not asking for a lot, it won't cost you a dime. I just want the Princess here with me ‘til the end of time.

I promise to take care of her, well rather, she'll take care of me for the rest of her life in the Dark, fulfilling doctor's fantasies.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
I can't do this.

ADAKIAS:
But you must, Princess.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Sign my life away?

ADAKIAS:
It's the only way. Trust me, I know how this must go. Just do what the doctor says.

NARRATION:
He mixed elixirs and philters, pried scrolls and read excerpts. He spoke in foreign phonetics and read runes from ancient relics. Stirred ointments with potions, and unctions with doses. He whisked it ‘til smoke rose and seeped into her nose. The illness had relinquished. The doctor had fixed it. The cleansing accomplished, their love was free to flourish. But before it could sink in, the front door was kicked in. Standing in its place was Pallis. Driven by malice, he had barged in to challenge Adakias to prove their love. Their word wouldn’t be enough, Pallis needed it in blood.


THE END AND THE BEGINNING

PALLIS:
I've been tracing your steps, along with your dainty, exquisite guest. Across mountain land and serpentining seas, these two have been on quite an odyssey. But you're a fool to think this princess could ever really love a couple of poor boys like us. She requires riches recherché, riding with rodomontading roués.

ADAKIAS:
Casanovas have charmed with chiffons, so chichi. Chased her with their conceited coteries.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
Maharajahs have magniloquently mouthed their love for me through their menageries.

ADAKIAS:
She's been propositioned, propounded by every pompous prince. Given panniers of peerless pears and plums, polished.

PRINCESS ANHURA:
I've been seduced with shimmering, sparkling stones. Squired by suitors to sizable chateaus.

ADAKIAS:
And I'm the one she chose.

PALLIS:
I understand how you can love a man of truth, so why don't you just ask him where he spent his youth? Oh, look at her face. She really doesn't see that you are from the Dark and you've been lying through your teeth.

ADAKIAS:
Anhura, please listen. I really can explain. I meant to tell you sooner, it’s been gnawing at my brain. Now you know the truth, but that knowledge shouldn't change the nature of our love. We've broken through the chains.

PALLIS:
I'm sure that she would care to hear your acumen, as to how your presence is the reason she is sick. But I suppose it’s in vain, since her life is ending, when I thrust this blade into her heart-a-thumping.

ADAKIAS:
Brother, no!

PALLIS:
Brother, what have I done? My blade has pierced your side. This was never my intent. O, God, please stay alive.

ADAKIAS:
Dear Pallis, you're my brother. You've tried to protect me, but your dagger's edge finding my flesh, it truly was my destiny.

PALLIS:
Brother, I was shortsighted. I ignored your cries. You really are the chosen one, the calculated sacrifice.

ADAKIAS:
Please listen to my last words before I fade away. This is my gift to you: "Live for your love every day.”

PALLIS:
Please don't let your tired heart stop beating. You're bleeding. Just keep breathing.

ADAKIAS:
You will take care of this spinning sphere. I'll disappear and see you in the mirror.

ADAKIAS, PALLIS & PRINCESS ANHURA:
Place your hand on mine one last time and kiss me goodbye.
Take the love inside my mind before I die.

ADAKIAS:
Before I die. Please don’t cry.

NARRATION:
The mountains seceded. The Light and Dark depleted. We lost Adakias, but regained our science. Our world was finally reunited. So this is my cue of where to leave you. Now it’s your story to retell and pass on, because an idea is only relevant if it’s being thought upon. So remember, never surrender, because the unrelenting constancy of love and hope will rescue and restore you from any scope.




PROGRAM NOTES:

RAZIA’S SHADOW: A MUSICAL
CHARACTERS / CREDITS FOR PROGRAM

Characters:
O The Scientist
Ahrima
Nidria
Barayas
Toba The Tura
Gargul The Oracle
Adakias
Sangara
Pallis
Princess Anhura
King Malka
Baruka and Baba, The Bawaba Brothers
Doctor Dumaya
Narrator

1. Genesis
2. The Missing Piece
3. Life Is Looking Up
4. The Spider And The Lamps
5. Toba The Tura
6. The Oracle
7. A Hundred-Year, Minute-Long Intermission
8. The Exit
9. It's True Love
10. Meet The King
11. Holy The Sea
12. Doctor Doctor
13. The End And The Beginning

Instrumental version of ‘Razia’s Shadow: The Musical’ courtesy of Fueled By Ramen Records, LLC.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER John Janick
PRODUCER Casey Bates
DIRECTOR Thomas Dutton

RECORDED AT Casey Bates Studio in Shoreline, WA
ENGINEERS Thomas Dutton & Casey Bates
ADDITIONAL ENGINEERS Seth Johnson, Casey Crescenzo, Vanessa Harris, Pavan Grewall, Kris Anaya, Chris Conley
MASTERED BY UE Nastasi at Sterling Sound

DRUMS Rudy Gajadhar
ADDITIONAL DRUMS Paul Dutton, Andy Mannino, Kendahl Kapetan
ADDITIONAL PERCUSSION & INSTRUMENTATION Paul Dutton & Thomas Dutton
ORCHESTRAL ARRANGEMENTS Paul Dutton

ALL LYRICS & NARRATION WRITTEN BY Thomas Dutton, except “Holy The Sea” by Thomas Dutton & John Gourley.

ALL SONGS WRITTEN BY Thomas Dutton & Paul Dutton, except “The Exit” and “It’s True Love” written by Thomas Dutton, Paul Dutton, and Thomas Hunter.

PUBLISHED BY Thomas Dutton Music (BMI) and Rolo Tamasi Music (BMI) © 2007. Lyrics reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Who's epic again? Oh, wait. Never mind. It's Pallis.

Photos!

Set the needle on its path...

Bobbing up and down and past

This is the beginning and the end, the rise and the fall.

O the Scientist was the author and the architect.

Nidria of the past and the future...

His two purest talents were Ahrima and Nidria

She's the only one who knows what I could've done.

Everything seems to fade when I see her face.

Don't you worry, boy - it's a waste of time.

We've found the missing piece!

Barayas the Spider

Bring those lamps back to me.

Let my inflection be crystal clear!

The Oracle and O the Scientist

The Oracle

What a tragic mess you fools have made of this.

He watched them compose a mountainous wall of stone to separate themselves from him.

In The Dark lived two brothers...

Adakias

Sangara

The heir, Pallis.

Pallis

Dark dancers

Dark dancers

Why can't you be more like your brother?

The Exit

Princess Anhura

It's true love!

It's subtle as a tidal wave...

Don't you ever feel like you've been destined for something bigger than your skin?

The couple was eager to trade vows, to float away and settle down.

King Malka

Queen Sylvia

The Royal Family

Daughter, my dear, please open both your ears. There is something not right here.

All we have is love, my king, so let's sing la-da-da-da!

A specialist...

I just want the Hero here with me until the end of time...

Sell your life away!?

Given panniers of peerless pears and plums polished.

Brother, what have I done!?

You will take care of this spinning sphere.

June 12th. Ooooh my God.

That's right. It's May.

One month and twelve days until the performance.

We had the photo shoot yesterday, May 1st, and it went awesomely. :D I need to be sure to put Steven Akins on the program for the performance. He said it'd take about a week for the photos to be complete, and I will most definitely post them on here when they're ready. :)

However.

We clearly are still having some costume issues.

• Travis, you're set, as far as I know. You need to find the pinstriped pants, but you've got a backup pair of black ones, so I don't worry about you.
• Katherine, you're the narrator, so you're good. It'd be cool if our dresses were identical, though.
• Fernandez, you need a suit jacket.
• Shianne, you need a NOT see-through yellow shirt. XP
• Emily, I'm thinking you need a bigger black shirt because you keep having to pull yours down while dancing. Also, we're going to slaughter you with make-up, so prepare yourself.
• Lindsey, you may need an outfit for the dark, but I'm not sure.
• Haylie, you need a neutral outfit, but I think you told me you could dress in blue? Blue shirt and blue shorts/skirt is what I need.
• Kevin, you need a red neutral outfit, which you told me you'd have. XP And you also need a pinstriped jacket.

And I think that's it...

I'll attempt to acquire said items at EARC.

We STILL need to finish Life is Looking Up and The Oracle, but the rest is done. :D

Cristin, The Red Cup emissary, got us some swiveling stage lights and my uncle, Mike, is letting us borrow an amazingly large speaker that can plug into an iPod, so we're technologically covered! :D

Oh, also, here is the updated cast list:

Narrator/Future Nidria - Katherine Benton

O the Scientist - Kate Howell (me)

Ahrima - Travis Conaway

Nidria - Amber Gillmore

Barayas the Spider - Lindsey Orgren and Emily Adams

Toba the Tura - Katy Hirsch/Daniel Fernandez (understudy)

The Oracle - Raychel Strand

Prince Adakias - Travis Conaway

Sangara - Amber Gillmore

Prince Pallis - Daniel Fernandez

Princess Anhura - Katy Hirsch

King Malka - Tyler Kelly

Queen Sylvia - Emily Adams

Doctor Dumaya - Lindsey Orgren

Dancers/Chorus - Shianne Cox, Haylie Ritchie, Kevin Zarate, Tyler Kelly, Lindsey Orgren, Amber Gillmore, Katy Hirsch

NOW FOR THE SET.

I talked to Devin Kellerman and she said she'd be willing to help us out with the artwork! :D Thank you, Devin.

So, to clear up any confusion, I will list the ideas I have for the set design:

I want there to be three to four wood panels that we can lean on the back of the stage.

On one side of the panels, I want the setting to be of The Dark, which consists of a dark, grimy cityscape. Not to mention several posters of the character Pallis.
So with a texture like this.
And a scenery like this.

On the other side of the panels, I want the setting to be of The Light, which consists of a bright, blissful landscape. Also, we need to include a castle-esque sort of feel. Like a castle made of trees, drenched in vines and flowers, maybe. Or maybe no castle at all and simply a clearing in a forest where there royal family resides. As long as we get the importance of nature across.
So with a style like this and this.
And a scenery like this and this.

What do you guys think?

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care, the death of each day's life, sore labour's bath

Ah... sleep. :) We had another snow day today, so I have time to sleep in and update.

We had a rather productive rehearsal last Saturday and officially blocked The Exit, Toba, and the beginning of Genesis.

And oh my God.

Genesis is just amazing.

The head choreographer, Lindsey Orgren, asked her talented friend, Haylie Ritchie, to be her dance partner in Genesis, and then proceeded to create the most amazing dance I have ever seen in my entire life.

It's gonna be bomb.

The Exit is looking great too, but I'm still unhappy with a couple parts of it, and that isn't anyone's fault but mine, so don't take it personally if you're involved and reading this. XP

Toba is going to be great as well. :D Katy does an outstanding job of beating up Travis.

So, we have, in essence, blocked every single song that we're going to perform:

Genesis, The Missing Piece, Life is Looking Up, The Spider and the Lamps, Toba the Tura, The Oracle, The Exit, It's True Love, Meet the King, Doctor Doctor, and The End and the Beginning.

We need to work on just about all of them. xx

ESPECIALLY Life is Looking Up. We haven't gotten very far with that one and it's pretty much the most intricate song. Lots and lots of dancing. The Spider and the Lamps is really intensely intricate too, but Life is Looking Up has a huge chorus line involved whereas The Spider and the Lamps only has like six people being spiders. Hopefully. People are dropping like flies from our fledgling troupe.

We need to start thinking about the set. Especially since our set manager dropped out.

For the set, the only thing I can think of is revolving panels that have dark scenery painted on one side and light scenery painted on the other. Others have suggested simple black and white curtains. I really don't know. The main problem is that there is no real set in the first act because it's supposed to be neutral, so any set we come up with for the second act will have to be placed onstage during the intermission. We need to keep that in mind when thinking about it.

I watched the music video for Life is Looking Up, which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoV66UPGX_Q

It's very interesting. It's sort of an abstract summation of Razia's Shadow. And, strangely enough, the man who plays Pallis in the video looks very similar to the person playing Pallis in THAT's production, my friend Fernandez. It doesn't really make sense when he drags her away, though. Still trying to figure that one out.

We may have a labcoat provided by one of my old English teachers, Mr. David Walker. He also intends to donate $50. :) Thank you so much, Mr. Walker. It's pretty awesome how we still keep in touch and you haven't been my teacher since sixth grade.

My cousin, Jim Howell, is also donating $100 for the show. Thank you so, so much, Jim!

And also, I need to thank The Red Cup for letting us use their stage. I haven't properly done that yet. I'm not quite sure how, but I really probably should.

And while I'm on this crazy spree of gratitude, thanks to everyone involved. All the dancers, singers, actors, and crew. You all are the ones pulling the strings, keeping us together, and ultimately creating an amazing show. :)

Adios. :)

We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world

Razia's Shadow is coming along very nicely. :) We've blocked The Missing Piece, The Spider and the Lamps (mostly), the beginning of The Oracle, most of The Exit, It's True Love, Meet the King, Doctor Doctor, and the vast majority of The End and the Beginning.

It's going to be so completely awesome.

I have complete faith that everyone involved in this production is 100% dedicated and excited for its success.

I really don't mean to be pompous or critical, but after watching other schools perform this same musical, all I have to say is that our interpretation is really going to be epic.

However. Comma.

We have a lot of work to do. A lot.

I swung by Goodwill this evening and picked up about sixty dollars' worth of clothes and props with the RS donations. We goooot:

Blue dress
Blue robe
Coat rack
Pinstriped suit
Pinstriped pants
Pinstriped skirt
Three solid colored shirts: white, yellow, and green
Three flower vases

The blue dress and robe are for the king and queen. The pinstriped suits are for all the Dark people. The flower vases are for the Doctor's potion bottles. The coat rack is the thing that'll hold the lamps up. The solid colored shirts are for the first act.

:D

We had $159 but now we have $94. Ish. I'll calculate it all a little later.

Next rehearsal, we're going to have everyone bring their costumes and take inventory.

Dressed for success!

I really need to get to work on costumes/set/props because our photo shoot is only a month away. xx We only have one costume completed, and that's Pallis. He'll be wearing a black, pinstriped suit jacket with a black shirt underneath, fatigues, and combat boots. Oh, yeah, and not to mention the best part - black fedora. :D I love me some fedoras.

I have Anhura's dress, but we really need to doll it up more. The whole theme for the Light is hippie, gypsy sort of clothing, whereas the Dark is 20s gangster. And the before-Razia people will be wearing sort of starch, unnoticeable clothes because they're neutral, but also because they're not even that economically/fashionably developed yet.

For sets, I am so screwed. I have little to no idea of what's going to be in the background. I was thinking it's be cool if we had panels that could be turned around depending on where the scene was - Light and Dark, mainly. for the neutral scenery, we can just have a cloth draped over them or something simplistic like that. We have an incredibly low budget, so simple is always better.

And we are definitely going to have a monstrous poster of Pallis in the background of the Dark, doing some sort of Uncle Sam WE WANT YOU pose or some fascist salute. I'm not sure yet. But that's definitely going to happen. No buts about it. XD

As for props, I'm going to take a look around my house(s) and see what I can scrounge together. I used to actually collect props but they always just sat in the bootom of my closet in a huge plastic container. I have crazy wigs and mardi gras beads and ray guns and... Wow, we could probably do Rocky Horror Picture Show if we wanted to. XD

But, tangent aside, we have a throne/Doctor's barstool. Not much else, though. :/ We still need stuff for the lamps, tools, a skeletal structure of a house, and some decent sword-fighting swords, not flimsy pirate ones. I'd even be okay with fencing swords despite that those are pretty flimsy.

I have the gist of what to do for the lamps, which includes wire, tissue paper, and some kind of illumination, like glow-sticks or something, but they still need to be made. I'm really putting off props and set right now to focus on blocking, but that's probably a bad idea. :/ Blocking is important though, so at least there's that.

More later, I suppose.

With wine-colored eyes and a dream of clear skies, he sighs, tries not to cry, and replies with, "Adieu, adieu."

THE FINALLY OFFICIAL OFFICAL CAST LIST:

O the Scientist - me
Narrator - Katherine Benton
Ahrima - Travis Conaway/Kevin Zarate (understudy)
Nidria - Amber Gillmore
Barayas the Spider - Lindsey Orgren and Emily Adams
Toba the Tura - Katy Hirsch/Fernandez (understudy)
The Oracle - Rachel Strand
Adakias - Travis Conaway
Sangara - Amber Gillmore
Pallis - Fernandez
Princess Anhura - Katy Hirsch
King Malka - Tyler Kelly
Queen Luminesca - Brittany Stack
Doctor Dumaya - Patrick Lobb


SO now that that's done, I have director notes:

For me - I just suck. At singing. Suck. xx But we don't have enough people and it's a small part, so I thought it'd be okay. But I suck. I'll need to work on doing that first song with Katherine over and over again until I get it.

For Katherine - She and I sing the first song together rather than Ahrima and O, and we would do it really well, except that I suck and she doesn't hold her notes out long enough, but that's easily fixed. She's an AMAZING narrator. Amazing. Her voice is so dulce smooth, and she holds so much emotion and history in her inflection, it all just comes together as someone who was born to narrate. But she needs to work on her cues a little more. :)

For Amber - I love her resonant, alto voice. :) There are times when it seems to get a little nasal and soft, but that just takes a little practice to clear up. I love her intense facial expression and body language. JUST PRACTICE! XD There's several things that need to be perfected and memorized, and that can only come with practice. Everyone has got to practice at home. I don't have enough time to go over it with everyone over and over again.

For Lindsey and Emily - Wow. Just... wow. These two rock the entire stage with their schizoid spider act, and they both were clearly born with the grace of dancers, despite what Emily may have to say about it. ;) Emily needs to strengthen her voice and make it louder, but not too loud because I really love the contrast with Lindsey's vociferous, dominant voice and Emily's soft, subtley insidious one. Both of them are doing awesomely. I just hope they don't forget the choreography!

For Rachel - She's perfect for the oracle. :) Her voice needs strengthening and we need to work on blocking that song in general, but I really have faith that she'll fit the part just wonderfully.

For Fernandez - His Pallis performance takes my breath away. It's like he was made to do that one singular part. I think it's his ever-suspicious facial expression. XD But really, he does it wonderfully and the only thing I can ask for is that he increases his volume about a million times and really tries to get into character, because all the basic necessities are there, but it still needs some toning and conditioning on his part, and that's just about diligent practice.

For Travis - He's just perfect. He's completely perfect for Adakias, anyway, and really, really awesome at being Ahrima. I just really hate to double-cast so I tried like three different guys for the part. XD But none of them were better than Travis. His voice needs to be a little stronger and louder, and his facial expression tends to drop into a blank face from time to time, but those are just normal habits everyone has to break. It's really, really a huge relief that he does exactly what I ask him to do exactly when I ask him to do it. Good job, Mr. Conaway. :)

For Katy - What can I even say? The girl was born to act and sing, and she dominates the stage every time she's on it. She and Travis are pure eyecandy when they're performing together in these roles. She's just the coolest cat ever and, since she's been acting for nine years and been one of my top best friends for about four of them, she knows exactly what to do when I ask her to do it. So I really have no criticism at all. :)

For Tyler - He does the part wonderfully! :D The only request I have is that he get a rein on his crazy facial expressions and increase the volume of his voice. XD But other than that, he's just perfect for the king. :)

For Brittany - She is so adorable. :3 She fits the role so unbelievably well - and thank the Lord, too, because I had nobody left to fill the part - and the only thing I must I ask of her is to increase her confidence onstage and the volume of her voice.

For Patrick - He's just kinda... perfect for the role. :D He's so creepy! And he definitely makes everyone laugh, which is exactly what I pictured for this character. The only correction I would make is the Jack Sparrow swagger that doesn't belong there, and getting to know the character better, because once he understands what the doctor is saying, he'll definitely have a feel for how to act it out, and then he really will be a completely perfect doctor. :)


I'm so lucky to have such wonderful people so close to me.

More later, everyone. :)

An Amazing, Authentic, August Array of Actors, Actresses, Adjutants, and Abettors

I like alliteration.

Anyway, I'll list all the cast and crew in this post - at the discretion I'm allowed, of course. Some have requested I don't give out their full names. :)

I suppose I need to explain the characters first, though, wouldn't you say? Brace yourself - this is gonna be a long one.

Firstly, there's O the Scientist sung originally by Casey Crescenzo, and he is the theoretical deity of this world, (probably a sort of caustic or suggestive statement of modern Christianity), who creates the "Angels." O doesn't say much, instead communicating through paradoxical subtleties and smiles, which just frustrates the hell out of Ahrima. O lets his creations govern themselves for the most part, just sitting back and watching as the deist philosophy of life theorizes about the mainstream God of earth.

Then there's Ahrima, played by no other than ingenious inventor Thomas Dutton himself, who is the patron saint of disgruntled brilliance. He feels that "his gifts had been exhausted, oh, how they'd misused them." He tries to tell O the Scientist about this, but "even this brash avowal was met by no mouthful. O simply just... smiled." So, Ahrima's only sense of sanity amidst this frustration is his best friend and later lover, Nidria. He becomes "The King of the Dark and Forgot" after tearing down the lamps, an obvious metaphor for their knowledge and prosperity, and is forever separated from Nidria and the rest of the world. He spawned somehow though. Somehow...

Nidria is one of only two girls in the entire production, but Lizzie Huffman's jazzy, soulful voice definitely makes her stand out. She's in love with the discontented Ahrima, and pleads with him to be patient and wait for his moment to shine. She spends the entirety of her stage time understanding Ahrima's anguish. The narrator, played by Aaron Weiss, mentions that both she and Ahrima are especially gifted, but Ahrima's the only one whining about it. Nidria remains calm, collected, and in love with someone that she later must give up to the darkness.

Barayas the Spider is the ignition for all this madness, the role aptly given to Say Anything's Max Bemis, one of my top favorite lyricists. "The world was looked upon by jealous eyes" and there are definitely eight of them, the image vividly painted by a choppy, piano interim and amazingly spider-like tunes. When Ahrima goes off to the darkness to sulk, Barayas takes this opportunity to crawl onto bitter little Miss Muffet's shoulder and whisper evil thoughts of destruction and power into the dismayed angel's ear. Without Barayas, there would be no story, so thanks, Max Bemis! In my production, I decided to have two people play the spider so we'd actually have eight legs. :3

"So Toba the Tura was sent to hold Ahrima responsible for his mess, to ban him to this fiery abyss while the remaining found a new place to live." No one really knows what a Tura is, but it must be important. Toba, played by Chris Conley, sings a haunting song of anger and despair, taking all this destruction personally when he sings, "And my words will tear through the air, pierce through the despair to find your arrogant, throbbing ears, and if it's too much to bear or to hear or to take, I'll be frank, let my inflection be crystal clear! This mess that you've made, it's a six-foot grave, it's a home for your lonesome bones that remain. We'll disappear, but you'll stay here and rot as the King of the Dark and Forgot." It's one of my favorite songs. :)

The Oracle, like O the Scientist, only appears in two songs and doesn't really do much except reveal the prophecy that the world will be reunited by two star-crossed lovers. Played by Danny Stevens, the notes are ethereally high, and the strange, whimsical music in the background set an atmosphere that lacks time and space. The strings and entrance of Ahrima, Nidria, and the rest of the angels into the song give a semblance of a last goodbye, one last performance before Toba's judgment goes into motion.

Enter Adakias, stage left! Our daring, purehearted hero is performed also by the multi-talented Thomas Dutton, and happens to be an agent of darkness. He is the younger brother of the infamous Pallis, and the only person in the entire kingdom of darkness that wants to leave and explore the Light. In an act of impulsive bravery, he defies his omnipotent, overruling brother and ventures into the Light, falling deeply in love with Princess Anhura. He ends up sacrificing his own life to save her, and, in a final attempt at fulfilling the prophecy the way he always dreamed to do, he asks Pallis and Anhura to marry. At least, that's how I'm interpreting it.

Sangara is listed just as one of the townsfolk, sung by Dan Young, and the narrator, (or anyone else, for that matter,) never specifies who he is. :/ So I interpreted it differently and decided that Sangara would no longer be a man, because, let's face it, there need to be more girls in this thing, and because there was no indication that the character had to be male. And I am the director, so I'm allowed to make that call. At least for my own show. XP So I decided that my version of Sangara was to be Adakias's first girlfriend, his first attempt at a social connection before he finally abandons all hope and heads for the Light.

Pallis, the heir to the throne of Darkness, is a very complex character. Portrayed by the eerie yet angelic voice of Brendon Urie, he is the true leader of the Dark, and vows to make Adakias suffer for his rebellion. However, moved by his little brother's unbound compassion, his perception changes and he works to reunite the Dark and Light and dispel Razia's shadow. Again, this is just my interpretation of it, because it really isn't clear.

Princess Anhura is the other girl in this musical, and her only true defining feature is that she is in love with Adakias. Sung by Greta Salpeter, she dreams of a different life away from the norm, and thinks Adakias is the key. However, she doesn't know until the very last song that he's from the Dark. I don't know if this is how it actually happened or not, but I decided that she married Pallis in the end because Adakias dies and she's just trying to fulfill his dying wish and also hold on to the last remnant of her true love. Whether their relationship works out or not, no one can really tell, eh?

King Malka, performed by Nic Newsham, is also a complicated character, even though he's only in one song. He loves his daughter and senses something wrong with Adakias, but he's also very greedy and haughty, repeating, "Well, I'm the king; it won't be that easy." I also gave him a queen because the timing of that song is a little sketchy, and, as an assignment to all my cast members so they'd understand their character better, named her Sylvia. Their relationship is interesting, the way my actors play it, and I can only hope Mr. Dutton would approve. D:

The Bawaba Brothers are, I assume, the ferrymen of Holy the Sea. They take Adakias and the sickly Anhura across the sea to the Dark so that she can be cured of her unexpected illness, all the while explaining to Adakias the accuracy of the prophecy that he grew up on, adding that Adakias is the fulfillment of it. However, they also caution him against trusting those that seem trustworthy, an ominous foreshadowing into the last song.

Doctor Dumaya is the one that fixes Princess Anhura and, played by Shawn Harris, is definitely the creepiest character. He says he'll fix her, but demands in return that she live with him and fulfill his sick fantasies forever. However, after Pallis bursts in for the dramatic ending, the doctor is never heard from again, so his disappearance is left to be pondered.


As for the cast and crew, here we go!

O the Scientist - me
Narrator - Katherine Benton
Ahrima -
Nidria -
Barayas the Spider - Lindsey Orgren
Toba the Tura -
The Oracle - Rachel Strand
Adakias -
Sangara -
Pallis - Fernandez
Princess Anhura -
King Malka -
Queen Luminesca - Brittany Stack
Doctor Dumaya - Lindsey Orgren

And the crew includes:

Director - me
Graphic Designer - Nicole Knox
Set Manager - Hannah Nielesen
Tech Director - Brian Akins, Conner Mercer, Beth Stoneman
Costume Design - Katherine Benton and myself
Choreographer - Lindsey Orgren
Photographers - Steve Akins and Hannah Nielesen
Set Construction - everyone involved

Steve Akins is an actual PROFESSIONAL photographer and also, by mere happenstance, is my beau's father. So super bonus! I'm so amazingly grateful to have his completely free assistance! And, if you couldn't guess, his son, my beau, is the tech director.

I'm so proud of all my cast and crew, it's incredible. :D I'm so lucky to have so many gifted and dedicated friends. Everyone fits their character perfectly! And my narrator just... kicks... ass? She's exceptional. XD

I guess it's good for me to keep all these topics separated, so I'll write about other stuff in another post. :)