A Midsummer Night's Dream, Abridged Script with Original Music Score

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William Shakespeare's

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

A full production package with an abridged play script and an original musical score, including incidental music and musical settings of Shakespeare's song lyrics in mp3 tracks. Suitable for professional, amateur or school performances

MICHAEL SIROTTA

"...Just wanted to thank you again for your beautiful arrangements--we got them all worked into our script and they are perfect--especially the fairy lullaby. That keeps getting stuck in my head! ... Gorgeous!"

— Lynn Brant, Director, Z Center Stage, Zillow, WA

SHAKESPEARE'S MUSICAL DREAM

Perhaps the most magical and musically evocative play in the Shakespearian canon, A Midsummer Night's Dream has been an inspiration to composers throughout the centuries, from Purcell, through Felix Mendelsohn, to modern classical composers such as Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughn Williams and many others who compose in a more "popular" vein. The play literally begs for music, with its highly cinematic fairy/dream sequences, it's "pomp and revelry", and of course its songs and dances as specified by the playwright himself.

Now, composer Michael Sirotta has prepared a new production package which includes an adaptation of the comedy plus an original musical score, including songs, incidental music and sound effects that will provide companies that wish to stage the play with the added magical dimension of a sound track. Written in his inimitable style as heard in his Alice in Wonderland, the music underscores scene changes, fairyland environments, magic spells and more. And it sets to music the three songs that are indicated in the play by Shakespeare himself and makes simple production numbers of two of them, with Oberon's song (and dance) Now Until the Break of Day building into a very lovely grand finale. There are 27 tracks of music and sound effects that accompany the package.

SHAKESPEARE? NEVER FEAR!

Included in the package is an adapted script of the play that does not alter the Shakesperian language, but does make some cuts, eliminating the more esoteric classical references of the original and condensing some of the scenes in order to deliver the essence of the story telling. This results in a production that can be done in a single act, lasting slightly more than one and a half hours. It also results in a production that is quite "do-able" by ensembles less experienced with Shakespeare and even by schools or older children's theater companies. This rendition has been successfully staged twice to much acclaim by Kids on Stage, a children's theater group that the composer directed. The average age of the principals was fourteen years. They had the audience "in stitches".

For the more 'experienced', the musical score could be incorporated into a production using Shakespeare's original play, with a few small edits in the script to accomodate the production numbers.

The abridged script of this package embeds detailed musical cue references for the playback of the tracks and also the song lyrics. A short piano/vocal score is provided for teaching the three songs.

PERUSAL

There is no fee for materials of perusal. Please feel free to avail yourself of this version of the play script by downloading this pdf (click the pic). Below the link you will find several musical examples you may audition:

Link
SCRIPT

MUSICAL SAMPLES

Link

Click on the clefs below to hear various selections from the musical score
(Because some devices do not support all web-based player types, alternate players are provided for each sample.
Please choose any of the available players to hear the sample)

The first three examples are the three pieces in the production that require the singing of text (along with some choreography)

SONG & PRODUCTION NUMBER: "SPOTTED SNAKES"
Titania's Lullaby: "Philomel with Melody"

Click on the clef to hear this song/production number as sung by the composer, and read the lyrics:

Link
SPOTTED SNAKES

SONG & MUSICAL SEQUENCE: "Wousel Cock"
Bottom wakes Titania

Click on the clef to hear this song/production number as sung by the composer, and read the lyrics:

Button Graphic
WOUSEL COCK

SONG & PRODUCTION NUMBER: "Now Until the Break of Day"
Fairy Finale

Click on the clef to hear this song/production number as sung by the composer, and read the lyrics:

Button Graphic
NOW UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAY

The following players will demonstrate some of the incidental music.

MUSICAL SAMPLE: "MECHANCALS"

Via HTML5 Player:

Via Direct Browser Play or Download (click or save the link below - back button to return):

MECHANICALS

MUSICAL SAMPLE: "PUCK & FAIRY"

"Click on the player to hear the music that accompanies the scene change from the 1st mechanicals scene to the first entrance of Puck: ".... I am that merry wanderer of the night..." (truncated version).

Via HTML5 Player:

Via Direct Browser Play or Download (click or save the link below - back button to return):

PUCK AND FAIRY

MUSICAL SAMPLE: "ANGRY OBERON"
"...What has't thou done?..."

Click on the player to hear the music that accompanies the two outbursts of Oberon:

Via HTML5 Player:

Via Direct Browser Play or Download (click or save the link below - back button to return):

ANGRY OBERON

PURCHASE & LICENSING

Because A Midsummer Night's Dream is in the public domain and the full script of the play is readily available to all from the internet or other sources for free, this package does not license the play itself (however, the package does contain the abridged script, as described above, in which music cues are embedded). The principal feature of the package is the "sound track" consisting of original incidental music and special effects, plus musical settings of the three Shakesperian songs of the play: "Spotted Snakes", "Wousel Cock" and "Now Until the Break of Day". Purchasers of the package will essentially be licensing the musical score and receiving copies of the music on either a CD sent by mail or by download from a website whose address will be given to the purchaser upon receipt of remittance and a signed license agreement form that Sirmuse will provide. Additional materials will also be provided by these methods of delivery.

The license will permit unlimited numbers of performances within the time frame of one month, but prohibits duplicating the music for any reason not associated with the production. Cost of the materials and license: $145.00 USD*. For that, purchasers will receive:

The script, with abridgements and embedded music cues, plus a guide to the music cues/tracks, available as a pdf download.

Sheet music copies of the songs/production numbers in piano/vocal format, available as a pdf download.

27 mp3 tracks containing all incidental music, songs/production numbers, and sound effects in proper sequence, available as a download.

License to use the score in a production of the play.

For an additional $20, all materials (single sided script, duplexed and bound sheet music book, and a CD of the audio) will be shipped to you USPS in the continental US. **

*All stated prices reflect fees for US customers. Additional charges will apply for international customers who wish to pay in a non-US currency or through a non-US bank.

**The shipping and materials charge is based on US postal rates. Additional charges will apply for international orders and also for expedited shipping, if requested.

ACQUISITION & PAYMENT

Interested parties may intitate arrangements to acquire this package by contacting msirt@sirmuse.com. Upon request, SirMuse will forward by email attachment, the license agreement form. Customers may return the completed form by mail to the address on the agreement along with remittance, or may scan the completed form and attach it to an email, making remittance separately.

Payment may be made by check or money order sent to an address provided on the license agreement and also printed on the license contract provided with the perusal package. The preferrable method of payment, however, is to use the web to transfer funds to a PayPal account, registered under the email address msirt@sirmuse.com. Using PayPal insures a secure and speedy transfer of remittances, plus, at PayPal, you may use a credit card to make your purchase. SirMuse does not accept independent credit card purchases (additional charges are applied for international transactions. Contact msirt@sirmuse.com for details).

DOWNLOADED ORDERS

Customers who opt for downloading their materials will be able to retrieve their purchases via web browser from web site URL's (addresses) that will be forwarded to them by email upon receipt of payment and the completed license form.

If you would like to produce and licence this version of A Midsummer Night's Dream and wish to order the production package, or if you have additional questions, please contact:

msirt@sirmuse.com

Fairies

Would you be Interested in staging an original musical production of "Alice in Wonderland? Click on the photo below for more information:

Michael Sirotta's
ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Inspired by Lewis Carroll's dream adventure, this is a theatrical production with original music and lyrics that bring to life the characterizations and fantasical atmosphere of this universally beloved story. This musical adaptation of Alice was written for performances by a children's theater group, but the play can be performed for "kids of all ages" by adults as well and is available for licensing by your preforming organization. The score, which ranges in style from pop to opera (without operatic vocal requirements) expresses all the humor, drama and emotional power of this remarkable tale.

"... it was the music that gave the Ft. Collins Children's Theater production of "Alice in Wonderland" its most unique flavor. Sirotta can be credited with composing music that straddles the fence between theater and concert. It was unusually textured instrumentally, considering the lyrics had a particular story to tell. This felt like an upgrade in the quality of music over other kids' productions in memory."

msirt@sirmuse.com

— Tim Van Schmidt, Publisher and independent columnist,fortcollinslife-times.com

**— Tim Van Schmidt, Publisher and independent columnist,*fortcollinslife-times.com***