Well, after much thinking and pondering and consideration of the finances needed to bring Gargoyle Gardento the NYC international Fringe Festival, Jeff LaGreca and I decided to mount the show. So, we’ve been busy contacting some of the original performers to see if they’re interested and available. Some are. But some aren’t. So, we’ll need to recast some of the roles.
Jeff and I are also adding some new material to the book. We’re reprising one song (Be Invisible), but with new lyrics and sung by different roles the second time around; adding a little bit of music to one song (Dearest Edgar Allen)–we’re adding a “tag” at the end of each verse; and we’re adding one whole new scene wherein the audience learns exactly how the antagonist gets his comeuppance. These additions should only add about 4-5 minutes of music to the show, resulting in a bare-minimum running time of about 45 minutes. Of course, with applause, adjustments to tempos, and other musical issues, the work will probably come in closer to 50+ minutes. This is still under an hour, though, and I think that’s about right for a work whose intended audience is primarily children.
Jeff and I also had to decide how to handle the instrumental forces for the show. The original conception had 12 players (fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, tpt, perc, pno, 2 vns, vla, and vlc), but even a chamber ensemble of this size had some major problems. The first, of course, was the cost of hiring this many musicians for 5 performances and multiple rehearsals. We just couldn’t afford it. The second problem is that we’re afraid that we’ll scare off any potential presenters. We hope Gargoyle Garden will be picked up by children’s theaters and regional theaters. But, with a large musical ensemble, we’re sure to scare off anyone from mounting a performance. So, Jeff and I decided to go as small as we could: a piano and a percussionist. This is just killing me. The music I’ve written is, in some places, very dependent on some instrumental effects and orchestration. So, I’ve had to swallow hard and take my lumps on this one.
We’ll find out soon when and where the Fringe Festival is scheduling our performances. I’ll report back here as soon as I learn the details.