Yeah, I think story is key. I am a retired rock musician with a background in history and philosophy from the U of T. I’ve also just graduated with a Masters in Theology — so I’m all over the map. I appreciate good stories and have tried to combine story with music. I wrote a mini musical/opera called “Judas Iscariot.” Here’s a quick synopsis: Jesus dies a horrible death on the Cross, goes to Hell (Apostles Creed) and can’t remember who he is. He meets Judas in Hell who helps him remember that he is not just a man but the Messiah, the Savoir. Judas is actually a good guy who betrayed Jesus — not for the money – but because he loved Mary Magdalene. Mary only had eyes for Jesus... so it’s a love triangle. There are flashbacks to the earth and Jesus eventually regains his memory with Judas’ help. Jesus forgives Judas and they both ascend from Hell (a happy ending).
So far I haven’t been successful getting the musical off the ground but it is still a worthwhile accomplishment. The visual in this musical would be a spectacle. I can’t think of any opera or musical with Hell as the setting. A set designer would have a field day.
Speaking of Chicago, I actually went there to see the U of C campus after reading Allan Bloom’s book “The Closing of the American Mind.” He studied with Leo Strauss and was quite taken with the Gothic architecture. The campus is also close to a Buddy Guy’s blues club “Legends,” but the area is run down and dangerous. What a visual contrast!
What a marvelous project! It’s wonderfully original and clever and sounds like it would be another great Jesus Christ, Superstar. Oh, I so hope it becomes real. I agree on the set decoration. It would be spectacular. There is precedent. Damnation of Faust by Berlioz. Yours sounds more accessible.
Closest I ever got to anything like that was when someone sent me the script for an opera they were doing on Henry Livingston and wanted me to vet the dialog my character would be singing. AWK! Now THAT’s a project that REALLY won’t get off the ground!
I loved the U of C campus. Mother met father in the same temporary building where I had my Humanities class. There was a Gargoyle’s Graveyard for the sculptures that fell off the buildings. Botony Pond was my favorite area, with the covered walkway and a magnificent tree that bloomed a delicate purple in the spring. There are murals all over Ida Noyes Hall of girls dancing in chiffon on the midway, as mother did in her class.