East Kilbride Light Opera Club - The New Moon

The New Moon - 1967

Index

History

The New Moon - Synopsis

cover of programme

In the period immediately prior to the French Revolution, there arrives at the home of Monsieur Beaunoir, a wealthy planter living near New Orleans, the great French detective, Ribaud, commissioned by King Louis to capture a wanted Aristocrat, Robert Misson, who had killed the King's cousin. Ribaud informs Monsieur Beaunoir that in order to escape detection, Misson has sold himself as a bond servant into Beaunoir's household. Beaunoir assures Ribaud that he will give him every assistance to capture the "desperate criminal", little dreaming that his own faithful servant, Robert, is the person whom Ribaud is seeking. Meanwhile, Robert has fallen in love with Beaunoir's daughter, Marianne.

At the Cafe Creole, a band of revolutionaries, led by Robert's friend Phillipe, await the arrival of Robert. Sensing a revolutionary plot, Ribaud attends the gathering in the guise of an old man and cunningly extracts information from Phillipe and his comrades, but is recognised by Robert and made captive. Borrowing Riband's clothes, Robert attends a masked ball held that evening in Beaunoir's house, in order to dance with Marianne. Escaping from the Cafe Creole. Ribaud arrives at the ball and Robert, thinking that Marianne has betrayed him, is arrested and sent off to Beaunoir's Bride-ship, The New Moon, to be transported back to France to stand trial for treason. Marianne, who has fallen in love with Robert and wants to be with him, is allowed to sail on the ship by promising to marry her admirer, Georges Duval. the ship's Captain. Ribaud is suspicious, but allows the matter to develop. The voyage brings many complications and much excitement. On board is a party of "Brides" destined for the Planters at Martinique, in charge is Clotilde who early in her adventurous career had married both Besac, Bo'sun of The New Moon, and Alexander - Robert's former servant. Alexander is at present engaged to Julie - Marianne's maid.

Whilst sailing through the Caribbean The New Moon is attacked by a pirate ship and Duval. in order to save his own skin, decides to surrender. The crew mutiny and, led by Robert, try to repel the pirates. In the ensuing battle, Robert recognises Phillipe, who turns out to be the "pirate" and who has sailed after The New Moon to try and effect a rescue. Thus reunited, the friends put Duval ashore and set sail for an island in the Caribbean to start a new democratic colony with Robert proclaimed as chief and with Ribaud an unwilling and unwelcome guest.

On the island, it has been decreed that all persons living there must be married and, in order to save Marianne, Robert lakes her as his wife though they live apart. Ribaud tries to take advantage of this fact and plans to turn the islanders against their chief. With the arrival of two French warships off the coast. Riband's plan almost succeeds, but Marianne rallies the islanders and urges them to support Robert. As the people are hesitating in their choice a French Admiral arrives and announces that France has become a Republic and that Robert has been officially approved as the island's hrst Governor.

Marianne and Robert are overjoyed and all ends happily for the two lovers.

The New Moon - 1967
by arrangement with Chappell & Co. Ltd

Music by Sigmund Romberg
Book and Lyrics by Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel and Laurence Schwab

Production Team
Producer - Jack Tait
Musical Director - S. Gordon Lang
Choreographer - Gillean Dickson

Characters in order of their appearance
Julie (Marianne's Maid) - Ina Fotheringham
Monsieur Beaunoir (Marianne's Father) - James Griffin
Captain Georges Duvae - Denis Hannigan
Vicomte Ribaud - David Hughes
Fouchet - James Kane
Robert - Steven Russell
Alexander - Angus Henderson
Besac - Jerry Hodgson
Jacques - William Henderson
Marianne Beaunoir - Nan Tait
Emile - Roy Butterworth
Nicole - Eileen Jack
Phillipe - Ernest Dodds
Flower Girl - Elizabeth Rennie
Spanish Dancer - Jeanette Burns
Clotilde Bombaste - Ann McLintock
Admiral De Jean - George More

Ladies of the Chorus
Ann Daly, Frances Doyle, Elizabeth Drennan, Barbara McElroy, Marjorie Miller, Margaret Shearer, Elizabeth Rennie, Olivia Rae, Jeanette Semple, Chrissie Stirling, Doris Strang, Kathleen Stuart, Doris Wemyss.

Dancers
Mary Brownlie, Jeanette Burns, Susan Burns, Isobel Hind, Isa Hornal, Eileen Jack, Vivien Scammell, Molly Scott, Ann Struthers, Elizabeth Struthers, Roy Butterworth, William Henderson, John Strang, William Struthers.

Gentlemen of the Chorus
Roy Butterworth, Norman Carroll, Martin Cassidy, James Caullay, Alistair Currie, Leonard Johnston, Matthew Lang, Peter McCarroll, Robert McCrae, Robert McDermott, lan MacDonald, Alex Robertson, John Strane, William Struthers, William Stuart.

Stage Manager - Ken Denton
Assistant Stage Manager - David Waters
Hon. Accompanists - Campbell Burns, Marshall McKillop
Lighting - David Roberts
Property Master - Jack McElroy
Wardrobe Mistress - Edna Porter
Leader of the Orchestra - Bert Dudman
Prompter - Irene Roberts
Make-up - Jean Waters

Synopsis of Scenes

Act I
Scene 1 - Salon of M. Beaunoir's mansion near New Orleans - Afternoon
Scene 2 - Entrance to Chez Creole - That night
Scene 3 - Interior of the Chez Creole - A few minutes later
Scene 4 - Outside the Chez Creole
Scene 5 - Same as Scene 1 - Midnight

"Dainty Wisp of Thistledown" - Girls
"Marianne" - Robert, Marianne and Men
"The Girl on The Prow" - Marianne, Besac and Chorus
"Gorgeous Alexander" - Julie, Alexander and Dancers
"An interrupted Trio" - Duval, Marianne and Robert
Dance - Nicole and Emile
"Red Wine in Your Glasses" - Flower Girl and Chorus
"Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" - Phillipe and Chorus
"Stout-Hearted Men" - Robert, Phillipe and Men
"Fair Maria" - Marianne and Girls
"One Kiss" - Marianne and Girls
The Trial - Julie, Clotilde, Alexander and Dancers
"Wanting You" - Marianne and Robert
Finale Act I - Ensemble

Act II
Scene 1 - The deck of The New Moon - A week later
Scene 2 - The road from the beach - The Isle of Pines
Scene 3 - The Stockade - One year later
Scene 4 - Same as scene 2
Scene 5 - Marianne's cabin - Later that evening
Scene 6 - Same as Scene 3 - The next morning

"Yo Heave Ho" - Besac and Men
"Funny Little Sailor Men" - Clotilde, Besac, Dancers and Chorus
"Lover Come Back to Me" - Marianne
"Stout-Hearted Men" - Chorus
"Love is quite a simple thing" - Julie, Clotilde, Alexander and Besac
"Try her out at Dances" - Alexander, Chorus and Dancers
"Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" - Phillipe and Men
"Never for You" - Marianne
"Lover Come back to Me" - Robert and Men
"One Kiss " - " Wanting You" - Marianne and Robert
Finale - Ensemble

The action of the play takes place in the years 1792-1793.

East Kilbride Light Opera Club Committee
Hon. President - Alex McWilliam
Hon. Vice-President - N.J.M. Tait
President - Alistair Currie
Vice-President - Hugh Gray
Secretary - Robert McCrae
Treasurer - David Hughes
Committee
Isa Hornal, Barbara McElroy, Ken Denton, William Struthers, Jack Tait, David Waters.

Performance Details
27th February - 4th March 1967
Duncanrig Secondary School,
East Kilbride