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Romeo and Juliet

An opera in five acts, by Gounod.  Librettists:   Barbier and Carré, from Shakespeare's tragedy.  First produced in Paris April 27, 1867, Théâtre Lyrique. 

This Shakespearian play is one of his earliest, yet one of his most popular; the play seems to be produced somewhere on earth continually.  Operas and movies have come along to dramatize this story over and over again.

This play and opera is fashioned after tragic love stories from time immemorial,  of two star-crossed lovers from feuding families trying to come together despite all odds.  These feuding families:  Juliet – a Capulet; Romeo - a Montague.

I’m quite sure we all know the story and the tragic ending:  Juliet drinks a potion to induce deathlike sleep…..Well, read on:

Synopsis

Time: 14th century.
Place: Verona.

Act I. A gala in the grand hall, the palace of the Capulets. Juliet arrives with her father to welcome the guests.

Even tho’ the Montagues are feuding with the Capulets, Romeo Montague, Mercutio, Benvolio, and half-a-dozen followers arrive in masks. Mercutio sings of Queen Mab in a delicate monologue.

As Juliet comes in with her nurse Gertrude, the Montagues remove to a different area in the palace.  Juliet sings the lovely waltz, "Dans ce reve, que m’enivre" (Fair is the tender dream of youth).

Romeo wanders in as Gertrude is called away; he meets Juliet ~ Ah!  Love at first sight!  After he removes his mask, Romeo’s singing and Juliet’s responses make a pleasant duet.

Romeo must quickly re-mask; Tybalt enters.   But Juliet's brother is not fooled; she now learns that the handsome youth with whom she has fallen in love - is Romeo, heir of the Montagues and the sworn enemy of her family!

Even though Tybalt wants to fight Romeo and his followers immediately and throw them out, the elder Capulet, insists the gala continue.

Act II. The garden of the Capulets – the balcony of Juliet’s window. Romeo’s page, Stephano, holds a ladder for Romeo to climb to the balcony, then leaves taking the ladder.

Romeo sings, "Ah! Lève-toi soleil" (Ah! fairest dawn arise). Juliet appears on the balcony, not seeing the hidden Romeo, she sings a beautiful soliloquy in which she confesses her love of him.    Romeo discloses his presence. As they pledge their love exquisitely, Capulet retainers and servants are searching for Romeo, but he is not discovered.

Juliet re-enters her room to the call of her nurse. Romeo sings, "O nuit divine" (Oh, night divine). Juliet is again on the balcony as Romeo sings:  "Ah! je te l’ai dit, je t’adore!" (Ah, I have told you that I adore you). R & J sing a beautiful duet, "Ah! Ne fuis pas encore!" (Ah, do not flee again). And after a brief farewell, the scene ends.

Act III Part I. In the cell of Friar Lawrence  -  the wedding of Romeo and Juliet, performed by the friar in hopes that the marriage will bring peace between the two houses of Montague and Capulet. Friar Lawrence’s prayer is sung; a trio, in which the friar chants and the pair responds; and the scene ends with a quartet of Juliet, Gertrude, Romeo, Friar Lawrence.

Part II. In a street near Capulet’s house, Stephano sings verses aimed at arousing the tempers of the Capulets.  It brings the Capulet people out in force to fight, which gives Romeo the opportunity to steal away. Mercutio fights Tybalt – Mercutio dies.  Romeo avenges him, killing Tybalt, is banished from Verona by the Duke.

Act IV. In Juliet’s room where Romeo has come to say goodbye - eloquent  and passionate music ensues. The duet, "Nuit d’hyménée, ô douce nuit d’amour" (Night hymeneal, sweetest night of love).  Juliet protests "Non, non, ce n’est pas le jour" (No, no! 'Tis not yet the day) as Romeo hears birdsong.  Yet Romeo must go: "Ah! reste! reste encore dans mes bras enlaces" (Ah! rest! Rest once more within mine entwining arms); then both sing, "Il faut partir, hélas" (Now we must part, alas).

Gertrude arrives to warn Juliet that her father comes with Friar Lawrence. Tybalt’s dying wish to his father was that his father push forward with the marriage between Juliet and Count Paris, Capulet’s choice as her husband.  Juliet nor the friar or nurse can tell Capulet that she is already married to Romeo! This brings the quartet to sing, "Ne crains rien" (I fear no more).

After Capulet leaves, the friar sings the dramatic, "Buvez donc ce breuvage" (Drink then of this philtre), gives her the potion so she will appear dead.

The scene changes.  Guests begin arriving in the palace’s grand hall for the nuptials. Juliet drinks the potion and falls, seemingly dead.

Act V. Romeo breaks into the tomb of the Capulets, after taking poison, heartbroken at the news that she has died.   He sings "O ma femme! ô ma bien aimée" (O wife, dearly beloved). As Juliet recovers from the effects of the potion she drank and before she knows he has himself taken poison, they sing "Viens fuyons au bout du monde" (Come, let us fly to the ends of the earth).  

Romeo, feeling the effect of the poison, tells Juliet what he has done. "Console toi, pauvre ame" (Console thyself sad heart). But Juliet cannot live without him! As he dies, again hearing the lark’s song, she stabs herself.

Cast of CHARACTERS
THE DUKE OF VERONA………………………….. Bass
COUNT PARIS……………………………………… Baritone
COUNT CAPULET…………………………………. Bass
JULIET, his daughter……………………………….. Soprano
GERTRUDE, her nurse…………………………….. Mezzo-soprano
TYBALT, Capulet’s nephew………………………. Tenor
ROMEO, a Montague………………………………. Tenor
MERCUTIO…………………………………………. Baritone
BENVOLIO, Romeo’s page………………………… Soprano
GREGORY, a Capulet retainer……………………… Baritone
FRIAR LAWRENCE……………………………….. Bass
Nobles and ladies of Verona, citizens, soldiers, monks, and pages.


West Side Story

West Side Story - The American musical -  the book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, in his Broadway debut. The plot is based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  The original production was in 1957 and ran for an astounding 732 performances before touring the country, received a Tony nomination for best musical, and won the Tony for choreography.  Going on to an even longer run in London, with numerous revivals, a 1961 movie won TEN Academy Awards, the most awards given to a musical, including best picture.

This score is extremely popular.  Maria, Somewhere, Tonight, I Feel Pretty, One Hand – One Heart …. All these pieces are timeless in their beauty, performed on stages the world over for decades by the finest of voices.

The rivalry in this plot is between two teenaged gangs:  the  white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks.   The love story is between Tony, the leader of the Jets, and Maria, the sister of Shark leader Bernardo.

Synopsis

Opening on the streets of Manhattan, 1957.   There will be a dance that evening.   The Jets decide to use the dance to issue one last challenge to the Sharks to fight for control of the streets.

Bernardo’s sister, Maria, is escorted to the dance by her over-protective brother.  The dance is going well, everyone is having fun!  Tony and Maria see each other:  Love at first sight!  They dance together, oblivious of the rivalry between their gangs.   Bernardo sees them and orders Maria to go home, telling Tony to stay away from his sister!

Tony leaves the dance singing of his love, the beautiful love song Maria.  Anita, Maria’s friend, aruges with Bernado that they are no longer in Puerto Rico, which leads to a spirited number America.

Tony visits Maria on the fire escape of her building; they pledge their love as they sing Tonight.
At the war council between the gangs in preparation for a rumble, Tony challenges the Sharks to fight man to man, with no weapons.  The gangs agree.

Maria and Anita work at a bridal shop together, where Anita tells Maria of the impending rumble.  Tony arrives and tells Anita of the love between himself and Maria; she mocks them and leaves.
As Maria sets to close the store, she and Tony sing One Hand, One Heart as they fantasize about their wedding.

As Maria waits for Tony at her home, the rumble is taking place.  The gangs draw weapons as Tony tries to stop the fight.  Bernardo kills Riff, Tony’s friend.  As he dies, he hands his knife to Tony, who kills Bernardo.

Maria is told of her brother’s death at Tony’s hands.  She is angry when Tony arrives, but as he explains, they reaffirm their love singing Somewhere.

The Sharks are after Tony; the Jets want revenge … it is developing into a deadly game.  As Tony and Maria share a romantic interlude, Anita warns Tony that Chino, of the Sharks, is after him and is armed with a gun.

A policeman comes to question Maria about the events leading to the rumble.  Maria lies to cover for Tony.   Maria sends Anita to the drugstore, where Tony is hiding in the basement, on the pretense of medicine for her headache.  Anita's real purpose is to tell him that Maria has been detained. When Anita asks for Tony, the Jets mock and harass her.  Angry at their attack, Anita lies; she tells them to deliver a message to Tony that Maria was shot by Chino for loving Tony – she is dead.  Doc, the drug store proprietor,  tells Tony. In despair, he runs to find Chino, shouting for Chino to kill him too.

Tony sees Maria on a playground; they joyfully run toward each other. But Chino shoots Tony. Maria and a severely wounded Tony reaffirm their love singing "Somewhere,” then Tony dies in her arms.

The Jets, Sharks, and police arrive. Maria takes the gun from Chino and blames the rival gang members for causing the deaths with their hate. When the gang members see Tony dead, some of the Jets lift his body, and the Sharks join them to carry him off while Maria walks behind them. 
Unlike the opera, the female lead lives.  But as in Romeo and Juliet (the play and opera) tragedy ends the feuding between the two sides.

In the movie, both lead roles were played by non-singers.  Natalie Wood’s songs were sung my Marni Nixon; Richard Beymer’s were sung by Jimmy Bryant.

Movie cast:
•Natalie Wood — Maria  (first broadway production: Carol Lawrence)
•Richard Beymer — Tony (first broadway production:  Larry Kent)
•Russ Tamblyn — Riff
•Rita Moreno — Anita
•George Chakiris — Bernardo
•Simon Oakland — Lieutenant Schrank
•Ned Glass — Doc
•William Bramley — Officer Krupke
•Jose DeVega 'Chino'
•Tucker Smith — Ice/Diesel
•Tony Mordente – Action
•Eliot Feld – Baby John
•David Winters – A-Rab
•Anthony 'Scooter' Teague 'Big Deal'
•Bert Michaels 'Snowboy'
•Tommy Abott 'Gee-Tar'
•Gina Trikonis 'Graziella'
•Carole D'Andrea 'Velma'
•Susan Oakes 'Anybodys'
•Jay Norman 'Pepe'
Characters

Many of the key characters in West Side Story
are based on counterparts in Romeo and Juliet:
•Tony/Romeo
•Maria/Juliet
•Bernardo/Tybalt
•Anita/Nurse
•Riff/Mercutio
•Doc/Friar Lawrence and the Apothecary
•Chino/Paris
•Jets/Montagues
•Sharks/Capulets
•Krupke, Schrank/Prince Escalus
•Action/Sampson
•Baby John/Benvolio
•Anybodys/Balthasar
•A-Rab/Abraham






The Naples [FL] Opera Company will stage a dazzling presentation transitionalizing from Gunoud’s Opera Romeo and Juliet, to Bernstein’s brilliant Broadway musical and movie, West Side Story.  Romeo and Juliet:  Then and Now will be a partially staged opera, transitioning toward the concert format.

It is an ambitious undertaking, one which will undoubtedly be a breathtaking production, filled with incredible music and stunning performances.  Anthony Kearns will sing Romeo/Tony; he has been heard to sing an astonishing “Maria” and is sure to complete the repertoire brilliantly.  Heather Buck will be his Juliet.

Link to previous Romeo and Juliet page on website.