#9 from Superspy!: The S-e-c-r-e-t Musical, book by Joel Shatzky;
lyrics by composer & Shatzky, 1988; 5′
performed by Helene Williams at Hadassah, 6/88,
Jewish Arts Festival of L.I., 9/3/89,
and many other times as part of program The Jewish Woman in Song;
also by Kathryn Wieckhorst, Gershwin Hotel cabaret, 2/19/09
Book: Joel Shatzky; Lyrics: Composer & Shatzky
revised as one-act cabaret for 2 people (48′) 14 numbers:
1) The Real Realpolitik
2) I Am I… Or Am I? – Why Do I Love Him?
3) We’re Right Because We’re Right
4) The Geneticist’s Song
5) The SDI Waltz (arr. of op. 87, text by composer)
6) Deniability
7) Side by Side with Cyanide
8) Just a Little Favor
9) A Girl Without Morals
10) Tell Me, What Is Love? [expanded version]
11) Superspy
12) A Cure for Everything
13) An Upbeat Ending
14) Superspy-Realpolitik (Encore)
prem. by Helene Williams & composer,
US Peace Committee-Paris 7/7/89; NY 11/18/89
also perf. 2/22/90 Nassau Community College Little Theater;
Chelsea Mansion, E. Norwich (Nassau Cty Ofc of Cultural Dev) 10/20/90;
and Turtle Bay Music School, sponsored by Center for Contemporary Opera
11/17-18/90; command perf for Tom Lehrer, Santa Cruz, 12/91.
Book: Joel Shatzky; Lyrics: Composer & Shatzky
for Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, 2 Baritones & Piano; 18 numbers, 2 acts, c. 2 hrs.
1) I Am I – Or Am I?
2) We’re Right Because We’re Right
3) Why Do I Love Him?
4) The Geneticist’s Song
5) The SDI Waltz (arr. of op. 87, text by composer)
6) Deniability
7) Side by Side with Cyanide
8) Just a Little Favor
9) A Girl Without Morals
10) Act I Finale
11) I Am I – Why Do I Love Him?
12) Tell Me, What Is Love?
13) Superspy
14) The Real Realpolitik
15) Superspy – Realpolitik
16) A Cure for Everything
17) The Glorious War Song
18) Act II Finale: An Upbeat Ending
#11, 2, 5, 9, 6, & 13-15 previewed by Helene Williams & composer 3/6/88
at Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra chamber concert and
on “Contrasts” concert series at Tom O’Horgan’s in New York;
first complete public reading at First St. Playhouse, Ithaca, NY 3/20/88
Revised as op. 95A, q.v.
subtitle: An Opera About What Columbus Did to the “Indians”
(100′) 55 numbers, in 1 or 2 acts;
commissioned by Puffin Foundation in honor of
50th anniversary of American Music Center
and Columbian Quincentennial;
libretto by composer & Joel Shatzky
(credit withdrawn at his request 11/30/92);
7 soloists, 2 rappers, pno, perc., 3 synthesizers
+opt. Chorus, Ballet, Tpt, Tb, Conchs.
Separable numbers:
#1 Kaytawari’s Monologue #2 Crew’s Entrance
#3 Columbus’s Aria #6 Nudity Chorus #9 Prayer
#11 Rodrigo #16 Isabella’s Bolero #17 Quartet (Act I)
#26 Guarionex #27 Yuisa #29 Kaytawari’s Vision
#30 George #32 Columbus-Isabella Duet #34 Quartet (Act II)
#37 De Torres #44 Rap Number #46 Tainos’ Mourning Chorus
partial performances:
#16 by Helene Williams at Golden Fleece Ltd. Composers’ Chamber Theater
Square One program @Theater 22, NYC 3/31/90;
#1, 3 by Ronald Edwards at
Union Theological Seminary CALC 25th anniversary 7/22/90
& WBAI 10/12/90;
#2, 6 chorus preview:
Second International Naturist Opera Workshop,
Belezy, France 7/90;
#16 at Third International Naturist Opera Workshop,
Belezy, France 7/92 and at
Haus der Kirche, Berlin 9/1/92
& Dresden Center for Contemporary Music 9/5/92;
#3, 16, 37, 32 LICA concert, Heckscher Park, Huntington 8/6/91
All of the above previewed on WQXR’s
“The Listening Room” 10/12/91 10pm;
Suite of excerpts broadcast on WBAI 10/14/91.
#11 sung by Ivan Thomas, broadcast on WBAI Arts Magazine 2/8/93
complete performances:
full concert premiere by After Dinner Opera Co.
(& Meet The Composer)Â @ Lincoln Center 10/12/91;
staged premiere co-sponsored by LICA, East End Arts Council
& NYFA S.O.S. Grant, Puffin Foundation
Hngtn & Suffolk County Arts Council,
Heckscher Park, Huntington 8/11/92;
N.Y. City staged premiere co-sponsored by
East End Arts Council-NYFA S.O.S. Grant
& Meet The Composer, Donnell Library 2/9/93;
Music received rave review from George Wallace in
Opera Monthly. Casts also included Mark Wolff,
Eugene Green, Elliott Z. Levine, Robert Ross,
Peter Ludwig, Shirley Perkins. Staged by Benjamin Spierman.
Production photos at
http://www.ljlehrman.artists-in-residence.com/NewWorld.html