Silence! The Musical Explained

Silence! The Musical
Music:Jon Kaplan
Al Kaplan
Lyrics:Jon Kaplan
Al Kaplan
Basis:Silence! The Musical
by Jon Kaplan
Al Kaplan
The Silence of the Lambs
by Ted Tally
The Silence of the Lambs
by Thomas Harris
Productions:2005 Off-Broadway
2009 London Fringe
2011 Off-Broadway
2012 Los Angeles
2016 Chicago
2017 San Francisco
Awards:2005 New York Fringe Festival Outstanding Musical Award
2011 Time Magazine's Top 10 Plays and Musicals
2012 Off Broadway Alliance Award - Best Musical
2012 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle - Score, Lead Performance, Choreography

Silence! The Musical is a 2005 musical created by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan as a parody of the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs, which is in turn based on 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. The musical is itself based on a parody screenplay of the same name written by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan.

Characters

Musical numbers

  1. "Silence!" – The Lambs
  2. "Thish Ish It" – Clarice
  3. "The Right Guide" – Chilton and FBI Agents
  4. "If I Could Smell Her Cunt" – Lecter
  5. "Papa Shtarling" – Papa Starling and Clarice
  6. "It's Agent Shtarling" – Clarice and FBI Agents
  7. "Are You About a Size 14?" – Bill, Catherine and Ensemble
  8. "My Daughter Is Catherine" – Senator Martin
  9. "Quid Pro Quo" – Lecter and Clarice
  10. "I'd Fuck Me" – Bill and Ensemble
  11. "It's Me!" – Lecter and Ensemble
  12. "Catherine Dies Today" – Ardelia, Clarice, Bill and Ensemble
  13. "Papa Shtarling" (reprise) – Papa Starling and Clarice
  14. "Put the Fucking Lotion in the Basket" – Bill and Catherine
  15. "We're Goin' In!" – Crawford, FBI Agents, Clarice and Bill
  16. "In the Dark with a Maniac" – Clarice, Bill, Catherine and Ensemble
  17. "I'd Fuck Me" (reprise) – Bill
  18. "Silence!" (reprise) – The Lambs

Development

The project began in 2003 as an internet musical made up of nine songs that retold the entire story. The audio tracks became popular to the extent that a live show was conceived and staged. Six additional songs were written by the Kaplans, and the book was written by Hunter Bell, based on the original screenplay Silence! The Musical, also by the Kaplans.

Productions

The stage musical premiered in the Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York, on August 12, 2005 as part of the New York International Fringe Festival, and showed until August 28, 2005. The production was directed by Christopher Gattelli.[1]

Silence! had its European premiere in London on October 19, 2009, showing for two weeks at the Barons Court Theatre. The run was directed by David Phipps-Davis.[2] Christopher Gattelli's production subsequently transferred to the Above The Stag Theatre, running from January 19 - February 28, 2010. Directed and choreographed by Gattelli, this production featured new material written for its London outing.[3]

An off-Broadway mounting of the show opened June 24 – September 26, 2011 at Theatre 80, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. It transferred to the 9th Space Theatre at PS 122 on October 24, 2011.

The musical reopened on January 18, 2013 at the Elektra Theatre, in New York City's Times Square, through August 13.[4] [5]

Jobsite Theater in Tampa, FL, presented the southeastern US premiere of the show in the Jaeb Theater at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Oct 14 – November 15, 2015.

Corn Productions presented the Chicago premiere at the Cornservatory July 8 – August 13, 2016.

Cloud 9 Theatricals, in association with Lang Entertainment Group and Ray of Light Theater presented the San Francisco premiere at the Victoria Theater January 26 – April 1, 2017.

Down Stage Right Theatre Productions, in association with the Neanderthal Arts Festival, presented the Western Canada premiere on July 25 - August 3, 2019.[6] [7]

The musical, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, will run at the Turbine Theatre in September 2024.[8]

Casts

The original New York cast featured:[9]

Silence! played 67 performances at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles in late 2012. The show was produced by Danna Hyams and Oskar Eiriksson. The Production Stage Manager was Ritchard Druther.

The original Los Angeles cast (2012) featured:

The original London cast (2010) featured:

Awards

Cast recording

A soundtrack album featuring the original nine tracks was made available "For fun only. Not for sale."

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Silence! The Musical | Off-Off-Broadway | reviews, cast and info. TheaterMania. April 21, 2019.
  2. Web site: Silence! The Musical: October 2009 | Official London Premiere Site. https://web.archive.org/web/20091013221530/http://www.imperialproductions.org/silence. dead. October 13, 2009. April 21, 2019.
  3. Web site: Above The Stag Theatre. Above The Stag Theatre. April 21, 2019.
  4. Web site: Silence! The Musical Nixes Closing Date and Extends Off-Broadway Run. Broadway.com. April 21, 2019.
  5. Web site: ElektraTheater.com - Silence! The Musical . December 25, 2012 . January 21, 2013 . https://archive.today/20130121233629/http://elektratheater.com/silence-the-musical.php . dead .
  6. News: Theatre review: Serial killer musical spoof still has some bite. National Post. July 29, 2019. July 30, 2019. Wasserman. Jerry.
  7. Web site: Theatre review: Serial killer musical spoof still has some bite. TheLondoner.ca. July 30, 2019.
  8. Web site: SILENCE! THE MUSICAL announces London run . 2024-07-02 .
  9. Web site: Brent Barrett to Play Hannibal Lecter in Parody Tuner Silence! The Musical. Broadway.com. April 21, 2019.