THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 2 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 3 (ACT 1) SCENE ONE In Mr. Reti’s Sitting Room (Dim flood light with blue combination) Mr. Reti is seated in his moderately furnished sitting room. He has an old centre table in front of him and a table fan on top of an old book shelf by his left hand side. His wife enters with a tray containing two plates and cutleries. She puts down the tray on the centre table and sits down facing her husband. No. 2 Mr. Reti (Solo 1) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 4 No. 3 FAMILY DIALOGUE (Mr.& Mrs. Reti start eating as the wife feeds the husband. In a while, Dola enters followed by Tidore and Remi) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 5 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 6 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 7 No. 4 Chorus THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 8 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 9 (They all get up and move to their bedrooms) -------Lights out------- THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 10 (ACT 1) SCENE TWO In Mr. Reti’s Sitting Room (Morning sunlight effect) Mr. Reti moves into the sitting room with his wife who is carrying a small radio receiver, a toothbrush and a small bowl containing a glass of water. The wife puts on the radio and starts brushing Mr. Reti’s teeth.(RADIO….as the Head of state arrives Abuja today. Before we continue, here are some commercials.) No. 5a JINGLE INTRO (Instrumental) Heeeei!…… It’s here again! It’s going to be wonderful! It’s going to be fantastic!! It’s going to be great!!! OPERATION MEET YOUR STAR! Doremi and his All Stars Band will be there LIVE! to get you thrilled Venue: Peoples Club Hall. Date: Sat 18th march. Time: 8pm till dawn Gate fee: N200 flat. OPERATION MEET YOUR STAR! Come one, Come All To end the news, here are the main points (Mrs. Reti Switches off the radio) Recit. Follows: No. 5b: Mr. & Mrs. Reti’s Recit. 1 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 11 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 12 (Doremi walks in with his small bag and guitar singing one of his main songs {down stage}) No. 6: Doremi’s (Solo 1) (By the end of this Solo, Doremi must have climbed up the stage) Doremi: Daddy, Good morning Sir, Mummy, Good morning Ma. Mr. & Mrs. Reti: Good morning my son. THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 13 Mrs. Reti: How was your performance at the funeral wake? No. 7: Doremi’s Recit. 1 & Mrs. Reti’s “Alleluia” Solo 2 (The background choir takes the following part immediately) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 14 No. 8: Mrs. Reti’s ***ALLELUIA*** Semi-Chorus (Echo) No.10: Mr.Reti’s (Recit. 2) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 15 Mr. Reti’s (Speech): I told your sister last night night when she was demanding for Two thousand Naira (N2,000) building levy not to worry until you return. Here you are. In fact, you deserve a handshake (but no hands, he shakes his head). Come and take this bottle of wine. (They leave for the inner room as the background Chorus echoes the Semi-Chorus—Alleluia changing the text to untranslatables/vocables e.g: Uh,Mh,Oh e.t.c) ---Lights out--- THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 16 ACT 1 SCENE THREE In a Conference room **(Flood light with green combination)** Six members of the church council, the pastor and Doremi are seated around a conference table positioned at the middle of the stage .The stage is decorated with some religious photographs, flowers on the wall and on the table. Dr. Benson; the Chairman of the council is seen standing and talking …….. No. 10: Dr. Benson (Recit.) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 17 Doremi: (Shaking hands with Dr. Benson) Thank you Sir, Thank you all. Rev Tim: Don’t mention my son. Dr. Benson (Pointing to Dr. Benson) who is the chairman of the church council has said it all. What now remains is for you to mention your price. (No. 11: Doremi’s Solo 2 begins) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 18 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 19 No. 12: Chorus GOOD SOUP(@background with Doremi singing the melody with Sopranos) Doremi: The price is N25,000 per month. ***(Flood light begins to blink)*** THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 20 No. 13: CHURCH COMMITTEE DIALOGUE THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 21 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 22 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 23 Rev. Tim: Who is supporting Lady Kalu? (Mrs. Ileka raises her hand) Okay, Mrs. Ileka let us all share in the grace. No.14: Chorus THE GRACE ***(Blue light on stage)*** . ----#They disperse***Lights out#---- THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 24 (ACT 2) SCENE 0NE Along a path ***(Dim flood light)*** (Doremi is seen putting on a heavy cardigan, going to the hospital as he meets one of his old classmates.) Ademola: Who am I seeing? Do-re-mi! Doremi: Ademola; the musician! Ademola: Jesus Christ! What are you doing in Onitsha? Doremi: Whao! Onitsha has been my area even while we were in school. Ademola: Is that so? Oh! I’m happy to see you again since after our school days on campus. No. 15a: DOREMI/ADEMOLA’S DIALOGUE (A) Doremi: Whoa! Congratulations!!! Ademola: Thank you. How is the going here on your side? THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 25 No. 15b: Recit 2 Doremi & Ademola’s Dialogue Contd. *( and Dim red blue light )* THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 26 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 27 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 28 (ACT 2) SCENE TWo At the hospital’s out-patient apartment ***(Dim red light)*** (Mr. & Mrs. Reti, two of their sons and one of their daughters are sitted and waiting anxiously for response from the theatre. The background chorus sings the acapella below.) No. 8: Chorus HOSPITAL JAGA-JAGA A THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 29 (Suddenly, a nurse comes out from the theatre. Mrs. Reti rushes to her and…) (The nurse hurriedly picks up one or two things and rushes back into the theatre, ignoring Mrs. Reti) Dola: Mummy it’s Okay. He will be alright. ***(Another nurse comes out)*** B C THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 30 Mrs. Reti: Is everything going to be alright? (Looking at the nurse, meanwhile the nurse leaves in the same attitude as the former.) (She stands….after a while, the doctor comes out and beckons Mr.Reti. They move to a corner and the doctor whispers into Mr.Reti’s ear. He goes back into the theater with Mr.Reti whom after a whike comes out with an unhappy countenance.) Mrs.Reti: (facing her husband) What happened? Is he dead? Eeh? Tell me now! ( She bursts into a heavy cry as the chikdren surround her to console her, meanwhile the Background chorus Repontinues repeating D.S till the end of this scene) *****Lights Out***** A D THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 31 (ACT 2) SCENE THREE In The Church (As Doremi’s friends, relatives and well-wishers come into the church from different directions and get sitted, the cross-bearer, and the choir match in,followed by Doremi’s corpse,his parents and family members then the priest(s). Everybody is singing………) No. 17 JESUS LIVES… Words from A & M. 140 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 32 (“Jesus lives…” should be sung as many times as may be necessary for the corpse to arrive at the middle of the stage where the prayers are to be said) No. 18: Vesicles & Responses. THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 33 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 34 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 35 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 36 (The Choir surrounds the corpse and renders the following Anthem) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 37 No. 19: NGOZI N’ADIRI NDI NWURU ANWU. THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 38 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 39 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 40 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 41 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 42 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 43 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 44 Back to B Section (Bar 19) THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 45 THE VOYAGE OF DOREMI: An Opera Alvan-Ikoku O. Nwamara 46 (At the end of the above Anthem, the corpse is lifted for recession as everybody sings the hymn below)No. 23 FOR ALL THE SAINTS. (Words from A & M Hymn No. 527) (The Background Chorus will continue repeating the above hymn until everybody vacates the stage) -----Lights Out----- ***THE END***