SILENCE! The Musical
Encyclopedia
SILENCE! The Musical is an award winning musical created by Jon and Al Kaplan
as a parody
of the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs. 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 Jon and Al, and the book was written by Hunter Bell
, based on the original screenplay Silence! The Musical, also by Jon and Al Kaplan
. A soundtrack album featuring the original nine tracks was made available "For fun only. Not for sale."
The stage musical premiered in the Lucille Lortel Theatre
, New York, on 12 August 2005 as part of the New York International Fringe Festival
, and showed until 28 August 2005. The production was directed by Christopher Gattelli
.
In July and August 2009, a song from SILENCE! featured in a revue called "Blink!" at the Above the Stag Theatre, London.
SILENCE! had its European premiere in London on 19th October 2009, showing for two weeks at the Barons Court Theatre. The run was directed by David Phipps-Davis. Christopher Gattelli's production subsequently transferred to the Above The Stag Theatre, running from 19th January - 28th February 2010. Directed and choreographed by Gattelli, this production featured new material written for its London outing.
An off-Broadway mounting of the show is running June 24-August 27 2011 at 80 St. Marks Place, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.
The cast includes Brent Barrett
as Hannibal Lecter
, Jenn Harris as Clarice, Stephen Bienskie, Harry Bouvy, Deidre Goodwin, Jeff Hiller, Howard Kaye, Lucia Spina, Callan Bergmann and Ashlee Dupré.
Jon and Al Kaplan
Jon Kaplan, aka Jonathan Z. Kaplan and Al Kaplan, aka Alexander Kaplan are American composers, lyricists, comedy writers and brothers...
as a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs. 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 Jon and Al, and the book was written by Hunter Bell
Hunter Bell
Hunter Houston Bell is an American book author and one of the stars of the musical [title of show].-Early life:Bell was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and was raised in Wilson, North Carolina until the seventh grade, when he moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He moved to New York City in 1993, and currently...
, based on the original screenplay Silence! The Musical, also by Jon and Al Kaplan
Jon and Al Kaplan
Jon Kaplan, aka Jonathan Z. Kaplan and Al Kaplan, aka Alexander Kaplan are American composers, lyricists, comedy writers and brothers...
. A soundtrack album featuring the original nine tracks was made available "For fun only. Not for sale."
The stage musical premiered in the Lucille Lortel Theatre
Lucille Lortel Theatre
The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse located at 121 Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village.The venue was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse...
, New York, on 12 August 2005 as part of the New York International Fringe Festival
New York International Fringe Festival
The New York International Fringe Festival, or FringeNYC, is a Fringe theater festival and one of the largest multi-arts events in North America. It takes place over the course of two weeks every August, spread across several neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan, notably the Lower East Side, the...
, and showed until 28 August 2005. The production was directed by Christopher Gattelli
Christopher Gattelli
Christopher Gattelli is a choreographer, performer, and director for the theatre. He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography for South Pacific and the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Choreography for Altar Boyz. He won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreograper for...
.
In July and August 2009, a song from SILENCE! featured in a revue called "Blink!" at the Above the Stag Theatre, London.
SILENCE! had its European premiere in London on 19th October 2009, showing for two weeks at the Barons Court Theatre. The run was directed by David Phipps-Davis. Christopher Gattelli's production subsequently transferred to the Above The Stag Theatre, running from 19th January - 28th February 2010. Directed and choreographed by Gattelli, this production featured new material written for its London outing.
An off-Broadway mounting of the show is running June 24-August 27 2011 at 80 St. Marks Place, directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.
The cast includes Brent Barrett
Brent Barrett
Brent Barrett is an American actor and tenor who is mostly known for his work within American theatre. Barrett has performed in musicals and in concerts with theatres, symphony orchestras, opera houses, and concert halls internationally...
as Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter M.D. is a fictional character in a series of horror novels by Thomas Harris and in the films adapted from them.Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer...
, Jenn Harris as Clarice, Stephen Bienskie, Harry Bouvy, Deidre Goodwin, Jeff Hiller, Howard Kaye, Lucia Spina, Callan Bergmann and Ashlee Dupré.
Main characters
- Jame GumbJame GumbJame Gumb, known by the nickname Buffalo Bill, is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, and its 1991 film adaptation, in which he was played by Ted Levine...
(aka Buffalo Bill) (baritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
) – serial killer and main antagonist of the plot. He murders overweight women so he can remove their skin and fashion a "woman suit" for himself; he falsely believes himself to be transsexual but is too disturbed to qualify for sex reassignment surgery. - Jack CrawfordJack Crawford (character)Jack Crawford is a fictional character who appears in the Hannibal Lecter series of books by Thomas Harris, in which Crawford is the Agent-in-Charge of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. He is modeled after John E...
(bass-baritoneBass-baritoneA bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
) - the Agent-in-Charge of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. - Dr. Frederick ChiltonFrederick ChiltonDr. Frederick Chilton is a fictional character appearing in Thomas Harris' novels Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs.-Red Dragon:...
(high baritone) - the pompous, incompetent director of the Chesapeake State Hospital for the Criminally Insane and later Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane. There, he is the jailer of Hannibal Lecter. - Dr. Hannibal LecterHannibal LecterHannibal Lecter M.D. is a fictional character in a series of horror novels by Thomas Harris and in the films adapted from them.Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer...
(tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
) - brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. - Clarice StarlingClarice StarlingClarice M. Starling is a fictional character and the protagonist in the novels The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal by Thomas Harris....
(altoAltoAlto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
) - a student at the FBI Academy. She hopes to work at the Behavioral Science Unit, tracking down serial killers and ultimately apprehending them. Her mentor, Jack Crawford, sends her to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter. - Ardelia Mapp (mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
) – roommate of Clarice Starling. - Catherine Baker Martin (sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
) - daughter of Senator Ruth Martin, kidnapped and imprisoned by "Buffalo Bill".
External links
- Jon and Al, writers of Silence! The Musical
- Official production sites: