Product Description
from The Wild Beast of the Bungalow
Libretto by Royce Vavrek, based on and further inspired by the short story by Sheila Heti.
The Wild Beast of the Bungalow is a triptych of short operas (Mermaid in the Jar, Prairie Dogs, and Fine and Dandy), which takes place entirely within an eleven-year-old Girls bedroom as she overhears her parents volatile conversations. Over the course of a few days, a mermaid, a family of stuffed prairie dogs, and singing groups of chickenpox and shingles force her to confront what it means to care for others and be cared for herself. This excerpt is from Prairie Dogs. After several instances of tyrannical behavior toward her taxidermied-then-adopted prairie dog family, the Girl commands them to sing her to sleep. They oblige. In the original arrangement, which is reflected in the recording below, there are only three singers; Grandma (alto) also voices Grandpa (tenor), who is a hand puppet. This arrangement allows for four (or more) discrete singers to sing at once and includes some new embellishments.
DURATION: 1:30
WORLD PREMIERE: The opera premiered at Oberlin Conservatory, Winter 2020, but as of now, you can claim the world premiere of this arrangement!
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