WARoftheWORLDS

FanninMusicalProductions

InspiredbyH.G.Wells’immortalclassic,WARoftheWORLDSretellsthetaleofEarth’sstruggleagainstaseeminglyunstoppableinvasion.InnovativearrangementsoftheworkofGustavHolstcombinewiththoroughlymoderncostuming,propdesign,narration,andsounddesigntomakeWARoftheWORLDSanirresistiblemergerofclassicandcontemporarywhichwillbeahitwithstudents,audiences,andjudgesalike.

SetDesign

ThesetdesignforWARoftheWORLDSimmediatelyestablishesamoodofconflictandmenace,preparingtheviewerforthisintensetaleofinterplanetaryconflict.

Frontscreenshelptoframethestage,whileprovidinganexchangepointforcolorguardequipment.Plansandbuild/leaseoptionsavailablethroughTigerProps,aswellashigh-qualitydigitalprinting.

Mostimportantly,asetofmovable‘tripod’propsrepresenttheimplacable,alienwarmachinesvividlydescribedbyWells.Intheircollapsedpositiontobegintheshow,theyextendupwardsdramaticallyatthefirstmovement’sfirstmajorimpact.Purchaseorbuildasmanyasneededtosuittheneedsofyourensemble.Plansandbuild/leaseoptionsavailablethroughTigerProps.

Costume&FlagDesign

TheflagsilksforWARoftheWORLDSdramaticallyportraythestruggle—beginningwithMan’simpendingdoom,progressingtothedespairofanentireplanetatwar,andclimaxingwithourworldtriumphant—allwhileconnectingthoughtfullywiththecostumeandpropdesign.

OpenerEffects

Theshowopensinthefrontensembleandpercussion.Thehornlinebeginsspreadacrossthefieldinvariouspodswhichmoveindependently,buildingintrigueandvisualmomentumasthetripods,stillintheirlowerconfiguration,movesequentiallyontothestageproper.Meanwhile,theclassicopeningnarrationoverlayssetsthestage:‘Noonewouldhavebelievedintheearlyyearsofthe21stcenturythatthisworldwasbeingwatched…Yet,acrossthegulfofspace,intellectsvast,coolandunsympatheticregardedthisearthwithenviouseyes...’

Asweapproachourfirstimpactform,soundeffectsportraythetripods‘poweringup’astheyriseintotheirextended‘attack’position.LEDlightshiddenonthefrontofthetripodsandtriggeredbyaperformerbehindbegintoflashaggressively.

Allleadingtothefirstmusicalarrivalpoint,theunmistakableostinatoofHolst’sMars,whilethetripodprops‘fire’theirlargest,LEDpowered‘lasers,’andtheguardintroducesthefirstsilkforahugemusicalandvisualstatement.

Afterthefirstimpact,apercussion,soundeffects,andnarrativetransitionsetsusupforthenextmusicalideawhilethehornlinerestagesthetripods.‘Thesethings!Howtodescribethem?Walkingenginesofglitteringmetal,stridingacrosstheheather,thetumultoftheirpassageliketheriotofthunder…’

Fromhere,theopeningmovementdevelopsseveralmusicalideas,buildingtoahuge,finalstatementoftheMarsmotifaccompaniedbypowerfulsoundeffectsand‘laser’blastsfromthetripodprops,allinterwovenformaximumimpact.

BalladEffects

Asthefirstmovementtransitionstothesecond,thetripodpropsturnandarerestagedbackfieldasthoughcontinuingonwiththeirconquestaroundtheworld.Thefocusshiftsfromtheshockandfearoftheinitialattacktoamomentofsoul-searchingreflectiononthepartofnearlydefeatedmankind.‘…ofcourse,wemustrememberwhatruthlessandutterdestructionourownspecieshaswrought…ArewesuchapostlesofmercyastocomplainiftheMartianswaronusinthesamespirit?’

Musically,thisisreflectedintwobeautifulsolos[originallyscoredforfluteandtrumpet,possibleforanystudentyouwishtofeature]andmusicallyintheintroductionofoursecondsilkrepresentingtheresilienceofmankindundersiege.

Theballadbuildstowardsaoneofthemajormusicalandvisualarrivalpointsoftheprogramasmankindemergeswitharenewedcommitmenttothedifficultfightahead.

CloserEffects

Thefinalmovementbeginswithpercussionandnarrationsignalingthereturntobattle:‘No!Bythetoilofabillionliveshasmanboughttherighttothisearth!Anditishisagainstallcomers!’Thetripodpropsareturnedtothefrontagainandrestagedfrontfieldforthefinalbattle.Ifdesired,thebeginningofmovementthreeistheperfectspotforriflesorotherweaponsinyourcolorguard.

Asthemelodicideasgrowstrongerandbolder,indicatingMan’sgrowingconfidenceagainsttheinvaders,theguardintroducesourfinalsilk.

AstheMarsmotifreturns,thehornlineclosesinaroundoneofthetripodswhoseLED‘laser’firesincreasinglyhysterically.Then,inacacophnoussoundeffectofscreechingmetal,thefirstofthealieninvadersgoesdown.

Astheshowreachesitsjoyous,triumphantending,eachofthealienwarmachinesgoesdowntothesoundscreechingmetalasthedrillcollapsesaroundtheminturn.Finally,theEarthdefendedandhumanitysaved,thefullensemblepushesforwardforthelast,emphaticmusicalstatementoftheshow.

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