enter the
guardsman
ENTER THE GUARDSMAN is an award-winning musical adapted from the classic THE GUARDSMAN by Ferenc Molnar.
An actor convinced that the bloom is off the marital rose, decides to disguise himself as a guardsman to prove his actress wife’s infidelity. A playwright acts as narrator and character in this story about art imitating life. CLICK HERE FOR PUBLISHER WEBSITE
Scott Wentworth-book, Marion Adler-lyrics
History
ENTER THE GUARDSMAN was the grand prize winner of the 1996 International Musical of the Year Award in Denmark garnering the creative team $65,000. It was subsequently produced by Sam Mendes. at the Donmar Warehouse in London’s West End in 1997 where it was nominated for an Olivier Award for “Best Musical” It had its American premiere in 1998 at the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival with Robert Cuccioli, Dana Reeve, and Mark Jacoby in the leading roles. Following that production, it was produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Old Globe Theatre, the San Jose Repertory Theatre, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, the Laguna Playhouse, and several others. By the 2001-2002 season, it was named by American Theatre Magazine as the most produced new musical in America. ENTER THE GUARDSMAN is now published and licensed by Theatrical Rights Worldwide.
Show Essentials
Actor- Low A to F# (above middle C). He should be a real Broadway baritone, not a tenor with low notes as his “Guardsman” Impersonation lies lower and darker musically
Actress- Low B (below middle C) to high Ab (an octave and a 6th above middle C). She should be primarily legit with a nice mix or chest in the lower voice.
Playwright- Low A- D# (above middle C)- this is more of a speak/singing role, but singing is crucial nonetheless. It does not have to be as legit as the leading lady and man-more Rex Harrison
Dresser-a real mezzo-legit-Low A (Below middle C) to Db
Wardrobe- Middle C to high Bb-she is a soprano and is responsible for the high notes in the ensemble #s-she is the most rangy of the roles
Wigs- Low B to high A-a tenor with low notes- like Wardrobe, he is rangy, but tends to lie high in the ensemble #s. Much of his high work can be done in a supported falsetto
ASM- low B to high E- a baritone comfortable with a reasonably high tessitura.
INSTRUMENTS:
2 versions exist:
-
(6 players) Piano/conductor, bass, drums/percussion, flute/pic. Trumpet, Cello
2. Full orchestra.
"... blessed with a delightful Viennese-inflected score that ranges from jaunty patter songs through ghostly waltzes to an achingly beautiful love-duet that touches on the profound...neat witty lyrics...in its scale, wit, and human feeling, seems to offer great hope for the future of this genre."
- London Daily Telegraph