CALAMITY JANE
Music by Sammy
Fain, lyrics by Paul
Francis Webster,
adaptation by Phil Park and Ronald Hanmer
Original British theatre production - 27 August, 1979 - Forum Theatre,
Billingham
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Forever associated with the
character she created - Doris Day as Calamity Jane
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This musical Western is adapted
from the celebrated stage-play and film.
'Calam' dresses like a man, totes a gun and
drives the Deadwood City stagecoach. Well-meaning, but disaster-prone,
she tries to help the local saloon proprietor out of a jam by promising
to fetch a music-hall star from Chicago. A hilarious comedy, it
nevertheless has many tender moments and some very famous numbers,
including "Secret Love", "Black Hills Of Dakota, "Deadwood Stage"
and "Windy City".
Principals:
4 female, 7 male |
Instrumentation:
Reed I (alto sax, clarinet), Reed II (alto sax,
clarinet), Reed III (tenor sax, flute), Reed IV (tenor sax,
clarinet), horn, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, percussion, guitar,
piano, strings |
Discography
Studio Cast Recording TER CDTER2 1215 (Complete) |
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STORY:
Deadwood City's two most famous peace officers, Calamity Jane and Wild
Bill Hickock, get involved in saving the neck of Henry Miller, the local
saloon operator. It seems that "Millie" has been promoting a beautiful
actress named Frances Fryer, but Frances turns out to be a boy, Francis.
Millie's attempt to cover up is soon unmasked by the angry miners, and
only Calamity can cool the crowd with her trusty pistols. To keep the
peace, Calamity sets out for Chicago to bring back the miner's real heart-throb,
Adelaide Adams. In Chicago Calamity mistakes Adelaide's maid, Katie Brown,
for the actress and hauls her back to Deadwood. Onstage Katie is greeted
warmingly, but breaks down and confesses that she is not the famous star.
Calamity once more has to restore order and persuades the audience to
give Katie a chance. They do, and she wins the heart of every male in
town including Calamity's dashing love hope, Lt. Danny Gilmartin. Calamity
reluctantly overcomes her jealousy over losing Danny and discovers her
true love for Wild Bill.
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| MUSICAL NUMBERS:
Deadwood Stage
Adelaide
Everyone Complains About the Weather
Weather Dance
Men
Careless with the Truth
A Hive Full of Honey
Adelaide's Ballet
Weather Dance lesson
I Can Do Without You
'Tis Harry I'm Planning to Marry
Windy City
Keep It Under Your Hat
Exaggeration Ballet
Higher Than a Hawk
A Woman's Touch
Love You Dearly
The Black Hills of Dakota
Secret Love
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| CHARACTERS |
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| Calamity Jane
Low G (Opt. F) to D Flat (Opt. E. Flat) |
The hard-bitten, gun-totin' heroine, who tries
to behave like a man but can't help loving like a woman. In order
to hold her own in a man's world, she dresses, speaks, rides and
shoots like a man ; groomed and dressed in proper feminine fashion,
she is revealed as a beautiful girl-and the transformation is quite
startling.
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| Wild Bill Hickock
B Flat to E Natural |
Aged about 35, and a handsome figure of a man,
he is an ex-peacc-officer turned professional gambler. Good-natured,
with a sense of humour. In love with Calamity Jane, but doesn't
know it.
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| Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin
B Flat to E Flat |
A young officer attached to the nearby fort. He
is the man Calamity Jane dreams about, but he falls in love with
somebody quite different.
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| Katie Brown
Low F Sharp to C Sharp |
A stage-struck city-girl who poses as a famous
actress, but has good looks and talents of her own.
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| Henry Miller
Non-singing |
Proprietor of " The Golden Garter ", Deadwood
City's saloon-hotel-theatre. Aged about 50, he is nervous and erratic-giving
the impression that he is constantly only one jump ahead of a nervous
breakdown.
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| Susan
Non-singing |
Miller's young, friendly and pretty niece.
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| Francis Fryer
B Flat to D |
A song-and-dance man more at home in the vaudeville
theatres of the Eastern States than in the Wild West.
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| Adelaide Adams
Low F Sharp to B (Opt. D) |
A highly-paid vaudeville star and celebrated "
beauty " of the period ; off-stage, a selfish and conceited woman.
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| Rattlesnake
Non-singing |
A bewhiskered old fossil who drives the stage-coach.
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| "Doc" Pierce
Non-singing |
Deadwood City's doctor/undertaker, with doubtful
qualifications but considerable experience. A poker-playing pal
of Hickock's.
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| Joe
Non-singing |
Bartender of "The Golden Garter"
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| Hank and Pete |
Two Scouts.
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| Colonel |
of Fort Scully.
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| Cowpunchers, Bullwhakers, Prospectors,
Trappers, Indians, Women of the town, Chorus Girls, Officers, Soldiers
and their Wives, Stage Coach Passengers, etc. |
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| DRESS PLOT
| CALAMITY JANE |
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Act One |
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A much-worn masculine-cut suit of deerskins, with shoulder-tassellings,
ankle-riding-boots, etc. |
Act Two |
Scene 1. |
A simple, spring-gay dress. |
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Scene 2. |
An elegant ball-dress, with a white pettitcoat, silk
stockings, smart shoes, long white gloves-all concealed beneath
an incongruous man's overcoat, very big and heavy looking. |
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Scene 5. |
Bridal gown. |
| BILL HICKOCK |
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Act One |
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Riding-slacks, with gun-belt, patterned shirt, jacket
with decorative facings. |
Act Two |
Scene 1. |
As Act One, but with riding jacket and ten-gallon
hat. |
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Scene 2. |
Dark trousers, shirt and cravat, Gaylord Ravenal jacket, hat.
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Scene 5. |
Dark trousers, shirt with collar and tie, more formal jacket
with silk facings. |
| LIEUT. DANNY GILMARTIN |
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Act One |
Scene 1. |
American military post-Civil-War duty-uniform, torn in places,
mudded as from a fall, blood-marked on front of one shoulder. |
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Scene 3. |
A clean, untorn version of the same duty-uniform. |
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Act Two |
Scene 1. |
As Act One Scene 3, with cap and gauntlets. |
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Scene 2. (Onwards) : |
Full dress uniform. |
| KATIE BROWN |
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Act One |
Scene 2. |
Well-fitting dress- smart, but simple. |
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Scene 3. |
(a) Same, with travelling coat and bonnet.
(b) Stage-dress of the period. |
Act Two |
Scene 1. |
Simple, spring-gay dress. |
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Scene 2 and 3. |
Ball-gown, cloak. |
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Scene 5. |
Bridal gown. |
| HENRY MILLER |
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Act One |
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Sober, middle-aged suit of the period. |
Act Two |
Scene 2 and 3. |
Evening suit, overcoat. |
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Scene 5. |
Morning suit of the period. |
| SUSAN |
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Act One |
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Pretty teenage dress. |
Act Two |
Scene 2 and 3. |
Young-style ball-dress with simple cloak and head-scarf.
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Scene 5. |
Bridal gown. |
| FRANCIS FRYER |
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Act One |
Scene 1. |
(a) Slick city-suit of the period, slightly theatrical.
(b) Woman's vamp-style stage-dress -with all accessories (female
impersonation). |
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Scene 3. |
As Scene 1 (a). |
Act Two |
Scene 2 and 3. |
Smart evening suit of the period, overcoat. |
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Scene 5. |
Bridegroom's morning suit. |
| ADELAIDE ADAMS |
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Act One |
Scene 2. |
Over-stylish dress of the period, with stole, striking hat,
etc., to give successful-actress-off-stage impression. |
| RATTLESNAKE. |
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Act One |
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Seedy "Western old-timer" outfit. |
Act Two |
Scene 2 and 3. |
Smartened-up version of same character, with seen-better-days
overcoat. |
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Scene 5. |
Ill-fitting tail-suit, battered top-hat. |
| DOC PIERCE |
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Act One |
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Darkish slacks, belt, white shirt. |
Act Two |
Scene 2 and 3. |
Oldish black-suit, collar and tie, overcoat. |
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Scene 5. |
Same suit, flower in buttonhole. |
| MALE CHORUS |
Optional variations on the "cowboy" and "prospector" outfits
of the period (riding slacks, chaps, gun-belts, coloured /patterned
openneck shirts, some with neckerchiefs, leather jerkins, etc.)
Some more decorative jackets, cravats, etc., for the party scene.
Military duty and dress-uniforms of the period. |
| FEMALE CHORUS |
Period dresses of "Dodge City" style. Some "lady-like" dresses
of the period. Party-dresses, with cloaks. |
| DANCERS |
Period chorus-girl dresses for the Can-Can. |
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ADAPTERS' NOTE ON SceneRY
The play requires three main sets, and our basic suggestion is
that the largest, THE GOLDEN GARTER, should remain more or less permanently
set. Act One
This Act would seem to present no problem, since THE GOLDEN GARTER set,
used for the first and third of the three scenes, would not be affected
by the intermediary Scene 2, which is a small downstage set for which
the backing can be either a frontcloth or a hinged flat.
Act Two
It is suggested that during the interval the FORT SCULLY set (middle-sized)
should be pre-set within THE GOLDEN GARTER set, and that the CABIN set
should be pre-set within the FORT SCULLY Set. (To facilitate this, all
movable props would obviously be cleared from THE GOLDEN GARTER set, and
the "stage" and bar-counter shifted upstage if practical and if necessary.)
Thus the Act would open on the CABIN set (the smallest of the three)
and during Scene 2 (front-cloth) this would be struck to reveal FORT SCULLY
for Scene 3. Then, during Scene 4 (front-cloth again) the FORT SCULLY
set would be struck to reveal THE GOLDEN GARTER again, for the final scene.
An alternative plan would be to set only the CABIN within THE GOLDEN
GARTER for the opening of this Act, in which case it would have to be
practical to strike the CABIN and replace it with FORT SCULLY, still within
THE GOLDEN GARTER, during the front-cloth Scene 2.
The above suggestions are made with all due deference to the ingenuity
of the Director and /or the Stage Director who will have in mind the practicalities
of the stage and the style and scale of the scenery it is desired to use.
PHIL PARK / RONALD HANMER
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THE ORCHESTRA
The complete orchestra for Calamity Jane comprises 3 Trumpets,
2 Trombones, 4 Saxes, Horn, Violins A.B.C., Viola, Cello, Bass, Guitar,
Drums and Piano. The 1st Alto, 2nd Alto and 2nd Tenor Saxes double Clarinet;
the 1st Tenor Sax doubles Flute. However, in the event of Saxes not being
available, parts are provided for non-doubling Flute and 1st and 2nd Clarinets.
A 3rd Clarinet may be added by playing the whole of the 2nd Tenor Sax
part on Clarinet. A special orchestral piano part is supplied, which should
be used; the pianist should NOT use the vocal score. The Violin parts
are printed Violin A to one book; Violin B and C together in a second
book.
The minimum combination for a successful performance is 2 Trumpets, 1
Trombone, 3 Saxes (or 3) Woodwind), 3 Violins, Cello, Bass, Drums and
Piano. Thereafter, instruments should be added in the following order;
2nd Trombone, 2nd Tenor Sax (or 3rd Clarinet), 3rd Trumpet, additional
Violins, Viola, Horn and Guitar.
All parts are cued where necessary, and the vocal score has complete
instrumental marks and cues for the conductor's guidance.
RONALD HANMER. |
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SYNOPSIS OF SCENERY
Act One
- Scene 1. "THE GOLDEN GARTER"
Deadwood City, Dakota Territory.
- Scene 2. THE STAR DRESSING-ROOM
Bijou Theatre, Chicago.
- Scene 3. "THE GOLDEN GARTER" again.
Act Two
- Scene 1. CALAMITY JANE'S CABIN.
- Scene 2. A TRAIL through a Pass in the Black Hills.
- Scene 3. FORT SCULLY.
- Scene 4. THE TRAIL again.
- Scene 5. "THE GOLDEN GARTER"
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MUSICAL NUMBERS
"THE DEADWOOD STAGE" (Calamity and Ensemble).
"CARELESS WITH THE TRUTH " (Calamity, Bill and Men).
"ADELAIDE " (Bill and Men).
"EV'RYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE WEATHER" (Fryer).
"MEN!" (Calamity).
"HIVE FULL OF HONEY" (Fryer).
"I CAN Do WITHOUT YOU" (Calamity and Bill).
"IT'S HARRY I'M PLANNING TO MARRY " (Adelaide and Stage- Door-Johnnies).
"WINDY CITY" (Calamity and Chorus).
"KEEP IT UNDER YOUR HAT" (Katie).
"A WOMAN'S TOUCH" (Calamity and Katie).
"HIGHER THAN A HAWK" (Bill).
"THE BLACK HILLS OF DAKOTA " (Chorus).
"LOVE YOU DEARLY" (Katie and Danny).
"MY SECRET LOVE" (Calamity).
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