YOUR OWN THING

Music & lyrics by Danny Apolinar & Hal Hester: Book by Donald Driver: inspired by Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.

Orpheum Theatre, Off-Broadway 13 January, 1968 (937 perfs)
Comedy Theatre, London - 6 February (42 perfs)

Synopsis

The setting for the play suggests a Shakespearean stage. Whilst Twelfth Night was "then", Your Own Thing is very much "here and now". The time is now, the place is in and about the city of Manhattan Island, Illyria where Orson is a theatrical agent and Olivia the operator of a discotheque. The confusion between Sebastian and Viola seems more probable given the fashion of both men and women having long hair. In this version, Viola and Sebastian, both rock singers have lost all their music in a shipwreck and coincidentally apply to the same agent when they seek work. Viola, informed that Orson requires a male singer for a rock group dresses as a boy and calls herself Charlie. When Orson send Charlie with a love letter to Olivia, the familiar complications follow. In the end Viola is engaged to Orson and Sebastian to Olivia. Sebastian is not at all fazed by the fact that Olivia is ten years older than he is. He believes in the creed that his band, The Apocalypse, promulgate, "do your own thing - or die".

Cast:

Male 7: Female 3

• Viola - sings and dances
• Sebastian - sings, some dance
• Danny, John and Michael - zany actors, good rock singers and should be good dancers
• Orson - good voice
• Olivia - seductive actress with powerful voice
• Nurse - comedienne

Songs:

1. Apocalypse Fugue
2. Baby! Baby! (Somethin's Happ'nin') -
3. Be Gentle
4. Come Away
5. Death
6. Do Your Own Thing
7. Don't Leave Me
8. The Flowers
9. Hunca Munca
10. I'm Me (I'm Not Afraid)
11. I'm On My Way To the Top
12. Let It Be
13. The Middle Years
14. No One's Perfect, Dear
15. The Now Generation
16. She Never Told Her Love
17. What Do I Know?
18. When You're Young and In Love

Scenes and scene changes are accomplished through lighting changes and aided with various slide projections. The show is played without intermission.

Instrumentation:

• Flute (Clar, alto sax)
• Clar (alto sax, bari sax)
• Trumpets I-II
• Trombone I, II (bass trombone or tenor with bass attachment)
• Percussion
• Elec guitar
• Elec bass guitar (fender bass)
• Elec organ (organ-conductor

Can be played with just elec. organ, elec guitar, elec bass guitar and percussion only.

Discography

Original cast recording - RCA LSO 1148 Reissued CD 09026-63582-2