Overview
Synopsis
George Frederick Handel’s Messiah is known throughout the world as one of the greatest and most miraculous religious compositions of all time. What the world doesn’t know, however, is that the backstory of the Messiah is just as miraculous as its music. Before composing the Messiah, Handel was in desperate straits; he was in debt, out of favor with the King, and religious leaders of the time were calling his works blasphemous. His misfortunes were in many ways conjoined with those of Susannah Cibber, a famous actress singer whose reputation was destroyed when she gave birth to a child that was not her husband’s. Both of their lives seem ruined beyond repair, but as the Messiah is written by Handel and performed by Susannah, both find redemption, albeit in different ways.
Show Information
- Book
- Tim Slover
- Music
- George Frederic Handel
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1999
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- in and around london and leicestershire, 1741-1743
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Recording
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- professional theatre, college / university theatre, high school theatre, community theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken, Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken, Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken, Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken, Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken, Bass |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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