Explore this Show
Overview
Synopsis
In the late summer of 1892, Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe. Testimonies were muddled, evidence was incomplete, and Lizzie was acquitted. Lizzie: The Musical delves into the mysterious mind of Lizzie Borden and speculates on the motivations she may have had: loss of inheritance, history of sexual abuse, overwhelming oppression ,and madness. By her side is her older sister Emma, maid Bridget, and neighbor Alice. Together, the four women create a punk rock score to tell the story of why Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks, and why when she saw what she had done, gave her father 41. An ideal show for a theatre company with an edge and an opportunity to showcase powerful female performers, Lizzie: The Musical is a rock album of an iconic historical moment in American legend and lore.
Show Information
- Book
- Tim Maner
- Lyrics
- Steven Cheslik-deMeyer , Tim Maner
- Conceived By
- Steven Cheslik-deMeyer , Tim Maner
- Arrangement
- Alan Stevens Hewitt
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2009
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- Fall River, Massachusetts, 1892
- Cast Size
- small
- Orchestra Size
- Rock Combo
- Dancing
- Musical Staging
- Licensor
- Broadway Licensing
- Ideal For
- All-Female Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Theatre, Includes Young Adult, Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano |
Songs
Act One
- Forty Whacks (Prologue) - Lizzie, Alice, Emma, Bridget
- The House of Borden - Bridget, Lizzie, Emma, Alice
- This Is Not Love - Lizzie
- Gotta Get Out of Here - Lizzie
- If You Knew - Alice
- The Soul of the White Bird - Lizzie, Bridget, Alice, Emma
- Maybe Someday - Alice
- Sweet Little Sister - Emma, Lizzie
- Shattercane and Velvet Grass- Bridget, Lizzie
- Will You Stay? - Lizzie, Alice
- Why Are All These Heads Off? - Bridget, Lizzie, Alice
- Mercury Rising - Bridget, Lizzie, Emma, Alice
- Somebody Will Do Something - Bridget, Lizzie
Act Two
- The Fall of the House of Borden/”The Alibi” - Bridget
- What the F#%k Now, Lizzie? - Emma, Lizzie
- Burn the Old Thing Up - Emma, Lizzie
- Questions, Questions - Alice, Lizzie, Emma, Bridget
- Will You Lie - Alice, Lizzie
- Watchmen for the Morning - Lizzie, Emma
- Maybe Someday (Reprise 1) - Lizzie
- Thirteen Days in Taunton - Lizzie, Emma, Alice
- Maybe Someday (Reprise 2) - Emma, Lizzie
- Into Your Wildest Dreams (Epilogue) - Lizzie, Emma, Bridget, Alice
- Forty Whacks (Curtain) - Lizzie, Emma, Bridget, Alice
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
Relating to a person's life.
A musical theatre work using rock music.
Videos
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Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress