Now Revised!

This play is now available
in a new revised edition here
and is not available anywhere else.

THE MUSICAL TELEPHONE -
A Romantic Narrative

This one-act play is based on a chapter from Edward Bellamy's famous 1888 novel, Looking Backward, 2000-1887, which sold millions of copies and has been translated into over twenty languages. Reportedly, it was one of the most influential books of the late 19th century.

The futuristic fantasy story included a chapter about hearing live music in the year 2000 through a modern day telephone which had been invented by Alexander Graham Bell and announced in 1876.

The play was first performed at the Bellamy Centennial Conference at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts in 1988. In the first production it was titled, Bellamy's Musical Telephone. It was later changed to a simpler title of The Musical Telephone to highlight the ingenious telephone device described by Bellamy in his famous novel.

 

About the Actors

Greg Bazaz ( Julian West) has been involved with both professional and community theaters in the Boston area as well as Off-Off Broadway in New York. He appeared in the world premiere production of the musical Cyrano in Michigan, with Jose Ferrer. Greg has been both an actor and a director in theater productions and has been a host for a cable television program.

 

Dorothy Yanish ( Edith Leete) received a M.M. degree from Catholic University in Washington, and a B.S. degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has also studied privately in Italy and Austria. In addition to giving voice recitals throughout New England, she has been a soloist with the John Oliver Chorale and has sung with the Cantata Singers.

 

Playwright and Director:

Roger Lee Hall is an ASCAP composer and American musicologist.

He is also a poet and writer and has written a series titled--

"Memories And Music"

He is Album Producer for this collection of recorded music --

American Music Recordings Collection (AMRC)

 

He has also written a short play about an early American event titled,

William Billings Teaches A Singing School

A video of this play is included on the DVD-ROM,

"DEDICATION: Singing in Stoughton, 1762-1992"

 

 

Music featured in the play

"Telephone Tune" -- music by Roger Lee Hall

"Dream World" - music by Roger Lee Hall

"Prelude in G minor" -- for organ by Edwin Arthur Jones (1878)

"Waltz in Eb Major" -- for piano by Edwin Arthur Jones (1874)

"Peace" -- words by Esther Talbot (1814)/ music by Roger Lee Hall
sung by Dorothy Yanish

"Simple Gifts" (Shaker song) -– words and melody by Elder Joseph Brackett (1848), arranged by Roger Lee Hall -- sung by Dorothy Yanish

"The Dark Night is Ending" -- words by John Greenleaf Whittier (1874)/
arranged by Roger Lee Hall

The play is based on a chapter of
Edward Bellamy's famous 19th century utopian novel,
Looking Backward, 2000-1887

To order your copy of this video from the premiere of the play
plus all the audio tracks and supplemental mateiral

click the "Add to Cart" button below
to order for $19.95
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Important!

To insure proper delivery send your address
where the DVD will be shipped.

click here

The complete audio version of "The Musical Telephone"
is now available on this AMRC CD --

Attention Theater Groups!

Are you interested in performing this play with your group?

For information -- write here

Read the interview with Roger Lee Hall
about his play, "The Musical Telephone," at

The Thunder Child

 

 

 

Read about 19th century composer, Edwin Arthur Jones

click here

 

 

 

Read about the famous Shaker dance song,
"Simple Gifts" by Elder Joseph Brackett

click here

 

 

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