Now Available Again!

The DVD of this play is now available
exclusively here and 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.

 

Producer and Director:

Roger Lee Hall is a respected composer and music preservationist. He has been involved with music preservation for 50 years and has produced many CDs for the American Music Recordings Collection (AMRC). He has researched and written about two of the oldest musical traditions in America: music of the Shakers and music by the Old Stoughton Musical Society. Both of these traditions are represented in this play. One is the popular Shaker song, "Simple Gifts," and the other is instrumental music from Old Stoughton composer, Edwin Arthur Jones.

 

Music featured in the play

"Telephone Tune" -- music by Roger Lee Hall (1988)

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

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

"Peace" -- words by Esther Talbot (1814)/ music by Roger Lee Hall (1988)
sung by Dorothy Yanish

"Simple Gifts" (Shaker song) -– words and melody by Elder Joseph Brackett (1848),
arranged by Roger Lee Hall (1988) -- sung by Dorothy Yanish

"The Dark Night is Ending" -- words by John Greenleaf Whittier (1874)/
edited and arranged by Roger Lee Hall (1988) --

 

 




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

 

 

 

 

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

The Thunder Child

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about 19th century composer, Edwin Arthur Jones

click here

 

 

 

Read about the famous Shaker dance song,
"Simple Gifts" composed by
Elder Joseph Brackett in 1848

click here

 

 


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