Music By: Regan Ryzuk
Book & Lyrics By: Mary Ryzuk
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Music By: Regan Ryzuk Book & Lyrics By: Mary Ryzuk |
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The Music". . . from the first strains. . . to the last haunting duet between the creepy lodger and the inspector obsessed with finding the Ripper, the Ryzuks show every sign of having written a serious masterpiece."Operatic in scope, Dickensian in nature, [this] is no musical comedy. Rather, call it a musical drama that delves deeply into the nature of a shockingly callous society where the poor are consigned to squalor and members of the wealthy nobility are indifferent unless they are made to look bad. "Regan Ryzuk’s score contains some marvelous music, from haunting Irish ballads and bawdy tavern ditties to strident marches, wistful musings and the taunting street children’s nursery rhyme, 'Jack the Ripper stole a kipper . . . Maybe he’ll kill another day.'" ". . . the most ambitious [world premieres] in recent memory, and one well worth seeing. Regan Ryzuk’s music is soaring and complex." "This is pretty classy stuff. Wonderfully dramatic. Very effective music. Takes Broadway type music to another level, getting into Sondheim range and sometimes even better than that." ". . . the music, and the performances have all been done to perfection. Broadway must house this extraordinary musical. The Ryzuks have achieved a masterpiece that should be seen. A sure fire hit." "The most recognizable element of opera in this work is found in the harmonic language. Ryzuk uses extended chords, something not uncommon in current Broadway shows. But none delve into that territory as extensively as Ryzuk. Indeed, when he uses outright polytonality, it pulls the ear into hearing the extended chords as separate harmonies which are merely more closely related than others. This practice is more often found in music with a deeper intent than musical theater. "Another operatic feature is Ryzuk’s secure use of accompaniments to bind scenes together. Just as Mozart keeps enormous segments of the Don Giovanni sextet (Act III, Scene ii) unified through an underlying rhythmic pattern, so Ryzuk often keeps a scene moving through the use of a driving accompaniment. He even goes beyond that, allowing some of the accompanying patterns themselves to take on dramatic meanings approaching Leitmotif status. "Yet another approach . . . finds Ryzuk extending the range [for his singers] beyond the old-fashioned Broadway musical conventions. This degree of technical difficulty is not part of most musical theater productions." The Book". . . has all the elements of great theatre. A good book, a compelling story, great atmosphere, and great music.""True crime author Mary Ryzuk is a superb storyteller. Like Charles Dickens, she draws a microcosm of the best and worst of humanity by focusing on a small district of London where five grisly murders of five of the lowest-class prostitutes took place. Yet she broadens her scope, drawing in the nobility and the middle class, as well as the street riots aimed at Jewish immigrants who become the scapegoat for the fearful populace. "More importantly, Ryzuk creates a well-rounded portrait of each of the central players and the five victims, investing them with dignity- to compel our interest and produce a haunting, complex tale. "But it’s not all dark. Mary Ryzuk also has a mature, bawdy sense of humor. This is a musical that deserves to be seen again." |
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