A great magic is contained in an enhanted forest in the Land of
Fabula. Centuries ago, two witches, Tomislav and Rostislav, came from
the underworld to dominate this land forcing the magic of the enchanted
forest to do their will. When the Kingdom of Harmonia was established, the
power in the land was nuetralized, and the enchanted forest would no
longer serve anyone. The witches tried to use force to reclaim the
land, but King Thrushbeard and his son Prince Charming were too brave
and strong to be defeated. The witches needed another strategy.
When Prince Charming saves Briar Rose from her endless sleep and
decides to marry her, Tomislav and Rostislav finally discover a way to
undermine and destroy the Kingdom of Harmonia. It will be done through
cunningness, trickery and betrayal.
The "Magick & Poison" musical spins an original story that
weaves into its plot storylines from a cornucopia of classic fairytales,
nursery rhymes and other classic prose. From awe-inspiring glory to dark
sinister foulness, "Magick & Poison" is an adventure that
celebrates the tales of folklore that has entertained generations.
What was it that made the old tales of the Grimm Brothers, Mother Goose,
Homer, Aesop, Hans Christian Anderson, Charles Perrault, Giambattista Basile,
William Shakespeare and others so fascinating
and intriguing that these stories would be preciously passed from generation
to generation? What was it that made these tales so significant? Was it the
mysteriousness of them? Their morals? Their wonderment? Or was it something
even more that made these particular tales become a staple of literature for
hundreds of years.
The origins of some folklore come from how news traveled between individuals
in days before print was readily available. A significant bit of news would
spread around from place to place and, with each retelling, morph into
something different. Names would change, events would change, and other
particulars would change that would turn the story into something completely
different. A king who loses his reign becomes Humpty Dumpty falling from a
wall; A queen, her kingdom, and her unfaithful husband become a lady in a
garden with silver bells and cockle shells. The black plague becomes a ring
around a rose. Other tales of folklore were ways to teach lessons and
morals. Little Red Riding Hood teaches not to wander into the woods
alone. The Three Little Pigs teaches how to build a proper home. For one
reason or another, these tales captured imaginations and were made
timeless. They became just as magical to the heart as the magic within their
stories. It is as if they were delivered on enchanted wings from some
place far within our dreams. Thus, they have been given the name
"fairytales".
Timothy S. Klugh is a music composer and writer who is completely fascinated by
fairytales. Also a fan of history, Timothy spent years studying the origins
of these classic fables. Having collected some of the oldest preserved
versions of the tales, Timothy decided to pay tribute to these legendary
stories using his own talents.
In 2009, he composed the seventeen movement music work called "Magick
& Poison" and defined it as a proper soundtrack for Once Upon A
Time. This music work appeared as the soundtrack to the Athenian Berean
Community Players 2009 stage production of Terry Pratchett's "Wyrd
Sisters". In 2010, Timothy modified and expanded this music work to
become its own album.
However, "Magick & Poison" did not seem complete yet. The music
needed a story to go with it. The story needed to dig deep into the roots of
the fairytales and bring out all the mystical charm and sinister darkness
that could only be found in the original prose. Timothy would write a
completely new story that would intertwine with those old fables. In 2012,
Timothy started making a stage musical that would tell this new story using
the "Magick & Poison" music work as its soundtrack.
|