Rain (c) 2008 Mattroi Berger
Uptempo, rock finale to New York Neo Classical’s Twelfth Night, which had it’s original run at The Wild Project in April 2008. The remount that spurred this recording was at Theatre Row’s Kirk theater in January 2009. (http://www.newyorkneo.org)
The director wanted a slow build on an emotional rock anthem to underscore a large scale finale, show the passage of time and button the show’s themes of youth, joy and the ups and downs of life spent in the hands of fate. The song was meant to both bring closure to the show and the audience’s energy to a boil.
Using modern indie rock as a guide, I utilize a simple, driving bass line to power through the song’s moral lyric and a thumping dance/acoustic drum scheme to keep the early energy at a slow bop. For the hook, we break from Shakespeare’s repetitive verse structure with soaring strings (keys here). The song ends with an element from the show-opening “Shipwreck Waltz,” a dark twist to underline the dark fate of some characters.
On Vocals: the incredible Brandon Uranowitz
Lyrics by Shakespeare
