the Girl from Ipanema

the Girl from Ipanema

the Girl from Ipanema - A New Musical - Book and Lyrics by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant A story about love, corruption and street gangs set in fabulous Rio de Janeiro NOT FOR SALE, COPY OR DISTRIBUTION This presentation and CD is meant for promotional purposes only. Bruce Weber photos and non-original music rights pending permissions request. brochure design by Jason Burwen

Concept The Girl from Ipanema concerns itself with the plight of exploited homeless children in Brazil's infamous favelas (slums) as told through a Romeo and Juliet-type love story set in modern day Rio de Janeiro. Brazil has 175 million people, 62% under the age of 29. 81% of Brazilians live in cities, with 20 million in extreme poverty, mostly in decaying urban slums. Due to decades of marginalization, institutional abuse, and poor medical facilities, it is estimated that there are now over 3 million homeless children who have no one, no defined family of origin. With the knowledge that minors can't be prosecuted, many of these orphans are exploited by adults who force them into lives of crime and prostitution. Many fall into an endless cycle of drugs, petty theft and sex work. While the government and people of Brazil have tried over the years to correct such a grim problem, an extraordinarily high crime rate continues to plague the cities, so there still exist vigilante death squads who hunt down and murder these kids with the expressed purpose of extinguishing entire groups of the troubled homeless youth. These executioners are commonly supported by local businesses, paranoid citizens, warring drug lords and corrupt police, all with the knowledge that if caught, few of them are ever convicted. This troublesome situation is expressed and explored through the narrative of our musical play. Most of all, through an engaging love story, contemporary dance and vibrant music, The Girl From Ipanema wishes to inspire with a message of involvement and hope. Story Pleasure, beauty, humility, corruption and murder are all a way of life on Ipanema Beach. And so survival can be heartbreakingly difficult in Rio, but at least there is always the Girl from Ipanema, tan and lovely, oh how she sways, oh how she makes you forget the ways The main protagonist of The Girl From Ipanema, OTAVIO, is a cynical gigolo who lazes about on Ipanema Beach with his like-minded friends. His life changes when he meets the pious and traditionally minded BLESSY at a party hosted by his "Uncle" VITOR." She's from a well-known family and is engaged to a wealthy man she doesn't love. But when Blessy and Otavio dance, each are seduced by passion and lust. He lies about his place in life, she lies about her impending marriage. Later that night, they end up asleep on the beach only to be awakened by a tough but smart homeless orphan named PAPETE. He is running from a police extermination squad who are out to kill him. This chance meeting interjects the boy into the torrential love story between Otavio and Blessy, exposing hidden hypocrisy, intense feelings of loss, visions of hope, and finally the power of grace. A twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet story, the dramatic tension between Otavio and Blessy stems not only from their class differences, but also from their opposing views on life. Otavio retreats from memories of his painful favela childhood by embracing an existentialist live-for-today attitude of decadence. Blessy, on the other hand, tries to pin the problems of the world on society's lack of piousness and perseverance. Their polarity and naiveté speak as a metaphor for many of Rio's current socio-economic problems. While not afraid to explore difficult issues of our time, The Girl From Ipanema leaves it to the audience to draw their own conclusions, in much the same way that Blessy and Otavio must empathetically reach toward each other's inner truths in order to come to terms with the disconnect between their outward reactions to the problems they face. It is through Papete's death and metaphorical resurrection that Otavio eventually learns to trust in love and Blessy is able to loosen her grip on such a rigid view of the world, thus seductively exposing her inner carioca (Rio in the blood) of passion. Much to Otavio s surprise, it turns out that Blessy's alter ego is embodied by the mysterious Girl from Ipanema.

Compact Disc Production Notes In writing this music, I've done my best to meld authentic Brazilian elements with my own eclectic background, one that ranges from Ellington to West Side Story, Pearl Jam to Jay- Z. With only a shoestring recording and production budget, my main objective with this CD was to convey in the fullest way possible our musical and narrative intentions. That said, I hope you find the songs included to be accessible, challenging, exciting, and most of all, uplifting and memorable. This album features the contributions of numerous artists, all of whom were extremely generous with their time, but three deserve special mention: Manhattan Samba (percussion on Carnaval) is an authentic Brazilian samba drum performance group led by master percussionist Ivo Araujo. Their sound is enormous - I've seen them bring a drunken Israeli pick-up circuit party to a grinding halt with a single measure of percussion then have the crowd grooving with them for the rest of the night. Put Manhattan Samba on a Broadway stage and you'll have audiences dancing in the aisles. Rio de Janeiro native and recording artist Mariani (voice of Blessy, sings on What a Silly Point and Corcovado) has toured around the world performing original music and has received a Helen Hayes nomination for her work in musical theatre. Specializing in Brazilian pop and bossa nova, Mariani has been very well received in Rio and New York City, where she's a regular performer at Zinc Bar and Coffee Shop. Spiro Malas (voice of Vitor, sings on Finale Act 1) has sung extensively as a soloist for the Metropolitan Opera, performed with Luciano Pavarotti, and starred on Broadway in Most Happy Fella. Spiro is a former teacher of mine and currently instructs students at Columbia University and Manhattan School of Music. To assist a group of largely non-portuguese speakers navigate the lingual intricacies of the score, we had help from two teachers - NYU and Columbia language Professor Bonnie Wasserman and resident Brazilian singer Mariani. Please consider our Portuguese pronunciation in this recording an enthusiastic effort, as opposed to a finished product. The song list on this CD was chosen to convey the breadth of the show's music. There are a large number of other important musical moments in The Girl from Ipanema that are references to or hybrids of these musical roots. The carnaval drums return at the play's fiery climax, for example. Blessy and Otavio sing a duet of Possibilities in Act II. Strains of Favela Day accompany Papete throughout the show. In addition to the two Jobim bossa nova classics, several other pre-written songs have been included in the script - Shanty Town by Jimmy Cliff and You Can Get It If You Really Want It by Desmond Dekker. They are well-written, crowd-pleasing tunes, and both add significantly to the narrative scope of the show. Creating this music has been an amazing, challenging experience. I look forward to working towards having it performed on stage, hopefully with the collaboration of a production team that is inspired by this project as much as I am. -- Michael Gallant

Album Credits Produced by Michael Gallant Additional production by Cheyenne Picardo, Misha Davidson, Glenn Pearson, Jon Spring, and Gantt Kushner O Rio Music by Michael Gallant Favela Day Words by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant Sung by Michael Gallant, Tania Asnes, and Cheyenne Picardo Possibilities Words by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant Sung by Michael Gallant What a Silly Point Words by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant Sung by Michael Gallant and Mariani Carioca Ways Words by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant Sung by Michael Gallant and Jon Spring Espresso Rio Reprise/Finale Act 1 Words by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant Sung by Walker Vreeland, Michael Gallant, Andrew Gallant, and Spiro Malas Corcovado Written by Jobim and DeMoraes Arranged by Michael Gallant Sung by Mariani and Michael Gallant Carnaval Words by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant Featuring percussion by Manhattan Samba* Sung by Michael Gallant, Daniel Gallant, and Cheyenne Picardo Funeral Procession Words by Jerry Boak Music by Michael Gallant Sung by Cheyenne Picardo, Tania Asnes, Michael Gallant, and Meredith Zeitlin Girl From Ipanema Music by Antonio Carlos Jobim Arranged by Michael Gallant *Used with permission. Any other use or distribution is strictly prohibited. Musicians Michael Gallant, Piano on Tracks 1-6, 8, 9 Pepe Gonzalez, Double Bass Steve Larrance, Drums Alejandro Lucini, Percussion Phil Mathieu, Electric and Acoustic Guitar Glenn Pearson, Piano on Tracks 7 and 10 Bruce Swaim, Saxaphone and Flute Recorded at Gizmo Studios (MD), Spring Chicken Studios (NY), Soundbridge Studios (NY), and Captain Miguel's Island Hideaway (NY). Mixed and Mastered at Captain Miguel's Island Hideaway by Michael Gallant and Cheyenne Picardo.

The Girl From Ipanema is dedicated to Pixote and the millions of homeless children around the world just like him.

Favela Day

Possibilities

What a Silly Point

Carioca Way

Finale Act I

Carnaval (One Two Samba)

Funeral Procession