Shakespeare Musical Preshow

Today’s #WeeklyWednesday is a throwback to one of the most fun productions I’ve been a part of ? I hope you enjoy this excerpt from the musical pre-show I designed for Coronado Playhouse‘s production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”!

My talented fellow performers and dear friends are Renee Ulloa-McDonald, Carly Pandza, and Danielle Orner (Gallagher) ? ?

The songs featured here are:

0:06 “Sumer is icumen in,” a mid-13th century round, written in the Wessex dialect of Middle English.

0:49 “Fair Phyllis,” an English madrigal by John Farmer, published in 1599.

2:11 “Now Is the Month of Maying,” an English ballett (similar to a madrigal) by Thomas Morley, published in 1595.

“Much Ado About Nothing” was the first Shakespeare production I sound designed (I had not yet attempted composing my own music for Shakespeare’s lyrics!), and for the pre-show, transitional music, and dances, I used only music that had already been composed by Shakespeare’s era. If you’d like to see more of my Shakespeare work, check out this playlist:

Thanks to John Pauter for the archival footage from the show – and especially to the team at the Coronado Playhouse for giving me this opportunity! I learned a lot from my work on that show and really enjoyed being part of it ?I’m also grateful for the recognition of my work in the form of CPH Blue Ribbon and San Diego ACT Aubrey Awards (for sound design, musical direction, and acting [Ursula/Balthasar])!

I’m most grateful for the dear friendships I made from that show with my “By’r Lady” castmates: Margaret, Hero, and Beatrice ?

I hope you enjoy these pieces, and thank you, as always, for watching!

#AshleyWagnerArts