CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT
MONSTROUS QUESTION:  Monster Movie Musicals
With Michael Arruda, Nick Cato, Paul McMahon, and Mark Onspaugh
Part 2 of 3

MICHAEL ARRUDA:  We continue with another answer to this month’s Monstrous Question:  Which horror or sci-fi movie would you like turned into a musical? 

PAUL MCMAHON: I wrote a treatment for an entire musical.  I may have taken this too far.

ARRUDA:  Nah!  Go for it!

PAUL MCMAHON:  Okay, here goes!

“THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU”

A full-blown major Broadway Musical, featuring the same makeup technology that made CATS such a financial success!

Summary/ Musical Numbers

ACT I, Scene 1

-In darkness, a voice-over calls an SOS, the Lady Vain is going down. Curtains open on Edward Prendick, who is rescued in a lifeboat and believed dead, but is revived.

Prendick Lives!…..Performers:Prendick, Montgomery and M’ling

-Noise from Montgomery’s cages are driving the sailors mad. When Prendick interferes on Montgomery’s behalf, he is cast out with Montgomery at The Island of Screams

Begone, You Beast…..Performers: Ship’s Captain, Montgomery, Prendick, M’ling and Men’s Ensemble

-Montgomery tells Prendick of the island as they approach the compound. In the forest, strange hidden things watch them.

The Brilliant Dr. Moreau….. Performers: Montgomery and Prendick

-In the laboratory, Dr. Moreau experiments on a puma.

What Makes A Man?…..Performed by Dr. Moreau

-Prendick, alerted by the creature’s cries, flees into the forest and discovers a group of hog-like people. He runs and is chased by something he can’t see.

Monsters, Creatures, Inhuman Beasts!….. Performed by Prendick

-Back at the compound, Prendick questions Montgomery who deflects and avoids all questions, being half drunk.

What Is This Place?….. Performers: Prendick and Montgomery

ACT I, Scene 2

The next morning.

- Prendick enters the laboratory and discovers Puma-Man, covered in bandages. He offers water, but Moreau appears, slapping the cup away and calling for Montgomery.

Can I Help You?….. Prendick, Puma-Man, Moreau

-Prendick believes Moreau is turning humans into animals and vows not to be next.

It Will Never Be Me….. Prendick

-Prendick is captured by men who resemble animals. They inform him of the island’s laws, which includes a daily worship of Moreau.

The Law….. Sayer of the Law, Ape-Man, Hyena-Man, Animal Ensemble

-Moreau arrives and Prendick escapes. Prendick decides to drown himself, but is interrupted by Moreau, who explains that the creatures used to be animals and assures him that the pain he inflicts is insignificant to the final outcome.

Not The Man You Think Me….. Prendick, Moreau, Animal Ensemble

**There will be a fifteen minute intermission.**

 

The Sayer of the Law also likes to sing a few tunes!

ACT II, SCENE 1

A week later

-Montgomery and Prendick discover a half-eaten rabbit, which breaks The Law. They alert Moreau, who calls an assembly and accuses Leopard-Man, who flees.

The Law Is Broken….. Performers: Montgomery, Moreau, Sayer of the Law, Leopard-Man and Animal Ensemble

-Prendick corners the Leopard-Man, who insists Moreau will perform more agonizing experiments on him. With Moreau closing in, Leopard-Man attacks and Prendick shoots him dead. With his last breath, Leopard-Man thanks him.

Not The Man You Think Him….. Performers: Prendick, Leopard-Man, Moreau and Montgomery

-Prendick confides to Montgomery’s manservant, M’ling, his belief that Leopard-Man acted with Hyena-Man, who chased him through the forest his first week. Moreau overhears and dismisses Prendick’s ideas, calling him a fool.

He Did Not Act Alone….. Performers: Prendick, M’ling and Moreau

ACT II, Scene 2

A week later

-In the lab the mostly finished Puma-Man escapes and is chased through the forest by Moreau. Prendick arrives in time to witness as the two kill each other.

I Gave You Everything/ You Gave Me Nothing….. Performers: Moreau, Puma-Man and Prendick

-Prendick tries to convince Montgomery to leave the island, but the beasts attack, led by Hyena-Man. Montgomery appeases them by giving over his whiskey, but they kill him anyway. Prendick escapes, knocking over a lamp that sets the compound ablaze.

The Law Is Dead….. Performers: Prendick, Montgomery, M’ling, Sayer of the Law, Hyena-Man, and Animal Ensemble

-In the aftermath of the fire, Prendick learns Montgomery has destroyed every boat and radio on the island. He discovers a frightened M’ling following him to warn him that the animals are coming. M’ling kills Hyena-Man and is mortally wounded.

Am I The Man I Think Me?….. Performers: Prendick, M’ling, Hyena-Man and Animal Ensemble

ACT II, Scene 3

A week later

-Prendick survives in a lean-to on the beach. Animals approach and retreat, returning to their natural state. A boat drifts ashore with two bodies in it, one of them the Ship Captain that marooned him in Act I Scene 1. He waves to the animals along the shore as he leaves, and only M’ling waves back.

What Luck, What Fortune…..Performed by Prendick

-Prendick, back in London, tells his story and is laughed at and scorned. He feigns amnesia to keep from being committed, and vows seclusion for the rest of his life.

What Makes A Man? (reprise)….. Performers: Prendick and  Human Ensemble

CURTAIN

*****

MICHAEL ARRUDA:  Thanks, Paul, for that very detailed treatment.  Join us next time for Part 3, the final installment to this month’s MONSTROUS QUESTION, when MARK ONSPAUGH gives his take on the monster movie musical!

 —END Part 2—

 Answer © Copyright 2012 by Paul McMahon

This entry was posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:24 am and is filed under 2012, Monstrous Question, Musicals, Paul McMahon Columns with tags Dr. Moreau, Monsters, monstrous question, Movie Musicals, Paul McMahon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.