Antiphony
2002

Audio Recordings

The 2002 North American premier production of "Antiphony" by the North Cambridge Family Opera Company was performed by two different casts. Enjoy the MP3 recordings below!

Scene 1

Centipede Central Station

Moths dancing in the moonlight. At a depot for the commuter rail to Ant Colony Junction, Worker Ants somberly greet each other and complain of the monotony of their lives. Their despair deepens when the train is canceled, and they are forced to walk. Two minstrel grasshoppers, Gaspard and Cigale, serenade the ants with a tune so joyful and catchy that the ants are soon cheerfully singing along. The ants all dance merrily off to work, but no one donates even one coin to the grasshoppers.

     Overture / Morning / I've Got A Song
          Nicholas Heal, Simon Cohen, Taylor Palmer, Lizzy Goldsmith & Patrick O'Sullivan as Worker Ant soloists; Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale
          Kuffasse Boane, Kati Farkas, Evie Dill, Adina Hemley Bronstein & Patrick O'Sullivan as Worker Ant soloists; Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Rachel Bronstein as Cigale
 

Scene 2

Factory of the Worker Ants

The Foreman (a Dung Beetle) and the other middle managers are distressed by the absence of the Workers. When the Worker Queen arrives with her entourage to inspect the work force, they are dismayed by the indifference to the royal family implied by the absence of the Queen's subjects. Just then, the Worker Ants arrive, still singing happily, and begin to work. The Foreman orders them to be silent. The Workers toil in silence, but the Worker Queen decides to overrule the Foreman, and she allows the Workers to sing. Productivity skyrockets, and the Workers ask that Gaspard and Cigale be retained to provide continued inspiration. The Queen hires the grasshoppers at a modest wage.

These events have been observed silently by a Fly on the wall, who believes the grasshoppers' motivational talents could be marketed lucratively to the neighboring Warrior Ant Colony.

     Disaster
          Jeffrey Moore as the Foreman
          David Sandberg as the Foreman
     Morning Baroque / We've Got A Song
          Holly Sargent as Worker Queen, Jeffrey Moore as Foreman, Devorah Vester as Major Domo, Ilana Sandberg and Violet Haszonics as the Queen's Flunkies
          Rachel Cooper as Worker Queen, David Sandberg as Foreman, Esther Brown as Major Domo, Catarina and Monica Goncalves-Redmen as the Queen's Flunkies
     Fly on the Wall
          Robert Bass as The Fly
          Kathy Lindsay as The Fly
 

Scene 3

The Soldier Ant Colony

The Soldier Ants are well trained but cowardly. The army's timidity frustrates their ill-tempered Warrior Queen and her War Cabinet, a collection of old fogies which includes a Stag Beetle (the Brigadier) and a Wasp. The Fly suggests hiring Gaspard and Cigale away from the Worker Ant Colony to motivate the troops. The Queen agrees to pay top dollar for the grasshoppers' services, but the Queen warns she can do anything she wants, including having The Fly's head.

     Our Heart Isn't in It
          Indigo Dow, Cheryl Moreau, Dan Weinreb and Adam Weinreb as Soldier Ant soloists
          Laura Van Melle, Sarah Murphy, Vidia Israel and Nicholas Commons-Miller as Soldier Ant soloists
     She's a Queen
          Anne Dow as the Warrior Queen, Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Phil Budne as the Wasp, Robert Bass as The Fly
          Shellie Leger as the Warrior Queen, Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Leilah Feinstein as the Wasp, Kathy Lindsay as The Fly
 

Scene 4

Factory of the Worker Ants

Meanwhile, the mood at the Worker Ant Colony is idyllic, as the singing Workers serenely work their abdominal body segments off. Gaspard and Cigale sing of love and contentment. The Foreman announces that more than enough food has been stockpiled for the winter ahead. The Worker Queen releases the Workers from their tasks and declares National Grasshopper Day. All the Worker Ants and the managers celebrate.

     It's a Fun-Filled Life
          Cast X Worker Ants
          Cast Y Worker Ants
     You and Me Make One
          Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale, Jeffrey Moore as the Foreman, Holly Sargent as the Worker Queen
          Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Rachel Bronstein as Cigale, David Sandberg as the Foreman, Rachel Cooper as the Worker Queen

Scene 5

Outside the Worker Ant Factory

The Fly tries to recruit Gaspard and Cigale to the Warrior Ant Colony, offering riches instead of just gratitude. Gaspard is intrigued, but Cigale is repulsed by The Fly's proposal and runs off with Gaspard's violin in an effort to keep him from going. The Fly brings out a group of flirtatious ladybugs, led by the alluring Miss Tique, who seduce Gaspard into signing The Fly's contract.

     Prelude to Act II / Fly 2 / Fame
          Robert Bass as The Fly, Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard
          Kathy Lindsay as The Fly, Rachel Bronstein as Cigale, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard
     Fly 3 / We Love You
          Robert Bass as The Fly, Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Ann Marie King as Miss Tique
          Kathy Lindsay as The Fly, Rachel Bronstein as Cigale, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Christine Reif as Miss Tique
 

Scene 6

The Soldier Ant Colony

The Fly introduces Gaspard to the War Cabinet, and the grasshopper sings for them a gentle song of contentment and peace. The Brigadier and Wasp, who were expecting Gaspard to incite violence instead, are furious and eject Gaspard and The Fly. The War Cabinet is terrified of the Warrior Queen's reaction, and they concoct excuses to save their own necks. hile the War Cabinet makes their excuses to the Warrior Queen, The Fly reappears to introduce Gaspard, now in black leather with an electric guitar, backed up by the Ladybugs dressed as punks. Gaspard sings of savagery and hatred, and the Soldier Ants are worked into a war frenzy, to the delight of the Warrior Queen.

     Interview
          Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Phil Budne as the Wasp, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Robert Bass as The Fly
          Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Leilah Feinstein as the Wasp, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Kathy Lindsay as The Fly
     Disaster 2 / We Want War
          Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Phil Budne as the Wasp, Anne Dow as the Warrior Queen, Robert Bass as The Fly, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard
          Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Leilah Feinstein as the Wasp, Shellie Leger as the Warrior Queen, Kathy Lindsay as The Fly, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard
 

Scene 7

Worker Queen's Throne Room

Cigale, still clutching Gaspard's violin, sings of missing him. The Worker Queen comforts Cigale. The royal entourage bursts in to announce that Soldiers from the Warrior Ant Colony are attacking the Worker Ant Colony. Cigale resolves to find Gaspard and dissuade him from helping in the attack.

     Hardly At All
          Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale
          Rachel Bronstein as Cigale
     Disaster 3 / Hardly At All 2
          Holly Sargent as the Worker Queen, Micheline Heal and Nina Krane as Worker Ants, Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale
          Rachel Cooper as the Worker Queen, Isabel Carey and Jennifer Dudley as Worker Ants, Rachel Bronstein as Cigale
 

Scene 8

The Soldier Ant Colony

Gaspard, The Fly, and the Ladybugs are now very wealthy and enjoying all of life's fineries. The War Cabinet, although pleased with Gaspard and the ladybugs, see The Fly as a parasite and expel him from the Soldier Ant Colony. Cigale enters and tries to convince Gaspard not to incite violence with his music, but the Warrior Queen has Cigale arrested and threatens to do away with Cigale unless Gaspard continues to inspire mayhem. The Soldier ants march off to war.

     Luxury's Lap
          Robert Bass as The Fly, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Ann Marie King as Miss Tique
          Kathy Lindsay as The Fly, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Christine Reif as Miss Tique
     Bye, Fly
          Robert Bass as The Fly, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Phil Budne as the Wasp
          Kathy Lindsay as The Fly, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Miriam Beit-Aharon as the Brigadier, Leilah Feinstein as the Wasp
     We Want War 2
          Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Anne Dow as the Warrior Queen
          Rachel Bronstein as Cigale, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Shellie Leger as the Warrior Queen
 

Scene 9

Walls of the Worker Ant Colony

As her Soldiers lay siege to the Worker Ant Colony, the Warrior Queen demands all of the Worker Colony's stores. The Worker Queen offers to share, but not surrender, their abundance. This offer intrigues the Soldiers, but the Warrior Queen rejects all compromise and orders an attack. The Soldiers begin to lose their nerve, and the Warrior Queen commands Gaspard to motivate them. Fearing for Cigale's safety, Gaspard complies, but suddenly Cigale appears beside the Worker Queen. The Fly has freed Cigale out of vengeance. Cigale throws Gaspard his violin, and he sings a positive, uplifting song which inspires peace and harmony among all the ants, except for the Warrior Queen, who signs a contract with The Fly to make horror movies.

     Superior Force / Give Life a Chance
          Anne Dow as the Warrior Queen, Holly Sargent as the Worker Queen, Kelsey Jack as the Smallest Ant, Ann Marie King as Miss Tique, Tamara Ivanovic as Cigale, Lonnie Bass as Gaspard, Robert Bass as The Fly
          Shellie Leger as the Warrior Queen, Rachel Cooper as the Worker Queen, Amelia Brady-Cole as the Smallest Ant, Christine Reif as Miss Tique, Rachel Bronstein as Cigale, Garrett Murphy as Gaspard, Kathy Lindsay as The Fly