2004

Audio Recordings

The world premier production of this original opera by NCFO founder David Bass was performed at the King Open School, 850 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA in late March, 2004. Enjoy the MP3 recordings below!

Scene 1

At the King's Gate, in early Morning

King Ahashveros of Persia has chosen the beautiful Jewess Esther to be his Queen. Esther has not revealed her Jewish heritage, on instruction from her ambitious cousin Mordechai. The King's Gate is abuzz with rumors, spread by Citizens like Farouk and soon confirmed by the Chamberlain Zethar: The King has named Haman, a wealthy and widely disliked Agagite, to be Grand Vizier, replacing the indecisive Memucan. The appointment surprizes Soraya and the other Citizens.
     - Listen to Overture / King's Gate / The News with Tommy Moriarty as Mordechai, Nathaniel Burket as Farouk, Dan Weinreb as Zethar and Reina Bass as Soraya

Haman's arrival at the King's Gate is heralded by the Chamberlain Bizzetha, and the conceited Haman's first command is that all Citizens bow down to him. This is forbidden by Jewish law, which puts Mordechai in a quandry, as the Citizen Roshan observes.
     - Listen to Heeeere's Haman / You Must Bow / King's Gate Chorus with Anna Lee Hirshi as Bizzetha, Jeff Moore as Haman, Tommy Moriarty as Mordechai and Lonnie Bass as Roshan

Mordechai reflects at length on his dilemma as all the other Citizens bow to Haman.
     - Listen to If I Perish 1 / The Eyes of God 1 with Tommy Moriarty as Mordechai

Mordechai ultimately refuses to bow, and the Chamberlain Bigtha demands to know how Haman will respond to the insult. Haman becomes enraged and vows the annihilation of all Jews, who are traditional enemies of the Agagites. Azarmik and the other Citizens are horrified.
     - Listen to Haman's Rage 1 with Tommy Moriarty as Mordechai, Monica Flaherty as Bigtha, Jeff Moore as Haman and Lorraine Bishop as Azarmik
 

Scene 2

At the King's Gate, very early the next morning

That night, as recounted by the Chamberlain Abagtha, Haman duped the King into approving an order that all Jews in the Persian empire be killed on a specific date the following spring.
     - Listen to The Strangest Night with Kathy Lindsay as Abagtha

The Citizens Farzad, Sherban, Ramin, Kaveh, Amir and Dara are stunned as they read Haman's edict.
     - Listen to The Edict with Sophia Gottlieb as Farzad, Sarah Schnebly as Sherban, Aubree Andres as Ramin, Simone Rivard as Kaveh, Alex Barry as Amir and Ben Chomitz as Dara

Mordechai grieves publicly upon seeing Haman’s order, and he is chastised for doing so by Hathach, one of Queen Esther’s servants. When Esther hears of Mordechai’s despair, she meets with him clandestinely. Mordechai convinces Esther to intercede with King Ahashveros on behalf of the Jews, even entering the King's chambers uninvited is punishable by death.
     - Listen to The End of the Jews / Tryst / If I Perish 2 / Time to Be Heard with Tommy Moriarty as Mordechai, Mark Gottlieb as Hathach and Julianne Warren as Queen Esther
 

Scene 3

In King's chamber and at the King's Gate, three days later in the evening

The narcissistic King Ahashveros is enjoying his nightly bacchanal with his guests, Samireh and his other Concubines, and rest of the hired help.
     - Listen to Like Iraq with Chris Reif as King Ahashveros and Ann Marie King as Samireh

Despite the danger to herself, Esther enters the King’s chambers uninvited, and the Chamberlain Carshena asks the King if he wants her arrested, but Ahashveros is smitten.
     - Listen to Look at Her with Paul Day as Carshena and Chris Reif as Ahashveros

Ahashveros stays the automatic death sentence, and Esther asks that the King and Haman attend a banquet at her residence. 
     - Listen to Half My Kingdom 1 with Chris Reif as Ahashveros and Julianne Warren as Esther

The King always loves a good party, and Haman and his fellow princes Shethar and Admatha are impressed that he has received so exclusive an invitation, but when Haman leaves the palace, his elation turns once more to rage when Mordechai again refuses to bow. When his friend Mehrdad asks Haman what he's going to do about it, Haman decides that he cannot wait until spring to be rid of Mordechai. At the suggestion of Hadi, Karim, Fazlollah and his other Friends, he resolves to ask the King for permission to hang Mordechai from a 75-foot gallows immediately. Haman returns to the palace to wait for morning, when he can next see the King.
     - Listen to A Feast for Us 1 / Inside Lookin' Out 1 / Haman's Rage 2 / Inside Lookin' Out 2 with Chris Reif as Ahashveros, Jeff Moore as Haman, Dave Cash as Shethar, Tom Hamill as Admatha, Hannah Breslau as Mehrdad, Carla Procaskey as Hadi, Liz Miller as Karim and Dan Weinreb as Fazlollah
 

Scene 4

In the King's Chamber, much later that night

Meanwhile, the King cannot sleep and asks his servant Carcas to read to him from the chronicles of his own reign. The servant randomly selects a passage from many years back, which happens to describe an incident in which Mordechai saved the King’s life by foiling an assassination attempt. When the King learns that Mordechai was never rewarded for his service, he calls Haman in to ask how best to honor a man whom the King favors. Haman, thinking the King must be planning to honor him, advises the King to have the honoree be led through the capital city wearing the King’s robes, riding the King’s horse, led by the King’s noblest prince. The King then orders Haman to lead Mordechai through the city exactly as he described. 
     - Listen to Sleepless in Shushan / Haman's Wisdom / Brilliant! with Chris Reif as Ahashveros, Evie Dill as Carcas and Jeff Moore as Haman
 

Scene 5

At the King's Gate and at Haman's residence, the next day

After honoring Mordechai, Haman makes his way home through the city, feeling disgraced, and beset by demons. Once home, Haman seeks comfort from his wife Zeresh. Zeresh tells Haman his pursuit of vengeance against Mordechai and the Jews will only lead to his downfall and begs him to stop, but Haman instead chooses to go with the King’s servants to Esther’s feast. 
     - Listen to Processional / Haman's Nightmare / The Spat / You Cannot Win / If I Perish 3 with Jeff Moore as Haman and Heidi Freimanis
 

Scene 6

In Queen Esther’s​ chambers, that evening

Esther's Servants prepare the banquet for the King and Haman.
     - Listen to Esther's Party

Esther is apprehensive.
     - Listen to How Can I Tell Him with Julianne Warren as Esther

The Servant Mehuman announces the arrival of the King and Haman, and the mood becomes quite merry, as the Servant Golpar observes.
     - Listen to A Feast for Us 2 with Jill Netchinsky as Mehuman, Chris Reif as Ahashveros, Jeff Moore as Haman and Jonah Toussaint as Golpar

Esther reveals her Jewish heritage to the King for the first time and accuses Haman of plotting to kill her and her people. The King is enraged and storms out of the room while Haman pleads with Esther for mercy. When he returns, the King misinterprets Haman’s pleas as a physical assault on Esther and orders Haman arrested.
     - Listen to Half My Kingdom 2 / The Confrontation with Chris Reif as Ahashveros, Julianne Warren as Esther and Jeff Moore as Haman

After consulting with the Chamberlain Harbona, Ahashveros sentences Haman to death, gives Haman’s property to Esther and names Mordechai to replace Haman as Grand Vizier. Mordechai issues an edict which counteracts Haman’s order, and the Jews of Persia are saved.
     - Listen to The Sentence / Aftermath / Eyes of God 2 with Chris Reif as Ahashveros, Louisa Woodhouse as Harbona, Julianne Warren as Esther and Tommy Moriarty as Mordechai