Previews
Presented here are five poems of Rosario Castellanos that have been set to music as part of the two-act musical, “Rosario.” The first has seen initial production.
Please use headphones to listen and watch.
The Kinsey Report
Script and music: Alisa Amor
Title: Kinsey Report
Company: Musical Theater with Five and Dime Drama, Eureka Springs, AR
Date: November 2017
Running time:17m
Most Relevant Sections: 1:30 to 8:53 and 13:00 to 16:20
“The Kinsey Report” is a short excerpt of the larger work “Rosario”
The women characters sing translated segments of Rosario Castellanos’ poem, “The Kinsey Report.”
This piece uses humor to allow audience members to become compassionately aware of the pain and sexual frustration of women and men in a repressive social system. The humor and 1950’s setting communicate this without alienating the audience. This seems particularly relevant and useful due to recent backlash against feminism.
Download or Read the Script here: kinsey report 10:16:2017
A woman of beauty with no mercy
Artist: Alisa Amor
Title: A woman of beauty with no mercy
Completed May 2018
Running Time: 9:34
Demo of the final number of the musical “Rosario.” This piece will be performed by the entire cast. It is a celebration of the life of Rosario Castellanos and a song about the beauty and worth of woman of every age.
My intention is to create a moment of grace, revealing the authentic soul of Rosario and the strength of every woman. The song ends with a chorus of “eternity,” closing the circle of “Rosario” with a moment of freedom.
Self Portrait
Artist: Alisa Amor
Title: Self Portrait
Completed April 2018
Running Time: 6:05
Musical demo of “Self Portrait,” which follows Rosario through a stereotypical day as she visits the beauty salon, picks up her son at school and returns home. Rosario creates a caricature of herself that highlights the tragedy of her daily routine.
My intention is to bring out the humor and the pain of this portrayal, while creating a deeper awareness in the listener of the difficulties of being fully human in an unsupportive world.
Poem 2 (Loneliness)
Artist: Alisa Amor
Title: Poem 2, (Loneliness)
Completed: March 2018
Running Time: 3:40
This is a demo of the penultimate musical number. During this piece, Rosario has a sword fight with her shadow self which she names “Loneliness.” They end the duel by becoming allies and declaring that they must be one with Mother Earth; Rosario has found inner peace before her last moment.
The song will be performed by two singers each playing an aspect of Rosario’s mind, plus the chorus which will include men and women.
Monolog in the cell
Artist: Alisa Amor
Title: Monolog in the Cell
Completed December 2017
Running Time: 5:51
This is a demo of a solo musical number that will be performed by Rosario near the beginning of the first act. Rosario’s spirit is going mad while locked in a cell alone. There will be other dancers in the scene playing parts of her jail cell.
My intention is to show the depth of Rosario’s pain and isolation and how these swiftly transition into madness. This encourages listeners to actively search for ways out of their own isolation.