Rusty Magee papers (Ms. 2009.016)

Series 1. Plays
Boxes 1-4
Rusty Magee wrote music, lyrics and scripts for a number of plays during his career. They were presented by organizations such as the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts; American Opera Projects, the Classic Stage Company, the Irish Repertory Theatre, the Manhattan Theatre Club, Moonwork, and the West Bank Cafe in New York City; the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut; the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas; and Brownbrokers at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

The material for this series was originally found in notebooks, envelopes and folders labeled with the title of the play. It includes scripts, scores, some correspondence, and printed material related to the plays such as playbills, fliers, programs and theater reviews. Most of the plays contain music and/or lyrics written by Magee. His contribution to some of the plays is not known. Magee's description of this material has been retained. The plays are arranged alphabetically by title.

Other printed music written by Magee may be found in Series 2. Music by Rusty Magee. Other playbills, programs and fliers may be found in Series 3. Playbills and programs and Series 4. Miscellaneous press.

A. 19th Street Shuffle
Box 1, Folders 1-6
19th Street Shuffle is a contemporary musical adaptation of Vergil’s Aeneid. Magee wrote the music for the play with lyrics by Billy Aronson. This subseries includes several drafts of the script, an incomplete score, handwritten notes, and some correspondence, chiefly from Aaronson to Magee. Magee passed away before the play was completed.

B. 52nd Street Project
Box 1, Folders 7-8
The 52nd Street Project in a non-profit organization in New York City which creates original works for theater by pairing professional theater artists with children aged nine to eighteen. The material in this subseries was originally in an envelope labeled “52nd St. Project originals.” It consists of several short scripts and the music and lyrics for songs. Magee and his wife Alison Frasier are listed as the authors of the scripts “Wild in the Sweeps: A Play with Music”, and “Keeper of the Flame: The Story of Zelda and Zorina”. Most of the music for the songs is in manuscript form and was written by Magee. The author of some of the songs is not identified and some do not have a title.

C. 1919: A Baseball Opera
Box 1, Folders 9-17
This play was inspired by Eliot Asinof’s book about the Chicago “Black Sox” scandal of 1919 entitled Eight Men Out. The music is by Rusty Magee with book and lyrics by Magee and Rob Barron. The play was originally presented at the Summer Cabaret Theater in New Haven, Connecticut in 1981. The scripts in this subseries were originally in a folder labeled “working scripts”. The piano and vocal score is in manuscript form. The related material includes one letter, feedback about the play from an ASCAP workshop, articles about the “Black Sox”, theater reviews, and a program and flier about the play. The paperback copy of Asinof’s book contains underlining, probably by Magee. Its front cover is missing.

D. Arthur: A Live Adventure
Box 1, Folder 18
Arthur: A Live Adventure is a musical based on the “Arthur” children’s books by Marc Brown and the Public Broadcasting animated television series Arthur. It was presented at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in May 2000 as well as at theaters nationwide. The material in this subseries includes the fourth draft of the script, music and lyrics to the three songs in the play that were written by Magee, and related material such as programs and an Arthur-themed activity book.

E. Blue in the City
Box 1, Folder 19
This play is described as “a musical revue about life after Drama School”. The book is by Lewis Black with music and lyrics by Rusty Magee. It was performed at the West Bank Café in New York City. This subseries includes an annotated script and lyrics to the song “At the Yale Drama School”.

F. A Child's Christmas in Wales
Box 1, Folder 20
This play is an adaptation by the Irish Repertory Theatre of Dylan Thomas’ 1950 short story “A Child’s Memories of Christmas in Wales”. This subseries contains a script and three songs. Magee was the musical director of the theater when the play was presented there in 2001. He also had a small part in the play.

G. The Czar of Rock and Roll
Boxes 1-2
This play is a musical based on the career of American pop singer Dean Reed, who left the United States in 1972 to live and perform in East Germany and the former Soviet Bloc countries. Magee wrote the music and lyrics for the play, which premiered at Houston’s Alley Theatre in 1990. This subseries includes several versions of the script, song lyrics and music. The music is in manuscript form and consists of parts for an ensemble of keyboard, guitar, bass and drums. The related material includes reviews, newspaper clippings, programs, correspondence and promotional material for the play such as fliers and press releases. The articles about Dean Reed are from various newspapers and magazines.

H. Fiend in the Fog: A Musical
Box 2, Folder 3
This subseries contains a script written by James Stevenson. Magee’s contribution to the play is not known.

I. Flurry Tale
Boxes 2-3
Flurry Tale is a children’s Christmas opera that was presented by American Opera Projects in 1999. Earlier versions of the play were performed at the New York Public Library in 1996. Magee wrote the music with libretto by Billy Aronson.

This subseries includes the script, sheet music, music in manuscript form and material related to the play such as correspondence, programs and fliers. The sheet music includes a copy of the full score, the conductor’s score, vocal score, and parts for an ensemble of piano, woodwinds, French horn, percussion and bass. The music in manuscript form, which Magee labeled “charts”, consists of parts for songs and other music in the play.

J. The Grandchild of Kings
Box 3, Folders 3-4
This play by Harold Prince, based on the autobiography of writer Sean O'Casey, was presented by the Irish Repertory Theatre in January 1992. This subseries contains the script, sheet music for songs, and related material such as playbills and reviews. Magee conducted the music for the play.

K. The Green Heart
Box 3, Folder 5
The Green Heart was written by Charles Busch with music and lyrics by Rusty Magee. It was first presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club in February 1997. This subseries includes theater programs, invitations to a performance, reviews and promotional material such as fliers.

L. Hey Stay Awhile
Box 3, Folder 6
Magee was the musical director of this cabaret, which featured the theater songs of John Guare. This subseries includes music, lyrics and related material such as fliers.

M. The House of Blue Leaves
Box 3, Folder 7
Magee arranged and recorded the piano music for this play by John Guare. It was presented at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York City in 1986. It was nominated for a Tony Award for best play that year. This subseries contains two programs and several sheets of paper with piano cues and song lyrics.

N. How the Irish Saved Civilization
Box 3, Folder 8
This play is based on Thomas Cahill’s 1995 book with the same title. This subseries contains the script. Magee’s contribution to the play is not known.

O. Hunger
Box 3, Folder 9
Magee arranged and wrote the music for this play with lyrics by Ron Peet. This subseries contains song lyrics and a piano score in manuscript form.

P. The Imaginary Invalid
Box 3, Folder 10
This play by Moliere was presented by the American Repertory Theatre in 1998. It was adapted by Andrei Belgrader and Shelley Berc with music and lyrics by Rusty Magee. This subseries includes a revised copy of the script, music in manuscript form and reviews.

Q. In the Beginning
Box 3, Folders 11-12
Magee wrote the music for this original play by Jon Klein, David Riemer and Jeremy Schlosberg. It was presented by the Brownbrokers at Brown University in December 1978. This subseries contains the script, related material such as fliers and programs, the piano score in manuscript form and a list of songs with lyrics.

R. The Irish and How They Got That Way
Box 3, Folders 13-18
This play by Frank McCourt was presented by the Irish Repertory Theatre in 1998. Magee arranged the music and had a small role in the play. This subseries includes scripts, the score and related material such as programs, fliers, playbills and reviews.

S. A Midsummer Night's Dream
Box 3, Folder 19
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was presented by Moonwork in 1999. Magee wrote original music for the play. This subseries contains the script, reviews and related material such as programs and fliers.

T. Sacred Cows
Box 3, Folder 20
Sacred Cows was to have been a live, all-sung, weekly half-hour television program based on bible stories. The pilot for the first episode, entitled “A New Beginning: The Story of Adam and Yves”, was written by Rusty Magee, Bob Golden, Paul Scott Goodman, Jonathan Larson, and Jeremy Roberts. The pilot was never filmed. This subseries contains the script, handwritten notes from some of the authors, a page describing the concept of the program, and a catalog of the works of Jonathan Larson, who later wrote the Tony award-winning musical Rent.

U. Scapin
Boxes 3-4
This adaptation of the 1671 Moliere play was written by Andrei Belgrader and Shelley Berc with music and lyrics by Rusty Magee. It was first presented at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1991 and later by the Classic Stage Company in New York City in 1993. This subseries contains the score in manuscript form, reviews, and related material such as playbills, posters, photographs and fliers.

V. The Servant of Two Masters
Box 4, Folders 3-6
This 1743 play by Carlo Goldini was adapted and translated by Shelley Berc and Andrei Belgrader with music and lyrics by Rusty Magee. It was presented by the American Repertory Theatre in May 1992. This subseries contains the script, the score in manuscript form and related material such as reviews, fliers, playbills and programs. The score is missing music for songs numbered 2, 3, 4 and 14.

W. Stress for Success
Box 4, Folder 7
This subseries contains three pages from Magee’s desk calendar with notes regarding the opening of this play at the West Bank Café.

X. The Two Penny Opera
Box 4, Folder 8
There is no information about this play in Magee’s papers. This subseries contains several pages of lyrics by Rusty Magee for songs that were set to music by Wagner, Verdi, Gilbert and Sullivan and other composers.

Y. Ubu Rock
Box 4, Folders 9-19
Ubu Rock is a contemporary adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s 1896 play Ubu Roi. It was written by Shelley Berc and Andrei Belgrader with music and lyrics by Rusty Magee. It was presented by the American Repertory Theatre in 1995. This subseries includes the script, the score, parts in manuscript form for an ensemble of piano, bass and drums; parts in both printed and manuscript form for voice, a performance report, reviews of the play and related material such as programs and fliers.

Z. Voices from the Hill
Box 4, Folder 20
This play, presented by Moonwork in 2002, is an original musical adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology” and selected poems by Walt Whitman. It was written by Gregory Wolfe and Gregory J. Sherman with music by Andres Sherman and Rusty Magee. This subseries contains reviews of the play and related material such as fliers, programs and postcards.

AA. What the Butler Saw
Box 4, Folders 21-22
What the Butler Saw was written by Joe Orton with music directed and arranged by Rusty Magee. It was performed at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1984. This subseries contains the score, handwritten notes and musical cues, a program and reviews of the play.

BB. What You Will
Box 4, Folders 23-24
This play is a musical version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, presented by Moonwork in 2001. It was adapted by Gregory Wolfe with music by Rusty Magee and Andrew Sherman. Besides the script and score, this subseries includes a program and reviews of the play. The two DVDs and one compact disc that were originally with the other material for this play have been moved to Series 5. Audiovisual material, Subseries B. Compact discs and Subseries C. DVDs. One of the DVDs is a frontscreen projection entitled “News from the March” which was used in the introduction to the play. The other DVD and CD are entitled “What You Will”.

CC. Will, Grace, Kara, Jack Do the Met!
Box 4, Folder 25
This play is an operatic parody starring the cast of the television series Will and Grace. It was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in May 2000. The music and lyrics were written by Rusty Magee. This subseries contains two scripts, the score and a flier advertising the play.

Series 2. Music by Rusty Magee
Box 5, Folders 1-4
This series consists of sheet music for songs written by Magee. The dates given for this material are the copyright dates on the sheet music. Magee’s original description of this material has been retained.

Series 3. Playbills and programs
Box 5, Folders 5-7
This series contains playbills, programs and fliers for plays and performances not listed in Series 1. Plays. They are arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 4. Miscellaneous press
Box 5, Folders 8-10
The material in this series was originally in an envelope labeled “miscellaneous press”. It includes fliers, which Magee had labeled “posters”, for Moonwork and the West Bank Cafe; theater reviews from various newspapers and magazines, three 8x10 photographs of Magee and several of his resumes. The posters and press for the West Bank Cafe include a list of the plays presented and performers who appeared at the cafe between the fall of 1983 and the summer of 1986.

Series 5. Audiovisual material
Boxes 5-7
This series contains audiocassettes, compact discs, DVDs and one VHS tape. Most were not commercially produced. They include recordings of Magee’s performances and of plays for which he wrote music. Each type of recording is arranged alphabetically by title. All of the DVDs in this series are DVD-Rs. They must be played using "Power DVD". They will not play using "Windows Media Player". This material is in shoeboxes which are housed within records center boxes.

A. Audiocassettes
Boxes 5-6

B. Compact discs
Box 7, Shoebox 1

• 1919: A Baseball Opera (undated)
• Alison Fraser: A New York Romance (2005)
• Czar of Rock and Roll: Demo (undated)
• Flurry Tale (undated)
• Green Heart: Sampler (undated)
• The Irish and How They Got That Way: Original Cast Recording (1998)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream: Original Cast Recording (undated)
• Patti Darcy and Rusty Magee: April 1990 (1990)
• Rusty Magee: Children's Songs (undated)
• Rusty Magee: Children's Songs, revised (undated)
• Rusty Magee: Songs (undated)
• Scapin (1993)
• Stress for Success: Rusty Magee Live at the West Bank Cafe (1987 Mar)
• Sweet Appreciation: Rusty Magee Live at the West Bank Cafe (undated)
• Ubu Rock: Demo (undated)
• What You Will (undated)
• What You Will (Twelfth Night): Demo (undated)

C. DVDs
Box 7, Shoeboxes 1-2

D. VHS Videocassettes
Box 7, Shoebox 1
This subseries contains one VHS videocassette entitled Quayle Season