The Rivals
Book and lyrics by Greg Edwards
Music by Jonathan Breit
Staged reading of Act One presented Nov 20th and 21st
at Shetler Studios, 244 W 54th St
The first stage in the development of this new, full-length musical adaptation of the 1775 play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The Rivals is a romantic comedy set in that faraway time when everyone wore wigs, spoke in repartee, and hid behind curtains and chairs at the slightest provocation. Miss Lydia Languish wants to throw away her money and live on nothing but love, so Jack Absolute decides to woo her disguised as a penniless poet. An overbearing father, a pompous aunt, and a host of rivals threaten to get in the way, but in the end disguises are doffed, obstacles are removed, and true love wins the day.
