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|lyrics = Dave Malloy
|lyrics = Dave Malloy
|book = Dave Malloy
|book = Dave Malloy
|productions = 2019 [[Signature Theatre Company]]
|productions = 2019 [[Signature Theatre Company]]<br>2022 [[Berkeley Repertory Theatre]]
|awards = [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music]]<br>[[Lucille Lortel Award]] for Outstanding Musical
|awards = [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music]]<br>[[Lucille Lortel Award]] for Outstanding Musical<br>[[Obie Award]] for Collaboration on Music & Sound
}}
}}


Line 19: Line 19:


==Musical numbers==
==Musical numbers==
The musical is structured around a series of hymns and "shares," as the group members explain their relationship to technology. Each song corresponds to one of the [[Major Arcana]], the picture cards in a [[tarot]] deck.<ref name="vulture" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genius.com/albums/Dave-malloy/Octet|title=Octet by Dave Malloy|website=[[Genius (website)|Genius]] }}</ref>
The musical is structured around a series of hymns and "shares," as the group members explain their relationship to technology. Each song corresponds to one of the [[Major Arcana]] cards in a [[tarot]] deck.<ref name="vulture" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://genius.com/albums/Dave-malloy/Octet|title=Octet by Dave Malloy|website=[[Genius (website)|Genius]] }}</ref>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}
'''Part 1'''
'''Part 1'''
* I. "Hymn: The Forest"
* I. "Hymn: The Forest" - All
* II. "Refresh"
* II. "Refresh" - Jessica & Chorus
* III. "Candy"
* III. "Candy" - Henry & Chorus
* IV. "Glow"
* IV. "Glow" - Paula
* V. "Fugue State"
* V. "Fugue State" - All
{{col-break}}
{{col-break}}
'''Part 2'''
'''Part 2'''
* VI. "Hymn: Monster"
* VI. "Hymn: Monster" - Women, All
* VII. "Solo"
* VII. "Solo" - Karly, Ed, All
* VIII. "Actually"
* VIII. "Actually" - Toby, Chorus
* IX. "Little God"
* IX. "Little God" - Marvin, Chorus
* X. "Tower Tea Ceremony"
* X. "Tower Tea Ceremony" - All
* XI. "Beautiful"
* XI. "Beautiful" - Velma
* XII. "Hymn: The Field"
* XII. "Hymn: The Field" - All
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}


==Productions==
==Productions==
The piece premiered on May 19, 2019 at Off-Broadway at the [[Signature Theatre Company|Signature Theatre]] in New York City. It was extended three times in June, ultimately finishing in June 30.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/dave-malloys-a-cappella-musical-octet-ends-extended-off-broadway-run-june-30 |title=Dave Malloy's A Cappella Musical Octet Ends Extended Off-Broadway Run June 30 |last=Staff |first=Playbill |date=June 30, 2019 |website=Playbill |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref>
The piece premiered on May 19, 2019, at Off-Broadway at the [[Signature Theatre Company|Signature Theatre]] in New York City. It was extended three times in June, ultimately finishing on June 30.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/dave-malloys-a-cappella-musical-octet-ends-extended-off-broadway-run-june-30 |title=Dave Malloy's A Cappella Musical Octet Ends Extended Off-Broadway Run June 30 |last=Staff |first=Playbill |date=June 30, 2019 |website=Playbill |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref>


The production was Directed by Annie Tippe, with Music Supervision & Music Direction by Or Matias, Scenic Design by Amy Rubin & Brittany Vasta, Costume Design by Brenda Abbandandolo, Lighting Design by Christopher Bowser, Sound Design by Hidenori Nakajo, and Production Stage Management by Jhanaë Bonnick<ref>https://www.signaturetheatre.org/shows-and-events/Productions/2018-2019/Octet.aspx</ref>
The production was Directed and Choreographed by Annie Tippe, with Music Supervision & Music Direction by Or Matias, Scenic Design by Amy Rubin & Brittany Vasta, Costume Design by Brenda Abbandandolo, Lighting Design by Christopher Bowser, Sound Design by Hidenori Nakajo, and Production Stage Management by Jhanaë Bonnick<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.signaturetheatre.org/shows-and-events/Productions/2018-2019/Octet.aspx|title = New musical Octet, by Tony Award nominee Dave Malloy}}</ref>


''Octet'' is scheduled to have its West Coast premiere at [[Berkeley Repertory Theatre]] in the Spring of 2021, once again directed by Annie Tippe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.berkeleyrep.org/boxoffice/packages.asp |website=Berkeley Rep}}</ref>
''Octet'' had its West Coast premiere at [[Berkeley Repertory Theatre]] on April 20, 2022, once again directed by Annie Tippe. It ran until May 29, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.berkeleyrep.org/boxoffice/packages.asp |website=Berkeley Rep|title=Subscription and ticket packages}}</ref>


==Roles and principal casts==
==Roles and principal casts==
Line 51: Line 51:
! scope="col" | Character
! scope="col" | Character
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Off-Broadway (2019)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Off-Broadway (2019)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | West Coast Premiere (2022)
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Ed
! scope="row"| Ed
| align="center"| Adam Bashian
| colspan="2" align="center" | Adam Bashian
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Karly
! scope="row"| Karly
| align="center"|Kim Blanck
| colspan="2" align="center" |Kim Blanck
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Paula
! scope="row"| Paula
| align="center"|Starr Busby
| align="center"|Starr Busby
| align="center"|Isabel Santiago
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Henry
! scope="row"| Henry
| align="center"|Alex Gibson
| colspan="2" align="center" |Alex Gibson
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Toby
! scope="row"| Toby
| align="center"|Justin Gregory Lopez
| colspan="2" align="center" |Justin Gregory Lopez
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Marvin
! scope="row"| Marvin
| align="center"|J.D. Mollison
| colspan="2" align="center" |J.D. Mollison
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Jessica
! scope="row"| Jessica
| align="center"|[[Margo Seibert]]
| colspan="2" align="center" |[[Margo Seibert]]
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Velma
! scope="row"| Velma
| align="center"|Kuhoo Verma
| colspan="2" align="center" |Kuhoo Verma
|}
|}


==Influences==
==Influences==
The program's bibliography cites several sources of inspiration, including:
The program's bibliography cites several sources of inspiration, including:{{Additional citation needed|date=October 2021}}


'''Text'''<br>
'''Text'''<br>
Line 96: Line 98:
Catherine Price, ''How to Break Up with Your Phone'';
Catherine Price, ''How to Break Up with Your Phone'';
[[Jon Ronson]], ''[[So You've Been Publicly Shamed]]'';
[[Jon Ronson]], ''[[So You've Been Publicly Shamed]]'';
[[Rumi]], “A Great Wagon”'';
[[Rumi]], “A Great Wagon”;
[[George Saunders]], ''[[Tenth of December: Stories|Tenth of December]]'';
[[George Saunders]], ''[[Tenth of December: Stories|Tenth of December]]'';
[[Wallace Shawn]], ''Essays'';
[[Wallace Shawn]], ''Essays'';
[[Neil Stephenson]], ''[[Snow Crash]]'';
[[Neal Stephenson]], ''[[Snow Crash]]'';
[[Alan Watts]], ''[[The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are|The Book]]'';
[[Alan Watts]], ''[[The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are|The Book]]'';
[[Walt Whitman]], ''[[Leaves of Grass]]'';
[[Walt Whitman]], ''[[Leaves of Grass]]'';
[[Pete Walker]], ''Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving''
Pete Walker, ''Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving''


'''Theater'''<br>
'''Theater'''<br>
[[Caryl Churchill]], ''[[Love and Information]]'';
[[Caryl Churchill]], ''[[Love and Information]]'';
[[Marvin Hamlisch]], [[Edward Kleban]], [[James Kirkwood Jr.]] & [[Nicholas Dante]], ''[[A Chorus Line]]'';
[[Marvin Hamlisch]], [[Edward Kleban]], [[James Kirkwood Jr.]] & [[Nicholas Dante]], ''[[A Chorus Line]]'';
[[Stephen Sondheim]] & [[George Furth]], ''[[Company]]''
[[Stephen Sondheim]] & [[George Furth]], ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]''


'''Tarot'''<br>
'''Tarot'''<br>
''[[Rider-Waite tarot deck|The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot]]'';
''[[Rider–Waite tarot deck|The Rider–Waite–Smith Tarot]]'';
Kim Krans, ''The Wild Unknown Tarot''
Kim Krans, ''The Wild Unknown Tarot''


'''Film'''<br>
'''Film'''<br>
''[[Altered States]];
''[[Altered States]]'';
''[[Black Mirror]]'': S01E03 “The Entire History of You”; S03E01 “Nosedive”; S03E06 “Hated in the Nation”;
''[[Black Mirror]]'': S01E03 “[[The Entire History of You]]”; S03E01 “[[Nosedive (Black Mirror)|Nosedive]]”; S03E06 “[[Hated in the Nation]]”;
''[[Blade Runner]]'';
''[[Blade Runner]]'';
''[[The Matrix]]'';
''[[The Matrix]]'';
Line 125: Line 127:


'''Games'''<br>
'''Games'''<br>
''[[Candy Crush]]''; ''[[Cookie Clicker]]''; ''[[Everything (video game)|Everything]]''; ''[[Inside (video game)|Inside]]''; ''[[Journey (2012 video game)|Journey]]''; ''[[Universal Paperclips]]''; ''[[The Witness (2016 video game)|The Witness]]''; ''[[World of Warcraft]]''
''[[Candy Crush]]'';
''[[Cookie Clicker]]'''

''[[Everything (video game)|Everything]]'';
''[[Inside (video game)|Inside]]'';
''[[Journey (2012 video game)|Journey]]'';
''[[Universal Paperclips]]'';
''[[The Witness (2016 video game)|The Witness]]'';
''[[World of Warcraft]]''


'''Music'''<br>
'''Music'''<br>
[[Robert Ashley]], ''[[Perfect Lives]]'';
[[Robert Ashley]], ''[[Perfect Lives]]'';
[[Luciano Berio]], ''[[Sinfonia]]'';
[[Luciano Berio]], ''[[Sinfonia_(Berio)|Sinfonia]]'';
[[Philip Glass]], ''[[Einstein on the Beach]]'';
[[Philip Glass]], ''[[Einstein on the Beach]]'';
[[Meredith Monk]], ''[[Dolmen Music]]'';
[[Meredith Monk]], ''[[Dolmen Music]]'';
[[Nico Muhly]], ''[[Two Boys]], [[Mothertongue]]'';
[[Nico Muhly]], ''[[Two Boys]], [[Nico_Muhly#Studio_albums|Mothertongue]]'';
[[Sacred Harp]];
[[Sacred Harp]];
[[Caroline Shaw]], ''[[Partita for 8 Voices]]'';
[[Caroline Shaw]], ''[[Partita for 8 Voices]]'';
Line 147: Line 141:
== Critical response==
== Critical response==
{{unbalanced|paragraph|reason=need some critiques of some aspects of the musical, not everything should be glowing positive|date=July 2019}}
{{unbalanced|paragraph|reason=need some critiques of some aspects of the musical, not everything should be glowing positive|date=July 2019}}
The piece was well received by the New York press. Ben Brantley of the ''[[New York Times]]'' calling it "a sublime chamber opera" that "promises to be the most original and topical musical of the year." He praised the performers as "uniformly excellent" and whose "layered and contrapuntal voices produce a dazzling spectrum of effects".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/theater/octet-review.html |title=The Human Voice Versus the Internet in Octet |last=Brantley |first=Ben |date=May 19, 2019 |work=[[New York Times]] |access-date=July 1, 2019 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Sara Holdren of ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' wrote that "''Octet'' is that rare and thrilling thing: a new musical that really does feel new. Formally, it’s both unique and invigorating — and it’s rigorous and straightforward enough in its structure for its ideas to spiral into rich, dense fractals. In the face of a virtual world where “there’s no coming back / No rehabilitation / No nuance / Just noise,” it takes a bravely unequivocal yet generous stand. It sings of darkness, blindness, and fear, but it sings also of complexity, connection, redemption, and hope."<ref name="vulture">{{Cite news |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/theater-review-octet-takes-flight-on-8-bit-wings.html |title=''Octet'' Takes Flight on 8-bit Wings |last=Holdren |first=Sara |date=May 20, 2019 |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' |access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> Adam Feldman of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out New York]]'' gave ''Octet'' 5 ouf of 5 stars and wrote: "Under Annie Tippe’s taut direction, all eight bits of Octet’s byte-size cast perform Malloy’s challenging compositions with exceptional skill, abetted by Or Matias’s musical direction and Hidenori Nakajo’s sound design. As Broadway shows increasingly rely on massive spectacle, Octet proves that well-polished pieces of eight are enough."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/octet-review-musical-dave-malloy |title=Dave Malloy Breaks the Internet |last=Feldman |first=Adam |date=May 20, 2019 |work=[[Time Out New York]] |access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> David Cote of ''[[Observer Media|Observer]]'' wrote that it was not only "one of the most thought-provoking and soul-stirring musicals I’ve seen in ages, it has an ingeniously woven, harmonically lush score that you’ll want to revisit."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://observer.com/2019/05/octet-review-eight-internet-addicts-make-beautiful-music-together/ |title=Internet Addicts Make Beautiful Music Together in 'Octet' |last=Cote |first=David |date=May 19, 2019 |work=[[Observer Media|Observer]] |access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref>
The piece was well received by the New York press. Ben Brantley of the ''[[New York Times]]'' calling it "a sublime chamber opera" that "promises to be the most original and topical musical of the year." He praised the performers as "uniformly excellent" and whose "layered and contrapuntal voices produce a dazzling spectrum of effects".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/theater/octet-review.html |title=The Human Voice Versus the Internet in Octet |last=Brantley |first=Ben |date=May 19, 2019 |work=[[New York Times]] |access-date=July 1, 2019 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Sara Holdren of ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' wrote that "''Octet'' is that rare and thrilling thing: a new musical that really does feel new. Formally, it’s both unique and invigorating — and it’s rigorous and straightforward enough in its structure for its ideas to spiral into rich, dense fractals. In the face of a virtual world where “there’s no coming back / No rehabilitation / No nuance / Just noise,” it takes a bravely unequivocal yet generous stand. It sings of darkness, blindness, and fear, but it sings also of complexity, connection, redemption, and hope."<ref name="vulture">{{Cite news |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/theater-review-octet-takes-flight-on-8-bit-wings.html |title=''Octet'' Takes Flight on 8-bit Wings |last=Holdren |first=Sara |date=May 20, 2019 |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> Adam Feldman of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out New York]]'' gave ''Octet'' 5 ouf of 5 stars and wrote: "Under Annie Tippe’s taut direction, all eight bits of Octet’s byte-size cast perform Malloy’s challenging compositions with exceptional skill, abetted by Or Matias’s musical direction and Hidenori Nakajo’s sound design. As Broadway shows increasingly rely on massive spectacle, Octet proves that well-polished pieces of eight are enough."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/octet-review-musical-dave-malloy |title=Dave Malloy Breaks the Internet |last=Feldman |first=Adam |date=May 20, 2019 |work=[[Time Out New York]] |access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> David Cote of ''[[Observer Media|Observer]]'' wrote that it was not only "one of the most thought-provoking and soul-stirring musicals I’ve seen in ages, it has an ingeniously woven, harmonically lush score that you’ll want to revisit."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://observer.com/2019/05/octet-review-eight-internet-addicts-make-beautiful-music-together/ |title=Internet Addicts Make Beautiful Music Together in 'Octet' |last=Cote |first=David |date=May 19, 2019 |work=[[Observer Media|Observer]] |access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref>


==Awards and nominations==
==Awards and nominations==
Line 158: Line 152:
!Result
!Result
|-
|-
|rowspan="18"| 2020
|rowspan="19"| 2020
|rowspan="5"| [[Lucille Lortel Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/playwrights-horizons-leads-2020-lucille-lortel-award-nominations-with-strange-loop-and-heroes-of-the-fourth-turning|title=Playwrights Horizons Leads 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations With Strange Loop and Heroes of the Fourth Turning|last1=Clement|first1=Olivia|last2=Meyer|first2=Dan|publisher=Playbill|date=April 14, 2020|accessdate=April 14, 2020}}</ref>
|rowspan="5"| [[Lucille Lortel Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/playwrights-horizons-leads-2020-lucille-lortel-award-nominations-with-strange-loop-and-heroes-of-the-fourth-turning|title=Playwrights Horizons Leads 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations With Strange Loop and Heroes of the Fourth Turning|last1=Clement|first1=Olivia|last2=Meyer|first2=Dan|publisher=Playbill|date=April 14, 2020|accessdate=April 14, 2020}}</ref>
|colspan="2"| Outstanding Musical
|colspan="2"| Outstanding Musical
Line 205: Line 199:
|{{nom}}
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical|Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical]]
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical|Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical]]
| Hidenori Nakajo
| Hidenori Nakajo
|{{nom}}
|{{nom}}
Line 213: Line 207:
|{{won}}
|{{won}}
|-
|-
| [[Drama League Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Breaking News: Drama League Announces 2020 Nominations|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Drama-League-Announces-2020-Nominations-20200430|last=Desk|first=BWW News|website=BroadwayWorld.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref>
| [[Drama League Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Breaking News: Drama League Announces 2020 Nominations|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Drama-League-Announces-2020-Nominations-20200430|author=BWW News Desk|website=BroadwayWorld.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref>
|colspan="2"| Outstanding Production of a Musical
|colspan="2"| Outstanding Production of a Musical
|{{pending}}
|{{nom}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Outer Critics Circle Award]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Outer Critics Circle Award]]
Line 225: Line 219:
| {{won|Honoree}}
| {{won|Honoree}}
|-
|-
| Antonyo Awards<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/TINA-Audra-McDonald-Joshua-Henry-LaChanze-Arienne-Warren-and-More-Nominated-for-2020-Antonyo-Awards-20200609|title=TINA, Audra McDonald, Joshua Henry, LaChanze, Arienne Warren and More Nominated for 2020 Antonyo Awards|work=Broadway World|accessdate=June 10, 2020}}</ref>
| [[Obie Award]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.obieawards.com/events/year-2020/|title=2020 Obie Awards|website=obieawards.com|accessdate=July 14, 2020}}</ref>
| Collaboration on Music & Sound
| Best Featured Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway
| Dave Malloy, Or Matias, Hidenori Nakajo
| Starr Busby
| {{pending}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
|}
|}


==Cast recording==
==Cast recording==
A [[Kickstarter]] campaign was in the works to produce a cast recording.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/cast-recording-of-dave-malloys-octet-in-the-works |title=Cast Recording of Dave Malloy's Octet in the Works |last=Clement |first=Olivia |date=June 20, 2019 |website=[[Playbill]] |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref> The album was eventually released on November 15, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/octet-original-cast-recording/1485289236?app=music|title=Octet (Original Cast Recording)|website=Apple Music|accessdate=November 15, 2019}}</ref>
A cast recording was released on November 15, 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/octet-original-cast-recording/1485289236?app=music|title=Octet (Original Cast Recording)|website=Apple Music|date=November 15, 2019|accessdate=November 15, 2019}}</ref> following a [[Kickstarter]] campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/cast-recording-of-dave-malloys-octet-in-the-works |title=Cast Recording of Dave Malloy's Octet in the Works |last=Clement |first=Olivia |date=June 20, 2019 |website=[[Playbill]] |access-date=July 2, 2019}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


== Further reading ==
⚫
[[Category:Off-Broadway musicals]]

{{Refbegin}}

* {{Cite web |last1=Geier |first1=Thom |title='Octet' Theater Review: Internet Addicts Harmonize in 'Black Mirror'-Inspired Musical |work=[[TheWrap]] |date=2019-05-19 |url=https://www.thewrap.com/octet-theater-review-dave-malloy-internet-addict-musical/ |accessdate=2019-06-20 |df=mdy-all }}
* {{Cite magazine |last1=Larson |first1=Sarah |title=Octet |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |pages=12, 14 |date=2019-06-10 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/theatre/octet-06-03-19 |df=mdy-all }}
* {{Cite web |last1=Scheck |first1=Frank |title='Octet': Theater Review |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=2019-05-19 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/octet-1211753 |accessdate=2019-06-20 |df=mdy-all }}

{{Refend}}

[[Category:2019 musicals]]
[[Category:2019 musicals]]
[[Category:Musicals by Dave Malloy]]
[[Category:Drama Desk Award–winning musicals]]
⚫
[[Category:Mass media about Internet culture]]
⚫
[[Category:Plays about religion and science]]
⚫
[[Category:Tarot in fiction]]
[[Category:Existentialist plays]]
[[Category:Existentialist plays]]
⚫
[[Category:Fiction about tarot]]
[[Category:Kickstarter-funded albums]]
[[Category:Kickstarter-funded albums]]
⚫
[[Category:Mass media about Internet culture]]
⚫
[[Category:Musicals about religion]]
[[Category:Musicals by Dave Malloy]]
[[Category:Obie Award–winning plays]]
⚫
[[Category:Off-Broadway musicals]]

Latest revision as of 18:21, 2 November 2024

Octet
Original album cover art
MusicDave Malloy
LyricsDave Malloy
BookDave Malloy
Productions2019 Signature Theatre Company
2022 Berkeley Repertory Theatre
AwardsDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Music
Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical
Obie Award for Collaboration on Music & Sound

Octet is a chamber choir musical written and composed by Dave Malloy and directed by Annie Tippe. The show "explores addiction and nihilism within the messy context of 21st century technology."[1]

Synopsis

[edit]

Eight Internet addicts gather in a support group called "Friends of Saul" in a church basement and share their stories, in a score for an a cappella chamber choir and an original libretto inspired by internet comment boards, scientific debates, religious texts, and Sufi poetry.[2]

Musical numbers

[edit]

The musical is structured around a series of hymns and "shares," as the group members explain their relationship to technology. Each song corresponds to one of the Major Arcana cards in a tarot deck.[3][4]

Productions

[edit]

The piece premiered on May 19, 2019, at Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre in New York City. It was extended three times in June, ultimately finishing on June 30.[5]

The production was Directed and Choreographed by Annie Tippe, with Music Supervision & Music Direction by Or Matias, Scenic Design by Amy Rubin & Brittany Vasta, Costume Design by Brenda Abbandandolo, Lighting Design by Christopher Bowser, Sound Design by Hidenori Nakajo, and Production Stage Management by Jhanaë Bonnick[6]

Octet had its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre on April 20, 2022, once again directed by Annie Tippe. It ran until May 29, 2022.[7]

Roles and principal casts

[edit]
Character Off-Broadway (2019) West Coast Premiere (2022)
Ed Adam Bashian
Karly Kim Blanck
Paula Starr Busby Isabel Santiago
Henry Alex Gibson
Toby Justin Gregory Lopez
Marvin J.D. Mollison
Jessica Margo Seibert
Velma Kuhoo Verma

Influences

[edit]

The program's bibliography cites several sources of inspiration, including:[additional citation(s) needed]

Text
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio; John Cage, Silence; Nicholas Carr, The Shallows; Chuang-Tzu; Ernest Cline, Ready Player One; Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion; Philip K. Dick, Valis; James Gleick, The Information; Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind; Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity Is Near; C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters; Angela Nagle, Kill All Normies; Michael Pollan, How to Change Your Mind; Catherine Price, How to Break Up with Your Phone; Jon Ronson, So You've Been Publicly Shamed; Rumi, “A Great Wagon”; George Saunders, Tenth of December; Wallace Shawn, Essays; Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash; Alan Watts, The Book; Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass; Pete Walker, Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving

Theater
Caryl Churchill, Love and Information; Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood Jr. & Nicholas Dante, A Chorus Line; Stephen Sondheim & George Furth, Company

Tarot
The Rider–Waite–Smith Tarot; Kim Krans, The Wild Unknown Tarot

Film
Altered States; Black Mirror: S01E03 “The Entire History of You”; S03E01 “Nosedive”; S03E06 “Hated in the Nation”; Blade Runner; The Matrix; My Dinner with Andre

Podcasts
Reply All; Dear Sugar

Games
Candy Crush; Cookie Clicker; Everything; Inside; Journey; Universal Paperclips; The Witness; World of Warcraft

Music
Robert Ashley, Perfect Lives; Luciano Berio, Sinfonia; Philip Glass, Einstein on the Beach; Meredith Monk, Dolmen Music; Nico Muhly, Two Boys, Mothertongue; Sacred Harp; Caroline Shaw, Partita for 8 Voices; Toby Twining, Chrysalid Requiem[8]

Critical response

[edit]

The piece was well received by the New York press. Ben Brantley of the New York Times calling it "a sublime chamber opera" that "promises to be the most original and topical musical of the year." He praised the performers as "uniformly excellent" and whose "layered and contrapuntal voices produce a dazzling spectrum of effects".[9] Sara Holdren of Vulture wrote that "Octet is that rare and thrilling thing: a new musical that really does feel new. Formally, it’s both unique and invigorating — and it’s rigorous and straightforward enough in its structure for its ideas to spiral into rich, dense fractals. In the face of a virtual world where “there’s no coming back / No rehabilitation / No nuance / Just noise,” it takes a bravely unequivocal yet generous stand. It sings of darkness, blindness, and fear, but it sings also of complexity, connection, redemption, and hope."[3] Adam Feldman of Time Out New York gave Octet 5 ouf of 5 stars and wrote: "Under Annie Tippe’s taut direction, all eight bits of Octet’s byte-size cast perform Malloy’s challenging compositions with exceptional skill, abetted by Or Matias’s musical direction and Hidenori Nakajo’s sound design. As Broadway shows increasingly rely on massive spectacle, Octet proves that well-polished pieces of eight are enough."[10] David Cote of Observer wrote that it was not only "one of the most thought-provoking and soul-stirring musicals I’ve seen in ages, it has an ingeniously woven, harmonically lush score that you’ll want to revisit."[11]

Awards and nominations

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Original Off-Broadway production

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Year Award Category Nominee Result
2020 Lucille Lortel Awards[12] Outstanding Musical Won
Outstanding Director Anne Tippe Won
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Alex Gibson Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Kuhoo Verma Won
Outstanding Sound Design Hidenori Nakajo Nominated
Drama Desk Awards[13] Outstanding Musical Nominated
Outstanding Director of a Musical Anne Tippe Nominated
Outstanding Music Dave Malloy Won
Outstanding Lyrics Nominated
Outstanding Book of a Musical Nominated
Outstanding Orchestrations Or Matias and Dave Malloy Nominated
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical Amy Rubin and Brittany Vasta Nominated
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical Hidenori Nakajo Nominated
Outstanding Ensemble Adam Bashian, Kim Blanck, Starr Busby, Alex Gibson, Justin Gregory Lopez, J.D. Mollison, Margo Seibert, and Kuhoo Verma Won
Drama League Awards[14] Outstanding Production of a Musical Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical Won
Outstanding New Score Dave Malloy Honoree
Obie Award[15] Collaboration on Music & Sound Dave Malloy, Or Matias, Hidenori Nakajo Won

Cast recording

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A cast recording was released on November 15, 2019[16] following a Kickstarter campaign.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "New musical Octet, by Tony Award nominee Dave Malloy". www.signaturetheatre.org. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  2. ^ Soloski, Alexis (May 3, 2019). "What Inspired a New Musical? Conspiracy Theories. And Yodeling". New York Times.
  3. ^ a b Holdren, Sara (May 20, 2019). "Octet Takes Flight on 8-bit Wings". Vulture. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  4. ^ "Octet by Dave Malloy". Genius.
  5. ^ Staff, Playbill (June 30, 2019). "Dave Malloy's A Cappella Musical Octet Ends Extended Off-Broadway Run June 30". Playbill. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  6. ^ "New musical Octet, by Tony Award nominee Dave Malloy".
  7. ^ "Subscription and ticket packages". Berkeley Rep.
  8. ^ Octet Playbill insert
  9. ^ Brantley, Ben (May 19, 2019). "The Human Voice Versus the Internet in Octet". New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  10. ^ Feldman, Adam (May 20, 2019). "Dave Malloy Breaks the Internet". Time Out New York. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  11. ^ Cote, David (May 19, 2019). "Internet Addicts Make Beautiful Music Together in 'Octet'". Observer. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  12. ^ Clement, Olivia; Meyer, Dan (April 14, 2020). "Playwrights Horizons Leads 2020 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations With Strange Loop and Heroes of the Fourth Turning". Playbill. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "PBreaking: 2020 Drama Desk Awards Nominations- The Full List!". Broadway World. April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  14. ^ BWW News Desk. "Breaking News: Drama League Announces 2020 Nominations". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  15. ^ "2020 Obie Awards". obieawards.com. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  16. ^ "Octet (Original Cast Recording)". Apple Music. November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  17. ^ Clement, Olivia (June 20, 2019). "Cast Recording of Dave Malloy's Octet in the Works". Playbill. Retrieved July 2, 2019.

Further reading

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