About this project
What is THE GHOST TRAIN? THE GHOST TRAIN is a one-act comedy-thriller for small opera ensemble planning a tour of underused and under-appreciated railway buildings. Local legend says a ghost train is due to scream through Foul Vale station at midnight, and our hapless travelers realize they have no way to leave.....
The Three Reasons behind the Project:
1) The thrill of music-theater deserves a wider audience, but current opera architecture prevents people from entering into the experience.
2) Drawing attention to underused buildings encourages people to engage with the city in new and unexpected ways.
3) The story of THE GHOST TRAIN is as exciting and relevant now as it was in 1923 when the original play was written.
What's the status of the Project? THE GHOST TRAIN is almost done! The libretto has had an informal reading, and the score is almost ready to start the revision process with our conductor Mark Shapiro and director Alex Harvey. After that the final Full Score, Vocal Score and Instrumental Parts go into production.
What's next? We are heading towards a semi-staged performance at the Carolina Chamber Music Festival in New Bern, NC, in September 2012, coupled with a showing of the 1941 movie THE GHOST TRAIN at the local railway station. We'll use this Off-Broadway event to capture video and audio materials to create interest in the Summer 2013 tour of New England and New York.
How can I help? If you like the video and are interested in accessible opera as a force for urban revitalization, please consider making a pledge to this project. No amount is too small! You can also help by posting this link on your Facebook page, Twitter feed, and emailing it to any friends or colleagues who you think might be interested in expanding opera into the forgotten parts of the city, making music more accessible, adaptive reuse of old buildings, railways, comedy-thrillers or music-theater as a political act.
What will the money be used for? Compared with traditional opera productions we are on a shoestring budget. This initial round is to fund travel, housing, food and fees for six singers, twelve instrumentalists, conductor, director and technical staff for the New Bern performance. There's also production of scores and parts. Eventually, our costs for a 20-person tour will probably be $250k (Holy $#^%?) but that will be another campaign...
Thanks for visiting THE GHOST TRAIN
Paul Crabtree
FAQ
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on October 24.
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Send us your photo and we'll save you a window seat in our online Sponsor Train.
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All the above, PLUS the whole cast will send you a newly composed musical Thank You!
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A recording of Paul Crabtree's Five Romantic Miniatures (from The Simpsons)
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All the above PLUS a recording of Julia's Mad Scene from Scene 4 of THE GHOST TRAIN, recorded live at the Carolina Chamber Music Festival in 2009.
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All the above, PLUS two tickets to the New Bern premiere in September 2012.
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All the above, PLUS a one-year membership in The High-Line, New York's revitalized elevated railway park.
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All the above PLUS the ultimate in product placement - we'll sneak YOUR TOWN into an ad in the New Bern program. Come to Sunny Springfield!
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All the above, PLUS more product placement - YOUR TOWN will be mentioned in a travel poster on the stage of the New Bern production. Come to Sunny Oakland!
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All the above PLUS YOUR NAME will be featured in an ad on the stage of the New Bern production. 'CHAPMAN's Magic Elixir' or 'MANZINI'S Astonishing Hair Tonic'
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All the above PLUS YOUR NAME in the original score of THE GHOST TRAIN. Thanks to....
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Paul Crabtree writes for underused places so that new audiences will engage with the city in new ways. His most widely performed work is based on texts from The Simpsons, and he is currently at work on a piece about William and Caroline Herschel for performance in observatories.
