Ghost Quartet

About the Project

The story is a song cycle told by four storytellers who portray multiple characters while they play their own instruments. It spans seven centuries and does not take place in any chronological order. The recorded tracks from the musical can be found at https://open.spotify.com/album/3r45mQieVfG4dsCGYesgmA?si=bEq1sr8IRTCOIqMKmV0sng

The following description of the musical is taken from Wikipedia:

Side 1

The musical begins with the storytellers introducing themselves (“I Don’t Know”).

A Photographer enters a camera shop to buy a new camera, having broken her old one. The Camera Shop Owner shows her a fiddle that belonged to her great-grandmother, Rose, that was made from the breastbone of Rose’s sister, Pearl, and tells the story of the two sisters. Rose falls in love with an Astronomer and writes him poetry about the stars. The Astronomer, the editor of a prestigious astronomy journal, steals her work and publishes it under his own name before leaving her for Pearl. Furious, Rose asks a Bear to maul the astronomer and turn Pearl into a crow. In return, the Bear asks for one pot of honey, one piece of stardust, one secret baptism and a photo of a ghost. It is revealed that Rose performed the baptism in the sea on a baby she abducted from a teenage mother (“The Camera Shop”).

Starchild, the baby that Rose abducted and baptized, reflects on being blessed by a stranger and the impact it had on her life (“Starchild”).

On a subway station, a Victim is pushed onto the tracks (“Subway”).

In 1873, the Usher family is at the side of their teenage daughter, Roxie. Roxie’s child, Starchild, has been stolen from her. As a result, Roxie has fallen deathly ill (“Usher, Part 1”).

A Soldier reflects on her yearning for death. Rose arrives and seduces the Soldier to take her honey. The Soldier promises not to haunt Rose when she becomes a ghost (“Soldier & Rose”).

The four storytellers sing about ghosts (“Any Kind of Dead Person”).

The Astronomer introduces his character (“The Astronomer”).

In the House of Usher, Edgar Usher, Roxie’s father, calls a meeting to discuss Roxie’s imaginary friend, the revived memory of Roxie’s sister who died as a baby. Roxie’s parents urge her to forget about her imaginary friend, but Roxie refuses and screams at them (“Family Meeting”).

The four storytellers sing a song that personifies four types of whiskey (“Four Friends”).

Edgar Usher encourages his son, the Fool, to leave home. The Fool makes plans to do so and leaves, leading his own life in the world (“Fathers & Sons”).

In the House of Usher, Roxie cries out for her lost daughter, but is told by her family that she is gone. As a result, Roxie dies. Lady Usher vows to lock the corpse in a vault underneath the bedroom for a fortnight (“Usher, Part 2”).

In the Astronomer’s treehouse, Rose recites poetry about the stars and the Astronomer writes down her words. Later, the Astronomer and Pearl profess their love for one another (“The Telescope”).

Rose searches for Scheherazade, an ancient storyteller. Rose asks for a piece of stardust and Scheherazade gives it to her, telling Rose the story of her life (“Tango Dancer”).

Long ago, when Dunyazad, the sister of Scheherazade, was still alive, Scheherazade tells the story of David, the piano player and the ghost of Thelonious Monk living behind a hidden door. It is revealed that Dunyazad remembers nothing but her sister (“Monk”).

In the House of Usher, a young Roxie asks her mother to read her Arabian Nights (“Lights Out”).

It is revealed that the Photographer lost her camera after taking a photo of the Victim in the subway instead of saving her, leading her to throw her camera on the ground in disgust (“The Photograph”).

Scheherazade finishes a story and proceeds to talk with her husband, Shah Zaman. Rose discovers the relationship between the Astronomer and Pearl and vows to take revenge. Later, Rose brings the Bear one pot of honey, one piece of stardust, one secret baptism, and a photo of a ghost. The Bear reveals that he never intended to kill the Astronomer and turn Pearl into a crow and tells Rose to take revenge herself (“Bad Men”).

In the House of Usher, a now mad Lady Usher hears Roxie awaken from the dead, and her husband tells her stories to soothe her but before he can finish, an undead Roxie breaks into the bedroom and kills her mother. On a subway station, the Victim is distracted and is pushed onto the tracks. The Photographer, now revealed to be Rose, has to make a decision whether she should save the Victim or take a photo of the ghost to give to the Bear. Rose chooses to take the photo and the Victim is killed (“Usher, Part 3”).

The four storytellers vow to forgive themselves for their mistakes (“Prayer”).

Rose laments about her mistakes and understands that she is not a hero (“Hero”).

Rose and the Camera Shop Owner talk. The Camera Shop Owner reveals that she is the reincarnation of Pearl, the Soldier, and Lady Usher and reveals to Rose who she is the reincarnation of. Rose leaves the camera shop with the phone number of the Subway Driver written on her arm. Rose and the Subway Driver dance and have two daughters together (“Midnight”).

The four storytellers tell the story of how Rose took revenge on Pearl and how Pearl’s breastbone was turned into a fiddle (“The Wind & Rain”).