Travis V. McGonigle - The Barber Of Paducah- ACT I Synopsis

Travis V. McGonigle

ACT I

Scene 1: At The Barbershop

Luigi and his brother Antonio have opened a barbershop in Paducah, Kentucky and offer lots more services than just hair cuts and shaves. There is no overture to open the opera, but the orchestra plays a very small introduction to Luigi the barber's first aria that welcomes new patrons to the shop.  

 

Luigi's aria - Come On Into My Shop 

This area shows right away that this opera won't be the rarefied language or atmosphere of a classical opera. It is McGonigle's version of a patter song, although the tempo is not excessive, the words come forth fast and close together. All their services tells why they can only stay in a town for a certain amount of time. The law usually catches up to the sooner or later, and the husband's that figure out what's going on threaten real harm.

 

Soon their barbershop has a large growing clientele that enjoy all the amenities the brothers provide. A group of the march to the barbershop after work to relax. A short march in a traditional style.

 

March of the patrons 

When they arrive, they all engage in singing their praises of Luigi and the shop

 

Chorus - The barbershop, our safe haven 

 Illegally sold alcohol, illegal gambling, and illegal prostitution is praised by the patrons of the barbershop in this section for men's chorus. It also alludes to Luigi's aid in convincing the wives to let the men stay at the shop. When the wives call, many times Luigi will go to their house to explain, sometimes he's gone for over an hour. Either these guys are dumb or don't care what's going on. This is one area where this opera is like any opera; a certain amount of suspension of reality is needed.

Three months goes by since the opening of the barbershop, and the two brothers are making lots of money. This is portrayed by a waltz.

 

Luigi's Waltz  

 A waltz in mixed minor and major keys that leads to Luigi's second aria

Luigi Aria - How Much Better Is It Gonna Get? 

 Luigi counts the money earned for the day and is amazed at how much they're making, and at the expense of some very 'stupid hilly billies'. This give a further glimpse into the lecherous and deceitful heart that Luigi has.

 

While Luigi gloats over the money and calls his patrons stupid, his brother 
Antonio has been mopping up to finish the day before they close the shop. Antonio is a big, lumbering man unlike his brother who is of average stature. McGonigle portrays Antonio mopping the floor with what he calls 

Antonio - Mop The Floor Interlude

Horns, trombones, and a tuba portray the rather clumsy Antonio. They lead into an aria by Antonio

 

Aria - That's all well and good

 Antonio is more even tempered and practical, and warns Luigi about his philandering, a warning that has been given many times and to deaf ears.

 

Scene 2

In The Flowershop 

Set in Louisa's flower shop on the other side of town. As she starts her workday on a bright spring morning, she sings to help pass the time. We hear the first of another barber across town, Vic,  that has feelings for her, but her interest is beginning to be taken up with Luigi, whose shop is just a ways up the street from her shop.

Louisa's aria

She hears a commotion outside of the shop and notices a group of older ladies having a heated discussion. 

Gossiping women outside the shop- Interlude

  Among them is her Aunt Cora, who enters the shop and tells Louisa about the scuttlebutt concerning Luigi's barbershop. Aunt Cora has noticed Louisa and Luigi getting close, and wants to warn her of him.

Aunt Cora's aria 

Louisa's aunt tells Louisa what she's heard about Luigi, and she expresses her distrust of the Italian barber, and tells her she ought to give Vic a try, as he's a nice guy and not a 'foreigner'. Finally, Aunt Cora asks her if she has to be hit with a brick in the head to get the message!  An example of McGonigle's plain language use, along with ethnic slur of 'dago', that portrays the common language of the time

Louisa's answer to Aunt Cora - 

Louisa shows patience and understanding towards her aunt, whose husband has left her. The aria shows the affection Louisa has for her aunt, who has been like a mother to her. 

SCENE 3

IN THE BEAUTY SALON

JILL'S ARIA -

As scene 1 took place in the barbershop, scene 3 takes place in the female version of it, the beauty salon.  A short tango intro begins and leads to the main aria of the scene, Jill' aria which is also a tango-like section. Jill is the wife of one of the men who frequent Luigi's shop, and she knows about all of what goes on there, including her husband Sammy (who appears later in the opera) paying out money meant for household expenses on gambling and prostitutes. But she also reveals what happens with her when Luigi shows up at her house when Sammy wants to stay at the shop and gamble. Luigi ostensibly goes to their house to tell Jill that Sammy's just shooting the breeze with his pals, but his actual motive is to have sex with her! She figures that out, and welcomes him! Evidently Luigi shows up often when Sammy's not there, and if it isn't at Jill's house, it's at another of the wives' houses! Jill knows it all, doesn't care, she loves how Luigi treats her and tells all the other ladies in the shop about it. With the chorus joining in, other women admit to the same thing. McGonigle told us that very little of his original libretto for this entire act has been changed. No wonder no one wanted to take a chance on this opera, as he wrote the first version in 1952. It was somewhat graphic for the time, even for the opera house, that traditionally has dealt with all kinds of societies' evils.

TANGO OF THE HAIR DRYERS - Instrumental 

Now we don't have a clue what in hell the title means, but this short instrument is indeed a tango that again is highlighted by a solo for accordion. This leads directly into the section for female chorus.

MEN ARE PIGS!

The women sing of their disgust with their husbands and men in general after hearing all the shenanigans going on. Jill has a solo, and the women respond. Some of the sections are repeated, the music quickens and then slows down for a short coda that recalls the lead-in to Jill's opening aria. McGonigle has said that this short choral piece is one of his favorite parts of the opera. He agrees with the women, as a group men ARE pigs! The female choir at the recording session really got into this, and McGonigle was smiling and laughing after they got it down!