From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hot Air Balloon (rock opera)
Hot Air Balloon (rock opera)
Hot Air Balloon is a rock opera written in 1998 by Jon by branches. Lack of attention from her husband turned
Gutwillig, guitarist and founding member of The Disco her into an insomniac, and she was often seen late at
Biscuits, a Philadelphia based trance fusion jam band.[1] night staring out the window of the high tower of Manil-
la’s fortress.
Performance History Manilla Trane
Hot Air Balloon was first performed on December 31, Extraordinarily wealthy entrepreneur whose riches al-
1998 at the Silk City Lounge in Philadelphia. The debut lows him to control the entire town. As a young man, he
was unannounced and fans attending the show were giv- began to amass his fortune by peddling weapons. He pos-
en a pamphlet containing accompanying stories for each sesses a small army of extremely loyal men who will do
of the songs.[1] his every whim. An avid arts collector, he married Leora
The opera has been performed in its entirety eight of the Sequoias on the steps of his brand new museum.
times.[nb 1] He is known as an extremely demanding and unforgiving
• December 31, 1998 at Silk City Lounge, Philadelphia, tyrant.
PA[2]
• January 24, 1999 at Center for the Arts, Natick, MA[3] Morris Mulberry
• March 4, 1999 at The Tractor, Seattle, WA[4]
A somewhat conniving, albeit benevolent, street hustler.
• May 11, 1999 at The Blue Terrapin, Elizabethtown,
He convinced Corrinado that the two of them could start
PA[5]
a highly successful business by using Corrinado¹s hot air
• June 12, 1999 at The Music Farm, Charleston, SC[6]
balloon invention to shuttle people across the sea. He
• October 23, 1999 at Ziggy’s, Winston-Salem, NC[7]
mysteriously vanished one month after Hot Air Balloon
• January 17, 2004 at the Culture Room, Fort
Travelling was destroyed and Corrinado was arrested.
Lauderdale, Florida[8]
• October 31, 2007 at the Orpheum Theater, Boston,
MA[9]
Diamond Riggs
A well known loan-shark and old street friend of Morris
Mulberry. He put up the initial capital to start Hot Air
Character Sketches Ballon Traveling. A very aloof individual who, according
to town rumor, possessed the prototype hot air balloon,
Corrinado which he was given as collateral for his initial invest-
An unemployed wayward inventor who bounced aim- ment.
lessly from idea to idea, until he invented the world’s
first aircraft, the hot air balloon. He was convinced by
Morris Mulberry that the idea could be profitable and
ACT I
that the two of them should start a service shuttling
people across the sea in hot air balloons. The business,
SCENE I - The Overture
called Hot Air Balloon Traveling, became successful and High noon - townsfolk fill the center square for lunch.
attracted the attention of Manilla Trane, the entrepre- There is much commotion. Horse-drawn carriages line
neur whose capital ran much of the town. Corrinado re- the outer streets. Merchants are yelling their pitches into
fused to sell Hot Air Balloon Traveling, and even worse, the crowd. Street performers are miming and dancing
kindles a romance with Manilla’s beautiful wife, Leora of in front of onlookers. The echoing sound of the street
the Sequoias. Manilla forcibly overtook the business and charmer’s horn can be heard ricocheting off of the build-
had Corrinado arrested and sentenced for building "the ings.
devil’s flying machine."
SCENE II - Once The Fiddler Paid
Leora of the Sequioas Corrinado sits alone in his prison cell, staring out the tiny
The young trophy wife of Manilla Trane, known through- barred window, over the jagged cliffs, and out to the sea
out town as a terrific chef. She earned her nickname be- beyond. The noon sun is high, the sky is clear and a com-
cause of her height as well as the size of her hair, which, fortable summer wind blows through his cell. He thinks
according to the townspeople, looked as if were held up
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hot Air Balloon (rock opera)
about Leora, his lost loved one, and he is plagued by the Leora stands on her head
haunting vision of his fate. Doin’ the two step on her hands
Summer Sunny day, once the wind blew warm As her eyes move round the room
and the light circled round the sun I saw like a crown To catch someone watching
you could feel it in the air, like a not so distant storm Leora stands on her head
and the silent pause in the wind it seemed Doin’ the two step on her hands
left a magical sound Underneath the very moon each one was watching
But now she’s gone & I vowed to miss her
days that we spent starry eyed run deep within my soul Manilla wanted worldly things and everything he’d have
& now she’s gone & I can’t dismiss her He built castles, moats, battleships and troops in iron clad
nor can I forget the man who sent me down below Manilla heard Mulberry’s name under the very moon
Summer sunny day, once the wind blew cold His troops went running the next day to find the air balloon.
and the world had seen a better day all around Leora, his arranged wife, cooked the men a feast
my life was ripped away, my business torn & sold And cleaned herself up solemnly before she faced the beast
and I found myself in this cell I live That night she asked the very moon was this her fate to be
with a clamouring sound At lunch she met the flying man whose airships crossed the sea
But now she’s gone & I vowed to miss her
days that we spent starry eyed run deep within my soul Leora stands on her head
& now she’s gone & I can’t dismiss her Doin’ the two step on her hands
nor can I forget the man who sent me down below As her eyes move round the room
Summer sunny day, once the wind blew thorns To catch someone watching
and the world had seen a better day all around Leora stands on her head
you could feel it in the air, like a not so distant storm Doin’ the two step on her hands
and the days once lost but still recalled can be found Underneath the very moon each one was watching
Once the fiddler paid, but once was not enough
was all who cornered his misfortune yelled SCENE IV - Voices Insane
the fiddler took the blame, the crowd had called his bluff The scene shifts back to Corrinado’s jail cell, the night be-
when all was lost the verdict came to the silence of the crowd fore he is to be burned at the stake. Starved and beat-
But now she’s gone & I vowed to miss her en, he has given in to the demons which are living in his
days that we spent starry eyed run deep within my soul mind. He knows that there is little chance to escape his
& now she’s gone & I can’t dismiss her fate, yet he dares the audience to condemn him for what
nor can I forget the man who sent me down below he has done. Half-crazy, he sits alone in his cell dream-
ing of Leora, laughing aloud at the world which had con-
SCENE III - The Very Moon demned him.
The scene moves to Manilla’s estate, before the arrest
of Corrinado. We catch a glimpse of the relationship be- I admit it, I was guilty
tween Manilla and Leora. Manilla has reaped the rewards But don’t you believe it, that I was wrong
of many successful business enterprises. He works too I never accepted my relocation
hard to pay attention to his wife Leora, needing her only & I’m looking out past them four hours til dawn
as a chef. Manilla invites Corrinado and Mulberry over
for dinner in order to discuss the propositon of buying I’ve dreamed of this day since they locked away the key
Hot Air Balloon Traveling. Corrinado and Mulberry are A prisoner in chains will not make a madman of me
not willing to part with the business. As the scene ends, These voices insane are telling me tales from the stars
it becomes clear that Corrinado and Leora are enamored So I call on the reigns of forces drawn in from afar
with one another, leaving Leora wondering whether Cor-
rinado is the man to fly her far, far away. The walls have deceived me
Manilla, a crude machine, had taken his fair share I imagined this all on my own
He gobbled up the world he owned as petals paved his stairs These spirits around me, clouds of dust looking for a new home
Manilla thanked the very moon for money and his life When they tap on my shoulder, tell me I got what I deserve
He triffled nothing miniscule including one, his wife I wave my arms & destroy them
Leora, his arranged wife, did not need his greed Cause on this day they will eat all their words
She asked that stars, the very moon, to one day cross the sea
Manilla gazed an empty stare nothing there could grow I’ve dreamed of this day since they locked away the key
She cherished dreams of flying high and leaving him below A prisoner in chains will not make a madman of me
These voices insane are telling me tales from the stars
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hot Air Balloon (rock opera)
So I call on the reigns of forces drawn in from afar And if I ask my maker to see me through
When it seems there’s nothing more that I can do
I can stop all the voices
and bang on the walls with my fists
But my only chance left
ACT II
is the one I’d never dismiss
I hear the world through the echos SCENE I - Bazaar Escape
A song of life through the noise in the crowd Corrinado is strapped to a pole in the center of town.
In this cell I’ve known plainly Manilla’s troops are preparing the fire. Leora has
That what I want is what is not allowed. arranged for his feet to be left untied. At the last moment,
he pulls on his ropes with all his might, tearing himself
I’ve dreamed of this day since they locked away the key free. He charges into the town bazaar as Manilla’s troops
A prisoner in chains will not make a madman of me pursue. His only chance of escaping is to make for the
These voices insane are telling me tales from the stars cliffs and jump into the sea. With a hoard of troops on his
So I call on the reigns of forces drawn in from afar heels, he swan dives off the cliff into the sea far below.
Corrinado slipped the chopping block
SCENE V - Eulogy The onlookers in fear & shock
The prison guards come to take Corrinado away to be He bolted swiftly through the crowd
executed. He walks defiantly through the crowd as they The women yelled & screamed aloud
taunt and jeer at him. He remains calm and seems com- Manilla’s words rang through the air
pletely unmoved. His gaze is fixed on the sky. "Kill that man or all Beware!"
Corrinado tookoff all for bust
There’s more to the world than what I’ve seen Gone behind a cloud of dust
There’s more to my life than my eulogy
and if I ask my maker for one more day Passed on tragedy Corrinado moves with ease
When all of my chances are slipping away Eluding all authority with his own agility
Ducks down an alley to the center square bazaar
I hear the bells and I see the clouds Soldiers yell, soldiers scream, don’t let him get too far.
All of the people out thinking aloud
All of the whispers and laughter and calls Corrinado hides down an alley
People out frantic in search of it all As Manilla’s troops begin to rally
He lays behind the street snake charmer
There’s one in a million I’d be here today and slips out of his prison pajamas
There’s one in a million that I get to stay
And if I ask my maker to see me through The Matador, the bull can run
When it seems there’s nothing more that I can do Corrinado sidestepped everyone
Takesoff towards the end of town
There’s more who will live when gone are my days Drawing troops from all around
and the sands waiting last to be swept away He knows he’s got but one way out
but I still have time to look to the sky His only route without a doubt
and search through the clouds for some kind of sign be fastest to the mighty cliffs
and jump for his own benefit
Bring on the lightning in bolts like a train
Let loose the screams of a mad hurricane Passed on tragedy Corrinado moves with ease
Bring down the water in buckets and all Eluding all authority with his own agility
Shake up the earth where all here will fall Ducks down an alley to the center square bazaar
Soldiers yell, soldiers scream, don’t let him get too far.
But nothing, no splash, no flash and no sound
all that is left is my feet on the ground Carooning down the mountain top
Now I remember that life was a ball A bouncing rock no will can stop
When I was the person in search of it all Their chasing our strong hero down
Who dodges trees with swift abounds
There’s one in a million I’d be hear today He spins the air like a carousel
There’s one in a million that I get to stay While dodging shots adeptly till
His steps no longer make a sound
His feet are well above the ground
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hot Air Balloon (rock opera)
SCENE II - Mulberry’s Dream nothing. He thinks that his mind is playing tricks on him,
and decides that it is time to move on and start his life
Corrinado swims through the sea, his only chance of sur-
anew. He is about to leave when Corrinado’s soaking wet
vival is to make it to the island; hoping that Morris Mul-
figure emerges from the darkness.
berry will be waiting with the prototype hot air balloon,
Above the waves, Going under
the only one left undestroyed by Manilla. As he swims, he
gets delirious from pure physical exhaustion. He thinks
Corrinado swam like hell on fire
back to his friend Mulberry and the beginning of Hot Air
With jelly arms and beaten bones
Balloon Traveling when Mulberry persuaded him to use
He rode the crest, he broke the waves
his invention to start a successful business.
Trying to get a breath of air for all that he had left to save
I first caught the sun at noon today
To get another 24 hours
Mulberry let the engines burn
I lept & broke my bedframe
The airship lifting off the ground
Which the termites have devoured
He watched the sea, could not believe
I lived a life in shambles
That he thought Corrinado could be free, his life was now in
With one idea left to scheme
vain
But if I ever built it
All was left one chance to fly away
then what would I have left to dream?
He spun, he heard a gasping sound
But he did not see his friend
Mulberry’s Dream was talkin to me,
as we kickin’ with time.
After the sun and light were gone
Burnin’ in the sun on the side of the street,
Before he found himself at home
we gotta be out of our minds.
Corrinado swam, fought the waves
Life, he said, is all about style,
Remembering when, a myriad of falls, behind another day
and my flying machine.
All was left one chance to fly away
And we’ll take the people cross miracle miles,
just beyond his reach the plan
and I believed him
To reunite them once again
I walked down to the corner
Caught in the waves as the wind whipped on
To fetch myself some dollars
and the sand sat calmly miles below
I left later that afternoon
He had to swim, to take the day
When the streets began to hollar
Hoping to see Mulberry when he crawled to reach his getaway
and there I saw O’Farrell
All was left one chance to fly away
The old street corner pantomime
Just beyond his reach the plan
and I simply could not shake him
To reunite them once again
till old Mulberry came just in time
Mulberry’s Dream was talkin to me,
SCENE IV - Hot Air Balloon
as we kickin’ our time. Corrinado embraces Mulberry. He stares in awe at the
Burnin’ in the sun on the side of the street, hot air balloon. The fantastic pipe dream that had be-
we gotta be out of our minds. come his greatest joy had also led to his persecution. He
Life, he said, is all about style, starts up the engine and takes off, flying over the sea to
and my flying machine. rescue his beloved Leora. Leora waits lying by the sea on
And we’ll take the people cross miracle miles, the beach. She frets about whether or not Corrinado has
and I believed him survived As dawn approaches, she sees a speck on the
horizon. Corrinado has arrived. He sets his balloon down
SCENE III - Above The Waves on the shore. Leora climbs in with him. They take off to-
gether, never to be seen by anyone again, flying off into
Mulberry stands alone on the island with the hot air bal-
the sunrise.
loon engine burning. He waits all night in hopes that Cor-
In the light of the moon, too soon
rinado will make it. Eventually, he starts to despair, real-
In a hot air balloon, he crossed the sea
izing that even if Corinado managed to escape his execu-
Once an airship tycoon, turned bafoon
tion, there is no way that he could make the long swim
Leaving his home marooned, attempted to flee
across the ocean. He gives up all hope of Corrinado’s sur-
the life he’s begun
vival, puts out the balloon engine, and sits there in the
darkness. Out of the darkness, he hears someone shout-
In the blink of an eye, he spies
ing his name in a faint voice. He looks out but still he sees
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hot Air Balloon (rock opera)
The shore where he’s fantasized, his baby to be
Turns his gaze to the skies, he cries
Notes
Just give me one more try, to chase down my dream [1] phantasytour.com includes two complete, but
before I am done interrupted performances in their total count.
Unsure from the day, she prays
Hoping their getaway, will still come to be
References
Watching stars ricochet, she strays [1] ^ http://www.jambands.com/Features/
Beyond the alleyway, where no one can see content_2009_01_25.09.phtml
not anyone [2] http://www.phantasytour.com/bisco/
shows.cgi?showID=453
In the blink of an eye, she spies [3] http://www.phantasytour.com/bisco/
The spot in the foggy skies, she’s been longing to see shows.cgi?showID=155
Camouflaged by the tides, she hides [4] http://www.phantasytour.com/bisco/
Where the water and wind collide, she’s soon to be free shows.cgi?showID=182
from what she’s begun [5] http://phantasytour.com/bisco/
shows.cgi?showID=221
In a hot air balloon [6] http://phantasytour.com/bisco/
Corrinado flies over the sea shows.cgi?showID=237
for Leora today [7] http://www.phantasytour.com/bisco/
shows.cgi?showID=281
And in one day [8] http://www.phantasytour.com/bisco/
He went from his cell to the sky shows.cgi?showID=812
at his last chance to fly [9] http://www.phantasytour.com/bisco/
shows.cgi?showID=1003
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Categories:
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• Rock operas
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