Z, The Masked Musical of Zorro

22 May

"Z" is set in the early 1800s and tells the story of Diego Vega (Zorro), a wealthy young nobleman, who returns to colonial California after the death of his grandfather in Spain. But his homecoming is not a happy one. The country is in turmoil. Farms and buildings are burning. Because of the Royal Governor's demands for exorbitant taxes, many friends and neighbors have lost their land, jobs and dignity. People are homeless and hungry.

Inspired by their plight, and the beautiful Senorita Carlotta Mendez's passionate prayer for a leader to unite and liberate their people, Diego assumes the role of a self-indulgent nobleman who spends his time performing magic tricks. With this personality, which is both boorish and annoying to all, by day he is the masked avenger to overthrow the oppressive rule of a cruel and greedy tyrant.

Each of us has the ability to stand up for what is right,
To take control of our destiny,
To make a difference.

The story of Zorro is also the celebration of family, community, philanthropy and social consciousness. At a time when volunteerism, community service and individual responsibility have become so important, "Z" conveys the message.

Zorro is a hero. Heroes transcend all cultures, and are revered for their spirit, wit, courage and dedication to a cause. "Z" is a universal show with values that appeal to all families with a powerful, contemporary Latin score that will encourage dialogue between parents, teachers, grandparents and children.

By skillfully combining tradition and history, "Z" is destined to attract a new generation of audiences with a multicultural heritage.

Creative info.

Original author : Robert W. Cabell
Music: Robert W. Cabell
Musical arrangement and orchestration: Volker M. Plangg
Diego/Zorro: A dashing young man and gypsy chosen from among the players to play the male lead.
Carlotta: A beautiful gypsy girl chosen to portray the heroine of the play.
The rest of the company performs all other roles in the show, wearing masks from time to time to play soldiers and peasants as they step out of their main roles:
The Governor: A voracious despot.
The Captain: a dark maniacal bastard son of the Governor and military leader.
The Sergeant: A chubby bully who pressures others to get his booze and food, but not much else.
Priest Dominic: The local Catholic priest.
Maria: The voluptuous innkeeper with a heart of gold and a mind of steel.
Sonya: Diego's mother
Don Alfredo: a wealthy rancher and Diego's father.
Hermina: Carlotta's mother pretentious social climber, terrified of being poor.
Don Fernando: Carlotta's father, once a wealthy rancher who is struggling.
The rest of the characters- various villagers, soldiers are played by the ensemble cast.
Flute
Oboe/English Horn
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Horn
Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2
Guitar 1 (A & E)
Guitar 2 (A & E)
Bass Guitar (E)
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Percussion 1
Percussion 2
Cello

Press.

Villa Fuchs Merzig - Saarbrücker Zeitung, 14.09.2013:
"The show began in front of full rows and ended with empty seats, as the audience was jumping up with enthusiasm to pay tribute to the performers (...) It was a roller coaster ride of emotions. Love, joy, but also hate and sadness were conveyed so sincerely that I was really deeply touched. That is what distinguishes good theater"

Clingenburg Festspiele - Musicals-Das Musicalmagazin, 02.08.2013:
"Above all, it is the music that makes this musical so enjoyable to listen to-Cabell has written a large number of wonderful melodies for this play, each of which is catchy and yet never arbitrary (...) the score contains everything the musical heart desires (...) The material is musically arranged by Volker M. Plangg, who effectively incorporates elements of Latin American music into his arrangements (...) Cabell's Zorro musical is a real discovery - one can look forward to future performances."

Clingenburg Festspiele - blickpunkt musical, 01.08.2013:
"What remains is a good idea to tell a good story, beautiful melodies and a few rhythmically, musically delightful duets, tercets and ensemble pieces, which in the applause medley do then prompt the audience to clap."

Clingenburg Festspiele - Fränkische Nachrichten, 14.06.2013:
"The American composer Robert W. Cabell has knitted an easily digestible story from the Zorro material and provided it with romantic rock music with Mexican hints. Z - The Musical of Zorro premiered Thursday at the Clingenburg. For its 20th season, the festival in the ruins above the Main can afford this German-language premiere, for which artistic director and director Marcel Krohn had written the German text and which thrilled the premiere audience (...) At the Clingenburg, the artistic director assembled a top-notch musical ensemble - the acting and music were impeccable - and created a production that contains everything summer theater needs: Fantastic costumes, beautiful women and handsome men, choreographed sword fights and colorful audience scenes. And, of course, the wonderfully romantic setting of Clingenburg Castle, which again was played on multiple levels."

Studio Cast - Next Magazine:
"The spirit of the legend of Zorro is stronger than ever! This recording stays true to the Spanish theme and musically distills the essence of the story with a symphonic score for the nobles and a more folksy, Mariachi-inspired sound for the townspeople."

ShowMusic:
"Cabell has some effective and appealing melodies."

England's Musical Mag MASQUERADE:
"In light of the recent Zorro movie, it seems high time for a musical based on the daring exploits of the hero of the trampled California farmers. And that is exactly what Robert W. Cabell has done with Z - The Masked Musical. Cabell has taken a very unusual approach to the project by combining two different musical styles, with pop show tunes alongside music with a strong traditional Spanish touch. Sort of like Frank Wildhorn meets the Gypsy Kings. But overall, the experiment is surprisingly successful."