Mozart Would Be the Battleground
Peter Shaffer’s incredible play about the downfall and death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told through the eyes of his jealous rival, Salieri. As it says on the Chemainus Theatre’s website, “A delightful tale of fame, passion and vengeance packed with the powerful music of Mozart. A classical music lover’s dream.”
Antonio Salieri is a composer on his way to the top. He’s lived a pure life, giving himself over to God in exchange for one simple request: ”Let me be a composer… so that I might be your voice.” While he has worked his way nearly to the top of the Austrian court, there is one crude, giggling problem.
Mozart.
The prodigious pianist and composer is foul mouthed and offensive to nearly every sensibility, but his music is the stuff of legends. Salieri knows without a doubt that God has chosen the bratty, conceited Mozart to be his voice on earth. The aging composer launches a war with God and commits his life to a new end: the destruction of Mozart.
Amadeus won the Tony for Best Play and a Best Picture Oscar for the acclaimed film version of Shaffer’s Play. This production, staged at the Chemainus Theatre Festival in the fall of 2011 was hailed by critics as one of the finest productions ever seen on the festival’s stage.
CAST: Jeremy Crittenden as “Mozart”, Martin Sims as “Salieri”, Bernard Cuffling as “Van Swieten”, Samantha Currie as “Constanze”, Ted Cole as “Emperor Joseph”, Garry Davey as “von Strack”, David Thomson as “Orsini-Rosenberg” and “Venticello 2″, Giovanni Mocibob as “Venticello 1″ and Brian Leadbetter as “Major-Domo”.
Reviews
“Jeremy Crittenden, as Mozart, is just as cheeky and arrogant as he should be. After all, Mozart knows the degree of his talent, even if no one else seems to see it.” -Lexi Bainus, The Citizen
“…one of Chemainus Theatre’s best plays ever…. Crittenden was terrific as the cocky composer for whom music was a lark” -Peter W. Rusland, Cowichan News Leader