Chiara The Musical

I personally created 'Chiara The Musical' script, score, performance, recording and film, over a four and a half year period. The telling of the story of the fictional character, 'Chiara', was both deeply moving and inspiring for myself and hopefully also for an audience. Tickets to the theater show at Joe's Pub, The Public Theater, NY, were substituted for the audience, so that they could instead make a donation to UN Women, if they desired.

Chiara

Created and written (lyrics, melody) by Claudia Corrieri Harmonization by Jonathan Hart Makwaia

Transcribed by Adam Coombs

A special thank you to Jonathan Hart Makwaia and Dr. Mary C Bitel. As well as Terry Knickerbocker, Jon Harper, Stuart Daly, and Adam Coombs.

And to all those involved in the production of ‘Chiara’ and ‘Luna’, especially: Jean Claude Billmaier, Justin Levine, Erik Braund, Miriam Robstad, Azra Red, Sam Falconi, Joe’s Pub and The Public Theater.

CHIARA was first presented at Joe’s Pub, The Public Theater, April 24th, 2019.

SCENE: The play takes place in the South of England, Italy and New York City. Throughout late autumn, winter, spring, and late summer.

MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT ONE

“All Alone”

ACT TWO

“My Child Met The Child In You” (Part Two) “Tell Me There’s A Plan”

“Lullaby”

ACT THREE

“Could It Be”

ACT FOUR

“I’m Not The Woman That I Was”

“I Walked This Earth”

“My Child Met The Child In You” (Part Four)

ACT I

SCENE ONE

CHIARA

Late Autumn, England. Onstage is a young woman. It’s icy cold and the

ground is hard.

All alone, blood is rushing.

Icy breath, baby keep running. Blanket figure,

Just you, and the crows.

Still in falling darkness, Lavender for miles and miles, Until it goes.

Even then I knew,

Golden scratches, topped with dew, Would leave me standing, infront of you. Praying baby, you gotta pull through.

Baby find your courage, it’s there in your hands,

Watcha gonna do now, you haven’t already shamed me with? See my eyes and my lashes,

And I am telling you,

I’ve the water beneath my feet.

[She sings:]

Some kind of whisper, No-one would believe, Soul river, soul river, Touching me.

My soul, it cries, soul river, Soul river,

Back to me.

That let my voice be gentle, That let my voice be true,

I found in me a light,

So beautiful, beautiful

For you.

1.

CHIARA, ACT I, SCENE I

That sweet, angelic sound, The walls of history resound. My angel with my soul,

Will color my heart bold.

I crawled and climbed And dragged, and came, And found, my,

Love.

2.

ACT II

SCENE ONE

CHIARA

Winter, England. Offstage, a man’s voice speaking on the telephone. Onstage, a young woman is sitting on the edge of concrete step, leaning forwards, re- membering. [A pause] I feel like you’re sitting on my chest. I won’t give you a name. It feels like you tear at me. I feel small. It feels like being drunk, thrown about on the ocean. I just want to walk away from you. I just want to let you out to sea.

My child, met the child in you. That look in your eyes. Someone sent me a dirty angel. Everything in your eyes shone, Left me breathless on my back, You broke me to my core.

I’m still tryin’ a understand, Was easier to walk away before, I wish, I could hate you.

But with you, but with you, You broke me,

You broke me, to my core.

You shot me right to the heart, Clean, with no hesitation,

No question, or conversation. And this love, is no good.

And I am telling you, I am telling you, Thank God I’m different.

Truly new.

And I’m not going back; I’m not going back. You can beg, and plead, and more,

But I’ve already run through the door.

How did you think, I could look at you again?

3.

[She sings:]

CHIARA, ACT II, SCENE I

You showed me something cruel.

And I’m not going to tell you anymore, I just wish my heart,

Could’ve beat, quite differently,

From the start.

And I am telling you; I am telling you; I am different, truly new.

[Chiara sits back down on the concrete step. Leans forwards and hugs her legs. She takes her time. She sings:]

Tell me there’s a plan,

Tell me there’s a way,

Tell me there’s a day, when,

The pain, will burn away.

I don’t know how,

I’m ever gonna climb alone, Seems too great a task for me,

I let you out to see,

Knowing you,

Might never fight your way home.

Tell me there’s a plan,

Tell me there’s a day,

Tell me there’s a day, when, I’ll find my way home.

I don’t know how,

I’m ever gonna climb alone, Seems too great a task for me,

I let you out to see,

Knowing you,

Might never fight your way home.

Tell me there’s a plan,

Tell me there’s a day,

Tell me there’s a day, when, You’ll fight your way home.

4.

CHIARA, ACT II, SCENE II SCENE TWO

CHIARA

In my mother’s house in England, is a box. And inside the box is a yellow

blanket.

I so desperately,

Want to wrap you, in these words And sing, you softly to sleep, Dear sweet child

Listen to me.

[She sings:]

How did it feel When the world, Showed you love?

How did it feel, When those lights Glistened bright?

There is so much softness Where the pain, used to be, Like a brand new babe, Inside of me.

5.

CHIARA

ACT III

SCENE ONE

CHIARA

Spring-time, Italy. Onstage, a young woman is sitting on a river’s edge.

[Humming, Gino Paoli, ‘Il Cielo In Una Stanza’. She sings:]

Could it be?

I’m sat here wondering;

Is it real?

Day and night; I feel it so close; Could it be?

[She speaks:]

There are small dancers in the river. The water descends from the mountains.

I can feel the cool air.

Could it be?

I try to ignore it; But every time,

I close, my eyes,

I feel it near,

I feel it touching me; It feels so right, Could it be?

[She sings:]

The mist rises, there are small yellow buds. A pathway leads upwards.

[She sings:]

Could it be,

That you,

Are somewhere waiting for me, I don’t know how to reach you.

[Chiara stands on block; hands outreached upwards]

Could it be,

I’ve tried to ignore it,

But something deep, inside, of me,

6.

[She speaks:]

CHIARA, ACT III, SCENE I

Is saying don’t go,

Is saying don’t leave, don’t go so far, I’m coming for you,

Baby it’s me.

[Chiara rushes upstage. She speaks:]

There are pink flowers, and red flowers in bloom, Corinthian columns and a

gravel path.

Could it be,

It’s you I’m feeling

I can’t imagine,

But maybe it’s real.

It’s like our own, kind of magic, Could it be,

That baby, it’s real.

Let in the rain. Could it be,

It’s you, I’m feeling, I can’t imagine,

But baby, it’s real.

Could it be,

It’s you, I’m feeling, I can’t imagine,

But baby, it’s real.

[She sings:]

[Delighted, Chiara rushes downstage.]

7.

CHIARA

ACT IV

SCENE ONE

CHIARA

Late Summer, Long Beach New York. I met Sol in the summer.

He was held captive by the weight of his past stories. His was a tender touch. [Chiara relaxes her whole body.] And so, in the ocean, you wash and you wash, and you lay and you lay, and you grow a belly full so strong.

I’m not the woman that I was,

The change goes deep and true and strong, It breaks my heart to see you scared

I’ve no choice, but,

To move on.

Hear the echoes of my love, Hear the echoes of my drum, Find me baby, find me, Please God,

I’ve got to be strong.

Letting go,

Was never part of my plan,

I need, the strength, I’ve found. Hear the echoes of my love,

Let it tear wide open the ground.

Swallow whole all, of your pain, Be born new to me, again. Swallow whole, all, of your pain, Be born new to me again.

8.

[She sings:]

CHIARA, ACT IV, SCENE II

SCENE TWO

CHIARA

I walked this earth, So many days,

I walked this earth, Just to see your face

I climbed so high,

Up to the sky,

Up to the air, and space and quiet, I’m alive.

I saw it all,

I saw it all.

From the dirt,

From the ground,

From the tears, and stains, and pain, Like a shroud,

I flew so high,

Up to the sky,

Up to the above,

Up to the above,

Up to the above,

To you, and you; and you.

I felt the earth,

Pull on my heart.

I felt the earth

Pull on my heart

Right from the start.

And I found you,

I found you;

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[She sings:]

[Chiara sits down. And rests her shoulders. She sings:]

9.

CHIARA, ACT IV, SCENE II

My child, met the child in you, That look in your eyes, Someone sent me a dirty angel. Everything in your eyes shone, Left me breathless on my back, You broke me,

You broke me, To my core.

Still tryin’ a understand;

Was easier to walk before. But with you, but with you; You broke me, you broke me, To my core.

I will fight,

Like I know how,

Full of love, and full of truth. I will fight, I will fight,

To honor you,

To honor you.

I will fight,

Like I know how;

Full of love, and light, and truth, For you;

I will fight; I will fight;

For you.

[Chiara rises to her feet and raises her fist.]

10.

Lights out.