MADISON (Theater in Madison Web Site) -
Spirits of St. Paul is a CD soundtrack to the musical about Norwegian immigrants in 1920s St. Paul, MN.
The first scene is set in Norway in 1925 and introduces Karla, a young Norwegian farm woman who dreams of immigrating to America and becoming a jazz singer (Welcome Me World). Hereafter, the story takes place in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Karla has just arrived and is getting directions, lodging, and music lessons at the St. Paul School of Music, courtesy of the director, Otto Berg.
The song (Elsk Meg) is her "audition." She begins to look for employment, and finds it as a waitress at a hotel and restaurant. She is unaware, however, that the establishment becomes a house of prostitution during the night and that the waitresses, Candy, Mandy, and Sara, make extra money as ladies of the evening (What Do You Think).
When Karla becomes confused by watching the other waitresses live in luxury while she falls behind paying the rent she questions Candy about this. Candy very slyly lets Karla in on the house secret with the hope that she will join her and the other waitresses as prostitutes (Pardon My Concern).
A naive Karla reluctantly agrees to meet a man during the evening after being convinced that she is being paid for friendly companionship and nothing more. The man she meets, another Norwegian immigrant named Henry, has only friendship in mind. After a few uneasy words and suspicions, they quickly become friends and begin to fall in love (Now I Know).
By now, Karla has figured out the hotel she works at is a brothel, and is on the verge of quitting until she finds out the owner of the brothel is also the owner of a jazz club. Karla talks the owner, George Conti, into letting her sing at the jazz club in exchange for keeping quiet about the brothel.
She opens the night at the jazz club (Share It) with Henry in the audience. Henry, who has his own dream of building and becoming pastor of a new, liberal church, is approached by four gangsters acquainted with Conti. They offer to finance Henry's church in exchange for being his assistant clergymen. However, their secret intention is to go undercover from the law and use the church as a bootlegging base. Henry, surprised and elated, agrees. Karla sings her closing song (That's What's for Me). The gangsters, together in their hideout, sing of their good fortune in suckering Henry (Heavenly Plan). When the church is obtained and Henry holds his first service, it is a tentative success.
Henry and Karla sing of their good fortune (We've Got it Made). When Karla, who by now has become a popular singer, requests a more fair amount of pay from Conti, a stingy Conti is now in a position to deny Karla everything. He shows Karla the receipt for illegal liquor sale given to him by the same gangsters who financed Henry's church. A distressed Karla runs back to Henry and accuses him of knowing all along that his benefactors were gangsters. Henry pleads ignorance and accuses Karla of compromising herself to make money by working in George's Hotel. They temporarily break up, and Henry laments this (All I Believe).
After the next church meeting, Henry leads his new congregation to a baseball game (Come Buy Your Tickets). Later, a horrified Karla shows up at the house where Henry and his sister Ingrid are staying and tells Ingrid she has just found Conti dead - murdered by the gangsters who found out that Conti told Karla about their deal with Henry. When Henry bursts through the door and tells them he has just sold the church, they realize they must leave the city as soon as possible to save themselves from the gangsters' retribution.
On the train out of town, Karla and Henry reaffirm their commitment to each other. Henry tells Karla he used the money from the sale of the church to buy a farm in the country where they can live together. They close the story by singing of the irony of leaving the city to live on a farm when they originally left the farm to move to the city (Rags for Your Freedom).
The CD features well-known local Madison vocalists and musicians, including Kelly DeHaven, Jeff Eckels, Joan Wildman.
The musical premiered at Brave Hearts Theatre in Madison during May 1997 and played to sold out audiences.
CD soundclips are at www.geocities.com/jeffinnakari/spirits.htm. to order email [email protected] or call 608-236-0468 $7.00.
