''Broken Bride'' is a 2005 EP by the band

Ludo Ludo (; ) is a strategy board game for two to four players, in which the players race their four from start to finish according to the rolls of a single die. Like other cross and circle games, Ludo is derived from the Indian game Pachisi. The ...

. The EP is the second release from the band, and is a

rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

. ''Broken Bride'' was re-released on September 29, 2009. Ludo also completed a short tour to promote its re-release by playing the EP in its entirety. A video for "Save Our City" was released on October 6, 2009.

Track listing

Stage adaptation

University of Chicago production

Starting in November 2006, ''Broken Bride'' was produced as a staged theater piece by University Theater at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

. The 28 minute concept album was adapted for the stage by first time director Paul Bruton. Bruton received permission from the band to stage Broken Bride in spring 2006 and proposed a

black box theater A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

production for that fall. Broken Bride utilized a minimalistic, expressionist approach to stage design wherein a variety of complex locations can be implied within a limited setting. Music for the production was provided by the band in the form of a re-mixed version of the album, completely stripped of all primary and back-up vocals, with the exception of a few harmonies in "Save Our City" and "Part III: The Lamb and the Dragon". The melodies were arranged for the fifteen member cast by Tristan Cosino, who also coached and directed the ensemble.

Chinese Mother Jewish Daughter Adaptation/Productions

Another adaptation appeared at the 2010 Shortened Attention Span Festival with no additions to the original album. This adaptation continued on as ''Ludo's Broken Bride: A Rock Opera'', which premiered at ANT Fest 2013 in New York City, adapted/directed by Stacey Weingarten, with new arrangements by Dana Levinson, and produced by Chinese Mother Jewish Daughter LLC. The ANT Fest production was the first time songs from other Ludo albums were added in an attempt to expand the storytelling. In 2014, an even more expanded concert version of the production consisting of 24 numbers was presented at The Cutting Room. An update of this modified version was presented at NYMF and ran for one week in August 2016. The expanded story told of Tommy (the Traveler), played by Carson Higgins, who attempts to return home to his lover, Oriel (Gabrielle McClinton), while a flashback of himself (Michael Jayne Walker) falls in love with Oriel throughout the show. Other cast members included Brian Charles Rooney as King Simius, Jamen Nanthakumar as Joe/Finn, Marissa O'Donnell as Mena/Mayor, Brendan Malafronte as Hawking, and L Morgan Hamilton as The Archangel Raguel. Reviews of the NYMF production were mixed to positive, pointing out the "grand scope and inventive stagecraft is a treat unto itself", including the "action-packed high fantasy" nature of the production and "the effect of an exploding piñata" in puppetry and projection design, despite flaws like the overabundance of plot lines, sound balance issues, and physically challenging material. In the New York Times, the production was called, "full-blown theater", "a good time, with prehistoric puppets, dream ballets, and rock undiluted for the stage". The ''Ludo's Broken Bride: A Rock Opera'' website once stated that a production to celebrate an upcoming anniversary of album in the works, but no further information has been given... yet.

Personnel

Band * Andrew Volpe - Vocals, Guitar * Tim Ferrell - Guitar, Backing Vocals * Tim Convy - Moog, Backing Vocals * Marshall Fanciullo - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals * Matt Palermo - Drums, Backing Vocals Production * Michael Fossenkemper - Mastering * Joe M. Leonard Jr. - Video Editor, Video Producer * Jason McEntire - Producer, Engineer, Mixing

References

External links

Ludo's Official Website

Review of the Stage Adaptation
{{Authority control Concept albums 2005 EPs Ludo (band) albums