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DAVID and JONATHAN
The Musical

Music: Tommy Dodson / Libretto and Lyrics: Curtis W. Long


Curtis W. Long, in San Diego, California, has developed a libretto and lyrics based upon the Old Testament Book of Samuel. Tommy Dodson, resident in Los Angeles, furiously is engaged in the process of applying his magic musical moves to the myriad mixed moods of the script and lyrics. The subject is the intriguing friendship between Jonathan the son of King Saul and the shepherd David, whom Saul summons, with his lute and song, to soothe his frequent, raging temper.

The shepherd boy, of course, is the same intrepid David who, with his sling, slays the giant Goliath; the same David who ultimately succeeds Saul as King of Israel; the same David who enters the line of succession that ends with Jesus of Nazareth; the same David of myth and song and Renaissance art; the David who is so inextricably entwined in the telling of the stories of two of the world’s great religions. But, this treatment focuses upon the mutual affection that develops between the two young men. When David comes to reside at Saul’s court. The bible is somewhat cryptic in the way it describes this relationship, thereby leaving the door open for the expansive development of creative intuition expressed in this musical.

For simplicity’s sake (and for the sake of economy), there are only three characters in this musical. Apart from David and Jonathan, Saul’s character also functions as the eminence grise, a narrative device. After Saul’s prodding – first with his elder daughter – finally, he gets David to marry Jonathan’s younger sister Michael. Although Jonathan also gets married, the strong attraction he and David have for each other persists. This is annoying to Saul, and provides a good deal of the tension and comic relief. Jonathan dies in battle at a young age, along with his father. David has a long life and career, into which enters Bathsheba, the most infamous and the last of his multitude of lovers. This union produces David’s successor, the future, wise King Solomon.

David’s story after Jonathan’s demise is related in an abbreviated but compelling a-temporal juxtaposition, narrative, song and dance. This ultimately leads to a post-mortal reunion of David, Jonathan and Saul. The style of mucic ranges from almost classical to contemporary.

This is the third full-length musical produced by this creative duo during their fifteen years of collaboration. Tommy Dodson has generated a variety of song-styling albums, to which he has contributed as vocalist, pianist, arranger, synthesizerist and producer. Curtis Long has provided lyrics for some of those recordings, and their collaborative efforts have been put into many other songs yet unpublished.

Their first musical, “Playing the Game,” was written while Tommy Dodson circled the globe several times as featured artist aboard a luxury cruise liner and Curtis Long was in San Diego contending with the onset of legal blindness brought about by macular degeneration. Several fits at production were attempted, but the many characters involved made it cumbersome to deal with on a community theater level. Thusly chastised, their following musical was a one-character piece, which Tommy alone interpreted at the piano. It is a 1920x-based tale, entitled, “Booze, Blues and Attitude.” This being a more manageable vehicle, they were able to self-produce it in a one-time performance, last year, in Los Angeles. The single performance, which was well received, also provided the opportunity for a videotaping of the effort.

“David and Jonathan” remains in the throes of creativity. About half of the songs have been put to music. Although liberties are taken with the characterizations, the historical and Biblical implications are held true to form. After all the songs are completed, Tommy will produce an audio album of the music. The project should b ready for staging around the middle of 2010.

For inquiries regarding casting or production, please contact Edge of Eden Enterprises at: edgeofeden@sbcglobal.net