THE STORY OF POE can be told in many different ways, either by focusing on his extraordinary life, or his classic horror tales and poems. In the case of the Abbey Road showcase, both are interconnected. Here is a list of the songs from POE as performed in Abbey Road Studios, with a brief description (click on thumbnails for larger photos):
A young, unknown writer, Edgar Allan Poe, convinces a magazine owner to publish his work.
Competing with more lurid newspaper accounts of real-life murders, Poe captures the public’s imagination with his fictional detective story about a serial killer
Poe writes a stinging review of a new work by a rival author and critic, The Reverend Rufus Griswold. Griswold swears vengeance on Poe and sends his assistant, Reynolds to gather information on him.
Reynolds unearths Poe’s unhappy past. His mother’s early death and a forceful separation from his first love, Elmira.
Reynolds reveals Poe’s infatuation with his young cousin Virginia, who suffers from the same illness that killed his mother. Poe recalls the lullaby his mother sang to him, to comfort Virginia.
Tortured by his concern for the frail Virginia, Poe composes his masterpiece of the macabre.
Griswold, who has by now replaced Poe at the magazine, tries to maintain a façade of support. He reads Poe’s new poem ‘The Raven’ at a recital, anticipating that the bizarre piece will be ridiculed. ‘The Raven’ is a great success and Griswold reveals his displeasure.
Poe marries Virginia resolving that no ‘marital’ demands will ever threaten her delicate health. Griswold sends a gift of alcohol to the bridegroom knowing of Poe’s destructive addiction.
The joyous wedding sound of bells turns macabre as it reflects Poe’s troubled state of mind and a fear of being buried alive.
Ten years into their marriage, Virginia gives her friends an insight into her loving but childless marriage
TINY STAR (reprise)
Virginia falls ill. Poe tries to comfort her but
to no avail.
THE BELLS (reprise)
The haunting music heralds Virginia’s death.
SOMEWHERE
IN THE AUDIENCE
The devastated Poe grieves for his wife.
Seizing on his enemy’s vulnerability, Griswold inveigles himself into the role of Poe’s literary executor with the intention of destroying Poe’s work and reputation in the event of his death.
From the depths of despair and depression, Poe is fortuitously reunited with his first love Elmira.
Poe and Elmira’s hopes for a bright future together are short lived. Poe becomes embroiled in an argument with an election candidate about the ‘all powerful’ Railway Company and is savagely beaten by pro-railway thugs.
TINY STAR (reprise)
The dying Poe receives a visitation from the comforting
spirit of his mother.
The gleeful Griswold writes a savage obituary of Poe.
Elmira visits Poe’s grave and is joined by the spirit of Virginia. Together they express their loss and their love for Poe.
IMMORTAL
Despite
Griswold’s treachery, Poe’s reputation did not die. The world’s
passion for Poe’s stories and poems is undiminished. Symbolising this,
a coffin bell is heard at Poe’s grave and he returns in spirit to
sing this triumphant anthem
© Woolfsongs Ltd 2003