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Carnegie

Ian Hammond Brown

Genre: Biographic

Cast size: 23

Duration: Two Act

Ian Hammond Brown | Musical | Biographic | 6m, 5f, 12m/f

Short synopsis

Principals 3m, 2f Support : 3m, 3f plus an ensemble. (Min cast size 7m, 5f)

From being the son of a poor weaver in Dunfermline, Scotland, to being the richest man in the world living at one of the most exclusive addresses in New York City., this is the rags to riches story of Andrew Carnegie, steel magnate and the founding father of strategic philanthropy. But there’s a twist... you don’t get to be the richest man in the world without some controversy in your life. In his final two hours on earth, Andrew Carnegie must prove that his soul is worth redemption.

  • Synopsis
  • Characters
Written by Ian Hammond Brown, the composer and lyricist of ‘Whisky Galore: a Musical!’, ‘Carnegie - The Star Spangled Scotchman’ premiered at the Edinburgh fringe in 2016. With a cast of 20 characters plus an ensemble of 10 or more and a score written for a 6 piece band, it’s an ideal new show for an amateur company to undertake. It’s a great rags to riches tale of a universal story which everyone can relate to, showing that: ‘Anyone can be, in life, what they choose to be’.
Set in the last few hours of Andrew Carnegie’s life, Peterson, the embodiment of St Peter, brings John, a steelworker killed in the infamous Carnegie Steel Homestead steel plant dispute of 1892, back from the afterlife to help him hear the story of Carnegie’s life and to ultimately decide on Carnegie’s eternal fate.
 
Carnegie tells Peterson his story from being a young man in Dunfermline, through his journey to America, then his early life in Pittsburgh and finally to the ruthless deals, the intrigue and loves and losses on the journey which lead to him becoming the richest man in the world when he sold his steel empire to JP Morgan in 1901 for $480 million.
 
As the musical progresses it reveals how Carnegie came to understand that someone with so much wealth and power is ultimately only its custodian for future generations and he draws the conclusion that, through strategic philanthropy, he must give his money away for the good of mankind and he then strives to do this before he dies. His famous quote ‘The man who dies thus rich, dies disgraced’ is the inspiration for modern philanthropists such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. In the end John the steelworker must decide if Carnegie should go to Heaven or Hell, and if he can forgive Carnegie for causing his death.
 
Carnegie’s legacy lives on to this day through the likes of The Carnegie UK Trust, The Carnegie Hero Fund and the Carnegie Corporation of New York which today still support many good causes, together with scientific and academic research throughout the world, as well as his ultimate goal that came to him towards the end of his life, of world peace for all time.

Principals 3m, 2f

  • Andrew Carnegie – The famous Industrialist/ Entrepreneur
  • Peterson – An embodiment of St Peter
  • John – A Steelworker and deceased former employee of Carnegie
  • Louise – Andrew Carnegie’s Wife
  • Mrs Margaret Carnegie – Andrew Carnegie’s Mother

 Support (3m, 3f)

  • Mrs Whitfield – Louise’s Mother
  • Mary – John’s wife
  • Henry Clay Frick – Carnegie’s closest business partner
  • Rudyard Kipling – A Famous Writer and Friend of Carnegie
  • Mrs Kipling - Rudyard Kipling’s Wife
  • Phillip Burne-Jones – An Artist and cousin of Kipling

 Together with an Ensemble of Men and Women providing these other (9m) cameo roles:

  • William Carnegie – Andrew Carnegie’s Father
  • Uncle Thomas Morrison – Andrew Carnegie’s Uncle
  • Hunt – Landowner of Pittencrief Park
  • Frank – Carnegie’s Assistant
  • Soldier – A young wounded American Civil War soldier
  • Thomas Scott – Carnegie’s Mentor
  • Chairman – The Chairman of The Board of Carnegie Steel
  • Phipps – Frick’s Business Associate
  • Charles Schwab – Carnegie’s Protégé

N.B. A small cast production could consist of 12 actors:-

Principals: Carnegie, Mrs Carnegie, Louise, Peterson, John

Other roles: the other seven actors could play all these roles as required:

  • Frick   - Also plays the role of Hunt
  • Ensemble 1 – William Carnegie, Phillip Burne Jones, Phipps, Steel Wkr, JP Morgan
  • Ensemble 2 – Morrison, Thomas Scott, Chairman, Frank, Rudyard Kipling, Steel Worker
  • Ensemble 3 – Charles Schwab, Soldier, Servant, Steel Worker
  • Ensemble 4 – Mrs Whitfield, Kipling’s Wife, Secretary, Washer Woman 2
  • Ensemble 5 – Mary, Maid
  • Ensemble 6 – Washer Woman 1, Clerk
More information on types below
Type
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Carnegie

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More information

If you require any additional information regarding this script, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.

Songs

1) Somewhere In The Heart Of Man - Carnegie, Steelworkers x 2, & Ensemble  

2) Those Were The Days - Carnegie & Ensemble  

3) Going To America  - Mrs Carnegie & Ensemble 

4) Sarsparilla - Carnegie, John & Ensemble  

5) Another Life - Carnegie  

6) A Sense Of Adventure - Steelworkers & John 

7) Henry Clay Frick - John, Frick & Ensemble  

8) Together - Louise & Carnegie  

9) Fallen - Mrs Carnegie, Mrs Whitfield, Louise & Carnegie

10) Could It Be Love - John & Mary

11) The Battle For Homestead - John & Ensemble

~~ Interval ~~

12) The Battle For Homestead (Short Reprise) - Newspaper Seller

13) Slipping Away - Mrs Carngie

14) Shine - Louise & Carnegie

15) Maybe I Should Have Done More - Carnegie

16) All Is Well - Carnegie

17) A Condition, Not A Theory - Kipling & Jones

18) I Was Born An American - Frick

19) The Decision - Carnegie

20) The Gospel Of Wealth - Mary & Mrs Whitfield

21) Where Did My Dream Go? - Carnegie

22) Something In The Heart Of Man (Reprise) - Carnegie

23) Follow Your Heart / Finale - Carnegie & Company

Information for Production Administrators

Here's a list of all the supporting material available and some other information you might need. Pricing for the production materials is supplied automatically with a Perusal Set. Royalty pricing can only be provided as a formal quotation.

Available now (see below)

  • Preview Script/Libretto

You can download straightaway a shortened copy of the script/libretto to read and get a relatively good picture of whether you would like to proceed to the next step. The Preview E-Script is made available to you as a pdf file sized for A4 paper and contains just over half of the script.libretto.

  • Perusal Set

These are available for customers in European Union countries only to borrow free of charge (but you have to pay the postage to return the set to us). The set contains ...

  • Printed Libretto
  • Printed Piano/Vocal Score
  • Cast Recording CD (Dialogue in Dutch, Sung in French)

Available after Perusal - Libretti/Vocal Scores

  • Rehearsal Master Set on a Data CD (Cast).

This contains the script and piano vocal score for your cast and crew provided as A4 pdf files. No problem about possible loss of deposit, as they are yours to print out and mark up as required. The price includes a multiple copying licence allowing you to copy the Data CD itself (enabling you to give or sell copies to your cast for them to make up their own rehearsal books) or to make multiple prints of the pdf's on the Data CD for your production company to organise and provide to your cast or crew.

Please note that we do not sell individual printed copies of libretti, nor do we hire sets of printed rehearsal libretti or scores.

Available after Rights Obtained

  • Backing Tracks - Not available.
  • Orchestrations - These are available for an 6 piece orchestra as below, for hire to production companies only, who hold a valid, unexpired, licence to perform.
  • MD / Keyboard 1
  • Keyboard 2
  • Guitar
  • Violin
  • Cello
  • Drum Kit

We have secured the rights to video productions of this title from the Author, and we manage them on his behalf. Once a 'Licence To Perform' has been granted, and then on payment of a fee, we will be able to issue a 'Licence To Record'. There are some strings attached to this, but these are far outweighed by the benefits.

  • Record one or more live performances and mix down to a single video
  • Give or sell copies to your cast and crew
  • Sell copies to your audiences (take advance bookings on the night)
Frequently asked questions

Can we try before we buy?

Of course! All our plays and pantomimes have a free Preview Script available for download as an A4 pdf file that contains 60-75% of the full script. If you like what you read in that then you can buy an inexpensive e-script of the entire play (generally costing under half the price of a traditional printed script) which is licensed to you for your personal use. Purchasing a script copying licence allows you to make a just sufficient quantity of copies to support rehearsals and performances.

All our musicals are included in our perusal service. Under this, representatives of producing organisations can request a USB Stick of Perusal Material  which comprise the script/libretto and piano/vocal score as pdf files; a Cast (or Studio) Recording as mp3 files and (where available) an mp4 file video of either the premiere production or of a subsequent production.

Some titles have the facility to read the entire script online on our website.

Do we need a Licence To Perform?

The simple answer is, yes.

Under the international laws of copyright, you must be in possession of a valid, unexpired, licence before performing any piece of theatre unless the owner or managers of the copyright has waived their rights. (See 'Copyright Questions' below).

Why do you insist on providing a formal royalties quotation?

When you request a quotation, it is logged in our system, it forms part of an orderly queue and protects your place in that queue should multiple licensing requests occur for the same show.

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