The Copper Queen Music by Clint Borzoni Libretto by John de los Santos
SETTING: The opera takes place in Bisbee, Arizona in room No. 315 of The Copper Queen Hotel, with the action alternating between 1910 and 2010 in several seamless episodes. The décor is garish and does not change between the two eras (with the exception of the portrait, which is a mirror in 1910). The shift in time should be achieved through lighting: realistic and colorful in 1910, more faded and unwelcoming in 2010. CHARACTERS: Julia Lowell [J.] (soprano) a “lady of the evening”, then ghost Addison Moore [Add.] (mezzo-soprano) an inquisitive woman with a secret Theodore Billings [Ted.] (tenor) a handsome miner, and Julia’s favorite client Peter Ackerman/Man Ackerman Man #1 [P.] (baritone) a friend of Daddy Lowell’s Richie aka Sugar Dog [R.] (tenor) a young and eager client of Julia’s with special tastes Mr. Floyd [F.] (bass-baritone) concierge of The Copper Queen Hotel in 2010 Daddy Lowell/Man #2 [Dad] (bass-baritone) Julia’s father and original owner of The Copper Queen Hotel * Note: Mr. Floyd and Daddy Lowell are portrayed by the same singer.
110
962 rit.
5 4
Dad use
c
less. (He exits. Julia picks up the mirror and looks at her battered face.)
rit.
3
966
3
5 4
c
5 4
c
3
3
P1 Moderato q = 112
pp
c
J.
Still...
Moderato q = 112
c c
972
f
pp
J. still
f
pp
111 976
J. pret
ty.
This
980 f
split
will
close.
The
p
3 4
J. bruis es
will
c fade.
The
hurt
may ling
er,
3 4
c
f
pp
3 4
A tempo q = 112 984
J.
A tempo q = 112
rit. f
3
3
c
c but my skin
for
A tempo q = 112
gets.
A tempo q = 112
rit.
3
3
c f
3 3 3
c
A tempo q = 112
rit.
112
pp
988
J. Still...
A tempo q = 112
rit.
pp
992
pp
f
3 4
J. still
pret
ty.
3 4 f
pp
3 4
Q1 Pi첫 mosso q = 120 996
rit. col canto
ff
c
J. Still
Pi첫 mosso q = 120
so
pret
ty.
rit.
c ff
col canto
c
More than
A tempo q = 120
113
1000 mf
accel.
J. Ma
ma,
she would n't
look.
She could n't look
A tempo q = 120
no
where but
accel.
mf
1003 A tempo q = 120
f
J. back.
Ten years back in Bis
bee
town,
A tempo q = 120
f
1007
mf
p
f
J. chip a way
mf
the
debt.
p
Ten years
f
of The Cop
per
Queen,
114
ff
1011
pp
J. no where
near,
and
yet...
pp
ff
f
1016
pp
3 4
J. Still...
still pret ty. 3
3 4 f
pp
3 4
1021
J.
ff
3 4
2 4 Still
so
god
damned
pret
3 4
ty! 3
3 4
2 4
3 4
2 4
3 4
ff
3 4
R1 Allegro q = 138 p
1025
J.
3
3 4
115 mf
p
3
c
Noon
be comes
dusk,
May
Allegro q = 138
be comes
Fall.
3
3
3 4
c p
mf
p
3 4
1029
J.
c
f
f
3
3
c One
be comes nine,
cash
be comes rent
c f
f 3
c
3
1031
p
J. I 3
3
3
3
spread 3
my 3
3
3
p 3 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
116 1033
mf
p
mf
J. legs, 3
they spread my 3
3
3
mf
3
3
name. 3
3
p
3
3
3
3
mf 3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
mp
1036
3
3
3
3
rit.
J. Tread ing
dust
and dirt,
3
3
3
they stum ble in 3
3
rit.
3
3
3
3
3
3
p
3
3
3
3
3
with star vin'
3 3
3
3
3
3
S1 A tempo q = 138
1039 f
3
3
mf
J. eyes
A tempo q = 138 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
f
3
3
3
3
p
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
f 1042
117
3
3 2
J.
c
(ah...)
The 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 2
c 3
p
3
3
3
3 2
3
c 3
3
3
3
3
3
1044
J.
c best ones
are quick,
the
worst
take
their
c 3
f
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
c 1046
3
3
ff
J. time.
mf
They
3
3
3
3
3
3
ff
like work,
3
3
3 3
3
3
smell
3
3
3 3
1048
J. end less
la
bor 3
3 3
in
a
deep,
3
dark 3
3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
118
T1 1050 Prestissimo q = 207 ( qK
= q )
3 2
J.
f
c
pit
Bang in'
Prestissimo q = 207 ( qK
the floor
and
= q )
3 2
c p
f
3 2
p
c
1054
3 2
J. stain
my
in'
c
sheets,
I scratch their backs
3 2 f
p
c f
3 2
1057
J.
c
mf
5
c hard
e
nough to
scab.
While
c mf
c
mp
we
119 1060
3 2
J. make
our
trade
the
sun
bakes
this
3 2 3 2 1063
J.
f
3 2 room.
The
so
air's
thick
the ceil ing
3 2 f
3 2 1066
3
J. sags,
the
walls
drip.
p
rit.
1069
c f
c
120
U1 1071 Presto q = 176
J.
f
c I can bare ly breathe!
Presto q = 176
c pp
ff
c
1074
J. Heav
ing!
Heav ing!
Heav
mp
ing!
f
1077
J. Heav ing!
p
Heav
f
mp
y!
f
ff
121 1080
3 2
J. Heav
c
y!
This sweat box
3 2
is my
c mf
3 2
c
1083
J. pine
box!
This
sweat
box
f
1087
J. is
my
my
pine
1090
J. box!
I can bare ly
p
122 ff
1093
J. breathe!
This sweat
box
f
rit.
1096
J. This sweat box
is
rit.
p
1099
my
ff
Moderato q = 112
J. pine
box!
Moderato q = 112
ppp
1104
pp
J. When
pp
it's
done
and
mf
1110
p
123 3
3 2
J. they've
all
gone,
I
look out the
mf
win
dow.
The
3 2
c
3 2
c
pp
rit.
1114
J.
c
3
c des
freely
3 4
ert goes
3
c on
for
ev
er.
Un der the
rit.
c
3 4
c
c
3 4
c
V1 1119 Moderato q = 112
J.
c moon
Moderato q = 112
c
c
the brush is
blue.
Blue like the
124 1121
mf
J. cean, some thin' I've
o
nev er seen.
Pi첫 mosso q = 120
1124 f
J. But
there
is
still
time.
Pi첫 mosso q = 120
f
1127
mf
f
mf
J. Time
to see that spec ial blue,
and eve ry thin' re
flec
f
ted.
125
rit.
1130 ff
J. Eve ry
thin'
that's been
kept
from
me
or
rit.
ff
W1
Moderato q = 112
rit.
1133 p
3 4
J. A
lone
or on
some one's arm,
Moderato q = 112
rit.
3 4 pp
p
3 4
rit.
1139 A tempo q = 112
mf
3 4
c
J. there's still time
there's still
A tempo q = 112
time.
rit.
3 4
c mf
c
p
3 4
tak
en!
126
1143 A tempo q = 112
p
J. A
ring,
per haps?
A tempo q = 112
Allegro q = 132 f
1147
J. There's
still
time.
Al ways a
head
Allegro q = 132
f
1153
J. nev
er
back!
and
Moderato q = 112
127
mp
1159
f
J. There's
still
time.
The ship
may
be
Moderato q = 112
3
3
p 3
f
3
3 3
1163
J. sail
but
ing
I
in
3
tend to
3
3
3
3 3 3
1166
3
3
ff
3
3 4
c
J. swim.
Look
at
your
self,
3
3 4
c 3
ff
c
3
3 4
128
Pi첫 mosso q = 120
1169
J.
3 4
c Ju
li
a!
There's still time
Pi첫 mosso q = 120 3
3 4
c 3
3 4
f
c
A tempo q = 112 1172
3
2 4
J.
3 4
c There's still
A tempo q = 112
5
2 4
J.
fff
c time!
c fff
c
6
ff
2 4
1175
3 4
c p
3 4
c
rit.
129 Julia opens a drawer and pulls out the turquoise necklace.
1179
She puts it on and looks at herself in the handheld. 1183 A tempo q = 108
pp
She then turns her back and leans against the wall, exhausted. 1189
3
f
p
She begin to beat the wall in frustration. 1192 The lights go out but the knocks continue.
mp
mf
f