The teddy bears are not teddy bears. They are lost and lonely beings from a once great species who spanned the metaverse, a race who left their home long ago until, cut off from the biosphere that produced them, they mutated and de-evolved until now they were few, no longer capable of the same feats of intellect and ingenuity as before. They no longer remember where their home was or even how to go back to the strand they had once left so long ago.
They continue to explore and to watch various worlds, the dramas, triumphs and tragedies contained within. They sometimes walk hidden among the populations, always disguised, always observing subtly, on the periphery. But once a year is the teddy bear picnic.
Every year they meet in a designated location to exchange stories and information, count how many of them are left, and comfort one another. This year however was slightly different. This year they had a visitor. A plant. A plant who had gained consciousness, reached a state of transcendence and gone off to explore the many worlds and narratives. The journey had been wondrous, but also long and dangerous, tiring and lonely. At one point the plant worried that too many narratives had taken its toll, that simple joys were now forever beyond its grasp. It learned to understand despair.
In a moment of crisis, it decided to go off in search of the mythical teddy bears. It hoped that older, more seasoned travelers could give it insight in how to keep its heart whole past so many sordid tales and fleeting lives. It took years, but the quest gave the plant meaning and purpose. Finally it arrived at the teddy bear picnic, and wept to know that it hadn’t been chasing a phantom, a mythology, that they were real.
Alas, the teddy bears could not offer the wisdom and insight the plant sought. They too struggled.
They could offer comfort and consolation, though, so all the teddy bears gathered round the plant and embraced it. They all stayed in that sweet, still embrace a long, long time. During that embrace, Paul Shapera played on an old boombox laying off underneath a tree.
……….
I can be reached privately at paul@paulshapera.com
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Dolls of new albion is where it began for me, from then on i just kept enjoying the wonders that paul orchstrated and schemed, to me, paul’s work is a constent source of never ending inspiration, fun, and heart breaking sensations, if you are a new listener that stumbled upon this page, you are truly blessed because this is truly a hidden gem in music and art, give it a try, you won’t come close to regrating it.
Im also happy that the plant has reached a “conclusion”, the sweet comfort of the teddybears.
Make no mistake, this is very much a love letter to you, our paul who keeps creating these amazing products.
Sending love your way, both me and the entirety of the NADS community.
I’m super glad for some ending on the story of the plant, I was wondering if that’d ever become a thing. And I’m glad that it found a home, or at least a bit of comfort, with the teddy bears. That’s a good ending.
But yeah Paul. You’re one of my favorite musicians, storytellers, and people, and your new website is really cool. I hope it is the first step to making your albums more well known.
Oh my goodness I love your work so much! I can’t even describe my feelings for this music, so I won’t try. I have a question though. In “Postcards from Perdition Trail” it references a woman named Mary who is with the pilgrims. It says that her family is dead but she survived, to that point at least. I was wondering if she was the same Mary in the Cyberpunk Gala. Her situation seems similar and she might have chosen to become an AI rather than be reincarnated. So, yeah, is that canon?
That is canon, yeah! She, Hank the Sheriff, and the other AIs in Cyberpunk Gala are the voodoopunk pilgrims who chose to upload as analogue consciousness in Atompunk.
Sir, I may be contacting you in the future for rights to perform. I am a future music teacher, and this show would be absolutely perfect for a high school production. There is so much to learn from such beautiful music paired with such a contemplative story. Thank you for writing it!
I have just finished listening and analyzing the whole New Albion trilogy and boy, is it great. Outstandingly well written and executed, so much that one doesn’t need images to vividly picture the situations being sung about.
I hope Dolls of New Albion one day becomes something huge so others can also enjoy it as much as those of us who have heard it.
Oh and I fucking love the Blood Red Dogs. Badasses must have badass anthems.
I’d like to know if there are any translated versions of the The Dolls Of New Albion, A Steampunk Opera since I only found English ones in YouTube!
Someone made, i think, a spanish version of the lyrics. But no, no one has ever madea version of any of the songs sung in other languages
Have you considered releasing the sheet music for the Radio Hour like you did for Dolls?
Mr. Shapera, I have completely fallen in love with this show, I’ve been looking for something exactly like what you’ve created for quite a while, and I’m quickly becoming obsessed.
I’m a high school student in Arizona, and I was wondering if this play was Published.
My follow up question being, would you mind me performing Annabel Has A Doll for the International Thespian Festival’s competition this year? Of course the rules of thespian convention state pieces must be from published plays, and I really don’t know how to differentiate published and unpublished plays very well.
Either way I’ll have you know I’m using Annabel Has A Doll as an audition piece in the future. 🙂
Yes, Dolls is technically published. And you may absolutely use it. Here is a copy of the vocal sheet music: http://www.mediafire.com/file/ahxpn4nr3epc2n3/A1_S4_Annabel_Has_Doll_LEAD.pdf
Is there any way I could get ahold of the piano sheets for Dolls? My piano instructor has asked me to learn a piece that I’m passionate about and there isn’t a more suitable option.
This is the best i got for that sort of thing: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/rxjstngswdom5/Lead_Sheets
What a fabulous piece you have created!! Any chance you would let my private school near Washington DC mount a production?
Yes. You should email me at paulms@gmail.com
Hi, I’m absolutley enthalled by the dolls of new Albion and wish I could purchase a CD in a Hardcover with the lyrics and perhaps a DVD of the last live-performance or something like that, if you know what i mean. 😀 ( not just Download-Content, ’cause that’s what i actually own )
Btw. did you plan to give any shows of “the dolls” in the near future ?
Please excuse my heavy-handed english >.<
You said the names for everyone else, but not for Jasper. Who voiced him? For some reason, my mind made the jump that it’s you.
yeah
Mr. Shapera, on bandcamp as I try to listen to everything past “Annabelle has a Doll”, a pop up comes up, preventing the muic from playing, telling me:
“It’s time to open thy heart/wallet” and asking me to purchase the album, as a big fan your work, I would just like to know if this was a new policy or something else?
Bandcamp has started doing this on their own
Is there a possibility of getting permission for a nonprofit performance in a park or such?
Yup.
How would one go about getting permission/the script?
I may or may not have learned what the word libretto means today. Still curious though how to go about getting official permission, and if at all possible the sheet music.
Now I’m actually going to want to get some friends together and perform it on my lawn. And I have no doubt that the show will become mega famous. It’s too brilliant not to become mega famous. I’m spreading the word about this show.
I am also spreading the word around, as I would love to see a production here in the states. 🙂
Oh, i love you more for loving it. I would love to bring it to the states. I would love to return to the states. If the show can work itself up the ladder a little bit to a level where it has a bit of a name then it would be much easier to bring it to certain cities in the states. Of course since my intention is utter world domination, i envision a day where neighborhood children will be putting performances of it up on your lawn.
Ok, The Dolls of New Albion is amazing! Beautiful and perfect in every way! I am so happy that I found it, it is my new obsession, so thank you Paul! When I found out you were doing it on stage, I wasn’t surprised. When I listened to the ablum there were just so many vivid images that it created! It is trully wonderful and inspiring! Any chance that New Albion could someday possibly come to the stage in America? I love the story you’ve created, it’s all i think about! I am solowly memerizing all the songs, and i don’t know what else to say except I love you for doing this!
Your blog is so fab! I’m going to have to read it right through. I found it totally by accident via your post on the Dieselpunk Tarot, what a deck eh?
My husband is a musician and he did a full-length concept album a couple years ago, so I have some insight into just how much work you’ve put into your opera (wow). I’m bookmarking you because I want to come back and listen to Act 1.
Keep up the good work man. I hope I hear more about you and your work in future.