To the modern world, Madame Tussaud is a sideshow attraction, a Piccadilly novelty, a bizarre woman who gained notoriety for the death masks she took from the severed heads of famous people guillotined during the French Revolution. TUSSAUD, the musical, attempts to strip away the carnival atmosphere, and put a human face on the woman who was at the very center of one of the most turbulent and bloody periods of French history.

The play opens in Paris, in the Cemetery de la Madeline, where Marie goes in the dead of night to prepare a cast from a severed head. The story follows Marie’s obstacle-ridden journey from a time of carefree days and her dream of being an artist, to the darkest of places, where she is forced to make terrible choices for her very survival.

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rUNNING TIME : 1 Hr, 45 Minutes
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CAST SIZE:  16 (minimum) (large cast works)

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CAST BREAKDOWN: 

Marie Grosholtz (later Tussaud) (Mezzo) Wax sculptress,  in her 20’s, smart, witty, character actress, who wants passionately to be an artist.  Attractive in an interesting way, but not beautiful.

Dr. Philippe Curtius  (Baritone) Wax sculptor and proprietor of a Parisian wax salon (Salon du Cire) where Revolutionary leaders gather, and in whose household Marie grows up (her mother is his "live-in" housekeeper). A scintillating host, early 40’s, who teaches Marie the art of wax.  

Maximilien Robespierre (High tenor) Revolutionary leader, middle 30’s, high strung, perfectly groomed, wound tight as a violin string, who vies for the affections of Marie.              

Armand de Marteau  (Tenor)  Leading man,  late 20’s, early 30’s, handsome.  A fiery and impassioned Revolutionary leader who fights for the rights of the common people.  A silversmith.   Marie’s lover.              

CHORUS (12)  (6m, 6f)   Street Entertainers, Wax Figures & Heads, Aristocrats, Peasants, Court of Versailles, People of Paris                                                                                                                                                                                             

Minor Roles:  Madame Grosholtz, Madame du Barry, Voltaire, Rousseau, Danton, Mirabeau, Marat, Princess Elizabeth,  Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI, Princess de Lamballe, and others

Actors play multiple roles.

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MUSICAL REQUIREMENTS:  Small  Chamber Orchestra or Piano, Accordion & Cello