OverThrone

OverThrone is a war for the crown. Two queens, one throne, and a kingdom caught between them, this show is a clash of wills, ambition, and raw power, with the reign itself hanging in the balance. It's got palace grandeur and open conflict in equal measure: the pomp of the court, the plotting in the shadows, and the all-out struggle for who gets to rule. The title says it all, someone is getting overthrown.

At the show's center is a featured solo on Everybody Wants to Rule the World, written for a vocalist to give one of the queens her defining moment out front. Don't have a singer? The solo works just as well on a solo instrument, so the feature is yours to cast either way.

The concept is theatrical and easy to read from the stands, and the writing sits in a medium range that puts it well within reach of a smaller program. It hands a compact band a big, dramatic story to tell, regal and combative and fun, proof that you don't need a hundred and fifty players to command a field.

The music:

• Procession of the Nobles (Rimsky-Korsakov)
• Queen of the Night (Mozart)
• Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears), featured vocal or solo instrument
• Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)

Permissions to arrange are required for the Tears for Fears and Queen selections. The Rimsky-Korsakov and Mozart works are in the public domain.