The Life and Love of Joe Coogan

Opera in one act, adapted from the Dick Van Dyke Show TV episode “The Life and Love of Joe Coogan,” by Carl Reiner

SYNOPSIS

A moment of comic insecurity in the usually happy marriage of TV comedy writer Rob Petrie and his wife Laura.

When Rob learns that the tall, good-looking man named Joe Coogan that he has just met on a public golf course was once in love with Laura, courting her by writing love  sonnets, he becomes uncharacteristically jealous and insecure. When Laura invites Joe to dinner, Rob counters by inviting co-writer Sally Rogers to flirt with Joe. Unbeknownest to Rob, there is a very good reason why this is a very bad idea! The mix-up leads to a zany dinner party and a surprise ending.

The Life and Love of Joe Coogan is available at Theodore Presser Company rental library.
http://www.presser.com/rental
(scroll down page to read about our opera, view trailer)

Duration: One hour

Production-ready supertitles rental are available at supertitles@mindspring.com

Premiered: September 2010
Zoellner Arts Center
Bethlehem, PA (See cast below)

Feature on The Life and Love of Joe Coogan, including audio interview, photos, video links, print article and link to the original episode at: http://indianapublicmedia.org/arts/dick-van-dyke-show-opera

Visit Facebook Page

Blog articie about The Life and Love of Joe Coogan: Alan Brady’s Other Show

9/19/2010 Feature in Morning Call, Allentown PA “Comic opera based on ‘Dick Van Dyke’ episode” (download .pdf here)

Meet Kate Light, Making Music with NY City Opera, Ovid, and The Dick Van Dyke Show, April 2010

Visit Joe Coogan on Facebook

Cast:

 
And Sarah Caldwell Smith: Waitress/Cover for Laura Petrie

Directed by Laura Johnson and featuring the Monocacy Chamber Orchestra conducted by Paul Salerni.

For more information, or to schedule a performance, please contact:
Kate Light, Librettist
Paul Salerni, Composer