A psychological dramatic musical
At the edge of myth and reality, an elegant Scottish hotel becomes a closed world where love may protect or imprison — and freedom always has a price.
Casting call · studio recording
For the studio recording of three key arias we are currently looking for a baritenor, a mezzo-soprano and a character baritone.
Write to usLogline
When Oscar checks into a mysterious Scottish hotel, he is drawn into a supernatural battle between the Queen of the Night and the ancient Fireborn. To save Little Johnny — a boy trapped in the hotel for eternity — Oscar must confront dark magic, family curses and his own past, leading to one of three dramatic finales.
Hotel Macdonald Forest Hills is a modern musical drama blending romance, symbolic theatre and high drama. In the eerie luxury of a Scottish hotel, Oscar and his friend Janet encounter strange staff, cryptic melodies and a haunting piano theme, “Universe's Life”. Little Johnny, a charming yet trapped waiter, slips Oscar a desperate plea for help.
As Oscar delves deeper, he learns of Cicerona — the hotel's immortal owner, the Queen of the Night — and of the prophecy of the Fireborn. His quest takes him to the streets of Edinburgh, the secret underground halls of the dwarves and the hidden Tower of Captivity.
The synopsis is deliberately partial: dramaturgical resolutions are reserved for professional materials.
The setting
The story takes place at the Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel in Scotland. The hotel exists: a stay there, together with the surrounding landscape, inspired the musical. Yet it is not the subject of the work. It functions as an isolated, slightly mystical frame — a suspended world in which the characters meet and hidden forces begin to surface.
Dramatic idea
This is not a conventional fantasy musical. Archetypal images — the Grail, the Queen of the Night, the Tower, the Gate and the Mother — give visible form to contemporary themes: identity, toxic devotion, inherited trauma, responsibility and the courage to choose one's own path.
Listening
Three piano demos — Prolog, Aria of Janet and Oscar's ballad “Who Am I” — are published on the project's musical-numbers page, together with the corresponding scene images. Professional vocal recordings of the three key arias are currently in preparation.
Listen to the demosCharacters & voices
Baritenor
Protagonist, descendant of the Fireborn.
Dramatic soprano / mezzo
The Queen of the Night, immortal owner of the hotel.
Lyric tenor
A young waiter trapped in the hotel.
Mezzo-soprano
Oscar's friend and travelling companion.
Character baritone
Comic-tragic jester.
Bass-baritone
Fireborn ancestor.
Further ensemble roles are described in the professional materials.
Musical language
The score belongs to contemporary musical theatre, with a predominantly melodic, neo-romantic and cinematic language. Different characters bring elements of cabaret, jazz, character song and occasional folk colouring. A recurring piano theme, “Universe's Life”, moves through the work as a musical trace of mystery, memory and fate.
Recurring piano leitmotif of mystery, memory and fate, moving through the whole work.
Duet — Oscar and Johnny's intimate revelation.
Aria — Cicerona's dark confession of love and revenge.
Choreographed in the spirit of Nijinsky's Sacre du printemps.
Cicerona, Jinnah and Galina curse their sons simultaneously.
Different degrees of freedom, loss and transformation for varied productions.
Production notes
Development
The immediate goal is to complete and professionally record three key arias with singers, creating a focused presentation package for musical theatres, producers and performance venues. Much of the music already exists; the English lyrics are now being shaped around its phrasing, rhythm and emotional movement.
Seeking collaborators: director and musical director, a theatre or production partner for a workshop or staged reading, and potential co-producers and festival partners.
Published libretto
The complete version — “Hotel Macdonald Forest Hills: A Psychological Dramatic Musical (Libretto)” — is available on Amazon.
Buy the libretto on AmazonFull scores and working materials are not published. A separate, access-restricted page holds professional materials for theatres and producers.
For extended synopsis, demo recordings and piano-vocal materials, please get in touch.
