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"Vamp: Consumption in Three Acts" is a gothic rock opera written and composed by Jake Perrine.

It is a story about consumption and what consumes us. It is the tale of Alexandra, a vampire, who lives alone on an old, overrun vineyard, and three young adults who were once her piano students in their youth: Simon, Rosemary and Carmine. The three friends have come to visit her for the first time in many years, and the ensuing weekend of debauchery at Alex's mansion is the narative of our story. For a pictoral and lyrical journey through the show, click on a character on the home page. From there you can follow a character through the show by clicking on their picture.

The majority of the score of Vamp is produced electronically with synthesizers and samplers, yet there are some tracks of cello, electric guitars, a fretless bass guitar, and most recently, a live choir. To date, the score has been played back from DAT during performance. There are four main characters in Vamp, and all the text is sung (there is no spoken dialogue).

VAMP was first conceived in 1990 while Jake was attending Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. Thanks to Hampshire’s unique revisionary process, it was produced there three times over the next three years: as a workshop in the fall of 1990, as a Studio Theatre production in 1991, and as his undergraduate thesis project as a Mainstage Theatre production in 1993, which was one of the most ambitious projects ever produced in that theatre in terms of scope and budget. Upon completion, Jake (and VAMP) received the Threshold Grant of Excellence. 

The entire show has undergone several major overhauls in it's lifespan, including sizable revisions to the book, libretto, and vocal score. Its most recent rewrite was for a New York City cast production in 2001, for which a recording is now available. For a complete timeline of events as well as up to date news, visit the Vamp News page.

The show’s musical influences are quite diverse, ranging from Sondheim’s "Sweeney Todd," Boublil & Shönburg’s "Les Misérables," and more traditional opera, to the contemporary sounds of Peter Gabriel, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, and electronica.

You can contact the author here if you like.