London Musicals 1975-1979.pub
Transcription
London Musicals 1975-1979.pub
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC 1975 1 th London run: Adelphi, April 15 , (406 Performances) Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Hugh Wheeler Director: Harold Prince Choreographer: Patricia Birch Musical Director: Ray Cook Producer: Mitchell, Milton, Kulukundis, Pilbrow & Delfont Cast: Jean Simmons (Desirée), Joss Ackland (Frederik) , Hermione Gingold (Mme Armfeldt), Terry Mitchell (Henrik), Diane Langton (Petra), David Kernan (Count Malolm), Maria Aitken (Charlotte) Songs: Night Waltz, Now, Later, Soon, The Glamorous Life, Liaisons, Every Day a Little Death, A Weekend in the Country, The Miller’s Son, Send in the Clowns. Story: Taking place in Sweden around 1900, the story deals with the complicated romantic world of a middle-aged lawyer, Frederick Egerman, his virgin child-bride, Anne, and his son Henrik who is in love with Ann (his “stepmother”). Frederik also has to deal with the reappearance of his former mistress, the actress Desirée Armfeldt, and her current lover, Count Malcolm with his suicidal wife, Charlotte. Everything comes to crisis point when all the people involved spend a weekend in the country at the house of Desirée’s mother, a former concubine of several members of royalty and the nobility. Everyone eventually ends up with their appropriate partners by the end of the weekend. Notes: Based on Ingmar Bergman‘s 1955 film “Smiles of a Summer Night”, this was an elegant almost operettastyle work, composed almost entirely in ¾ time or musical multiples thereof, and using a quartet of singers to provide an overture, entr’acte and a commentary on the action at various times, much in the nature of a Greek chorus. The original Broadway production starred Glynis Johns and Len Cariou. JEEVES Photo by Photostage London run: Her Majesty’s Theatre, April 22nd (38 Performances) Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics & Book: Alan Ayckbourn Director: Eric Thompson Choreographer: Christopher Bruce Musical Director: Anthony Bowles Producer: Robert Stigwood & Michael White David Hemmings and company Cast: David Hemmings (Bertie Wooster), Michael Aldridge (Jeeves), Christopher Good (Gussie), Gordon Clyde (Stinker), John Turner (Roderick Spode), Angela Easterling (Honoria Glossop), Debbie Bowen (Stiffy Byng), Gabrielle Drake (Madeleine) Songs: Banjo Boy, When Love Arrives, Summer Day, The Female of the Species, Eulalie, Today. Story: Bertie and his friend from the Drones Club are spending a music-making evening when the strings on Bertie’s banjo break. While Jeeves goes off to find replacements, Bertie comes down into the audience and chats about the problems in his life. He has somehow got himself engaged to three girls at the same time: the hearty Honoria Glossop, the ever-so-jolly “Stiffy” Byng, and the pretty Madeleine Bassett. These girls should be marrying his other friends, “Stinker” Pinker, the newt-loving Gussie Fink-Nottle, and the political Sir Roderick Spode, who is preaching the politics of the Black Shorts Movement. Finally Jeeves comes back with replacement strings, impeccably solves all the problems, and the evening ends as it began, with group music-making. Notes: The show underwent considerable re-writing and shortening during its pre-London tour, and the role of Aunt Dahlia (Betty Marsden) was entirely cut. By merging several of the Jeeves stories into this show, it became rather long and complicated, and the intended air of amateurishness provided by Bertie and his friends tended to pull the show down as the long evening progressed. It was felt to be over-blown and heavy-handed, and came off very quickly. 1975 2 THE BLACK MIKADO London run: Cambridge Theatre, April 24th (472 Performances) Music: Arthur Sullivan Lyrics: W.S. Gilbert Adapted: Eddie Quansanm George Larnyoh & Janos Bajala Director: Braham Murray Choreographer: Amadeo Musical Director: Dave Bloxham Producer: James Verner Cast: Norman Beaton (Nanki Poo), Michael Denison (Pohh-Bah), Derek Griffiths (Ko-Ko), Patricia Ebigwei (Yum-Yum), Anita Tucker (Katisha), Val Pringle (The Mikado) Photo by Stewart Ferguson Story: Set in the Caribbean, where the one white man is Pooh-Bah, a “particularly haughty and exclusive person” this is a Colonial and very British outpost, with due respect given to the local ruler, the Mikado, a giant of a figure in a leopard-skin wardrobe with ostentatious spectacles and a three-tier top hat. With the music supplied by “Juice” – a reggae band – it remains mostly true to the G&S words and music – though not necessarily the rhythms. Notes: The production was hailed as great fun, inventive and highly entertaining. It achieved a very respectable and profitable run. Norman Beaton & Derek Griffiths VENUS AND SUPERKID London run: Arts Theatre, June 1st (25 Performances) Transferred to Roundhouse, August 21st (24 Performances) Music: Milton Reame-James Book and Lyrics: Richard Crane Director: Chris Parr Choreographer: Sue Lefton and Pam Ferris Musical Director: Milton Reame-James Producer: Unicorn Theatre Cast: Binkie Shoebridge (Jill Wright – Arts), Keren Wilson (Jill Wright – Roundhouse), Timothy Davies, William Relton, Tamara Ustinov, Paul Dalton. Story: An up-to-date version of the Cupid and Psyche legend, written chiefly as a children’s musical with adult appeal. Richard Crane was the writer-in-residence at the National Theatre. GODSPELL (Revival) London run: Phoenix Theatre, June 10th (3 months) Music & Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: John-Michael Tebelak Director: John Michael Tebelak Producer: Cameron Mackintosh Cast: Mary Adams, Sally Bentley, Andrew Frank, Sharon Lyle, David MacArthur, Neil Martin, Su Pollard, Dee Robillard, Tony Rickell, Andrew C. Wadsworth This revival ran at the Phoenix for the summer months, and then went on a UK tour. Notes: See original production, Wyndhams Theatre, November 1971 1975 3 KWA ZULU London run: New London Theatre, July 24th ( 122 Performances) Transferred to Piccadilly Theatre September 22nd Music: Victor Ntoni Lyrics & Book: Joan Brickhill & Louis Burke Director: Joan Brickhill & Louis Burke Choreographer: Josh Makhene Story: A proud chief with four beautiful wives gives permission for his eldest daughter to marry a young man, provided the young man undergoes the age-old initiation ceremonies. But there is another jealous maiden who wants the young man, and she uses evil spells to create a famine. The witch-doctor enacts his ritual and discovers she is the source of the famine. She is cast out of the tribe, begs for re-admission, persuades the chief’s Head Wife to propitiate the gods through prayers, and the community returns to prosperity. Notes: Promoted as a cyclical representation of the basic unity of man in his struggle with the existence and the elements of nature, this show had a superb ensemble of singers, dancers, drummers, native costumes, and semi-naked bodies – and was much praised. HAPPY END (1st Revival) London run: Lyric Theatre, August 26th (62 Performances) Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht Book: Dorothy Lane Director: Gordon McDougall Choreographer: Gillian Gregory Cast: Angela Richards (Lillian Holliday), Bob Hoskins (Bill Cracker), Colin Bennett (Sam Wurlitzer), John Horsley (Rev. Jimmy Dexter), Stephen Temperley, Veronica Clifford This was a new version by the American Michael Feingold and had originated at the Oxford Playhouse. Notes: See original production: Royal Court, March 1965 Photo by Robin Constable Producer: Oxford Playhouse 1975 4 TEETH ‘N’ SMILES London run: Royal Court, September 2nd (30 Performances) Transferred to Wyndham’s May 26th 1976 (2 months) Music: Nick Bicat Lyrics: Tony Bicat Book: David Hare Director: David Hare Producer: Michael Codron Songs: Last Orders on the Titanic Story: “I sing of the pain. The pain is real." Maggie Frisby, rock singer says that so often in interviews that her roadies have taken to muttering, "Mostly in the arse." Beautiful, talented, self-destructive Maggie has amassed a minor cult following singing the songs of her former lover-mentor Arthur. Maggie's habit of dragging her band around on profitable provincial tours has landed them all at Jesus Helen Mirren College, Cambridge, playing for the dreary Undergraduate May Ball of 1969. The gig starts hours late, following a dispute about who should plug in the amplifiers. The roadies fill in the time having furtive sex with groupies. Arthur pays a surprise visit. Maggie gets drunk and passes out onstage. The band gets busted. Their sleazy but likable manager, Saraffian, arrives to fire Maggie and replace her with his new discovery. Maggie takes a bum drug rap and goes to jail. Life goes on and, as the play's memorable (and meaningfully ambiguous) closing song goes, "The music remains the same." Notes: At the time this was acclaimed as a musical portrait of England in decay, lost dreams of the post-War society, a rage against class-distinction, a kind of “Look Back in Anger” of musical theatre. A few critics declared it was a political exercise with a few dreary songs, but the overwhelming majority acclaimed it and Helen Mirren and Dave King won London Critics Awards for their performances. For the Wyndham’s revival in 1976 Martin Shaw took over the role of Arthur and Gay Hamitlon took over as Laura, and there were a few other cast replacements. HAPPY AS A SANDBAG London run: Ambassadors, September 10th (508 Performances) Music: Various Book : Ken Lee Director: Philip Hedley Choreographer: Patricia Adams Musical Director: Nigel Hess Photo by Zoe Dominic Cast: David Ashton, Martin Duncan, Julian Hough, Trevor Jones, Robert McIntosh, Lesley Duff, Yvonne Edgell, Darlene Johnson, Roy Macready, Geraldine Wright Notes: To mark the 30th anniversary of the end of World War 2, this was virtually a revue of wartime songs and sketches, loosely wrapped around a story of American and British servicemen and women all serving on the same base camp. Geraldine Wright, Yvonne Edgell & Lesley Duff Photo by John Haynes Cast: Helen Mirren (Maggie), Dave King (Saraffian) , Jack Shepherd (Arthur), Randolph (Heinz), Cherie Lunghi (Laura), Anthony Sher (Anson) 1975 5 PILGRIM London run: Roundhouse, October 15th (19 Performances) Music: Carl Davis Book & Lyrics: Jane McCulloch Director: Toby Robertson Choreographer: Robert North Musical Director: Neil Rhoden Producer: Prospect Theatre Co Cast: Paul Jones (Christian), Peter Straker (Apollyon, MC, etc), Paul Nicholas, Ken Bones, Verity Anne Meldrum, Geoffrey Burridge, Joanna Carlin Story: The pilgrim Christian, on his way from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, encounters Apollyon, the Giant Despair, and the people of Vanity Fair, together with a series of demons and temptations all attempting to impede his progress to Heaven. Notes: This had been on a UK tour since July, including three and a half weeks at the Edinburgh Festival and was an attempt to create Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” in the style of “Jesus Christ Superstar”. The elements of the story were introduced by a “Cabaret”-like Master of Ceremonies (doubling as Apollyon) and the various scenes were presented as flamboyant spectacles in a “sung-through” style with the cast each playing many roles. THOMAS AND THE KING London run: Her Majesty’s Theatre, October 16th (1 month?) Music: John Williams Lyrics: James Harbert Book: Edward Anhalt Director-Choreographer: Norman Maen Musical Director: Ian MacPherson Cast: Richard Johnson (Thomas Beckett), James Smilie (Henry II), Dilys Hamlett (Eleanor of Aquitaine), Caroline Villiers (Jennie) Songs: Pilgrimage Procession , Look Around You, Am I Beautiful?, Man of Love, The Question, What Choice Have I?, We Shall Do It, Improbable as Spring, Power, Will No One Rid Me, So Many Worlds Notes: Despite one of the most lavish productions ever seen in the West End, it was greeted with universal derision by the critics, described as “a rotten show of mind-boggling banality” and came off very quickly. Photo by Zoe Dominic Story: King Henry II is unfaithful to his Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and has fallen in love with a young peasant girl, Jennie. Eleanor plans revenge. Meantime Henry has quarrelled with the Archbishop of Canterbury and following a war between England and France and a dispute with the Pope, has promoted his closest friend, Thomas Beckett, to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas is reluctant and says his conscience will only let him obey Henry in legal matters and not on Church matters. Soon Henry’s behaviour leads to a breakdown in their friendship, in spite of Jennie efforts to reconcile them. Henry realises that he will have to destroy Thomas in order to keep his kingdom. While kneeling in prayer at Canterbury Cathedral, Thomas is murdered. Henry finds that it is in death that T ho m a s h a s a c h ie v ed martyrdom and, from his grief, Henry vows to build their dream for England 1975 6 GLAMOROUS NIGHT (Revival) London run: New London Theatre, November 17th (8 Performances) Music: Ivor Novello Lyrics: Christopher Hassall Director: Alexander Bridge Cast: John Hanson (Anthony Allen), Pamela Field (Militza), Keith Bratt (King Stefan), Alexander Bridge (Baron Lydeff), Eileen Farrow (Phoebe), Maggie Beckit (Spirit of the Forest) Songs: Fold Your Wings, Shine Through My Dreams, When the Gypsy Played, Royal Wedding, Far Away in Shanty Town, Singing Waltz, Her Majesty Militza Story: The hugely improbable story tells of Anthony Allen who has invented a television system. The head of radio pays him handsomely to disappear and take his invention with him. He goes to the kingdom of Krasnia in Ruritania, where he meets the gipsy princess, Militza, who is about to marry the King Stefan of Krasnia. Anthony saves her life, falls in love, is almost killed himself, but gives up his love for Militza for the greater good of Krasnia. John Hanson Notes: The original London production had been at Drury Lane in May 1935, and the plot very much echoed the current state of affairs where the King of Rumania was willing to give up his throne for the love of a Romany actress, Mme Lupesco. When the film version was made in 1937 the abdication of King Edward VII because of his love for Wallis Simpson was even more relevant. This revival occupied an empty week at the New London Theatre as part of its nationwide tour. The London critics were very disparaging of John Hanson and his producer, Alexander Bridge. IPI TOMBI London run: Her Majesty’s Theatre , November 19th (16 months) Music: Bertha Egnos Godfrey Lyrics: Gail Lakier Director: Bertha Egnos Godfrey Choreographer: Sheila Wartski & Neil McKay Cast: Margaret Singana and South African company Credit Unknown Story: Ipi Tombi is an approximation of the Zulu phrase "where is the girl?" and tells the story of a young black man leaving his village and young wife to work in the mines of Johannesburg. Ipi Tombi Notes: Originally called “The Warrior”, it uses pastiches of a variety of South African indigenous musical styles, and had enjoyed major success in South Africa and Nigeria, and toured Europe, the United States and Canada to critical acclaim. Following this season in the West End, it also played Broadway.
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