Le monde des musicals

0001 - Boy Friend (The) (1954)

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Musique: Sandy Wilson •
Paroles: Sandy Wilson •
Livret: Sandy Wilson •
Production originale:
13 versions mentionnées

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Dispo: Résumé  Synopsis  Génèse  Liste chansons  

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Genèse: London The musical was first performed in London in 1953. It opened at the Players' Theatre Club on April 14, 1953, and reopened in an expanded version on October 13. It transferred for a short season to the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage and then opened at Wyndham's Theatre in the West End on January 14, 1954. The light, tuneful piece proved immensely popular with the British public and ran for more than five years, a total of 2,082 performances. The principal role of Polly Browne was to have been played by Diana Maddox, who fell sick on the afternoon of the final dress rehearsal. Anne Rogers (at that point playing a minor role) volunteered to take over, having learnt the role on her own. The show opened the following evening and made an overnight star of Rogers, who stayed with the production through its expanded versions to the triumphant West End first night at Wyndham's. In 1995, on its 40th anniversary, the musical returned to The Players' Theatre in London in a new production that was as near a reproduction of the original as possible. It was directed by Maria Charles, who had played the original Dulcie. The choreography was by Geoffrey Webb who was also in the original production. It was originally planned that the choreography would be done by Larry Drew, the original Bobby van Husen, but he died suddenly during the early planning stages of the production. Set design was by Disley Jones who was responsible for the hat designs in the original production. Among the cast were Gemma Page, Oliver Hickey, Sophie Louise Dann and John Rutland (in his original role as Lord Brockhurst). Following its success at the Players' it went on a nationwide tour and was very successful. A production played in 2006 at the Open Air Theatre at Regent's Park, London. This also proved to be a highly acclaimed production, and was revived during the Open Air Theatre's 2007 season. The Boy Friend is the chosen title for the Showtime Challenge 2011 at Her Majesty's Theatre, London, to be produced by Eyebrow Productions. Rehearsals take place over a 48 hour period immediately prior to the performance on Sunday 8 May, and all proceeds go to The Prince's Foundation for Children and The Arts. Broadway The Boy Friend opened on Broadway at the Royale Theatre on September 30, 1954 and closed on November 26, 1955 after 485 performances. Starring was newcomer Julie Andrews in her Broadway debut as Polly, with a cast including John Hewer, Geoffrey Hibbert, Dilys Laye, Bob Scheerer, Stella Claire, Ann Wakefield, Millicent Martin and Moyna MacGill. Some of them had connections with The Players' Theatre in London, but only Wakefield had actually appeared in the show's London production (in the very first run at the Players'). For the Broadway opening, veteran orchestrator Ted Royal and jazzman Charles L. Cooke contributed period authenticity to the 1920 arrangements. In her Broadway debut Andrews received the Theatre World Award. She was "discovered" by My Fair Lady producers during her appearance in this play, prompting her casting in the lead in that production, catapulting her to fame on Broadway (and beyond) in the following years. A revival directed by Gus Schirmer opened on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre on April 14, 1970, and ran for 111 performances. Starring were Judy Carne as Polly, Sandy Duncan as Maisie, Ronald Young as Tony, Jeanne Beauvais as Madame Dubonnet, Leon Shaw as Percival Browne, Simon McQueen as Dulcie, Harvey Evans as Bobby Van Husen, David Vaughn as Lord Brockhurst, Barbara Andres as Hortense, Marie Paxton as Lady Brockhurst, Lesley Secombe and Mary Zahn. Duncan received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance as well as a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Résumé: Madame Dubonnet's finishing school, near Nice, could exist only in musical comedy. The charming young pupils burst into song at the least provocation, and forbidden boy friends are forever popping through the french windows to make up the numbers. Polly Browne is too rich to be allowed a boy friend. Tony, for whom she falls, turns out to be the Hon. Tony Brockhurst, which is very lucky, because Polly thought he was just a delivery boy. Written in the fifties as "a new musical of the twenties", this is still the most successful, tuneful and witty of the send-up musicals, which ape the style of earlier, lighter-hearted and more disarming days.

Création: 14/1/1954 - Charing Cross Theatre (Londres) - 2084 représ.

0002 - Divorce Me, Darling! (1965)

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Musique: Sandy Wilson •
Paroles: Sandy Wilson •
Livret: Sandy Wilson •
Production originale:
0 version mentionnée

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Dispo: Résumé  Synopsis  Génèse  Liste chansons  

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Genèse: Divorce Me, Darling ran for 91 performances at London's Globe Theatre in 1965. It had its U.S. premiere at the Arena Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, Texas, in 1984. It played at the Chichester Festival Theatre in July 1997, featuring Ruthie Henshall as Polly. It is still occasionally revived at both an amateur and professional level, sometimes as a double bill with The Boy Friend.

Résumé: Divorce Me, Darling! is a nostalgic and amusing take-off of the musical comedies of the 1930s and a sequel to the technique used in The Boy Friend for the 1920s. The charming young pupils of Mme Dubonnet's finishing school who married their respective "boy friends" now come together again after ten years of marriage at the Hotel du Paradis in Nice. But the initial euphoria of married life has worn off and as they sing and dance their way through some catchy numbers events are misconstrued and partners change until everyone wants a divorce. The situation is finally taken in hand by Mme Dubonnet, alias Madame K the cabaret singer, and her long-lost husband Percy. Having saved the President's life, Percy is reunited with Mme Dubonnet and this sets the trend, nature doing the rest. As the "girls" return to their husbands each makes the startling announcement that there are several more happy events pending!

Création: //1965 - Gielgud Theatre (Londres) - représ.