Musical (1961)


Musique: Sammy Fain
Paroles: Paul Francis Webster
Livret: Charles K. Freeman
Production à la création:

We are in the wild, lusty, warm and humorous Old West of Deadwood City, Dakota Territory, 1876. Our story tells of famed Calamity Jane who dresses, rides and shoots like a man, but given the proper chance can be a beautiful girl who hankers for the love of a man. The man may be dashing Lt. Danny Gilmartin or the justly famed Wild Bill Hickok.
Fuss-budget Henry Miller, owner of Deadwood's hotel-bar-theatre, nervously awaits the arrival of the lovely eastern actress, Frances Fryer, to embellish his show. His niece, Susan, assures him that Calamity will bring the stagecoach to town on time. And so Calamity does to the sharp and singable beat of Deadwood Stage. But the "actress" turns out to be a young man, "Francis" and not "Frances" of the hoped-for opposite sex.
The show must go on, and "Millie" contrives to dress Fryer as a woman, but when the latter's wig falls off during the show, the local characters rise in noisy anger. Only Calam's trusty pistol restores order; also her promise that "Millie," to make amends, will import to Deadwood the east's most glamorous star, Adelaid Adams herself. The men are overjoyed, but Will Bill, Lt. Danny Gilmartin and "Millie" know full well that Adelaid Adams wouldn't be caught dead in Deadwood.
Calam, after a rip-roaring song-battle with Wild Bill expressed in I Can Do Without You, storms out headed for Chicago.
Calam mistakes Adelaid's maid, Katie Brown, for the great actress herself. Before she is aware of it, she is stage-coaching Katie back to Deadwood where Katie is greeted in high excitement as the famed Adelaid Adams.
Unnerved by Fryer when he becomes aware of her true identity, Katie breaks down at the opening show, and only Calam's masterful control of the audience saves the day. Bucked up by Calam, Susan and Fryer, Katie gives a show-stopping performance. All of Deadwood's hearts are won, not the least being the hearts of Danny and Wild Bill.
After a ball given in honor of the new commander at Fort Scully, Calam, dressed in Katie's finery, is the belle of the event. Her hour of triumph explodes when she finds Katie with Danny. In a fit of jealous anger she orders Katie to leave town, but Wild Bill corners her and reveals to the inner Calam that she is a real woman despite the fact she professes to act like a man. She learns that it was Bill all the time (not Danny) she loved. Her realization is expressed in the hauntingly lovely Secret Love which won an Academy Award.
CALAMITY JANE closes joyously with all of Deadwood's citizens attending a double wedding, that of Calam to Wild Bill and Katie to Lt. Danny Gilmartin. Two wonderfully humorous ballets and such numbers as Windy City, A Woman's Touch, Black Hills of Dakota, Adelaid and Higher Than A Hawk make CALAMITY JANE one of the most rewarding school and community group productions.

1 Calamity Jane s'intéresse à un personnage historique important: Calamity Jane.


Based on the 1953 film starring Doris Day and the screenplay by James O'Hanlon.


Acte I
Overture
The Deadwood Stage
Careless With the Truth*
Adelaide*
Everyone Complains About the Weather*
Men!*
Can-Can*
A Hive Full of Honey
I Can Do Without You
It's Harry I'm Planning to Marry
Windy City
Keep it Under Your Hat
Careless With the Truth (Reprise)*

Acte II
Entracte
A Woman's Touch
Higher Than a Hawk
The Black Hills of Dakota
Love You Dearly*
Secret Love
Finale Ultimo

Songs specifically added for the stage musical are denoted with *

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Calamity Jane

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Calamity Jane

The additional songs were also used in the original summer tours and subsequently in amateur productions.
The stage version has been somewhat more successful in the U.K., where it has had several professional productions.


Version 1

Calamity Jane (1961-06-The Muny-St Louis)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: The Muny (St Louis - Etats-Unis)
Durée :
Nombre :
Première Preview : 12 June 1961
Première: 21 June 1961
Dernière: Inconnu
Mise en scène : ???? ????
Chorégraphie : ???? ????
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Calamity Jane ... Edie Adams / Wild Bill Hickock ... George Gaynes / Katie Brown ... Allyn Ann McLerie / Lt. Danny Gilmartin ... Nolan Van Way / Susie ... April Shawhan / Prospector ... Charles Sherwood / Francis Fryer ... Lou Wills, Jr. / Rattlesnake ... Joseph Cusanelli / Dancer ... Bill Bradley

Version 2

Calamity Jane (1994-11-Haymarket Theatre-Londres)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Haymarket Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : Inconnu
Première: 22 November 1994
Dernière: 28 January 1995
Mise en scène : Paul Kerryson
Chorégraphie : David Needham
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Calamity Jane ... Louise Gold / Wild Bill Hickock ... Ricco Ross / Katie Brown ... Liz Izen / Lt. Danny Gilmartin ... Hal Fowler / Adelaide Adams ... Nicole Carty / Henry Miller ... James Head / Rattlesnake ... Alan Mosley / Francis Fryer ... James Duke / Peter ... Alan Mosley / Hank ... Phillip Alden
Presse : "Full marks to Louise Gold in the title role and Ricco Ross as Wild Bill Hickock. Their playing of the central characters is more than enough to dispel any memories of Doris Day and Howard Keel." "From the aspect of songs it's a woman's musical, not only is there Gold as the larger than life Calamity but also Liz Izen as Katie Brown, giving audiences full value for their money." Quentin Clark, THE STAGE
"Louise just blazed through it, demolishing everyone else in it! The audience adored her." Peter Gannaway, WORDS AND MUSIC
“As the tough tender-hearted tomboy, Louise Gold is strong and charismatic enough to avoid comparison with Doris Day.” Liz Gilbey, THE LEICESTER MERCURY, Wednesday 23 November 1994, p41

Version 3

Calamity Jane (1996-05-Sadler's Wells Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Sadler's Wells (Londres - Angleterre)
Salle : Theatre
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 23 May 1996
Première: 23 May 1996
Dernière: 15 June 1996
Mise en scène : Paul Kerryson
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Gemma Craven (Calamity Jane), Stephen McGann (Wild Bill Hickok), Stuart Pendred (Lieutenant Danny Martin), Nicole Carty (Adelaide Adams), Grace Kinirons (Katie Brown), James Gavin (Francis Fryer)
Commentaires : This season at Sadler’s Wells was part of national tour. Gemma Craven received a lot of praise, but it was felt the scenery and staging was not up to London standards.

Version 4

Calamity Jane (2003-06-Shaftesbury Theatre-Londres)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Shaftesbury Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)

Durée : 2 mois 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : 12 June 2003
Première: 26 June 2003
Dernière: 20 September 2003
Mise en scène : Ed Curtis
Chorégraphie : Craig Revel Horwood
Producteur :
Star(s) :
Avec: Cast: Toyah Wilcox (Calamity Jane), Michael Cornish (Wild Bill Hickok), Garry Kilby (Lieutenant Danny Martin), Emma Dodd (Adelaide Adams), Kellie Ryan (Katie Brown), Phil Ormerod (Francis Fryer), Duncan Smith (Henry Miller)
Commentaires : This was a touring production which had originated at Northampton Theatre, and had been on the road for some nine months before coming into London.
During its tour Toyah Wilcox caused some disappointment to her fans and discontent among some provincial managers when she suddenly left the show to appear in “I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here”. However, the extra publicity from the television show persuaded the powers-that-be to bring the show into the West End. It was criticised for its touring scenery, and inevitably Toyah Wilcox was compared unfavourably to Doris Day in the film version, but all in all her performance was mostly praised, though the show itself had a luke-warm reception.
Presse : MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "The show's saving graces are Sammy Fain's score and Craig Revel Horwood's choreography."

BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE for THE TIMES says, "She [Toyah Willcox ] is the bubbling epicentre of Ed Curtis’s relentlessly larky production."

PAUL TAYLOR for THE INDEPENDENT says, "Hit-and-miss."

PATRICK MARMION for TIME OUT says, "Toyah Willcox is horribly miscast as Calamity."

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