Le monde des musicals

Version 1

La Cava (2000-06-Victoria Palace Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Victoria Palace Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 52 représentations
Première Preview : Monday 22 May 2000
Première : Thursday 08 June 2000
Dernière : Saturday 22 July 2000
Mise en scène : Steven Dexter •
Chorégraphie : Mitch Sebastian •
Producteur :
Avec : Oliver Tobias (King Roderic), Julie-Alanah Brighten (Florinda), David Bardsley (General Espatorias), Daniel Redmond (Somal), Paul Keating (Agon), Patrick Romer (Archbishop), Joshua Bancel (Tariq), Richard Woodford (Marcus), Marilyn Cutts, Luke Evans
Commentaires : Dana Broccoli was the widow of the legendary producer of the James Bond films, and a successful novelist in her own right. This lavishly funded production was magnificently staged with spectacular battle-scenes. The notices were mixed, though generally they tipped towards the view that the audience would certainly get its money’s worth and lovers of great romantic, spectacular over-blown epics would have a great night’s entertainment. After seven weeks at the Victoria Palace it transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre and finally closed after a total run of eight months, closing February 3rd, 2001
Presse : BRIAN LOGAN for TIME OUT says, 'La Cava' is actually rather good." He goes on to say, "Its songs aren't bland or saccharine; they can be witty or...vicious." He finishes by saying "A rollicking good yarn which deserves to succeed."

LISA MARTLAND for THE STAGE says, "There are those who probably could not wait for another victim to add to the current toll of musical turkeys, but this...might not be so easy to dismiss." She goes on to say, "Laurence O'Keefe and Stephen Keeling's music can be bland on occasion, but there are also some nice melodies.."

THE INDEPENDENT says, "Dana Broccoli's scenario began life as a novel, a form which thrives on endless complications. But on stage all that plot feels like two and a half hours of exposition. Broccoli and her composers and lyricists simply cannot turn it all into a satisfying musical scenario."

THE FINANCIAL TIMES says, "This strange event, based on the novel by Dana Broccoli (which in turn is based on historical events), is not dislikeable, just rather relentless. There are witty lines and comic moments, but they get swallowed up in the rising tide of passion and unremitting succession of events."

THE TIMES says, "On paper it promises more dramatic excitement than, say, Cats. But paper is paper and the stage the stage. La Cava is, as it turns out, far from the worst of the period musicals that have been clogging up the West End of late." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "Another day, another doomed musical. Yet of all the turkeys that have arrived on our stages recently, La Cava is the one I've enjoyed most. It's tosh, of course, but often surprisingly entertaining tosh, though the bovine stupidity of producers continues to baffle me."

THE EVENING STANDARD says, "The cast do their best with a cumbersome framework. Tobias is rugged enough while the likable Julia-Alanah Brighten makes a decent stab at evolving from teenybopper to seductress to her chastened denouement."

THE SUNDAY TIMES says, "Oliver Tobias brings quiet dignity to a woefully underwritten role."

Version 2

La Cava (2000-08-Piccadilly Theatre-London)

Type de série: Reprise
Théâtre: Piccadilly Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 5 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 192 représentations
Première Preview : Monday 21 August 2000
Première : Monday 21 August 2000
Dernière : Saturday 03 February 2001
Mise en scène : Steven Dexter •
Chorégraphie : Mitch Sebastian •
Producteur :
Avec : Oliver Tobias (King Roderic), Julie-Alanah Brighten (Florinda), David Bardsley (General Espatorias), Daniel Redmond (Somal), Paul Keating (Agon), Patrick Romer (Archbishop), Joshua Bancel (Tariq), Richard Woodford (Marcus), Marilyn Cutts, Luke Evans
Commentaires : Dana Broccoli was the widow of the legendary producer of the James Bond films, and a successful novelist in her own right. This lavishly funded production was magnificently staged with spectacular battle-scenes. The notices were mixed, though generally they tipped towards the view that the audience would certainly get its money’s worth and lovers of great romantic, spectacular over-blown epics would have a great night’s entertainment. After seven weeks at the Victoria Palace it transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre and finally closed after a total run of eight months, closing February 3rd, 2001
Presse : BRIAN LOGAN for TIME OUT says, 'La Cava' is actually rather good." He goes on to say, "Its songs aren't bland or saccharine; they can be witty or...vicious." He finishes by saying "A rollicking good yarn which deserves to succeed."

LISA MARTLAND for THE STAGE says, "There are those who probably could not wait for another victim to add to the current toll of musical turkeys, but this...might not be so easy to dismiss." She goes on to say, "Laurence O'Keefe and Stephen Keeling's music can be bland on occasion, but there are also some nice melodies.."

THE INDEPENDENT says, "Dana Broccoli's scenario began life as a novel, a form which thrives on endless complications. But on stage all that plot feels like two and a half hours of exposition. Broccoli and her composers and lyricists simply cannot turn it all into a satisfying musical scenario."

THE FINANCIAL TIMES says, "This strange event, based on the novel by Dana Broccoli (which in turn is based on historical events), is not dislikeable, just rather relentless. There are witty lines and comic moments, but they get swallowed up in the rising tide of passion and unremitting succession of events."

THE TIMES says, "On paper it promises more dramatic excitement than, say, Cats. But paper is paper and the stage the stage. La Cava is, as it turns out, far from the worst of the period musicals that have been clogging up the West End of late." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "Another day, another doomed musical. Yet of all the turkeys that have arrived on our stages recently, La Cava is the one I've enjoyed most. It's tosh, of course, but often surprisingly entertaining tosh, though the bovine stupidity of producers continues to baffle me."

THE EVENING STANDARD says, "The cast do their best with a cumbersome framework. Tobias is rugged enough while the likable Julia-Alanah Brighten makes a decent stab at evolving from teenybopper to seductress to her chastened denouement."

THE SUNDAY TIMES says, "Oliver Tobias brings quiet dignity to a woefully underwritten role."

Version 3

Lucky Stiff (1997-08-Bridewell Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original London
Théâtre: Bridewell Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre : 20 représentations
Première Preview : Thursday 28 August 1997
Première : Thursday 28 August 1997
Dernière : Saturday 20 September 1997
Mise en scène : Steven Dexter •
Chorégraphie : Mitch Sebastian •
Producteur :
Avec : Paul Baker (Harry Witherspoon), Frances Ruffelle (Annabel Glick), Tracie Bennett (Rita La Porta), Philip Cox ( Vinnie Di Ruzzio),
Alix Longman (Dominique), Nigel Williams, Bernard Tagliavini, Catherine Dyer, Paul Williams, James Nash (Tony Hendon)
Commentaires : Lucky Stiff premiered off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizon on April 1988 for a limited two week run. It subsequently was revived at various USA venues and received a British premiere in Lincoln in 1994. This West End production went down well with critics and audiences, and was felt to be one the rare occasions when a musical farce succeeded. (It is usually claimed that a farce needs non-stop pace and action, whereas songs in a show tend to slow down the action, making farces and musicals basically incompatible.)

Version 4

Rat Pack (The) (2009-09-Adelphi Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Adelphi Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 mois 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : Thursday 24 September 2009
Première : Thursday 24 September 2009
Dernière : Sunday 03 January 2010
Mise en scène : Mitch Sebastian •
Chorégraphie : Mitch Sebastian •
Producteur :
Avec : Louis Hoover, Stephen Rashbrook, Giles Terera, Darren Charles, Mark Adams, Nigel Casey, Sam Kane, Craig Els, Mark Haliday, Charlie Bull, Gracie Holdstock, Lizzy Hills, Lucy Holloway
Commentaires : Le thème du spectacle change à partir du 24 novembre 2009 pour devenir 'Christmas With The Rat Pack' …

Version 5

Romance Romance (1997-03-Gielgud Theatre-London)

Type de série: West End Transfer
Théâtre: Gielgud Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Flop
Durée : 1 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 54 représentations
Première Preview : Thursday 27 February 1997
Première : Tuesday 04 March 1997
Dernière : Saturday 19 April 1997
Mise en scène : Steven Dexter •
Chorégraphie : Mitch Sebastian •
Producteur :
Avec : Mark Adams (Alfred/Sam), Caroline O’Connor (Josefine/Monica), Linzi Hately, Michael Cantwell
Commentaires : This was a transfer (with mostly a new cast) of the much-praised fringe production at the Bridewell from the previous September. However, what had been delightful in the tiny Bridewell, now seemed “a balding musical on a low budget” in the West End. It ran for just over six weeks.

Version 6

Romance Romance (1997-03-Gielgud Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Bridewell Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : Friday 13 September 1996
Première : Friday 13 September 1996
Dernière : Saturday 05 October 1996
Mise en scène : Steven Dexter •
Chorégraphie : Mitch Sebastian •
Producteur :
Avec : Mark Adams (Alfred/Sam), Ria Jones (Josefine/Monica), Steve
Billingsley, Beth Robson, Tony Timberlake, Anne Wood
Commentaires : With both couples played by the same performers, this was much
praised as being reminiscent of Sondheim, elegant, intelligent and worthy
of transfer.
Il will be transfered (with mostly a new cast) to the Gielgud Theatre. However, what had been delightful in the tiny Bridewell, now seemed “a balding musical on a low budget” in the West End. It ran for just over six weeks.

Version 7

Tales my lover told me (1997-10-King's Head Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: King's Head Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : Friday 24 October 1997
Première : Friday 24 October 1997
Dernière : Tuesday 04 November 1997
Mise en scène : Chris Burgess •
Chorégraphie : Mitch Sebastian •
Producteur :
Commentaires : The story of three middle-aged, middle-class women and their erratic – but not very erotic – romances. Thricemarried Lesley works in an advertising agency and is James Stadden and Lindsay Danvers romancing David, a smooth travel writer; Jean’s boyfriend is an old university friend called Perry, a gauche northerner obsessed with his pet dog; and Laura, a former groupie who can’t quite kick the self-destructive habits of her youth, is enamoured of a charmless, drunken, violent biker called Steve. Wittily exploring the chattering classes’ fixation on relationships, it was described as a Sondheim-style metropolitan cocktail with a twist of Woody Allen. The 19 songs and cast of six were praised, along with the show itself, though the general reaction was the material itself was too lightweight to have much of an after-life.