Le monde des musicals

Version 1

Call Me Madam (1983-05-Victoria Palace Theatre-Londres)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Victoria Palace Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois
Nombre :
Première Preview : Inconnu
Première : Monday 14 March 1983
Dernière : Saturday 14 May 1983
Mise en scène : Roger Redfarn •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Noele Gordon (Sally Adams), Basil Hoskins (Cosmo), William Relton (Ken Gibson), Veronica Page (Princess Maria), Christopher Marlowe, David Alder, Bruce Morrison

Version 2

Dear anyone (1983-11-Cambridge Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Cambridge Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois
Nombre : 65 représentations
Première Preview : Inconnu
Première : Tuesday 08 November 1983
Dernière : Saturday 07 January 1984
Mise en scène : David Taylor •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Jane Laportaire (Mercedes), Peter Blake (Danny), Stubby Kaye (Harry), Stephanie Voss (Mildred), Ian Burford, Tracie Hart, Richard Kates, Buster Skeggs

Version 3

Goodbye Girl (The) (1997-04-Noel Coward Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original London
Théâtre: Noel Coward Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois 1 semaine
Nombre : 84 représentations
Première Preview : Monday 14 April 1997
Première : Thursday 17 April 1997
Dernière : Saturday 28 June 1997
Mise en scène : Rob Bettinson •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Ann Crumb (Paula), Gary Wilmot (Elliot Garfield), Lucy Evans/Dina Tree (Lucy), Shezwae Powell (Mrs Crosby), Michael Mears, Josefina Gabrieli, Cliff Brayshaw
Commentaires : In 1977 this began life as a Neil Simon movie for which Richard Dreyfuss won an Oscar as the unfortunate off-Broadway actor forced into an all-gay “Richard III”. In 1993 it was turned into a glitzy Broadway musical with Bernadette Peters and Martin Short, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by David Zippel. It closed after 188 performances and a series of negative reviews describing it as “old-fashioned and lacking in plot”. The London version was a completely new revision - with the original songs thrown out, and seven new songs added with a different lyricist - this time Don Black. However, despite all the changes and almost unanimous praise for Gary Wilmot, the critics found the whole thing sugary sweet, predictable, winsome, far too sentimental and not worth the trouble. It ran for just ten weeks.
Presse : BILL HAGERTY in the THE NEWS OF THE WORLD review agrees, he says " ...scintillating, Ann Crumb and Gary Wilmot, at his versatile best, are perfectly charming..", however he does go on to say the production "has no bite, and rarely moving, either".

JANE EDWARDS in the TIME OUT review partly agrees , she says " Wilmot's a star; the rest's a sham."

NICHOLAS DE JONGH in the EVENING STANDARD review says of the scenes when Gary Wilmot has to play the role of King Richard III as a gay transvestite, " ..rise to unfunny heights of grossness, stupidity and sheer offensiveness". I don't agree with him on this, I thought the scene was hilarious and was in tone with the rest of the show.

Version 4

Jolson the musical (1995-10-Victoria Palace Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Victoria Palace Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 an 4 mois 4 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : Saturday 21 October 1995
Première : Thursday 26 October 1995
Dernière : Saturday 22 March 1997
Mise en scène : Rob Bettinson •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Brian Conley (Al Jolson), Sally Ann Triplett (Ruby Keeler), John Bennett (Louis Epstein), John Conroy (Frankie Holmes), Brian Greene (Lee Shubert), Gareth Williams (Harry Cohn), David Bacon (Sam Warner)
Commentaires : This was a complete triumph for Brian Conley, and there was much praise for Sally Ann Triplett in her first major West End role. There was one number in black-face, potentially controversial, though ironically in the same theatre where the Black & White Minstrels had reigned for some ten years!

Version 5

Scrooge The Musical (1996-11-Dominion Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Dominion Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : Tuesday 12 November 1996
Première : Tuesday 12 November 1996
Dernière : Saturday 01 February 1997
Mise en scène : Tudor Davies •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Anthony Newley (Scrooge), Richard Shelton {Young Scrooge), Tom Watt (Bob Crate hit), John Faal/Jamie Meyer (Tiny Tim), Stephen Earle (Jacob Marley), Felicity Soper (Christmas Past), David Alder (Christmas Present), Martin Hibbert (Christmas Yet to Come)
Commentaires : This was a touring production in London for the Christmas season. It was felt to be a poor musical, but a jolly enough Christmas pageant. Most of the critics managed to come out with “Bah, humbug!”

Version 6

Stepping out - the musical (1997-10-Albery Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Noel Coward Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 4 mois
Nombre : 142 représentations
Première Preview : Wednesday 08 October 1997
Première : Tuesday 28 October 1997
Dernière : Saturday 28 February 1998
Mise en scène : Julia McKenzie •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Liz Robertson (Mavis), Colin Wakefield (Geoffrey), Helen Bennett (Sylvia), Sharon D Clarke (Rose), Rachel Spry (Lynne), Carolyn Pickles (Vera), Barbara Young (Maxine), Helen Cotterill (Dorothy), Gwendolyn Watts (Mrs Fraser)
Commentaires : The critic, Sheridan Morley, described it as the perfect British antidote to “A Chorus Line”. Where the Broadway show was all about the desperation to succeed at all showbiz costs, the British version is about the quieter pleasures of failure and inefficiency, and the joys of pulling together.
Presse : CHARLES SPENCER of THE DAILY TELEGRAPH described the musical as " Glib and mawkish" and "Underpowered".

THE SUNDAY TIMES described the music as " Sub-Sondheimish" that does not add much to the show.

NICK CURTIS of THE EVENING STANDARD says the show is " low-key, low-brow entertainment."

SARA ABDULLA of TIME OUT disliked the music immensely saying Stepping Out has been saddled with music and lyrics "plumb butt-clenching depths of banality."

BILL HAGERTY of THE NEWS OF THE WORLD liked the show saying "Step lively for an uplifting evening."

BEN DOWELL for THE STAGE says, " Though rather amateurish, this show grows on you."

Version 7

Tommy (1979-02-Queen's Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Sondheim Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée :
Nombre : 118 représentations
Première Preview : Inconnu
Première : Tuesday 06 February 1979
Dernière : Inconnu
Mise en scène : Paul Tomlinson •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Allan Love (Tommy), Anna Nicholas (Acid Queen), Peter Straker (Narrator), Kevin Williams (Cousin Kevin), Sue Bond (Nurse), Steve Devereaux (Lover), Bob Grant (Uncle Ernie)
Commentaires : This was the first West End stage presentation of the smash-hit 1967 recording. A concert version was given at the Rainbow Theatre in 1972, a stage version had played in America, and Ken Russell directed a film version starring Roger Daltrey in 1975. That same year a fully-staged production was produced at Derby Playhouse. An expanded version was staged by the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch in 1978 and it was this latest version that came into London. However, with its confused messages of biblical and rock-drug references, and the absence of its original pop heroes, it received poor notices and managed just a three month run.

Version 8

Underneath the Arches (1982-03-Prince of Wales Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Prince of Wales Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 an 2 mois 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : Inconnu
Première : Thursday 04 March 1982
Dernière : Saturday 28 May 1983
Mise en scène : Roger Redfarn •
Chorégraphie : Tudor Davies •
Producteur :
Avec : Roy Hudd (Bud Flanagan), Christopher Timothy {Chesney Allen), Julia Sutton {Florrie Forde), Joe Black, Peter Glaze, Tommy Godfrey, Billy Gray, Don Smoothey (The Crazy Gang)
Commentaires : The production originated at the Chichester Festival Theatre.