Le monde des musicals

Version 1

Human Comedy (The) (1983-12-Public Theatre Anspacher-Off Broadway)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Public Theatre - Anspacher (Broadway (Off) - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 4 mois 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : Wednesday 28 December 1983
Première : Wednesday 28 December 1983
Dernière : Friday 04 May 1984
Mise en scène : Wilford Leach •
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Avec : Ulysses ... Josh Blake / Helen ... Anne Marie Bobby / Mr. Grogan ... Gordon Connell / Thief ... Christopher Edmonds / Miss Hicks ... Laurie Franks / Diana Steed ... Leata Galloway / Homer ... Stephen Geoffreys / Beautiful Music ... Delores Hall / Trainman ... David Johnson (i) / Voice of Matthew & Marcus ... Don Kehr

Version 2

Human Comedy (The) (1984-03-Royale Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Original Broadway
Théâtre: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Flop
Durée : 1 semaine
Nombre : 20 previews - 13 représentations
Première Preview : Tuesday 20 March 1984
Première : Thursday 05 April 1984
Dernière : Sunday 15 April 1984
Mise en scène : Wilford Leach •
Chorégraphie :
Producteur :
Avec : Homer Macauley ... Stephen Geoffreys / Mr. Grogan ... Gordon Connell / Spangler ... Rex Smith / Diana Steed ... Leata Galloway / Mrs. Kate Macauley ... Bonnie Koloc / Marcus Macauley ... Don Kehr / Bess Macauley ... Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio / Ulysses Macauley ... Josh Blake / Mary Arena ... Caroline Peyton / Tobey ... Joseph Kolinski
Commentaires : Like Hair and A Chorus Line before it, The Human Comedy garnered reviews favorable enough to prompt Papp to transfer it a larger, uptown Broadway house. After twenty previews, with its downtown director and cast intact, it opened on April 5, 1984 at the Royale Theatre, where it ran for only 13 performances. The general reaction being this was more an oratorio for the concert platform rather than a conventional theatre.

Frank Rich's critique of the original production had been positive, but New York Times policy prohibited re-reviewing shows unless they were changed substantially, so his earlier comments were overshadowed by those damaging ones made more recently by Clive Barnes, among others. The general consensus was that The Human Comedy, with its intimate story staged in a semi-oratorio style with no scenery save for rear projections used to define each scene's locale, was not suited for a large venue with a conventional proscenium stage. Following Dude and Via Galactica, it was MacDermot's third critical and commercial failure, and proved to be his last attempt at a Broadway musical.

Version 3

Mystery of Edwin Drood (The) (1985-12-Imperial Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Imperial Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 1 an 5 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 24 previews - 608 représentations
Première Preview : Tuesday 12 November 1985
Première : Monday 02 December 1985
Dernière : Saturday 16 May 1987
Mise en scène : Wilford Leach •
Chorégraphie : Graciela Daniele •
Producteur :
Avec : George Rose (Mayor Thomas Sapsea / Your Chairman, Mr. William Cartwright), Howard McGillin (John Jasper / Clive Paget), George N. Martin (Rev. Mr. Crisparkle / Cedric Moncrieffe), Betty Buckley (Edwin Drood / Alice Nutting), Jana Schneider (Helena Landless / Janet Conover), John Herrera (Neville Landless / Victor Grinstead), Jerome Dempsey (Durdles / Nick Cricker), Cleo Laine (Princess Puffer / Angela Prysock), Joe Grifasi (Servant (Philip Bax)), Peter McRobbie (Stage Manager, Barkeep, Harold / James Throttle
Commentaires : During the Broadway run the title was changed to Drood, primarily for publicity purposes.

Version 4

Mystery of Edwin Drood (The) (1987-05-Savoy Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original London
Théâtre: Savoy Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois 4 semaines
Nombre : 68 représentations
Première Preview : Thursday 07 May 1987
Première : Thursday 07 May 1987
Dernière : Saturday 04 July 1987
Mise en scène : Wilford Leach •
Chorégraphie : Graciela Daniele •
Producteur :
Avec : Ernie Wise (Chairman/ William Cartwright), Lulu (Princess Puffer/Angela Prysock) , Julia Hills (Edwin Drood/Alice Nutting), Kevin Ranson (Stage Manager/ James Throttle), David Burt (John Jasper/Clive Paget), Paul Bentley, Martin Wimbush, Amanda Dainty
Commentaires : The 1985 Broadway production with Betty Buckley and Cleo Laine ran for 608 performances and picked up four Tony Awards, and yet the London version was a flop.

Version 5

Pirates of Penzance (The) (1982-05-Drury Lane Theatre-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Drury Lane Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 an 5 mois
Nombre :
Première Preview : Inconnu
Première : Wednesday 26 May 1982
Dernière : Saturday 29 October 1983
Mise en scène : Wilford Leach •
Chorégraphie : Graciela Daniele •
Producteur :
Avec : Tim Curry (Pirate King), Pamela Stephenson (Mabel), George Cole (Major General), Michael Praed (Frederic), Annie Ross (Ruth), Bonnie Langford, Louise Gold
Commentaires : This was based on Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival Production. It was a completely “new” look at the show - a kind of Broadway version of G&S - and received excellent notices for its exuberance and sheer fun (without straying too far from the original!)
It ran for 17 months, finishing on October 29th, 1983