Musical (1949)


Musique: Jule Styne
Paroles: Leo Robin
Livret: Anita Loos • Joseph Fields
Production à la création:

Version 4

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1998-07-Open Air Theatre Regent's Park-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : jeudi 23 juillet 1998
Première : jeudi 23 juillet 1998
Dernière : mardi 01 septembre 1998
Mise en scène : Ian Talbot
Chorégraphie : Lisa Kent
Producteur :
Avec : Sara Crowe (Lorelei Lee), Debby Bishop (Dorothy), Clive Rowe (Gus),
Harry Burton (Henry), Audrey Palmer (Ella), John Griffiths (Sir Francis
Beekman), Gary Raymond, Jeffrey Dench, Joanne Redman, Nova Skipp
Commentaires : Following its season in the Park, production did a UK tour.

Synopsis complet


The musical opened on Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 8, 1949 and closed September 15, 1951, after 740 performances. It was produced by Herman Levin and Oliver Smith, directed by John C. Wilson, and choreographed by Agnes de Mille, with vocal direction by Hugh Martin. Financial backers included Harold M. Esty, Jr.
The original cast featured: Carol Channing as Lorelei Lee, Yvonne Adair as Dorothy Shaw, Rex Evans as Sir Francis Beekman, Anita Alvarez as Gloria Stark, Eric Brotherson as Henry Spofford, Jack McCauley as Gus Esmond, George S. Irving as Josephus Gage, Irving Mitchell as Mr. Esmond Sr., Alice Pearce as Mrs. Ella Spofford, Reta Shaw as Lady Phyllis Beekman, June Kirby as Sun Bather.
Several well-known blonde actresses, including Betty Hutton, Jayne Mansfield (Carousel Theater, 1964), Mamie Van Doren, Barbara Eden (Florida, January 1999) and Morgan Fairchild, have starred in regional and summer stock productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes over the years.
The musical ran in the West End at the Princes Theatre, opening on August 20, 1962 for 223 performances, and featured Dora Bryan as Lorelei Lee, Anne Hart as Dorothy, and Bessie Love as Mrs. Ella Spofford.
A revised version entitled Lorelei opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on January 27, 1974, and ran for 320 performances. This production also starred Carol Channing, for which she received a Tony Award nomination, Best Actress in a Musical.
The Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut, revival ran in November 1994, and featured KT Sullivan as Lorelei Lee, Karen Prunzik as Dorothy Shaw, Jamie Ross as Josephus Gage, and Allen Fitzpatrick as Gus Esmond. The production transferred to Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on April 10, 1995 and closed on April 30, 1995 after 16 previews and 8 performances.
A concert staging of the musical was mounted as part of the "Discovering Lost Musicals" series directed and produced by Ian Marshall-Fisher at Barbican Cinema 1 in London in 1997, which featured Louise Gold as Lorelei Lee, Kim Criswell as Dorothy Shaw, and Dilys Laye as Mrs Ella Spofford. The Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London, production ran from July 23, 1998 through September 1, 1998, and featured Sara Crowe as Lorelei Lee and Debby Bishop as Dorothy. 42nd Street Moon theatre company, San Francisco, California, presented the musical in April 2004. Presented by the Encores series of Great American Musicals in Concert at the New York City Center May 5-12, 2012 with Megan Hilty as Lorelei Lee and Rachel York as Dorothy.


Act I
"Overture" - Orchestra
"It's High Time" - Dorothy Shaw and Ensemble
"Bye, Bye Baby" - Gus Esmond and Lorelei Lee
"I'm Just A Little Girl From Little Rock" - Lorelei Lee
Encore: "I'm Just A Little Girl From Little Rock" - Lorelei Lee
Dance Encore: "I'm Just A Little Girl From Little Rock" - Orchestra
"I Love What I'm Doing" - Dorothy Shaw
Dance: "I Love What I'm Doing" - Orchestra
"Just a Kiss Apart" - Henry Spofford
"Scherzo" (Gloria's Dance) - Orchestra
"It's Delightful Down in Chile" - Sir Francis Beekman, Lorelei Lee, Show Girls and Male Ensemble
"Sunshine" - Henry Spofford and Dorothy Shaw
"Park Scene" - Chorus and Dancers
"Pas De Deux" - Orchestra
"Sunshine (Reprise)" - Ensemble
"I'm A'Tingle, I'm A'Glow" - Josephus Gage
"You Say You Care" - Dorothy Shaw and Henry Spofford
"Finale Act I" ("I'm Just A Little Girl From Little Rock") - Lorelei Lee and Ensemble

Act II
"Entracte" - Orchestra
"Mamie is Mimi" - Gloria Stark, Coles and Atkins
"Coquette" - The Tenor and Show Girls
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" - Lorelei Lee
First Encore: "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" - Lorelei Lee
Second Encore: "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" - Lorelei Lee
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" - Lorelei Lee and Gus Esmond
"Homesick Blues" - Lorelei Lee, Dorothy Shaw, Gus Esmond, Henry Spofford, Mrs. Ella Spofford and Josephus Gage
"Keeping Cool with Coolidg" - Dorothy Shaw, Bill and Ensemble
"Button Up With Esmond" - Lorelei Lee, Show Girls and Ensemble
"Finale Act II" ("Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Bye, Bye Baby") - Lorelei Lee, Gus Esmond and Ensemble

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Carol Channing was to reprise her role as Lorelei in a London production in June 1952 to be produced by Jack Hylton. However, there were several factors that eventually cancelled the production: first, an application to reduce royalties and second, the length of Channing's engagement in the show balanced with her proposed starring in Can-Can. Hylton wanted Channing in the show for at least a year. Channing only wanted to stay for six months. That short of run couldn't allow Hylton to recoup and the plans were shelved.

The casting of the role of Lorelei caused many delays. Originally, Judy Holliday was approached early in the show's development. Later, June Havoc and Betty Hutton were both asked to play Lorelei. The production team was reluctant to cast any of the other roles until Lorelei, the pivotal role, was cast. But by the beginning of August, time was running out. Rehearsals were set to begin on August 22, no cast was in place, and stars were unwilling to commit to the show. To stay on schedule for the Broadway opening and keep the tryout dates, the producers signed Carol Channing. Channing was not as big a star as the other three actresses considered, but she had been thrust into the limelight after her turn in the hit revue Lend an Ear the year before.
Because of this delay, rehearsals were pushed back by a month and the tryout dates were rescheduled as well.

Gower Champion was asked to choreograph but the job eventually fell to Agnes de Mille. Martha Wright was mentioned for Dorothy (Yvonne Adair would take the role). Mark Dawson was mentioned for Gus (eventually filled by Jack McCauley).

Rehearsals began on October 17, 1949 (delayed after casting and financial troubles). There was a three-week tryout in Philadelphia (theatre unknown) beginning on November 14. Originally, there was to have been a one-week run in New Haven followed by three weeks in Philadelphia. But after casting troubles caused one round of delays and troubles raising money caused more, the New Haven run was scrapped.

The production was budgeted at $200,000. Among the backers were Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers, Joshua Logan, Leland Hayward and Billy Rose.
Equity refused Agnes de Mille's request to rehearse dancers an extra week. She was so insistent that this was needed that she was willing to pay the rehearsal expenses out of her own pocket.

Paramount was able to share the proceeds of the film rights to the show because it controlled the screen rights to Anita Loos's play, on which the musical was based.
The advance prior to opening was $250,000 from 46 theatre parties (39 of which were for the entire capacity of the Ziegfeld Theare). Among the theatre parties were:
December 13, 1949 - New York City Hospital Visiting Committee of the State Charities Aid Association
December 15, 1949 - fund-raiser for the Homemaker Service of the Children's Aid Society
Prior to opening, 32 records of songs had been made by various record companies.


Version 1

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949-12-Ziegfield Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Original
Théâtre: Ziegfield Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 1 an 9 mois 1 semaine
Nombre : 740 représentations
Première Preview : jeudi 08 décembre 1949
Première : jeudi 08 décembre 1949
Dernière : samedi 15 septembre 1951
Mise en scène : John C. Wilson
Chorégraphie : Agnès de Mille
Producteur :
Avec : Lorelei Lee ... Carol Channing / Dorothy Shaw ... Yvonne Adair / Henry Spofford ... Eric Brotherson / Sir Francis Beekman ... Rex Evans / Gloria Stark ... Anita Alvarez / Josephus Gage ... George S. Irving / Robert Lemanteur ... Mort Marshall / Gus Esmond ... Jack McCauley / Mr. Esmond, Sr. ... Irving Mitchell / Louis Lemanteur ... Howard Morris

Version 2

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1962-08-Prince's Theatre-London)

Type de série: Original London
Théâtre: Shaftesbury Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 2 mois 2 semaines
Nombre : 223 représentations
Première Preview : lundi 20 août 1962
Première : lundi 20 août 1962
Dernière : mercredi 07 novembre 1962
Mise en scène : Henry Kaplan
Chorégraphie : Ralph Beaumont
Producteur :
Avec : Dorothy Shaw ... Anne Hart / Lorelei Lee ... Dora Bryan / Gus Esmond ... Donald Stewart / Sir Francis Beekman ... Guy Middleton / Lady Beekman ... Totti Truman Taylor / Mrs. Ella Spofford ... Bessie Love / Henry Spofford ... David Morton / Josephus Gage ... Michael Malnick / Robert Lemanteur ... John Heawood / Louis Lemanteur ... Michael Ashlin
Commentaires longs: Transféré au Strand Theatre (le Novello Theatre) le 7/11/1962

Version 3

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1995-04-Lyceum Theatre-Broadway)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Lyceum Theatre (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée : 2 semaines
Nombre : 16 previews - 24 représentations
Première Preview : mardi 28 mars 1995
Première : lundi 10 avril 1995
Dernière : dimanche 30 avril 1995
Mise en scène : Charles Repole
Chorégraphie : Michael Lichtefeld
Producteur :
Avec : Lorelei Lee ... KT Sullivan / Dorothy Shaw ... Karen Prunzik / Henry Spofford ... George Dvorsky / Sir Francis Beekman ... David Ponting / Josephus Gage ... Jamie Ross / Gus Esmond ... Allen Fitzpatrick / Mr. Esmond, Sr. ... Dick Decareau / Mrs. Ella Spofford ... Susan Rush / Lady Phyllis Beekman ... Carol Swarbrick

Version 4

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1998-07-Open Air Theatre Regent's Park-London)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 1 mois 1 semaine
Nombre :
Première Preview : jeudi 23 juillet 1998
Première : jeudi 23 juillet 1998
Dernière : mardi 01 septembre 1998
Mise en scène : Ian Talbot
Chorégraphie : Lisa Kent
Producteur :
Avec : Sara Crowe (Lorelei Lee), Debby Bishop (Dorothy), Clive Rowe (Gus),
Harry Burton (Henry), Audrey Palmer (Ella), John Griffiths (Sir Francis
Beekman), Gary Raymond, Jeffrey Dench, Joanne Redman, Nova Skipp
Commentaires : Following its season in the Park, production did a UK tour.

Version 5

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (2012-05-New York City Center) Encores

Type de série: Concert
Théâtre: New York City Center (Broadway - Etats-Unis)
Durée :
Nombre : 7 représentations
Première Preview : mercredi 09 mai 2012
Première : mercredi 09 mai 2012
Dernière : dimanche 13 mai 2012
Mise en scène : John Rando
Chorégraphie : Randy Skinner
Producteur :
Avec : Lorelei Lee ... Megan Hilty / Dorothy Shaw ... Rachel York / Gus Esmond, Jr. ... Clarke Thorell / Sir Francis Beekman ... Simon Jones / Mrs. Ella Spofford ... Deborah Rush / Henry Spofford ... Aaron Lazar / Josephus Gage ... Stephen R. Buntrock / Gloria Stark ... Megan Sikora

Version 6

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (2019-10-Union TheatreLondon)

Type de série: Revival
Théâtre: Union Theatre (Londres - Angleterre)
Durée : 3 semaines
Nombre :
Première Preview : mercredi 02 octobre 2019
Première : mercredi 02 octobre 2019
Dernière : samedi 26 octobre 2019
Mise en scène : Sasha Regan
Chorégraphie : Zak Nemorin
Producteur :
Avec : Abigayle Honeywill(Lorelei Lee), Eleanor Lakin (Dorothy Shaw), Freddie King (Henry Spofford), George Lennan (Josephus Gage), Virge Gilchrist (Mrs Spofford), Tom Murphy (Sir Francis Beekman), Aaron Bannister-Davies (Gus Esmond), Maria Mosquera (Lady Phyllis Beekman), Ashlee Young (Gloria Stark), Liam Dean, Patrick Cook, Lewis Rimmer, Arran Bell, Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Jo Bird, Stephen Loriot, Jasmine Davis, Florence Beaumont

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