Le monde des musicals

Set in Poland during 1942, a group of actors in the Warsaw Ghetto stage plays to inspire hope and optimism within their community. However, with rumours of the Final Solution in the air, their play merges with the reality they are trying to escape and a dramatic love story unfolds.

1 Imagine this peut-être considéré comme un Flop musical

2 Imagine this s'intéresse à un événement historique important: Siège du Ghetto de Varsovie.

Israeli composer Levy had long nurtured an interest in writing a show about the siege at Masada around 70 CE. He took the music that he had written for the subject to television writer Berenbeim, who resisted the idea, particularly the mass suicide ending of the historical story. But then he decided that the story could work as a play-within-a-play about actors in the Warsaw Ghetto. He told The Times, "I was suddenly interested in the story for its metaphorical value, not its robes and sandals."
Goldsmith joined the team, relishing the chance to write for the serious story.

After a tryout at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth in July 2007, the musical opened in the West End at the New London Theatre on 19 November 2008, following previews from 4 November 2008. It closed on 20 December 2008. Directed by Timothy Sheader, with choreography by Liam Steel, the cast featured Peter Polycarpou and Leila Benn Harris.

An Original London Cast Recording was released through Dress Circle in the UK. A DVD of the London production was also released.

The filmed version of the West End production aired throughout 2010 on PBS stations in over 40 markets in the United States, as part of their pledge drives and regular programming. It was broadcast with a panel discussion moderated by Neal Gabler, which included director Timothy Sheader, cast members Peter Polycarpou, Sarah Ingram and Roy Litvin, and Holocaust scholar Thane Rosenbaum.

Prologue - Warsaw 1939-1942The Last Day of Summer — Rebecca, Daniel and Company

Act I
Warsaw 1942
Imagine This — Daniel and Company

Jerusalem/Masada 70CE
Masada Prologue — Rebels
Rufus's Letter to Caesar — Rufus
Free (Jerusalem Sequence) — Rebels
When he looked in my eyes — Tamar

Rome, Imperial Palace
Salome's Lament — Salome, Slave girls, Roman soldiers
When I looked in her eyes — Silva
No More — Pompey

Masada - Several Months Later
Free (Reprise) — Rebels
Rebels' Prayer — Tamar, Naomi and Rebels
Masada — Eleazar, Tamar, Rebels
Hail — Silva, Tamar, Roman Soldiers
I am the dove — Naomi and Tamar
Hail (Reprise) — Silva
Far from here, Far from now — Silva, Tamar

Act II
Warsaw
To touch a cloud — Daniel and Company
The Last Laugh — Daniel
MasadaDon't mind me — Pompey and Aaron
Writing on the wall — Rufus and Roman Soldiers
I Surrender — Tamar, Silva, Eleazar
Far from here, Far from now (Reprise) — Tamar
Passover Prayer — Jeremiah and Rebels
The Choice — Eleazar, Tamar, Naomi and Rebels
WarsawTo touch a cloud (Reprise) — Company
Imagine This (Finale) — Company

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Imagine this

In spite of several four-star reviews, including the Sunday Telegraph ("A Triumph" "I adore this show" "4-stars"), the London Paper ("A mesmerising journey"), London Lite ("Bursting with drama" - 4 stars), Spoonfed.co.uk ("It must be rated a triumph"), The West End Whingers ("We were humming the tunes the next day. Extraordinary") and others, the musical closed after two weeks of previews and a month of regular performances upon receiving generally poor reviews from the mainstream British critics, with "many papers attacking it for trivializing the Holocaust".[3] The press questioned whether, during the current economic woes, audiences want to see such a dark story. Echoing a number of the reviews, a writer in The Guardian criticized the "cavalier" treatment of the subject and contended that critics were right to question whether "the Holocaust was being co-opted to legitimise and lend cachet to deficient art."

However, some of those critics, namely Norman Lebrecht, reviewed the musical without ever having seen it, getting on the radio and boasting as much in a radio interview with producer Beth Trachtenberg. Its proximity in opening a mere six weeks after the global economic crisis of 2008 no doubt played its role as well in posting its early notice.

Ultimately some redemption did arrive for the show with the announcement of the season's What's On Stage Theatregoer's Awards, for which Imagine This received four nominations, those for Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Matus), Best Actress (Leila Benn Harris) and Best Musical (Glenn Berenbeim, Shuki Levy, and David Goldsmith).