/1983musicals

1983

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CALL ME MADAM (1st Revival) London run: Victoria Palace, March 4th (10 weeks) Music & Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse Director: Roger Redfarn Choreographer: Tudor Davies Musical Director: Ed Coleman Producer: Duncan Weldon with Paul Gregg & Lionel Becker

Photo by Willoughby Gullachson

Cast: Noele Gordon (Sally Adams), Basil Hoskins (Cosmo), William Relton (Ken Gibson), Veronica Page (Princess Maria), Christopher Marlowe, David Alder, Bruce Morrison Notes: See original London production, Coliseum, March 15th, 1952 Noele Gordon & male chorus

MARILYN London run: Adelphi Theatre, March 17th (156 Performances) Music: Mort Garson Lyrics: Jacques Wilson Book: Jacques Wilson Director-Choreographer: Larry Fuller Musical Director: Producer: Gaylord Elmo Williams & Elliot Kastner

Cast: Stephanie Lawrence (Norma-Jean/Marilyn), Clive Carter (Jim Dougherty), Stanley Fleet (Harry Cohn), Chuck Julian (Daryl Zanuck), Margaret Burton (Louella Parsons), Marie Lorraine (Hedda Hopper), Stuart Milligan (Joe Di Maggio), David Firth (Arthur Miller), John Bennett (Lee Strasberg)

Photo by Mike Martin

Songs: Did You Know Marilyn Monroe?, The Most Beautiful Girl of Them All, 8 X 10 Glossies, I Never Knew a Girl Like Her Before, A Girl Like You Needs a Little Protection, Dumb Blonde, It Was Not Meant to Be, Somewhere a Phone Is Ringing.

Story: Rather waspishly described by Ned Sherrin as: “ an undiscovered recitation of all the well-known landmarks of Monroe’s life, inelegantly expressed to halting, derivative musak” – the foster home, the nude modelling, the “agent who had faith”, vulgar Hollywood moguls, mother’s madness, husbands DiMaggio and Miller, and finally death with telephone dangling.

Notes: Stephanie Lawrence was praised for making the best of a bad job.

Stephanie Lawrence

1983

25

I London run: Piccadilly Theatre, March 16th (Withdrawn after a few performances) Music: Robert Purvis Lyrics: Paul Prescott Book & Conception: Arturo Brachetti Director: Arturo Brachetti Choreographer: Derek Deane & Graham Fletcher Producer: Michael White

This much-heralded “dinner theatre and cabaret” show was a “new” kind of entertainment. All the seats in the stalls had been removed and the evening started with a meal and some fringe entertainment from the waiters. Later (a kind of “second doors”) the non-eating public were admitted to the circles and the cabaret began.

The show was built around a series of spectacular magic tricks by the young quickchange artist, Arturo Brachetti. The auditorium walls were covered in “eyes” – reflecting the name of the show. Some of the complicated tricks failed to work properly, technically things kept falling apart – even the serving of the food failed to finish in time for the proposed start of the show. The production was withdrawn, and completely re-directed and re-staged. Given a new title “Y”, it opened two months later.

Y London run: Piccadilly Theatre, June 27th (ran for 12 months) Music: Frederick Botton & Robert Purvis Book & Conception: Jean-Marie Riviere, Arturo Brachetti, Pierre Simoni & Carol Roboh Director: Jean-Marie Riviere Choreographer: Molly Malloy Musical Director: Robert Purvis Producer: Vladimir Forgency & Michael White

The new production worked much better. Arturo Brachetti, who was said to change costume 80 times in the show, and all the grand illusions were successfully staged. The show featured things like a Dracula-type scene where Veronica of Battersea is sawn in half by the wicked Count Alboretto, and then a chorus of heavenly fairies attempt to put the pieces back together again; a Venetian scene with gondolas and Casanova; a Pierrot scene with a flying Pierrot; a Ziegfeld-meets-Crazy-Horse scene with scantily clad tigers and panthers and a lot of whipping; some original music and a lot of miming to “standards”. All over the theatre were a series of eyes that lit up and winked throughout (these were left over from the previous incarnation “I”.) It was all very spectacular, exotic and over the top. No one quite knew what to make of it, but its sheer novelty value proved to be an attraction and it ran for a year. Arturo Brachetti was nominated for a Society of West End Theatre Award.

Photo by David Crosswaite

Cast: Arturo Brachetti, Nicola Kimber, Ward Alexander, Bunty Bailey, Patrick Kealey, Kit & The Widow, Fiona Lewis, Adrian Richard Swerhun, Gillian Winn

1983

26

THE MIKADO (Return Visit) London run: Prince of Wales August – 6 weeks Music: Arthur Sullivan Lyrics: W.S.Gilbert Director: Chris Hayes Choreographer: Michele Hardy Musical Director: Ed Coleman Producer: Bill Kenwright & Paul Gregg.

Cast: Jimmy Thompson (Ko-Ko), Nicholas Smith (Mikado), Gary Lyons (Nanki Poo), John Hewer (Pooh-Bah), Stella Goodier (Yum Yum), Eileen Gourlay (Katisha) Christopher Marlowe This was a return visit from the same production which had played the Cambridge Theatre the previous year and had been touring meantime.

Notes: See Cambridge Theatre, September 1982

BLOOD BROTHERS London run: Lyric Theatre, April 11th (224 Performances) Music & Lyrics: Willy Russell Director: Chris Bond Musical Director: Richard Spanswick Producer: Bob Swash

Cast: Barbara Dickson (Mrs Johnstone), George Costigan (Mickey), Andrew C. Wadsworth (Eddie), Amanda York (Linda), Wendy Murray (Mrs Lyons), Andrew Schofield (Narrator), Peter Christian, Alan Leith Songs: Easy Terms, Marilyn Monroe, I’m Not Saying, Bright New Day, Tell Me it’s Not True

Notes: Originally produced at the Liverpool Playhouse in January, for an eleven week run, this was based on Dion Boucicault’s 19th Century melodrama “The Corsican Brothers”. This version had an excellent reception for the outstanding performance by Barbara Dickson and the much-praised performances of Andrew C. Wadsworth and George Costigan. However, a few critics thought the characters were too black-and-white : the poor family and the posh family were rather obvious stereotypes, and the social comment was a bit heavy-handed and unsubtle. Notwithstanding, the show had a successful run and was recognised as something rather special, winning the Best New Musical of the Year Award. Five years after its first West End run it was revised and re-produced by Bill Kenwright in 1988 and was an outstanding, triumphant success, becoming one of the longestrunning musicals of the 20th Century.

Barbara Dickson as Mrs Johnstone

Photo by John Haynes

Story: Mrs Johnstone, a prematurely aged mother of four, abandoned by her husband, gives birth to twins. She agrees to hand over one of her babies to her childless employer, Mrs Lyons, who pretends that the child is her own. The two children grow up, become best friends and head for ultimate tragedy. Mickey, the one kept by his real mother, turns to crime, and comes out of prison broken and ill. Their childhood friend, Linda, unable to cope, turns to the loving, successful Eddie for help. Finally the crazed Mickey shoots down his blood brother.

1983

27

BUGSY MALONE London run: Her Majesty’s Theatre, May 26th (300 Performances) Music & Lyrics: Paul Williams Book: Micky Dolenz Director: Mickey Dolenz Choreographer: Gillian Gregory Producer: Martin Gates & Philip Summerscales

Songs: Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, That’s Why They Call Him Dandy, Show Business, Bad Guys’ Song, My Name is Talullah, So You Wanna Be a Boxer?, Ordinary Fool, Down and Out

Photo by Zoe Dominic

Notes: This theatrical curiosity used an all-child cast to re-create the Alan Parker film, but instead of machine gun killings, the young people spray each other with splurge guns. The children handle the dialogue themselves, but then mime the songs to the off-stage singing of adults. The first Bugsy was played by Jeremy Gilley. The laws concerning performers under the age of 16 meant that the cast was constantly changing.

While the show might possibly have had some value in youth companies and schools, the general view was that it had no business whatsoever to occupy a major West End theatre.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1st Revival)

Cast: Topol (Tevye), Thelma Ruby (Golde), Maria Charles (Yente), David Jackson (Lazar Wolf).

Steven Mann (Perchick), Jane Gurnett (Tzeitel), Peter Whitman (Motel), Lisa Jacobs (Chava) Notes: See original London production, Her Majesty's, February 16th 1967 Maria Charles & Thelma Ruby

Photo by Zoe Dominic

London run: Apollo Victoria, June 28th (151 Performances) Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Joseph Stein Director-Choreographer: Jerome Robbins Musical Director: Grant Hossack

1983

28

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN London run: London Palladium, June 30th (2 years & 3 months) Music: Nacio Herb Brown & others Lyrics: Arthur Freed & others Book: Betty Comden and Adolph Green Director: Tommy Steele Choreographer: Peter Gennaro Musical Director: Michael Reed Producer: Harold Fielding

Cast: Tommy Steele (Don Lockwood), Roy Castle (Cosmo Brown), Danielle Carson (Kathy Selden), Sarah Payne (Lina Lamont), Matt Zimmerman (Roscoe Dexter), Joyce Carpenter (Miss Ginsmore), Kalman Glass, Shealagh Dennis Songs: Fit as a Fiddle, You Are My Lucky Star, Be a Clown, Moses Supposes, Good Morning, Fascinating Rhythm

Photo by Reg Wilson

Notes: Based on the MGM motion picture screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, this was the story of movie-making in the 1920s at the time when Hollywood switched from silents to talkies, re-created almost exactly as in the classic film and centred around the spectacular “Singin’ in the Rain” number. This was a great success at the Palladium and ran for over two years.

Later cast changes included Bunny May as Cosmo Brown and Graham Hoadley as Roscoe

Danielle Carson, Tommy Steele, Sarah Payne & Roy Castle

JUKEBOX London run: Astoria Theatre, July 14th (172 Performances) Music & Lyrics: Various Book: Mark Donnelly Director-Choreographer: Steve Merritt Musical Director: Phil Coulter Producer: Bill Martin

Cast: Allan Love, Donna Louise, Daliah Wood, Mark Tyme, Rosemarie Ford Notes: An evening of song and dance featuring hot hits from the 1950s onwards – 67 different songs were listed in the programme, with a cast of 22 and an orchestra of 14 players – this was a concert rather than a musical.

1983

29

BASHVILLE London run: Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, August 2nd (Limited season) Music: Dennis King Book & Lyrics: Benny Green Director: David William Choreographer: Gillian Gregory Musical Director: Anthony Bowles Cast: Douglas Hodge (Bashville), Christina Collier (Lydia Carew), Peter Woodward (Cashel Byron), James Cairncross, Vincenzo Nicolai, Joan Davies Songs: Hymn to Law and Order, Blackman’s Burden, He is My Son Story: The admirable Bashville is a footman who secretly sighs for the heiress, Lydia Carew. She is also sighed for by the boxer, Cashel Byron. Much as she likes Cashel, Lydia cannot accept him because he is not a gentleman. Following a series of colourful prize-fighting scenes, it turns out that Cashel is the long-lost son of a gentleman, and thus is able to win Lydia’s hand. The unfortunate Bashville goes on to become a boxer and to win fame and fortune.

Notes: Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s “The Admirable Bashville”, this was the first musical to be produced in the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and required a special area to be excavated to accommodate the small orchestra. The experiment was well received, and the same production was given a second outing in the park the following year.

SNOOPY– The Musical London run: Duchess Theatre, September 16th (479 Performances) Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Hal Hackady Book: Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates Director: Arthur Whitelaw Choreographer: Kay Cole Musical Director: Stuart Pedlar Producer: Howard & Patrick Ltd

Cast: Anthony Best (Woodstock), Susie Blake (Sally Brown), Zoe Bright (Lucy), Nicky Croydon (Peppermint Patty), Mark Hadfield (Linus), Teddy Kempner (Snoopy), Robert Locke (Charlie Brown) Songs: Snoopy’s Song, Hurry Up Face, Edgar Allan Poe, Mother’s Day, Where Did that Little Dog Go?, Bunnies, Don’t Be Anything Less than Everything You Can Be Notes: The production originated at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury. This show had a long run, a year and 2 months—surprising inasmuch as “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” had achieved a very much shorter in 1968. The production was nominated for an Olivier Award Best New Musical of the Year, and Teddy Kempner was nominated for Actor of the Year in a Musical.

1983 30 LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS London run: Comedy Theatre, October 12th (813 Performances) Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman Director: Howard Ashman Choreographer: Edie Cowan Musical Director: Roger Ward Photo by P. Cunningham

Producer: Cameron Mackintosh, David Geffen & Shubert Org.

Cast: Barry James (Seymour), Ellen Greene (Audrey), Terence Hillyer (Orin), Harry Towb (Mushnik), Anthony B. Asbury (Audrey II Manipulation), Michael Leslie (Audrey II Voice) Audrey II & Ellen Greene

Songs: Skid Row, Grow For Me, Suddenly Seymour, Dentist, Somewhere That’s Green, Feed Me, Suppertime, Don’t Feed the Plants Story: Mr Mushnik’s florist shop on Skid Row seems to have acquired a strange and alien new plant. Shop assistant Seymour names it Audrey II after the love of his life, fellow shop assistant Audrey, though Audrey has her own boyfriend, the sadistic dentist, Orin. Audrey II grows much larger and is a great attraction, bringing much business to the shop, but, as Seymour discovers, the plant can only survive on human blood – and has the ability to talk – though all it can say is “Feed Me”. Orin accidentally kills himself by inhaling too much laughing gas, and Audrey II has her first human victim. Now only human beings can satisfy the plant’s appetite. Mushnik is the next victim, then Audrey and Seymour himself.

When unknowing representatives of the World Botanical Enterprises arrive and take cuttings to propagate this wonderful new plant, here come Audrey III, IV, V as the aliens take over the world.

Notes: Based on the original film by Roger Corman and the film-script by Charles Griffith.

DEAR ANYONE London run: Cambridge Theatre, November 8th (65 Performances) Music: Geoff Stephens Lyrics: Don Black Book: Jack Rosenthal Director: David Taylor Choreographer: Tudor Davies Musical Director: Chris Walker Producer: Duncan Weldon, Paul Gregg & Lionel Becker

Cast: Jane Laportaire (Mercedes), Peter Blake (Danny), Stubby Kaye (Harry), Stephanie Voss (Mildred), Ian Burford, Tracie Hart, Richard Kates, Buster Skeggs Songs: I Don't Know the Answer, I'll Put You Together Again, Sleeping Like A Baby Now, Shortcomings, One Sided Love, All Rocked Out, Don't Stop Him If You've Heard It , Why the Panic ? ,Have You Heard About Pandora ?

Story: Journalist Mercedes is promoted to be the newspaper’s Miss Lonelyhearts, and under the pseudonym “Pandora” her advice to the lovesick brings her great fame and almost goddess-like status. However, this has a serious effect on her own personal life, causing problems with Danny, her computer-salesman boyfriend, Harry, the Features Editor, and Mildred, the office cleaner

1983

31

BLONDEL London run: Old Vic Theatre, November 9th (87 Performances) Transferred to the Aldwych, January 20th 1984 (278 Performances) Music: Stephen Oliver Book & Lyrics: Tim Rice Director: Peter James Choreographer: Anthony van Laast Musical Director: Martin Koch Producer: Cameron Mackintosh

Cast: Paul Nicholas (Blondel), Stephen Tate (King Richard), David Burt (Prince John), Chris Langham (Assassin), Sharon Lee Hill (Fiona), Richard Bryan, Stewart Collins, Nicholas Ibbotson, Michael Steffan (Monks) Songs: I’m a Monarchist, Artists Are Tragic and Sensitive Souls, The Ministry of Feudal Affairs, No Rhyme for Richard, Assassin’s Song, Running Back for More, Saladin Days, I Can’t Wait to be King.

Story: Blondel is a minstrel who sets off around Europe with his own vocal group, The Blondettes, searching for Richard the Lionheart, convinced that he is not dead but has been imprisoned somewhere. Danger lurks in every corner of this crazy, anachronistic tour of the Middle Ages

Photo by John Haynes

Notes: Although many critics found the plot muddled and confused, the chorus of monks was a great success and the show did develop a kind of cult following. It was chosen to re-open the Old Vic after the theatre had undergone a major renovation under its new owner, the Canadian “Honest” Ed Mirvisch. It transferred to the Aldwych Theatre in January 1984.

DANCIN’ London run: Drury Lane Theatre, November 14th (88 Performances) Music & Lyrics: Various Director: Bob Fosse Choreographer: Bob Fosse re-created by Gail Benedict Musical Director: David Firman Producer: Tom Arnold with Louis Benjamin & Peter Baldwin

Cast: Visiting American Company Notes: This production was roundly condemned by almost all the critics.

Most of the reviews resented the pseudo-didactic approach of a narrator introducing the various episodes with a kind of lecture on dance techniques, and it was described as a “scrappily insubstantial little show”. One comment said: “ I feel this particular company has been on the road too long in a vehicle that is positively creaking.”

1983

32

POPPY (Revival) London run: Adelphi Theatre, November 14th (97 Performances) Music: Monty Norman Book & Lyrics: Peter Nicholls Director: Terry Hands Choreographer: Onna White Musical Director: Ian MacPherson Cast: John Watts (Lin Tse-Tsi), Nichola McAuliffe (Queen Victoria), Ken Wynne (Tao-Kuan), David Firth (Jack Idle), Janet Shaw (Sally Forth), Geoffrey Hutchings (Lady Dodo), Alfred Marks (Obadiah Upward) Christopher Hurst, Andrew Thomas-James Notes: This was a revised and re-staged version of the original production at the Barbican, September 1982. It had undergone rather a lot of changes – possibly to make it more acceptable for a planned Broadway transfer – but this time round it received a critical drubbing, including: “It collapses amidst the stuffing and garnishing of a cumbersome, shamefully under-rehearsed and embarrassingly under-cast production”.

See: Original London production: September 1982

JEAN SEBERG London run: National Theatre, November 15th (Repertoire) Music: Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics: Christopher Adler Book: Julian Barry Director: Peter Hall Choreographer: Irving Davies Musical Director: Ray Cook Cast: Kelly Hunter (Young Jean) Elizabeth Counsell (Older Jean) , Joss Ackland (Romain Gary), John Savident (Otto Preminger), David Ryall (J. Edgar Hoover), Josephine Blake (Kate Devlin)

Songs: Everyone Wants to be in the Movies, It Wouldn’t Work Out, My Lips Are Sealed, Where is the Wind?, Dreamers Story: Jean Seberg was an Iowa girl who had shown sympathy for black causes since she was 14. She was discovered by Otto Preminger at 17 and pitch-forked in at the deep end to play St Joan of Arc after a much publicised talent hunt. The critics gave her hell until Jean Luc Goddard’s “Breathless” made her the symbol of the New Wave. She married Romain Gary, fought with the Black Panthers and perhaps slept with some of them. She became a victim of J. Edgar Hoover’s obsessive hatred and of his smear techniques. Finally she took her own life in Paris.

Notes: The show starts with her preparing the suicide, and then in a flashback fantasises a re-shooting of the Joan of Arc trial which merges into Jean Seberg’s trial, with the prosecutor being J. Edgar Hoover. Running in repertoire, it closed on April 4th 1984, having lost £800,000.

Kelly Hunter & Michael Bryant

1983

33

ABBACADABRA London run: Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, December 8th (Christmas Season) Music: Bjorn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson New lyrics: Don Black & Mike Batt Book: David Wood, Alain Boublil, Daniel Boublil Director: Peter James Choreographer: Anthony van Laast Producer: Cameron Mackintosh

Cast: Elaine Paige (Teacher/Carabosse), Finola Hughes (Cinderella), Michael Praed (Aladdin), B.A. Robertson (Beast/Prince), Sylvester McCoy (Pinocchio), Dexter Fletcher, Nigel Harman, Jenna Russell.

Notes: This was hugely successful at the Lyric, but was so obviously a kind of pantomime, that there was no possibility of getting it to play other than in holiday periods. Daniel and Alain Boublil were, surprisingly, not related in any way. This first involvement of Alain Boublil with Cameron Mackintosh was, of course, to prove hugely important in the future of British musicals.

Photo by Andre Csillag

Story: The story opens in a classroom, and when the teacher calls the lunch break, one of the boys plugs a video game into the school video system, and suddenly they are all off on a quest. With Aladdin, Cinderella, Pinocchio and the Beast, they are all off to kiss and wake up Sleeping Beauty after her hundred year snooze. However, Carabosse and her four hench-crows do all they can to stop the quest.

B.A.Robertson & Elaine Paige

OLIVER (3rd Revival) London run: Aldwych Theatre, December 14th (37 Performances) Music, Lyrics, Book: Lionel Bart Director: Peter Coe Musical Director: Anthony Howard Williams Producer: Cameron Mackintosh

Cast: Ron Moody (Fagin), Jackie Marks (Nancy), Linal Haft (Bill Sykes), Anthony Pearson (Oliver), David Garlick (Artful Dodger), Peter Bayliss (Mr Bumble), Meg Johnson (Widow Corney), David Frost (Mr Sowerberry) , Eliza Tebith, Arthur Tolcher, Nick Berry, Matthew Ryan This was a limited five week run as a preliminary try-out before transferring to Broadway . It opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on April 29th 1984 and ran for just 13 previews and 17 performances. Ron Moody reprised the role of Fagin and Patti Lupone played Nancy. David Garlick reprised his West End performance as The Artful Dodger, the first British youngster to appear on Broadway since Davy Jones, and , creating the Equity Exchange Program in the process.

Notes: See original London production, New Theatre June 1960 First revival: Piccadilly Theatre, April 1967 Second revival: Albery Theatre, December 1977

1983

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SWAN ESTHER London run: Young Vic, December 17th (26 Performances) Music: Nick Munns Book & Lyrics: J. Edward Oliver Director: Frank Dunlop Choreographer: Jeff Thacker Musical Director: Gareth Valentine Producer: Robert Stigwood & David Land

Cast: Amanda Redman (Esther), Sam Kelly (Mordecai), Stephen Lewis ( Prime Minister of Persia), James Coombes (King of Persia), David Henry, Christine Nagy, Susan Kyd, Simon Howe Songs: Bright Idea, Let's Meet the Queen, Don't Trust Haman, Evil Haman, A Far Outpost of Persia, I Am Great!, Kill the King, My Love Is Like A Dream, Nothing To Lose, A Strange Girl.

Story: Based on the Biblical story of Esther, but burlesqued in the manner of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. The story featured a beauty contest in which each girl said exactly the same words, and a number of magician’s tricks and illusions created by Mordecai—the King’s magician. It also included some pastiche numbers of current West End shows.

Notes: This was clearly an attempt to create another “Joseph” – a show with a large children’s chorus suitable for schools and youth productions. However, something went wrong at the last minute and licences for the children were refused, accordingly the show went ahead with adults only. In 1985 a new and revised version called “Swan Esther and the King” was created and toured under the management of Bill Kenwright.