| Victor/Victoria | |
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| Original Broadway Poster | |
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| Music | Henry Mancini Frank Wildhorn |
| Lyrics | Leslie Bricusse Frank Wildhorn |
| Book | Blake Edwards |
| Basis | 1982 film Victor Victoria |
| Productions | 1995 Broadway 2005 Madrid |
Victor/Victoria is a musical with a book by Blake Edwards, music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and additional musical material (music and lyrics) by Frank Wildhorn. It is based on the 1982 film of the same name.
Mancini died before he could complete the music, and Wildhorn was brought in to finish the score. The original Broadway production, in 1995, aroused controversy when the star, Julie Andrews, refused a Tony Award nomination.
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Synopsis
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A penniless soprano, named Victoria, colludes with a struggling gay impresario to disguise herself as a man named Victor, who entertains as a female impersonator known as "Victoria" - and as a result becomes the toast of Paris. Complications arise when a Chicago mobster sees the act and finds himself attracted to the star.
Production history
After 25 previews, the Broadway production, directed by Edwards and choreographed by Rob Marshall, opened on October 25, 1995 at the Marquis Theatre, where it ran for 734 performances. The original cast included Julie Andrews (reprising her role in the film), Tony Roberts, Michael Nouri, Rachel York, Richard B. Shull, and Rob Ashford.
When Andrews received the lone Tony Award nomination for the production, she made headlines when she rejected the honor with the statement, "I have searched my conscience and my heart and find that I cannot accept this nomination." Andrews further stated that she would "stand instead with the egregiously overlooked" cast and crew.[1] The incident stimulated ticket sales for the musical, and Andrews declined to perform at the Tony Awards ceremony, which suffered that year from a lack of star wattage.[2]
During Andrews' four-week vacation in early 1997, her much-hyped replacement, Liza Minnelli, allegedly stumbled over her dialogue and lyrics and missed nearly as many performances as she played, allegedly due to problems with her knees, although a few months later she checked herself into a rehab center to deal with her drug and alcohol addictions. A videotape of the show though, recorded on a cam from the audience during Minnelli's run, reveals Minnelli in fine form, displaying none of those problems. Andrews, who boasted a four-octave vocal range, later was forced to quit the show permanently when she developed vocal problems. She subsequently underwent surgery to remove non-cancerous nodules from her throat and was left without a singing voice. Her lawsuit against surgeon Stuart Kessler was settled for $20 million. She was replaced by Raquel Welch for the duration of the run.
A filmed performance was broadcast on television in 1995.
Songs
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Awards and nominations
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Andrews, nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Andrews, winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (York, winner)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design for a Musical (nominee)
Notes
- ^ Marks, Peter. "Adding Drama to a Musical, Andrews Spurns the Tonys", The New York Times, May 9, 1996
- ^ Cagle, Jess and Steve Daly. "The Sound of Mutiny; Tiff with actress Julie Andrews adds to the drama", Entertainment Weekly, issue #329, May 31, 1996
External links
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