1. "The Lizzie Musical"
Posted by Benjamin on Oct-2nd-03 at 3:20 PM
I was trying the search before I started this and I'm hopeless and couldn't find the right discussions.
I've been playing the Lizzie Borden musical Cd a lot while I pack. I love Alison Fraser. I was wondering if anyone here actually got to see her perform? Or a performace of the musical? What did you think? Also, how well did they stick to the facts? I know that dramatic license must be taken and that sometimes characters/events have to be compressed for time, but I wondered if they did a better job than the opera people did? I saw the opera when it debuted on PBS and turned it off at intermission because there seemed to be so many glaring errors. Emma disappearing and a younger sister taking her place being the most obvious. I didn't understand why the opera people chose to do the story if they were going to go so far from the base. Just listening to the lyrics of the musical, it seems to stick closer to the known story. I'd love to know if someone saw it and what you thought. I'm just hoping the book part is as good as the music part.
AS I said earlier, "show business" is entertainment, a way to make money. It is NOT for historical accuracy. Enjoy it as a story.
Did they write out Uncle John? They don't have to pay another actor who contributes nothing to the "Lizzie did it" theory.
Benjamin, e-mail me, and I'll give you an overview of the plot. I don't want to post and spoil the fun for those who plan to see it when it's done again!
rgutowski@nycds.org
I know you don't look for historical accuracy in entertainment. (The Katharine Hepburn movie about Mary Queen of Scots is a joke with regards to historical accuracy but enjoyable to watch, among many others) I've worked as an actor since I was a child, so I know it's a business. That's why I said I know they condense characters & move facts around, etc.
I guess I didn't make my question clear. The Lizzie opera seemed to stray so far from the source material as to beg the question Why did they even pick Lizzie as the subject if they were going to screw around so much? They could have simply done an opera about axe murders. It's clear they wanted the publicity of the name Lizzie. What I was asking was whether or not the musical stayed closer to the original source story or did it also go so far off course that it would put off anyone who knew even the most minor details of the real event.
If they can make a successful musical about "Sweeney Todd", they could do it about "Lizzie!"; just don't expect historical accuracy.
Aside from fiction like "Gone With the Wind" (more about the Depression and Sudden Poverty than the Civil War, IMO), what about "real" stories from Hollywood? How accurate are they?
Folks! Found this waiting for me when I got back to work Monday - lots of information on the musical, direct from the source! You can find out below about the past and future productions of the show which, unlike the Bordens, is alive and well!
Hello Bob:
Long time no contact - I was quite surprised to find a new LIZZIE forum...of course you were there. Also delighted to see interest in my show.
A few updates with associated links, and if you would not mind posting this e mail for the board that would be great. I tried to register but for some reason was not able to...I will continue trying. Credits for the show are: Music & Book by: Christopher McGovern; Lyrics by: Christopher McGovern & Amy Powers.
The musical was chosen to participate in the National Alliance Festival of readings for new musicals in New York in the Fall of 2000, an overview of the entire 2 day event is here. It starred two-time Tony nominee Alison Fraser, who also played Lizzie in the original production at American Stage in 1998:
New works get workout at alliance's annual Festival of New Musicals
http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/20001003namt7.asp
As a result, the show was produced at the Goodspeed Opera House in the fall of 2001 (yes that tragic fall of 9/11.) It starred Christiane Noll as Lizzie, of J & H fame among many other credits, and did extremely well. I re wrote nearly two thirds of the book which is quite different, though the score remains essentially the same. Christiane recorded four songs from the score for me after the production closed. The CD is in my private collection and not currently released.
Bringing Lizzie to the musical stage<: 11/11/01 (a review)
http://www.s-t.com/daily/11-01/11-11-01/e03ae140.htm
Playbill News: Musical Lizzie Borden is a Bloody Hit at CT's Norma Terris, to Nov. 25
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/63241.html
Ms. Noll has a wonderful photo collage from the show on her website:
Multimedia
http://www.brdwaybebe.com/Christiane/Pictures.html
A song which was cut from the show - a ballad entitled "Cherish The Child" sung by Emma which only appeared in the first readings at the York Theatre in 1997 was recorded by multiple Tony-nominee Rebecca Luker on her new solo CD, to be released in January 2004 on PS Classics. I produced the CD.
Playbill News: PS Classics Will Release Rebecca Luker's New CD of Folk, Pop and Show Music, January 2004
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/80976.html
PS Classics
http://www.psclassics.com/
The lyrics to three of the songs ("House On The Hill", "Fly Away" and "I Cry Alone") from the score were published by McGraw-Hill in a new anthology by Dr's AG & MB Clarke entitled "Retellings: A Thematic Literature". It also includes the infamous "No No and again no" interview with Emma, a newspaper account from 1892, a retelling by Angela Carter and other versions of the story. The book is esentially a college
textbook for use in creative writing and literature classes to encourage students to creatively re imagine different angles of a similiar story and to examine how writers from various diciplines (stage, journalism, etc) have handled the same source. The Lizzie chapter is quite short, as are all the chapters. We were also mentioned in the Rebello book.
Amazon.com: Books: Retellings: A Thematic Literature Anthology
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0072414693/qid%3D1065285466/sr%3D2-1/ref%3Dsr%5F2%5F1/102-1955001-0895342
The CD from the original cast with Alison Fraser as Lizzie is still available. Thank you for pointing it out. It is on Amazon of course, or direct from the distributor.
Original Cast Records
http://www.originalcastrecords.com/
Talkin' Broadway - Sound Advice: 7/8/00
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/sound/jul8.html
The poster mentioned being a fan of Alison Fraser's, if so check out her 2nd solo CD, which I also produced:
Amazon.com: Music: Men in My Life
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004TH5L/qid=1065285773/sr=8-5/ref=sr_8_5/102-1955001-0895342?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
She also has two websites:
Alison Fraser - Actress, Singer & Voice Over Artist
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004TH5L/qid=1065285773/sr=8-5/ref=sr_8_5/102-1955001-0895342?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
And one dedicated to her late husband Rusty Magee, a brilliant writer and performer I had the privilege of knowing for many years.
Sweet Appreciation-Rusty Magee Live at the West Bank Cafe
http://www.sweetappreciation.com/
The musical will be produced at the Stoneham Theatre in Boston in May of 2004. Information is available here:
Lizzie Borden musical to get Mass. run: 8/3/03
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/08-03/08-03-03/c03ae084.htm
Borden fans might enjoying hearing that the legendary professor Jules Ryckebusch attended the Goodspeed production (as recounted in the first link) and together we hosted a talkback after one of the matinee performances. He enjoyed the show (and autographed my copy of "Proceedings") and we all had a wonderful dinner afterwards. He was warm, funny, charming, and fascinating. It was a huge thrill to meet him and even
more exciting that he not only liked what he saw and heard, but wanted to share his thoughts with the audience and also with me afterwards. We are hoping he will also be interested in doing a similar talk with one of the Stoneham audiences, but no firm plans are yet in place.
As far as "dramatic license" (of course a hot button topic) most of the show's events spring from something historical, though they have been altered and re imagined to fit the requirements of what I felt was the most direct and affecting storytelling for the stage. The character of Robert, a handyman was a mix of the phantom "wild eyed stranger" some saw leave the house that morning and the "portugese handyman". Uncle John has been dropped, mostly because I felt that for dramatic purposes, the family itself was quite eccentric enough without adding another character. Perhaps the largest leap is the notion that Lizzie was being abused by Andrew, something Professor Ryckebusch thought plausible, as did I after first reading an essay which posed the possibility in "Proceedings." I also feel the 1975 TV film is full of that sexual subtext in the scenes between Elizabeth Montgomery and Fritz Weaver. And one can only invent dialogue for the family. No one was in the house with them.
The big points are there of course: Bridget washes the windows, Lizzie aspires to social greatness, the shoplifting, the infamous "dinner", Emma's departure just prior to the murders, the house given to Abby's relatives, the dress-burning, etc. Of course they were all torqued in order to create a tense atmosphere and a clear point of view. And I freely admit to writing scenes which might have occurred, or combining characters into one (most notably Alice Russell & Adelaide Churchill.) I have never claimed the work is a documentary, however I stick more closely to facts than say, the opera or the DeMille ballet.
In any case I am happy to share these things with other Borden-ites. My appreciation in advance for posting for me.
Best
Christopher McGovern
(Message last edited Oct-7th-03 5:24 PM.)
Thanks, Bob! All this info is great. And I actually bought Alison's two solos CDs this past year. Love them! I have to write myself a note to check the credits for Christopher McGovern when I unpack that box in a few weeks.
(Message last edited Oct-7th-03 12:25 PM.)
Wow, thanks, Bob. How wonderful that the play is still running! I don't have time at the moment, but, will check later and see if it will be traveling to my area in future.
Item this week on Playbill.com:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/82170.html
I predict no market for this show. Who will put up the millions for it? What sort of talent will it attract?
But I was surprised that "Sweeny Todd" did so well. Is "Jeff Dahmer!" next? Or "Ted Bundy"?
(Message last edited Oct-16th-03 6:31 PM.)
Well, Ray, I can tell you that in both of its full stagings, Lizzie has been played by major Broadway talent - Allison Fraser and Christiane Noll are both tops in their field. I'm looking forward to heading to Stoneham (Jay's home town!) next year to see the newest incarnation of this show.
Axtually, I would think the Borden saga would make great theatre, having all the elements of melodrama and tragedy which certainly kept citizens of the world spellbound during the cases lifetime.
Who is this please? I saved her but didn't name her:
(Message last edited Oct-16th-03 11:42 PM.)
From what I have read in the past and the search I did, Sweeny Todd is based on a story in a Victorian pennydreadful, which is based on a British myth, which might be real or might not. It also has been made into movies quite a few times.
Whether based on real stories or not, I believe these types of plays fit the genre of horror movies, though usually with songs added. Not everyone likes to view these plays or movies, but, they do strike something deep within the human psyche, there is a need for them. I don't if its simply to make us realize that our normal lives are not that bad as we are not dealing with that kind of horror in them or there is something more?
Looking back over history, look at how people used to attend public hangings and beheadings in droves. Maybe there is a bloodthirsty being inside of all of us that needs to be satisfied in some way? I would have to say a play or movie would be the least damaging way of doing it. I for one would love to see the Lizzie play if it comes to my area. And I just had a thought, you know, if Andrew Lloyd Webber created a Lizzie play, people would see it in droves! I wonder if hes ever thought of producing one?
Kat, that's Christiane Noll.
Does "schadenfreude" mean taking joy in others troubles? Is it a common human trait? Did they EVER make a musical out of a scary story?
The movie "Scary Story 3" is advertised, but like MAD magazine you have to have seen the originals to appreciate this satire.
WHAT is the enjoyment from scary stories? Yet they're popular since 19th century. Is it because of the symbolism? Schadenfreude?
schadenfreude=malicious glee
a wonderful word if you ask me...
That was an excellent rhyme!
Got any more?
We take 'em however we can get 'em!
Somebody here also praised "Chicago", which came out in the movies this spring and went to video stores this summer. Not too successful?
Manhattan's tastes doen't always transfer across the North River.
I'd like to say I've got lots more,
but that would be a tremendous bore...
I wouldn't say schadenfreude is the reason that people go to watch scary movies or plays. When Andrew Borden died there may have been mill workers who experienced schadenfreude.
Heres a link to a site where a professor gives his explaination for why we like to see horror movies:
http://www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/listscarymovies.html
Lets see, scary stories that were made into musicals? Off the top of my head there was Stephen King's CARRIE. Which was a total flop. http://www.delovelydesign.com/sat/stage_carrie.html
Bram Stoker's Dracula The musical http://www.draculathemusical.com/home.html
Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera.
Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame http://www.worldstogether.com/hunchback/
Robert Louis Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde http://www.jekyll-hyde.com/showinfo/
Thats just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more.
Emma, you have an Emily Dickinson flare, here is one of my
favorites about fall:
"The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown:
The berry's cheek is plumper:
The rose is out of town"
-Emily Dickenson
I do enjoy her verse intensely,
it calls to mind pictures instantly...
(think about, it works...tee hee hee)
There is no mention by the professor of any physical reactions. Increased hear rate, blood pressure, adrenaline and other hormones etc. that may mimic OTHER ACTIVITIES (that won't be mentioned here).
I think that alcohol, a sugar, may mimic the adrenaline rush from combat or other stressfull experiences. Or why some military and police may be prone to alcoholism.
You decide from your own experience.
CHICAGO won the Best Picture Academy Award, Ray, and did very well. The movie opened last year around Christmas, and the DVD came out as scheduled.
There is no easy answer to why people like scary stories, but there is an immense mound of literarure on it. Some people believe that viewing of a horror movie is like a little rehearsal for death, but one who know you'll survive. Therefore, I wouldn't classify it as schadenfreude, necessarily.