Forgotten Musicals: 'Curtains' (2006)

Forgotten Musicals: 'Curtains' (2006)

Music: John Kander

Lyrics: Fred Ebb

Book: Rupert Holmes

History:

Curtains was a Kander & Ebb (Cabaret and Chicago) musical based on an original book and concept by Peter Stone  (best remembered for the screenplays he wrote or co-wrote in the mid-1960s, Charade, Father Goose, and Mirage). Stone died in April 2003, leaving the book unfinished, and Rupert Holmes was hired to rewrite it. Lyricist, Fred Ebb also died before the musical was completed. It had its world premiere on 25th July 2006 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Local reviews were mixed but not discouraging, and the producers decided to transfer the show to Broadway with minor alterations. The production, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Ashford, opened on Broadway on 22nd March 2007 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The cast included David Hyde Pierce  (Frasier) and  Debra Monk.

Plot:

The musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts and follows the fallout when Jessica Cranshaw, the supremely untalented star of Robbin' Hood of the Old West is murdered during her opening night curtain call. It is up to Lt. Frank Cioffi, a police detective who moonlights as a musical theatre fan to save the show, solve the case, and maybe even find love before the show reopens, without getting killed himself. Cioffi also dreams of being in musical theatre, and spends as much time helping rewrite the show as looking for the killer.

In a Nutshell: 

Will anyone make it to the Broadway transfer ?

Production:

I saw the show at 'The Landor Theatre' situated above the Landor Pub in Landor Road in South London in August 2012. Unfortunately this excellent pub theatre closed in 2016 following a dispute between the landlord and the operating company. Settling in the small space, which had seats on three sides, I had an enjoyable evening guessing whodunnit  (the culprit was in my final two), whilst laughing at the backstage shennanigans of an off-Broadway musical. There was a lovely beer garden for the interval, and all the cast were superb, with Jeremy Legat  (Lieutenant Cioffi), Bronwyn Andrews (the Lieutenant's love interest, Niki Harris) and Daniella Bowen (the super-ambitious chorus member, Bambi) particularly good. Definitely recommended.

A couple of years later I saw a local theatre company do 'Curtains' in an even smaller space. But I feel that I should draw a veil (or curtain) over this.

'Curtains' ran at 'The Landor Theatre' in Clapham, South London from 25th July to 1st September 2012.

Signature Song:

Definitely 'What Kind of Man ?' which comments on first night reviews by critics who don't seem to even like theatre.

Links:

'Curtains' At The Tonys (YouTube)