Aspects of Love is a
musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a book and music by
Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre, the elder son of organist William Lloyd Webber and brother of the cellist Julian Lloyd Webber...
and lyrics by Don Black and
Charles HartCharles Hart is a British lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for re-writing the lyrics to, and contributing to the book of Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenally successful stage musical The Phantom of the Opera, which has since been produced as a film...
. It is famous for the song "Love Changes Everything."
Based on the
novella of the same nameAspects of Love is a novel by author David Garnett centering on the loves of a young soldier named Alexis Golightly, his uncle George Dillingham, and the beautiful actress Rose Vibert from whom neither man could escape. It was originally published in 1955....
by
David GarnettDavid Garnett was a British writer and publisher. As a child, he had a cloak made of rabbit skin and thus received the nickname "Bunny", by which he was known to friends and intimates all his life.-Life:...
, the piece focuses on the romantic entanglements of actress Rose Vibert, her admiring fan Alex Dillingham, his underage cousin Jenny, his uncle George, and George's mistress, sculptress Giulietta Trapani, over a period of 17 years. The "aspects" of the title refers to the many forms that love takes in the show: love between couples, both as romantic infatuation and as married people; children and their parents; and there are even some hints of
lesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
ism (Giulietta and Rose).
Lloyd Webber was introduced to
Aspects of Love in 1979, when he and
Tim RiceSir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, author, radio personality and television gameshow panellist....
were approached to write a few songs for a proposed film version. When nothing came of it, he suggested to
Trevor NunnSir Trevor Robert Nunn CBE is an English theatre- and film director.-Early years:Nunn was born in Ipswich, England to Robert Alexander Nunn, a cabinetmaker, and Dorothy May Piper...
that they collaborate on a stage adaptation. In 1983, they presented a cabaret of numbers they had written, but it was not until five years later that they tackled the project in earnest
http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/shows/aspectsoflove/show/inspiration.htm.
Productions
The
West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking world...
production, directed by
Trevor NunnSir Trevor Robert Nunn CBE is an English theatre- and film director.-Early years:Nunn was born in Ipswich, England to Robert Alexander Nunn, a cabinetmaker, and Dorothy May Piper...
and choreographed by
Gillian LynneGillian Barbara Lynne , CBE is a British ballerina, dancer, actor, theatre director, television director and choreographer noted for her popular theatre choreography associated with the iconic musicals Cats and the current longest running show in Broadway history, The Phantom of the Opera.- Early...
, opened on April 17 1989 at the
Prince of Wales TheatreThe Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...
, where it ran for 1,325 performances. The original cast included
Ann CrumbAnn Crumb is an American actress and singer.The daughter of composer George Crumb and sister of composer David Crumb, she made her Broadway debut in 1987 as a member of the original cast of Les Misérables...
,
Michael BallMichael Ashley Ball is an Olivier Award winning English actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna...
, Kevin Colson, and Kathleen Rowe McAllen.
Sarah BrightmanSarah Brightman is a British crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She sings in many languages including English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi, and Mandarin....
,
Barrie InghamBarrie Ingham is an English actor in stage, TV and film.-Life and career:Ingham was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the son of Irene and Harold Ellis Stead Ingham. He was educated at Heath Grammar School and became a Royal Artillery Officer. His major theatre debut was at Manchester Library...
, and
Michael PraedMichael Praed , a British actor, is probably best known for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series Robin of Sherwood, which attained cult status worldwide in the 1980s...
were among the replacements later in the run.
Roger MooreSir Roger George Moore KBE is a English actor and film producer. He is perhaps best known for portraying two British action heroes, Simon Templar in the television series The Saint from 1962 to 1969, and James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
was due to star in the production but dropped out.
The
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
production, with the same creative team and original
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
cast, opened on April 8 1990 at the
Broadhurst TheatreThe Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
and closed on March 2, 1991 after 377 performances and 22 previews. Brightman and
John CullumJohn Cullum is a Tony Award-winning American actor and singer.-Biography:Cullum was born in Knoxville, Tennessee where he attended the University of Tennessee. He played there on the school's Southeastern Conference championship tennis team, and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta.He has been married...
joined the cast later in the run. The reviews were lackluster and
New York Times critic
Frank RichFrank Rich is a center-left New York Times columnist who focuses on American politics and popular culture. His column ran on the front page of the Sunday Arts & Leisure section from 2003 to 2005; it now appears in the expanded Sunday Week in Review section.-Early career:Rich graduated from Harvard...
wrote in a negative review "Whether
Aspects of Love is a musical for people is another matter.". When the musical closed, the entire $8 million investment was lost, and, according to the
New York Times, "making it perhaps the greatest flop in Broadway history."
In 1991, a "chamber" version of the show with
Keith Michell- Early life :He was born in Adelaide and brought up in Warnertown, near Port Pirie in South Australia's Mid North region. The theatre in Port Pirie is named after him.- Career :...
was mounted in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It subsequently toured in
AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a similar production was staged in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
.
Aspects of Love was produced in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Philippines,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
, and
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
as well.
A new UK tour is scheduled to begin on 31 August 2007, the first production in 15 years. Starring
David EssexDavid Essex OBE is an English actor and singer, who has enjoyed a varied show business career.-Biography:...
as George Dillingham, the production is to be directed by Nikolai Foster, and musically directed by Andrew J.Smith, opening at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, and touring for 36 weeks.
The two-disc original cast recording of the London production preserved the bulk of the score with some edits made for reasons of length. A 2005 remastered edition restored all the material cut from the original release.
When the musical first came out, the song "The First Man You Remember" was often performed on TV, the impression being that it was between a romantic couple of lovers. It was sung by Alex and Jenny in the CD single version. However, in the show itself, it is performed by George and Jenny, in a father and daughter duet.
Act One
At a train station in Pau, France in 1964, a man (who will later be identified as the 34-year-old Alex) reflects on his love life over the past 17 years. A woman (who will later be identified as Giulietta Trapani) replies to him that "it's all in the past."
The action then moves back in time to 1947, where 25-year-old starving actress, Rose Vibert, rants at her producer, Marcel, because their show is a flop and is closing for two weeks. Marcel defends himself, then tries to placate Rose by introducing her to an avid young fan, 17-year-old Alex. Alex convinces her to come with him to a villa at Pau belonging to his uncle, George, where they have a brief tryst. George, in Paris with his mistress, Giulietta Trapani, hears that Rose and Alex have broken into his villa and returns to Pau. Rose is attracted to George despite his age. George is briefly overcome when he sees Rose dressed in a gown belonging to his much-adored but long-deceased wife, Delia, who was also an actress. George remarks how much Rose resembles Delia. He advises Alex that all good things have to end, and that his interlude with Rose will one day be just a memory. Alex insists that his relationship with Rose is not a schoolboy crush, but real love. George amuses Rose with tidbits about his life while Alex listens grumpily. George leaves, and the next day, Rose leaves under mysterious circumstances to rejoin Marcel. Alex realizes that Rose had never taken him seriously.
Two years later, Alex, now a soldier, goes to visit his uncle in Paris. George is fixing up the villa in the country, and Alex is shocked to find that Rose is now George's mistress. He accuses her of chasing his uncle's money, but Rose protests that she really loves George. She admits that she did love Alex once, and the two, drawn to each other again, fall into bed. The next morning, an agitated Rose tells Alex to leave before George returns. Alex, enraged, pulls out his gun. Rose throws a candlestick at Alex, and the gun goes off, shooting Rose in the arm, and she faints. George arrives but is surprisingly calm. George and Alex each try to convince the other that he is the right man for Rose. George wins the debate, insisting that Alex should begin a new life with Rose, and Alex finally agrees. George then heads to Venice to see his former mistress, Giulietta. However, Rose orders Alex to leave, having chosen to stay with George. Alex leaves, and Rose and Marcel follow George to Venice. Rose intends to confront Giulietta and reclaim George.
In Venice, Rose has run up bills everywhere. George is exasperated but admits that he'd be lost without her. Later, Giulietta and Rose bond while discussing George's foibles. They both express surprise that the other woman is not at all what they'd imagined. George returns and says that he has lost most of his money (some productions have him catching Rose and Giulietta in bed together). Rose then asks George to marry her and he agrees. At the wedding, Giulietta shocks everyone by claiming her best man's rights and kissing Rose on the mouth. George, however, is delighted. At a military encampment in Malaya some months later, Alex hears of the wedding, and that George will be a father soon.
Act Two
Thirteen years later at a theater in Paris, Rose has risen to stardom and has a young lover, Hugo. Marcel and the rest of the cast celebrate the latest hit, but Rose insists that she must return to the villa at Pau and to her husband George and their 12-year-old daughter, Jenny. Marcel praises her, calling her the perfect leading lady, before reintroducing her to the 32-year-old Alex. Rose is delighted and insists that he come with her to Pau. At the villa at Pau, Jenny is excited by the prospect of her mother's return. George says that he would trade all the other pleasures of the world for his little girl. George is happy to see Alex, returning with Rose, and Jenny, who has heard much about him, meets him for the first time. Rose and George insist that Alex should stay with them. Meanwhile, in Venice, George's former mistress, Giulietta, ponders the meaning of stable, long-lasting love versus romantic infatuation.
Two years later, Alex suggests that Jenny needs a Paris education, which upsets Rose, who suspects that her daughter has developed an unhealthy crush on Alex. That evening at dinner, Jenny appears wearing the gown of George's first wife, and George happily dances with his daughter. Jenny tries to draw Alex into the dance, but Alex politely refuses. Later, Jenny and Alex are left alone, and Jenny finally convinces Alex to give her the last dance. Rose catches Jenny clasping Alex in a very adult fashion, and Alex leaves. Jenny tells her mother that Alex is the first to make her feel like a woman. Rose confronts Alex, who admits to having feelings for Jenny, but insists that he would never harm her. Later, Jenny tells Alex that she loves him. She begs him to be honest, then kisses him on the mouth.
George plans his wake, insisting that there should be dancing and fun. Rose tells him that he's bound to outlive them all. At a circus in Paris, George, Rose, Alex, and Jenny are celebrating Jenny's fifteenth birthday. George becomes agitated as he watches Jenny talking with Alex. Later, Alex puts Jenny to bed. Jenny tries to convince him that she's really in love with him, but Alex insists that they're just cousins. Jenny falls asleep, and Alex reflects that he knows he must not love her, but cannot help loving her. George overhears Alex and is enraged, suspecting the worst. However, he collapses before he can burst in on them, and Alex comes out of Jenny's room to find him dead on the floor.
At George's wake, Giulietta gives a eulogy celebrating George's unconventionality and his belief in living life to the fullest. Giulietta and Alex join in the dancing. The two are immediately attracted to each other as they wander away from the party. Jenny spies on them, while Marcel tries to comfort the grieving Rose. Giulietta and Alex awaken in a hayloft, and Alex wonders how to end his relationship kindly with Jenny. Later, Alex tries to explain to Jenny that their relationship was unnatural. She reminds him that he was only seventeen when he met Rose, and that she is no younger than Shakespeare's Juliet. Rose bids Alex farewell, but then she breaks down and begs Alex not to leave her. Alex, unsure of how to reply, leaves.
At the train station at Pau, as Alex and Giulietta wait for the train, Giulietta wonders what will happen in a few years, when Jenny becomes a woman. Alex, unable to reply, reflects once more on how love changes everything.
Song list
Act I
- Love Changes Everything (Alex)
- A small theatre in Montphile (Rose, Marcel, actress, Alex)
- Parlez-vous Français? (Crooner, Alex, Rose, Marcel, Waiter and Actors)
- The railway station (Alex and Rose)
- Seeing is Believing (Alex and Rose)
- The house in Pau (Alex and Rose)
- An art exhibition in Paris (George and Giulietta)
- A Memory of a Happy Moment (Giulietta and George)
- In many rooms in the house at Pau (Rose and Alex)
- On the terrace ( George, Alex and Rose)
- Outside the bedroom (Rose and Alex)
- Chanson d'Enfance (Rose and Alex)
- At the house at Pau (Rose and Alex)
- Everybody Loves A Hero (Harkers and Ensemble)
- George's flat in Paris (Alex and Rose)
- First orchestral interlude (Alex, Servant, Rose and George)
- She'd Be Far Better Off with You (Alex, George, Rose and Marcel)
- Second Orchestral interlude (orchestra)
- Stop. Wait. Please. (George, Giulietta and Rose)
- A registry office (George, Rose and Giulietta)
- A military camp in Malaysia (Alex)
Act II
- Orchestral introduction to Act II (orchestra)
- A theatre in Paris (Marcel, Rose, actress and Hugo)
- Leading Lady (Marcel, Rose, Alex and Hugo)
- At the stage door (Rose and Alex)
- George's house at Pau (George and Jenny)
- Other Pleasures (George, Jenny, Alex and Rose)
- A café in Venice (Giulietta)
- There is More to Love (Giulietta)
- The garden in Pau (George, Jenny, Rose and Alex)
- Mermaid Song (Jenny, Alex and George)
- The country side around the house (Third orchestral interlude) (orchestra)
- The garden at Pau (Jenny, Alex and Rose)
- On the terrace (George and Alex)
- The First Man You Remember (George and Jenny)
- The vineyard at Pau (George, Rose and Alex)
- Up in the Pyrenees (Jenny and Alex)
- George's study at Pau (George and Rose)
- Journey of a Lifetime (Chanteuse and Ensemble)
- Falling (Alex, Jenny, Rose and George)
- Jenny's bedroom in Paris (Alex, Jenny and Rose)
- Hand Me the Wine and the Dice (Giulietta, Alex, Jenny and Ensemble)
- A hey loft (Giulietta and Alex)
- On the terrace (Alex, Jenny and Rose)
- Anything But Lonely (Rose, Alex, Giulietta)
Awards and nominations
- Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and...
for Best Musical (nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Colson, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (McAllen, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award, presented since 1955, is the only award that recognizes excellence in shows produced in all sectors of New York theatre, including Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway and legitimate not-for-profit theaters. It is widely considered one of the top American theater awards...
for Outstanding Musical (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Danielle Du Clos, nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestration (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design (nominee)
- Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
(McAllen, winner)
External links