Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by
Alan Jay LernerAlan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the musical, such as "
Almost Like Being in Love"Almost Like Being in Love" is a popular song published in 1947. The music was written by Frederick Loewe, and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner....
" have become standards.
It tells the story of a mysterious
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
village that appears for only one day every hundred years, though to the villagers, the passing of each century seems no longer than one night. The enchantment is viewed by them as a blessing rather than a curse, for it saved the village from destruction. According to their covenant with God, no one from Brigadoon may ever leave, or the enchantment will be broken and the site and all its inhabitants will disappear into the mist forever. Two
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tourists, lost in the
Scottish HighlandsThe Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, stumble upon the village just as a
weddingA wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
is about to be celebrated, and their arrival has serious implications for the village's inhabitants.
The original production opened on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1947 and ran for 581 performances.
Brigadoon then received a
West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. 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...
production opening in 1949 that ran for 685 performances, and many revivals followed. A 1954 film version starred
Gene KellyEugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
and
Cyd CharisseCyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
. A 1966 television version starred
Robert GouletRobert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
and
Peter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
.
Origins of the story
The
New York Times critic
George Jean NathanGeorge Jean Nathan was an American drama critic and editor.-Early life:Nathan was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
wrote that Lerner's book was based on a much older
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
story by
Friedrich GerstäckerFriedrich Gerstäcker was a German traveler and novelist.-Biography:He was the son of Friedrich Gerstäcker , a celebrated opera singer. After being apprenticed to a commercial house, he learnt farming in Saxony...
, later translated by Charles Brandon Schaeffer, about the mythical village of
GermelshausenGermelshausen is a story by Friedrich Gerstäcker concerning a cursed village that sank into the earth long ago and is permitted to appear for only one day every century. The protagonist is a young artist who happens to traverse the locale at the time for the town's appearance. He encounters,...
that fell under an evil magic curse. In 1947, with memories of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
too fresh to allow the presentation of a German-themed musical on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, Lerner re-imagined the story in Scotland, complete with
kiltThe kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
s, bonnie lassies,
bagpipesBagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
,
Highland flingThis dance is now performed at dance competitions and events around the world. It is no longer danced on a shield, but it is still the goal of the dancer to stay in the same spot throughout the dance. The Highland Fling is danced at almost all competition levels, from Primary to Premier. It is also...
s and "Heather on the Hill".
However, in his memoirs,
The Street Where I Live, Lerner denied that he had based the book on an older story. He writes that after George Nathan had accused him of stealing the plot the
Times "called and offered me space to answer him, which I did, labelling the whole accusation as rubbish and documenting the developments of [the] play into the final product." He goes on to write, "Nevertheless, to this day chroniclers of the musical theater invariably state Brigadoon was based on a folk tale and give Nathan as their authority."
Lerner's name for his imaginary locale was probably based on a well-known Scottish landmark, the
Brig o' DoonThe Brig o' Doon is a late medieval bridge used as the setting for the final verse of the Robert Burns's poem Tam o' Shanter. In this scene Tam is on horseback and is being chased by Nannie the witch...
(Bridge of Doon), in
Alloway, ScotlandAlloway is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns, and as where he set his poem "Tam o' Shanter"....
, in the heart of
Robert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
country. According to Burns's poem "
Tam o'Shanter"Tam o' Shanter" is a poem written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1790. Many consider it to be one of the best examples of the narrative poem in modern European literature....
", this 13th-century stone bridge is where the legendary Tam o' Shanter fled on his horse Meg in order to escape from three witches who were chasing him. Other sources suggest that the fictional village's name was constructed from the Celtic word "briga", which means "town" (such as in the old city names of Segobriga and Brigantium) and the Scottish Gaelic "dùn", which means a fort, e.g.,
DundeeDundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
or
DunfermlineDunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
. The name may also be a reference to the
CeltThe Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic Goddess
BrigidIn Irish mythology, Brigit or Brighid was the daughter of the Dagda and one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She was the wife of Bres of the Fomorians, with whom she had a son, Ruadán....
, as in "Brigid's Hill". See also
AllowayAlloway is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns, and as where he set his poem "Tam o' Shanter"....
and D. Myers for another interpretation.
Productions
The original
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production, directed by Robert Lewis and choreographed by
Agnes de MilleAgnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMille and her uncle Cecil B. DeMille were both Hollywood directors...
, opened March 13, 1947, at the
Ziegfeld TheatreThe Ziegfeld Theatre was a Broadway theater located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1927 and, despite public protests, was razed in 1966....
, where it ran for 581 performances. It starred
David BrooksDavid Brooks was an American actor, singer, director, and producer. He first drew critical acclaimation for starring in several Broadway musicals during the 1940s, including portraying Tommy Albright in the original production of Brigadoon. In the early 1950s he was an important stage director in...
as Tommy, Marion Bell as Fiona, Lee Sullivan as Charlie,
James MitchellJames Mitchell was an American actor and dancer. Although he is best known to television audiences as Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera All My Children , theatre and dance historians remember him as one of Agnes de Mille's leading dancers...
as Harry, and
Pamela BrittonPamela Britton was an American actress best known for appearing as "Loralee Brown" in the television series My Favorite Martian . She also starred in the film noir classic D.O.A. .-Early career:...
as Meg. The concertmistress of the orchestra was noted American violinist
Joan Field-Biography and career:Joan Field was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. She began violin studies at the age of 5. She was a pupil of Franz Kneisel, Albert Spalding and Michel Piastro in the United States and spent 4 years in Paris during her teens studying with Marcel Chailley, Jacques Thibaud and...
. De Mille won the
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Choreography, and Bell and Mitchell won the
Theatre World AwardThe 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:...
. The production enjoyed an extended North American tour.
The musical's original
West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. 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...
production opened on April 14, 1949, at
Her Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
, running for 685 performances. It starred Philip Hanna as Tommy, Patricia Hughes as Fiona,
James JamiesonJames Jamieson was a specialist in Highland dancing, best remembered for both performing in and restaging Agnes de Mille's Brigadoon....
as Harry, and
Noele GordonNoele Gordon was an English film and television actress.- Early life :Gordon's father was an engineer in the Merchant Navy and she was born in East Ham, London. After attending convent school at Forest Gate, she was taught to dance by the late Maude Wells and later spent several years living in...
as Meg.
The musical was revived at
New York City CenterNew York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall...
in May 1950. and returned to Broadway seven years later, directed by George H. Englund and choreographed by De Mille, opening on April 15, 1957, at the Adelphi Theatre, where it ran for 24 performances. The cast included
David AtkinsonDavid Atkinson is a retired Canadian baritone and actor. Most of his career was spent performing in musicals and operettas in New York City from the late 1940s through the early 1970s, although he did appear in some operas and made a few television appearances. In 1952 he created the role of Sam...
,
Helen GallagherHelen Gallagher is an American actress, dancer, singer and makeup artist.-Early years:Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in Scarsdale, New York for several years until the Wall Street crash which heralded the Great Depression, and her family moved to the Bronx. Her parents separated and she was...
,
Patricia BirchPatricia Birch is an American choreographer and director for musical theatre and film.Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Birch began her career as a dancer in Broadway musicals, including Brigadoon, Goldilocks, and West Side Story . She has directed and choreographed music videos for Cyndi Lauper, the...
, and
Marilyn CooperMarilyn Cooper was an American actress, known primarily for her work on the Broadway stage.-Biography:Born in New York City, Cooper made her Broadway debut in 1956 in the chorus of Mr. Wonderful...
. Another Broadway revival, directed by John Fearnley and choreographed by De Mille, opened on January 30, 1963, at
New York City CenterNew York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall...
, where it ran for 16 performances. The cast included
Peter PalmerPeter Palmer is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Li'l Abner, both on Broadway and on film....
,
Russell NypeRussell Nype is an American actor and singer.Born in Zion, Illinois, Nype made his Broadway debut in Marc Blitzstein's opera Regina in 1949. The following year he won critical acclaim and both the Tony and Theatre World Awards for his performance opposite Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam...
,
Sally Ann HowesSally Ann Howes is a British actress and singer, who currently holds dual British-American citizenship. Her career on stage, screen and television has spanned over six decades...
, and
Edward VillellaEdward Villella is an American ballet dancer and choreographer, frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer at the time....
. It was Tony-nominated for Best Actress in a Musical (Howes), Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Conductor and Musical Director.
The next Broadway revival, directed by
Vivian MatalonVivian Matalon is a British theatre director.Born in Manchester, England, Matalon began his career as an actor in a series of forgettable British films, but his greatest success has been as a director of West End, Broadway, and regional theater productions.Matalon's West End credits include Bus...
and choreographed by De Mille, opened on October 16, 1980, at the Majestic Theatre, where it ran for 133 performances and eight previews. The cast included
Meg BussertMeg Bussert is an American actress, singer and a university professor.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bussert received her BA degree from Purchase College and her MAT from Manhattanville College...
,
Martin VidnovicMartin Vidnovic is an American actor and singer.Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Vidnovic made his Broadway debut in the ill-fated Home Sweet Homer which, following a one-year tour, closed on opening night...
, and
John CurryJohn Anthony Curry, OBE was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 Olympic and World Champion. He was famous for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating.-Early life:...
. Vidnovic received Tony and
Drama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
nominations, Bussert earned a Tony nomination and won the
Theatre World AwardThe 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:...
, and the production was Tony-nominated for Best Reproduction.
New York City OperaThe New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
has staged the musical in 1986 and 1991.
The musical was revived in the West End at the
Victoria Palace TheatreVictoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station.-Origins:The theatre began life as a small concert room above the stables of the Royal Standard Hotel, a small hotel and tavern built in 1832 at what was then 522 Stockbridge...
, opening on October 25, 1988, and closing August 5, 1989, starring
Robert MeadmoreRobert Meadmore a musical theatre artist.-Theatre:He has starred in many of the biggest hit shows in London's West End which include Phantom of The Opera, Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, Bless the Bride, The Gondoliers, Oklahoma!, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Metropolitan Mikado and Camelot.In...
(Tommy), Jacinta Mulcahy, and Lesley Mackie. The director was Roger Redfarn and de Mille's dances were rechoreographed by Tommy Shaw.
The Times reviewer noted that those dances were "the main source of the magic."
Film
A
CinemascopeCinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
film version of
Brigadoon, directed by
Vincente MinnelliVincente Minnelli was an American stage director and film director, famous for directing such classic movie musicals as Meet Me in St. Louis, The Band Wagon, and An American in Paris. In addition to having directed some of the most famous and well-remembered musicals of his time, Minnelli made...
, was released by
MGMMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
in 1954 with
Gene KellyEugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
,
Van JohnsonVan Johnson was an American film and television actor and dancer who was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios during and after World War II....
and
Cyd CharisseCyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
in leading roles. The MacLaren family name was changed to Campbell.
Television
A 1966
televisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
version, shown as a
colorColor or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
special on the
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network, made use of a modernized, abbreviated script that accommodated much more of the score than the film version had, yet the entire production ran only ninety minutes with commercials. The television version won five Emmy awards. In this production, Tommy and Jeff were participating in an auto race when their car stalled just outside of Brigadoon.
The TV movie starred
Robert GouletRobert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
as Tommy,
Peter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
as Jeff, and
Sally Ann HowesSally Ann Howes is a British actress and singer, who currently holds dual British-American citizenship. Her career on stage, screen and television has spanned over six decades...
as Fiona, with
Finlay CurrieFinlay Jefferson Currie was a Scottish actor of stage, screen and television.Currie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1878. His acting career began on the stage. He and his wife Maude Courtney did a song and dance act in the US in the 1890s. He made his first film in 1931...
in one of his last roles as Mr. Lundie, Edward Villella as Harry Beaton, and
Marlyn MasonMarlyn Mason is an American actress.Her acting credits include roles in My Three Sons, Burke's Law, Kentucky Jones, Bonanza, Ben Casey, Dr...
as Meg. "My Mother's Wedding Day" was restored to this version, though "Once in the Highlands", "Jeannie's Packin' Up", and "The Love of My Life" were still absent. The 1966 telecast of
Brigadoon has not been shown since its 1968 rebroadcast on ABC, nor has it ever been released on videocassette or
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. Update: (October 22, 2011.) A website has archived this 1966 production. http://www.archive.org/details/Brigadoon1966
Plot
Act I
New YorkersNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas have traveled to the
Scottish HighlandsThe Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
on a
game-huntingHunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
vacation, only to get lost their first night out. While discussing Tommy's general ennui, they begin to hear music ("Brigadoon") and notice in a valley nearby, a village, where the map shows nothing. Tommy and Jeff decide to visit it, if only to get directions back to their inn, and they walk toward it.
Meanwhile, in the town itself, a
fairA fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
has begun ("McConnachy Square"), with the local vendors selling milk, ale, wool, and such. Everyone is dressed in traditional Scottish tartan apparel, replete with
kiltThe kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
s,
sporranThe Sporran is a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress. It is a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless Scottish kilt....
s, and
ghilliesThe term Highland dress describes the traditional dress of Scotland. It is often characterised by tartan patterns in some form....
. The villagers include Meg Brockie, a dairy vendor with a taste for gentlemanly companionship; Angus McGuffie, her employer; Archie Beaton, seller of wool and
plaidA full plaid is a long piece of tartan fabric, traditionally worn as part of a full highland dress uniform. It usually matches the tartan of the kilt. A full plaid is pleated the whole way, with half of its length sewn shut...
s; and his son Harry. The MacLaren family enters, consisting of patriarch Andrew and his two daughters Fiona, a young woman of about 24, and Jean, her dainty, sweet younger sister. They have come to purchase supplies for the wedding of Jean to Charlie Dalrymple. Poor Harry Beaton is madly in love with Jean, and he is very depressed at the thought of her marrying another. One of the other girls asks Fiona when she will get married, and she responds, "When I find someone who makes me think of it." She would rather wait to find true love than end up marrying the wrong person ("Waitin' For My Dearie").
Just then, Tommy and Jeff wander in from the hillside. They and the Scottish folks stare at each other with bewilderment until Tommy asks where they are, and are told "Brigadoon". Fiona introduces herself to Tommy and offers the Americans a bite to eat and a place to rest. Meg immediately takes a liking to Jeff and leads him off, as Charlie Dalrymple appears. He's a handsome young man. He shares some celebratory
claretClaret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
with Tommy, toasting to a Mr. Forsythe whom he thanks for "postponing the miracle". Tommy asks what he means by this, but Fiona shushes him and leads him away, as Charlie sings about the end of his bachelorhood ("Go Home with Bonnie Jean").
Tommy and Fiona talk about his impending marriage to his fiancée Jane in New York; Tommy is in no hurry to marry her, and sparks begin to fly between him and Fiona when she reveals that she likes him very much, although she "dinna" like anything he says. She must go to gather heather for the wedding, and Tommy insists on going with her ("The Heather on the Hill"). Meanwhile, Meg takes Jeff to a place in the forest with a shack and a cot where he can get some sleep. She tells him she's "highly attracted" to him, but he wants nothing but sleep and spurns her advances. She reveals her unusual love life ("The Love Of My Life") as he falls asleep.
In the MacLaren home, Jean's friends are helping her pack her things to move into Charlie's home ("Jeannie's Packin' Up"). Charlie arrives to sign the MacLaren family Bible. He wants to see Jean, but he is told it is bad luck to see her on the wedding day. He begs for her to come out anyway ("Come to Me, Bend to Me"). Tommy and Fiona enter with a basket full of heather they have picked. Fiona goes upstairs to help Jean
dressA wedding dress or wedding gown is the clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.- Western culture :...
for the wedding, and Jeff enters wearing a pair of Highland trews (trousers); apparently his own pants have been damaged on a "thistle". Jeff finds that Tommy is so happy that he can barely contain it ("Almost Like Being In Love"). Then Tommy notices the family Bible, which contains the names of all the people he has met that day, but every important event attached to them, including the impending wedding of Charlie and Jean, is listed as if it had happened two hundred years earlier. He calls Fiona down to question her about this, and she tells him that he needs see the schoolmaster, Mr. Lundie, to get the full explanation.
Fiona, Tommy, and Jeff arrive at Mr. Lundie's home, where he relates a story that the two New Yorkers can hardly believe: two hundred years ago, the local
parishA parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
pastorThe word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
prayed to God to have Brigadoon disappear, only to reappear for one day every 100 years, to protect it from being changed by the outside world. None of the people of Brigadoon can be permitted to leave the town, or it will disappear forever. Tommy, looking at Fiona, asks hypothetically if an outsider could be permitted to stay. Mr. Lundie replies, "A stranger can stay if he loves someone here - not jus' Brigadoon, mind ye, but someone in Brigadoon - enough to want to give up everythin' an' stay with that one person. Which is how it should be. 'Cause after all, lad, if ye love someone deeply, anythin' is possible."
The group leaves to go to the wedding, which opens with the
ClanA clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
s coming in from the hills. Charlie and Jean are married by Mr. Lundie, and they perform a traditional wedding dance to celebrate. Sword dancers appear, led by Harry, and they perform an elaborate dance over their weapons. All the town joins in the dance, but abruptly halt as Jean's scream alerts them to Harry trying to kiss her. In anguish over Jean's wedding, he announces that he's leaving the town (which would end the miracle, causing Brigadoon to disappear forever into the Highland mists) and sprints away.
Act II
The men of the town, including Tommy and a reluctant Jeff, are frantically trying to find Harry before he can depart the town ("The Chase"). The music becomes more and more agitated, and suddenly an agonized scream is heard. Harry Beaton, who appears to have fallen on a rock and crushed his skull, is found dead by the other men. They decide not to tell the rest of the town until the next morning so that the wedding can continue without further grief. The men carry Harry's body away, and Fiona and her father arrive to see if everything is all right. As Mr. MacLaren leaves, Tommy sees Fiona, and they embrace. She reveals her love for him, and he tells her he believes he feels the same way ("There But For You Go I"). Fiona reminds him that the end of the day is near, and Tommy tells her he wants to stay in Brigadoon with her. They go to find Mr. Lundie.
Meanwhile, in the village, Meg tells about the day her parents were drunkenly married ("My Mother's Wedding Day") and the townsfolk begin to relax and dance again, until the sound of the Highland Pipes pierces the air. Archie Beaton enters carrying Harry's body, led by the pipers playing a
pìobaireachdPibroch, Piobaireachd or Ceòl Mór is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations...
, and Maggie Anderson, who loved Harry, performs a funeral dance for her unrequited love. The men of Brigadoon help Archie carry his son to the burial place.
Tommy finds Jeff and tells him of his plans to stay. Jeff thinks the idea absurd and argues with Tommy until he has convinced him that Brigadoon is only a dream. He also reveals that it was he who tripped Harry and accidentally killed him. Fiona and Mr. Lundie enter, and Tommy, shaken by Jeff's confession, tells Fiona that even though he loves her, he cannot stay; he still has doubts ("From This Day On"). Fiona tells Tommy that she will love him forever as she fades away into the darkness.
Four months later, Jeff is drinking heavily at a hotel bar in New York. Tommy enters and greets Jeff. Tommy has been living on a farm in New Hampshire since his return from Scotland. He is still in love with Fiona; he cannot stop thinking about her and daydreams of her constantly, to the point of being unable to hold a conversation with anyone. Jane Ashford, his fiancée, a beautiful socialite in her late 20s, talks to him about their impending wedding, but everything she says causes him to hear Fiona's voice and dream of Brigadoon (Reprises of "Come to Me, Bend to Me" and "Heather on the Hill"). Tommy focuses on the present long enough to interrupt her and tell her that he cannot marry her. She argues with him, but he continues to daydream about his true love (Reprises of "Go Home With Bonnie Jean" and "From This Day On"). As Jane leaves, Tommy calls Jeff and tells him he wants to return to Scotland, although he knows the village will not be there.
Tommy and Jeff return to the spot where Brigadoon was and as expected, nothing is there. Tommy laments, "Why do people have to lose things to find out what they really mean?" Just as he and Jeff turn to leave, they hear the music again ("Brigadoon"), and Mr. Lundie appears. Tommy walks across the bridge in a daze to him, as Mr. Lundie explains: "Oh it's you Tommy, lad. You woke me up. You must really love her," to which Tommy, still dazed, stammers "Wha- how....?" and Mr. Lundie replies "You shouldna be too surprised, lad. I told ye when ye love someone deeply enough, anythin' is possible. Even miracles." Tommy waves goodbye to Jeff, and disappears with Mr. Lundie into the highland mist to be reunited with Fiona and live happily ever after.
Song list
Under Loewe's guidance,
Ted RoyalTed Royal [Dewar] was an American orchestrator, conductor and composer for Broadway theatre. He was most active in the 1940s and 50s, being associated with the very successful original productions of Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon...
received a sole orchestrator credit for his work on the original production. His atmospheric arrangements have been frequently used for the revivals.
Act I
- Overture
- Prelude (Once In The Highlands)
- Brigadoon
- Vendors' Calls
- Down On MacConnachy Square
- Waitin' For My Dearie
- I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean
- The Heather On The Hill
- Rain Exorcism †
- The Love Of My Life
- Jeannie's Packin' Up
- Come To Me, Bend To Me
- Almost Like Being In Love
"Almost Like Being in Love" is a popular song published in 1947. The music was written by Frederick Loewe, and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner....
- Wedding Dance ‡
- The Sword Dance ‡
Act II
- The Chase
- There But For You Go I
- Steps Stately †
- Drunken Reel †
- My Mother's Wedding Day
- Funeral Dance
- From This Day On
- Farewell Music
- Reprises: Come To Me, Bend to Me / The Heather on the Hill / From This Day On
- Finale (Brigadoon)
† Added in 1980 Revival
‡ Moved to Act II in 1980 Revival
Recordings
Source-Musicals101
- 1947 Original Broadway cast recording (incomplete, due to recording limitations of the period; some lyrics were censored)
- 1954 Original motion picture soundtrack (originally incomplete, but re-released on CD with deleted songs, alternate takes, and undubbed vocals)
- 1957 studio cast recording (starring Shirley Jones
Shirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...
and Jack CassidyJohn Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
, with Frank Poretta, Susan JohnsonSusan Johnson , also known as Susan Johnson-Kehn, was an American actress and singer. She appeared primarily in musical theatre, but also appeared in films and television.-Stage and film roles:...
, and Portia NelsonPortia Nelson was an American popular singer, songwriter, actress, and author. She was best known for her appearances in the most prestigious 1950s cabarets, where she sang an elegant repertoire in a soprano noted for its silvery tone, perfect diction, intimacy, and meticulous attention to words...
)
- 1959 studio cast recording (starring Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill was an American operatic baritone.-Early life:Merrill was born Moishe Miller, later known as Morris Miller, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, to tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife Lillian, née Balaban, immigrants from Warsaw, Poland.His mother...
, Jan PeerceJan Peerce was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is the father of film director Larry Peerce....
, and Jane PowellJane Powell is an American singer, dancer and actress.After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens...
)
- 1960 Mexican cast recording (starring Hugo Avendaño, Graciela Garza, Jorge Lagunez, and Amparo Arozamena
Amparo Arozamena was a Mexican actress of film and television, best known for her character roles in the 1960s. During the same decade, she became most noted for her role of "Doña Chole" in the Telesistema Mexicano sitcom Los Beverly de Peralvillo...
)
- 1966 Television cast recording (starring Sally Ann Howes
Sally Ann Howes is a British actress and singer, who currently holds dual British-American citizenship. Her career on stage, screen and television has spanned over six decades...
, Robert GouletRobert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
, and Peter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
)
- 1988 London revival cast recording (starring Robert Meadmore
Robert Meadmore a musical theatre artist.-Theatre:He has starred in many of the biggest hit shows in London's West End which include Phantom of The Opera, Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, Bless the Bride, The Gondoliers, Oklahoma!, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Metropolitan Mikado and Camelot.In...
; some character names and dates were altered to make the show more historically accurate)
- 1991 Studio cast recording (starring Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker is an American musical theatre actress and soprano who has appeared in several prominent Broadway productions.-Life and career:...
and Brent BarrettBrent Barrett is an American actor and tenor who is mostly known for his work within American theatre. Barrett has performed in musicals and in concerts with theatres, symphony orchestras, opera houses, and concert halls internationally...
, Judy KayeJudy Kaye is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals The Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime and Mamma Mia!-Biography:...
, and Gregory Jbara-Early life:Jbara was born in Nankin Township , Michigan, the son of an advertising office manager and an insurance claims adjuster. He is of Lebanese and Irish descent. After graduating from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, Michigan, Jbara attended the University of Michigan from 1979 to 1981...
)
- 1998 Studio cast recording (starring Ethen Freeman, Janis Kelly
Janis Louise Kelly is a retired female volleyball player from Canada, who competed for her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There she finished in 10th place with the Women's National Team.-References:*-External links:...
, Megan Kelly, and Maurice Clarke; this recording was later rerecorded with George DvorskyGeorge P. Dvorsky is a transhumanist futurist, and author of the Sentient Developments blog. Dvorsky is a co-founder and president of the Toronto Transhumanist Association, and currently serves on the board of directors for Humanity+ and the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies...
in the leading role and re-released)
- (year unknown) Studio cast (starring Barry Kent and Elizabeth Larner
Elizabeth Larner was a British actress and a singer with a powerful soprano voice. While her main career was the musical theatre, appearing both in London's West End and on Broadway, she was a seemingly unlikely, but inspired, choice to play Ammonia in the BBC situation comedy Up Pompeii! - a...
)
Production notes
- The echoing calls heard during "The Chase" sequence strongly resemble similar calls heard in Weber's
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
1821 Romantic opera Der FreischützDer Freischütz is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind. It premiered on 18 June 1821 at the Schauspielhaus Berlin...
, particularly in the famous "Wolf's Glen" scene.
External links