An Officer and a Gentleman (musical)
| An Officer and a Gentleman | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
| Music | Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner |
| Lyrics | Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner |
| Book | Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen |
| Basis | 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman |
| Premiere | May 18, 2012: Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia |
| Productions |
2012 Australia 2016 Silkeborg (Denmark) |
An Officer and a Gentleman, The Musical is a stage musical based on the original movie, written by Douglas Day Stewart. It had its world premiere May 18, 2012 at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia. The musical closed six weeks later on July 1.[1]
It was co-produced by John Frost and Sharleen Cooper Cohen. The book was written by Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen and the score was written by Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner. It was directed by Simon Phillips. It starred Ben Mingay as Zack Mayo and Amanda Harrison as Paula Pokrifki.[2]
Reception
The Sydney production received mixed reviews.[3] In response to a highly negative review in The Australian, calling the show a "bloodless facsimile" of the film, author Stewart published a rebuttal defending the production and attacking the critics for their "eclectic, overly intellectual point of view".[4] When the show's closing was announced, producer John Frost told a reporter that an American tour was still a possibility, after revisions were made to the show.[5]
The show was nominated for five Helpmann Awards including "Best Musical 2012". Bert LaBonte won for "Best Supporting Actor".
Original Australian Cast
Zack Mayo - Ben Mingay
Paula Pokrifki - Amanda Harrison
Sid Worley - Alex Rathgeber
Lynette Pomeroy - Kate Kendall
Sgt. Emil Foley - Bert Labonte
Byron Mayo - Bartholomew John
Esther Pokrifki - Tara Morice
Ramon Guiterrez - Josh Piterman
Taniya Seegar - Zahra Newman
Charlie Redding - Josef Brown
Amy Cantrowitz - Sheridan Harbridge
Young Zack Mayo - Michael Kilbane, Oliver Wright, Otis Pavlovic, George Cartwright
Ensemble: Bernard Angel (Guiterrez understudy), Elise Brennan (Lynette & Paula understudy), Bianca Baykara (Seegar understudy), Kirby Burgess (Paula & Lynette understudy), Lena Cruz, Sam Devenport, Akina Edmonds (Seegar understudy), Zoy Frangos (Zack & Guiterrez understudy), Peter Hardy (Byron understudy), Brendan Irving (Zack & Sid understudy), Tanya Mitford, Thern Reynolds, Simon Roborgh (Redding understudy), Michael Whalley (Sid understudy) and Patrick Williams (Foley understudy).
Recordings
A promotional disc of five songs was released including “Up Where We Belong”, performed by Ben Mingay, Amanda Harrison, Kate Kendall and Alex Rathgeber, and “If You Believe In Love”, sung by Amanda Harrison.[6]
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Helpmann Awards[7] | Best Musical | Sharleen Cooper Cohen, John Frost | Nominated |
| Best Direction of a Musical | Simon Phillips | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography in a Musical | Andrew Hallsworth | Nominated | ||
| Best Female Actor in a Musical | Amanda Harrison | Nominated | ||
| Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Bert LaBonte | Won | ||
| Theatre People Pro Choice [8] | Best Actress | Amanda Harrison | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Bert LaBonte | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Alex Rathgeber | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Simon Phillips | Nominated | ||
| New Musical | Sharleen Cooper Cohen, John Frost | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Adam Fulton, "Show won't go on: musical fails to deliver on world premiere fanfare", The Australian, June 12, 2016.
- ↑ "An Officer and A Gentleman Musical Cast Announced". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ↑ "Review Roundup: An Officer and a Gentleman in Sydney", BroadwayWorld.com, May 20, 2012 (summary and links to other reviews).
- ↑ David Ng, "'An Officer and a Gentleman' writer hits back at critic", Los Angeles Times, May 23, 2012.
- ↑ "Bid to save sinking musical An Officer And A Gentleman". The Daily Telegraph. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ↑ "An Officer and a Gentleman The Musical: Songs for Download". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ↑ "Helpmann Award Nominees 2012". live Performance Australia. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ↑ Simon Parris (28 November 2012). "Theatre People Pro Choice 2012 Winners Announced!". Theatre People. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
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