Pearls Before Swine (musical)

Pearls Before Swine

Original cast recording
Music Chris Harriott
Lyrics Dennis Watkins
Book Dennis Watkins
Premiere 13 May 1986: Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney
Productions 1986 Sydney/Melbourne
1988 Penrith

Pearls Before Swine is an Australian musical with book and lyrics by Dennis Watkins and music by Chris Harriott. Billed as "in the tradition of South Pacific and Apocalypse Now", it is a satirical take on Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, suggesting that one of the world's worst cabaret entertainers, Lamont Cranston, was responsible for the My Lai Massacre.[1]

Production history

Pearls Before Swine opened at Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre on 13 May 1986. It was directed by Geoffrey Rush with choreography by Mark Daly and musical direction by Harriott. The cast included Dennis Watkins (Lamont Cranston), Valerie Bader, Terry Serio, Robyne Dunn, Toni Allayliss, Jonathan Biggins, Mark Daly and Jenny Vuletic.[2] The production moved to the Everest Theatre at Sydney's Seymour Centre between 5 June and 5 July 1986.[3] It then transferred to Melbourne, playing at the Universal Theatre from 15 July 1986 to 24 August 1986.[4][5]

Penrith's Q Theatre revived the musical in June 1988 and this production also played at the Riverside Theatres Parramatta's Lennox Theatre.[6][7]

Reception

Critical reaction was highly positive. The Sydney Morning Herald called Pearls Before Swine "a highly subversive, thoroughly entertaining, flawlessly constructed piece of propaganda that is beautifully directed by Geoffrey Rush".[8] The Age said that the musical "bounces along with tremendous verve and gusto, pillaging and plundering and laying siege to good taste" and "if it's not a smash hit with Melbourne audiences, I'll be surprised".[9]

Virgin Records released a cast recording in 1986.[10]

Musical numbers

Musical numbers taken from the cast recording:[1]

Act I
  • Overture
  • "Saigon: R&R"
  • "We Open in Loc Ninh"
  • "What a Wonderful War"
  • "We Open in Loc Ninh" (reprise)
  • "The Tripping Song"
  • "Crazy Asian War"
  • "We Open in My Lai" (reprise)
  • "Blood On My Hands"
  • "What A Thrill"
  • "Psychedelic Love Child"
  • "The Letter"
  • "Blood On My Hands" (reprise)
  • "Centennial Park"
Act II
  • Entr'acte
  • "Into the Heart of Darkness"
  • "Viet Conga"
  • "Pearls Before Swine"
  • "In a Perfect World"
  • "I'll Be There"
  • "Vietnam Veteran"
  • "What A Thrill (Finale)"

References

  1. 1 2 Pearls Before Swine (liner notes). Virgin Records. 1986. CBS 466884 2.
  2. ↑ https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/106519
  3. ↑ "Theatre Directory". Sydney Morning Herald. 5 June 1986. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  4. ↑ https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/96101
  5. ↑ Schembri, Jim (18 July 1986). "Days of swine". The Age. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  6. ↑ https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/611
  7. ↑ https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/25502
  8. ↑ "Theatre". Sydney Morning Herald. 13 June 1986. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Radic, Leonard (18 July 1986). "Now, Vietnam the musical". The Age. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  10. ↑ http://castalbums.org/recordings/Pearls-Before-Swine-1986-Original-Cast/14578
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