DEAR ANYONE - 1983 London Musical

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 3:47am

Just found some clips from this show online and am absolutely loving the score. Really gorgeous tunes and the lyrics are pretty good too. It was a collaboration between Don Black and Geoff Stephens.

Did anyone see it? How was it overall? I can't seem to find any info about what it was actually about online.

Updated On: 8/24/16 at 03:47 AM

Posted: 8/24/16 at 12:23pm

Now, I'm intrigued... Did you ask on the London page?  

[lotiloti]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 12:50pm

So long ago, but yes I saw it at the Cambridge. I absolutely loved it.. Terrific score as I recall. I think it was based on an ITV  series about an agony aunt (but I may be wrong)  The set was based around a huge glass globe which almost filled the stage. There is an album, if you can find one. It's not an  OLC (I don't think they recorded one), but an original concept album with an all star cast.

 

Updated On: 8/24/16 at 12:50 PM

[Scripps2]

Posted: 8/24/16 at 1:57pm

The concept album, which I had for several years but then jettisoned, was released several years prior to the stage version emerging. There was a single released of Jane Lapotaire singing I'll Put You Together Again, which was much more listenable, and which I still have but no complete OLC was released.

I don't think the show's book was a straight adaption of the TV comedy, which was called Agony and starred Maureen Lipman. This was another attempt, after Bar Mitzvah Boy, by Jack Rosenthal to try and repeat his phenomenal success as a television screenplay writer by writing a musical (with Don Black). Again it floundered under middling reviews and didn't last long. Stubby Kaye seemed to steal most of the notices and apparently he was given a boat-rocking number, that isn't on the concept album, to try and capitalise on his popularity in the UK from the film version of Guys and Dolls.

I wish I had seen this but back then theatregoing choices were made by my parents!

Updated On: 8/24/16 at 01:57 PM

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 8/25/16 at 12:59am

Had no clue it was based on a TV show! I guess the knotted pencil poster art is representative of the letter writing and her unsorted personal life. Some light research reveals that the male lead Peter Blake had a role on the original TV series.

Too bad there was never a proper cast album, the arrangements on the concept album are not very palatable compared to the live in performance tapes, more of a "Finding Neverland" treatment than a "Waitress" to use two recent examples. Would love to hear the single, wonder if there's an MP3 floating around.

[Pernigraniline]

Posted: 8/25/16 at 1:12pm

It might have appeared on a popular website that showcases that type of thing.