Set in the magical world of La Belle Epoque in turn-of-the-century Paris, GIGI is a timeless romantic comedy about a young woman groomed in the custom of her family to be a companion to a bored, wealthy playboy, until the two unexpectedly realize this is in fact true love.
This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the debut of Gigi on Broadway. Lerner and Loewe's Tony Award-winning score was first heard in the 9-time Academy Award-winning Best Picture of the same name, directed by Vincente Minnelli. The movie, which was the last of the classic MGM musicals, was based on the Broadway play by Anita Loos and the popular novella by Colette.
Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's beloved musical GIGI will return to Broadway in a production directed by Tony Award-nominee Eric D. Schaeffer (Follies), in a new adaptation by acclaimed British playwright and Emmy-nominated screenwriter Heidi Thomas ("Cranforde," "Upstairs Downstairs," "Call the Midwife".)
Thanks to a revised book by Call The Midwife's Heidi Thomas, this modernized Gigi comes bearing extra sass. Instead of feeling distressed when Gaston insults her new gown ('That collar is ridiculous! It makes you look like a giraffe with a goiter'), this Gigi snaps back at his every insult ('The door's over there. And don't forget your chocolates. I won't be able to swallow them because of this terrible goiter', she quips), and then bids him adieu with all but a kick in the head. Every moment Hudgens isn't onstage, you long for her return-not only for her dramatic talents, but also because she wears Catherine Zuber's beautiful costumes so breathtakingly well.
This is a costly production and in terms of the design, that money has been very well spent. Derek McClane's set is a Belle Époque fantasia, Natasha Katz's lighting is sumptuous, and Catherine Zuber's gorgeous, sensual costuming should sew up the Tony win nicely. Joshua Bergasse's choreography is acrobatic and playful, if perhaps somewhat overblown in The Gossips and The Night They Invented Champagne. The orchestra sounds wonderful and some of the songs are a treat.
2015 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Kennedy Center Production Washington, DC (Regional) |
2015 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Catherine Zuber |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Victoria Clark |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Victoria Clark |
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