Today we look back at Elton John & Tim Rice's Tony Award-winning rock musical AIDA.
Elaborate Lives When it was first announced that legendary rock n roller Elton John was taking on no less than Verdi's vaunted opera AIDA as the subject matter for his stage musical follow-up to international mega-hit THE LION KING, once again with Disney - this time under the production banner of Hyperion Theatricals - speculators assumed that he would be utilizing elements from the original operatic score and subsequently hew closely to the Egyptian roots of the story. As familiar fans will now be the first to point out - that was certainly not the case. Although the story remained grounded in ancient times, the score was wholly new - and, according to lore, it was entirely composed in less than a month, no less, by John along with his multi-award-winning THE LION KING lyricist Tim Rice prior to its Atlanta tryout production approaching the turn of the millennium. Indeed, nary a note of Verdi's remained in John and Rice's vision for the piece - a colorful, rocked-up, pop-tinged take on the tragic tale of a valiant soldier and two princesses at odds caught in an unfortunate love triangle. Eventually going on to win a Tony Award for Best Score for their efforts, Rice and John were proven justified in their artistic ambitions and rewarded for their awesome efforts only a few short years later when AIDA hit Broadway.
So, what is your favorite element of Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA? Furthermore, what song do you prize above all others? With a score this sensational and performance opportunities this rich, it seems more than merely likely that a revival of AIDA cannot be too far off - it's practically written in the stars.
Photo Credits: Disney
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