Marie Antoinette: the Musical?

[Jeannie2]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 2:48am

Hey, I've just gotten word that a Broadway version of Marie Antoinette's life is underway. It's not a bad idea, but if it's anything like the movie then it should be called off immediately. Anyone know if it's true?

[Julian2]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 2:53am

It's not a bad idea, but if it's anything like the movie then it should be called off immediately.

Oh yes, call it off. Heaven forbid we put a little faith in a creative team.

[Jeannie2]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 2:58am

Did you even see the movie? Yeah it was pretty to look at, but they included next to nothing concerning the French Revolution! It sucked!

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 3:20am

Copolla's Marie Antoinette was one of the BEST films of the year.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 3:41am

Did you even see the movie? Yeah it was pretty to look at, but they included next to nothing concerning the French Revolution! It sucked!
Not to get into an argument about the movie, but that was because from Marie Antoinette's perspective, she knew nothing about the Revolution until it invaded her sheltered life.

On the main topic, I can't see a musical being done well with her story. But the costumes would be amazing.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 3:50am

The only musical version of Marie Antoinette that I know to be open currently, is the Michael Kunze & Sylvester Levay version in Japan. I have only seen production photos, but they look stunning in any case. The recording is due out in mid-March.

These two men are easily two of the most brilliant creators of musical theatre. Their most recent collaboration, 'Rebecca Das Musical,' based on the Daphne Du Maurier novel was given rave reviews from critics all over the world. British critics were almost pleading for the musical to open in its original birthplace.

Their other works Elisabeth and Mozart are both fantastic, with Elisabeth being far superior to anything I have ever heard. If this is the creative team and musical that this thread is referring to then I embrace every bit of 'Marie Antoinette the Musical!"

Phantom05

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:54am

After "Dance of the Vampires", I doubt it. But... clouds pass with time... I hope this is the Kunze / Levay musical coming to B'way. If so, I hope they don't cast Barbra Streisand and have her turn it into a musical comedy with dancing cloves of garlic and American accents in Lower Belabartoka.. whatever

[RainbowHigh2]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:17am

I saw this link yesterday through BroadwayWorld. I'm very interested in seeing it when it opens.

I loved the movie. I watched it on the plane the whole ride back from London on Monday. It truly is from her perspective - her and her court were the first 24 hour party people. We know history already so I think Sofia Coppola didn't need to retell it. And the fact that she filmed it on location in Versailles, on the actual Venetian Lake and at the Petit Trianon, was amazing; now I can see the palace as it was in its time, not filled with hordes of tourists like you would see today.

Also, my friend and I had afternoon tea at the Savoy on Sunday and the pianist was playing a selection of Broadway tunes; we ate three plates of sandwiches, petit fours and pastries and drank two pots of tea - I felt a kinship with Marie Antoinette and loved every minute of it!

Marie Antoinette the Musical Updated On: 2/22/07 at 09:17 AM

[Jellylorum]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 3:41pm

There seems to be two Marie Antoinette musicals: one is by Kunze and Lemay (which is currently playing in Japan), and the other one is currently being developed by Fabrice Paget in London.

Does anyone know anything by the latter? The only information I could find was on the website posted by Rainbow.

Updated On: 2/22/07 at 03:41 PM

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:12pm

Marie Antoinette...gee, I wonder how it ends...?

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:17pm

There;s also the near-brilliant opera, GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:39pm

SeanMartin,
Bingo.

If there ever was an operatic life, it was Marie Antoinette's. For me opera is character and death and that sums her life up pretty well.

As a musical which does require some plot, her life isn't much, but the epic, larger-than-larger-than-life sweep screams "opera".

As good as Ghosts of Versailles is, there could be several other operas written about parts of her life.

But a musical with song and dance? Nope. As beautiful as those period clothes are, why dance if we can't see their feet?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:54pm

Ughhh, that movie was awful and historically inaccurate. The music would most likely have be written by, say, Adam Guettel for me to like the show.

Ghost of Versailles isn't about Marie Antoinette so much as reconciling Beaumarchais's revolutionary ideals with the reality, which was the French Revolution becoming so radical and bloodthirsty. Marie Antoinette was the very representation of absolutism, after all.

Updated On: 2/22/07 at 04:54 PM

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 6:45pm

The movie was awfully historically inaccurate. I could not see this as a musical.

Posted: 2/22/07 at 7:35pm

Why is "it was historically inaccurate" somehow viewed as a criticism of the movie? I'm far from the film's biggest fan, but I don't believe it ever claimed to be a historical documentary of Marie Antoinette's life. I don't feel strongly in favor or against the more obvious historical inaccuracies in this particular film, but when a film isn't necessarily aiming to be a completely accurate depiction of one's life, I often find the film better for having taken some liberties.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 7:41pm

"Did you even see the movie? Yeah it was pretty to look at, but they included next to nothing concerning the French Revolution! It sucked!"

That. Was. The. Point.

It was a story of Marie's life from her perspective only. It never claimed to be social commentary on the causes and effects and the plights of the French poor at the time of the French Revolution. At times, it was purposefully anachronistic. It was part of Sofia Coppola's way of conveying what she wanted.

Marie lived a very sheltered life in Versailles, and that was something the movie was trying to convey.

It was more a mood movie than anything else. It wasn't supposed to be a sweeping historical drama.

It was easily one of the finest films of 2006. The reason it got a bad rap is because people went in expecting it to be something it wasn't and then freaking out when it turned out to be another kind of film.

It is a gem of a film.

Updated On: 2/22/07 at 07:41 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 7:47pm

How about some numbers such as ?

Let Them Eat Cake
Losing My Head (to the tune of Losing MY Mind)
Versailles My Home

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 8:15pm

The movie's inaccuracy added to reasons I didn't like it. The movie spent to much time showing Marie frolicking in the grass and laying on her bed. It wasn't very exciting. I did like that it was unlike anything I'd ever seen on Marie Antoinette.
Updated On: 2/22/07 at 08:15 PM

Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:00pm

They should just adapt the *two* different hit Takarazuka productions of Rose of Versailles *grins*

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:41pm

I would TOTALLY pay to see a takarazuka musical of Rose of Versailles. Can it be in Japanese?

Of course, takarazuka Rose of Versailles is kind of redundant.

It would make a great musical though.

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:45pm

So there are multiple versions? Grr, I hate when that happens. Do you see any multiple versions of "Les Miserables"? Why can't they just let the good one carry forth in its dream, and the other people can do something else? At least premiere it in another avenue or something, movie or T.V. or whatever.

Has anyone lost count yet of the amount of "Dorian Gray" and "Dracula" musicals there are?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:52pm

It was the nitpicky things that bothered me. For instance, I fail to see how making the American Revolution happen at the wrong time really adds to the artistic vision.

And the movie was absolutely boring. I get that life at Versailles wasn't the most exciting thing around, but did we have to see every tedious minute? I mean really, we got the point that it was boring.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 10:08pm

There is a podcast with a few musical songs.



God it is so bad.

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 10:09pm

I have earlier suggested a movie or musical about Axel von Fersén. This might be a somewhat swedocentric idea but I believe that at least for a movie the story becomes more of an adventure. Seen trough the eyes of Axel, Marie Antionette becomes more majestic, but one can still see her personal side since they became lovers. One of the last letters she sent was a love letter to Axel. His life might be difficult to stage though. Apart from being the lover of Marie Antioinette, the boss for the failed escape from Versailles and the possible dad of Marie Antoinettes child, he was also involved in the american war of independence on the french-american side. He served as adjutant to general Rochambeau and worked as interpreter between him and general Washington. Many years after her execution he rose to the highest office in Sweden under the king. A danish prince had been appointed as successor to the swedish throne. He died however and false rumours about Axels involvment were spread by those who were enemies of the old Gustavian guard (people around the circle of King Gustav III who was shot during the mascerade ball). Then during the funeral procession of this prince in Stockholm, a mob (perhaps hired) attacked him and beat him to death.

Updated On: 2/22/07 at 10:09 PM

[Julian2]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 10:11pm

Has anyone lost count yet of the amount of "Dorian Gray" and "Dracula" musicals there are?

Not to mention Cyrano.