The ENO has a Ball with Kismet
by Robert Gould
- Jul 14, 2007
Gary Griffin - fresh from the success of his recent Broadway production, 'The Color Purple' - has returned to London (where his Donmar Warehouse production of Sondheim's 'Pacific Overtures' won him a richly deserved Olivier Award in 2003) to present a revival of the 1950s musical, 'Kismet' at the London Coliseum for the ENO. The show, originally staged at the Ziegfield theatre in New York in 1953, has music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from musical themes by Borodin. The original book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis has been reworked by Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Griffin's colourful, energetic and beautifully paced production, magnificently complemented by the set design by Ultz and Wolfgang Gobbel's lighting design, breathes new life into a classic.
