The new Broadway musical, Triumph of Love, is currently in previews for an Oct. 23 opening at the Royale Theatre. If you're eager for a taste of the show's tunes, tune into ABC-TV's Rosie O'Donnell talk show, Oct. 9, (10 AM, E.S.T.); Betty Buckley, who plays Hesione, will sing "Serenity."
Triumph Of Love also stars Susan Egan, F. Murray Abraham, Christopher Sieber, Kevin Chamberlin, Roger Bart and Nancy Opel, alongside Paul Harman, Tom Plotkin and Christianne Tisdale.
Based on an 18th century play by Pierre Marivaux, the musical has an original score by Jeffrey Stock and Susan Birkenhead. Tickets are on sale at (212) 239-6200; outside metro NY: (800) 447-7400. You can also order tickets on Playbill On-Line.
Triumph of Love played tryout engagements at Center Stage in Baltimore and Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT. Egan, who originated the role of Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast and gives her voice to the female lead in the Disney animated feature Hercules, was retained from the casts of those productions.
The musical has lyrics by Susan Birkenhead (A . . . My Name Is Alice, Jelly's Last Jam), music by Jeffrey Stock and a book by James Magruder, based on Marivaux's 1732 play, The Triumph of Love. Buckley told the New York Times, "Murray Abraham and I are brother and sister. We're philosophers and ascetics who raise a young prince in a very intellectual way to deny his emotions." Buckley, who plays Hesione, is best known for taking on Norma Desmond after Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard and also appeared in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Carrie and Cats. Abraham is best known for playing Salieri in the Milos Forman film of Amadeus and Pozzo in the Lincoln Center production of Waiting for Godot starring opposite Steve Martin and Robin Williams.
For an in-depth look at the process of putting the show together, check out Playbill On-Line's story on Triumph's open rehearsal for the press, "Sneak Preview of Triumph of Love."
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When beautiful, brilliant princess Leonide becomes smitten with handsome Agis, the rightful heir to the Grecian kingdom that was usurped by Leonide's family, the girl must bend her gender and rescue her man from his stuffed-shirt uncle and dour aunt.
This musical adaptation of Marivaux began when Magruder's non-musical version of the comedy opened at Baltimore's Center Stage (where he serves as resident dramaturg). The Broadway transfer is produced by Margo Lion, Metropolitan Entertainment Group, Jujamcyn Theatres in association with PACE Theatrical Group, the Baruch-Frankel-Viertel Group and Alex Hitz.
Asked at the time about the Broadway transfer, Lion said, "We look forward to delivering a jewel. We've still got a lot of work to do, but it's rare that you go out of the block this fast with a new musical. We only had seven performances [previews] in Baltimore before those reviews, so we're very excited."
Bruce Coughlin orchestrates the work, which is conducted by Bradley Vieth. Director Michael Mayer staged the national tour of Angels In America and the Off-Broadway productions of Antigone In New York and A View Of The Dome. Doug Varone, making his Broadway debut, choreographs.
Heidi Landesman (Big River, The Secret Garden) has designed the Triumph set, Catherine Zuber (The Red Shoes, The Rose Tattoo) the costumes, Paul Gallo the lighting, Brian Ronan the sound.
Songs in Triumph include "This Day Of Days," "Serenity," "If I Cannot Love," "Mr. Right," "Emotions," "The Bond That Can't Be Broken," "The Sad And Sordid Saga Of Cecile," and "You May Call Me Phocion."
