The next show in this series is the musical adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. It opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on December 10, 2000, quickly gaining a loyal fan base and earning a 2001 Tony nomination for Best Musical. Unfortunately this success wasn't enough to keep the show running, and it closed on June 10, 2001--seven days after the Tonys.
In the story, a young and unattractive governess arrives at the mysterious Thornfield Hall, where she meets the troubled Mr. Rochester with a dark secret. When the secret is finally revealed, she's forced to make the hardest decision she's ever faced. A touch of Gothic horror is brought to a somewhat nontraditional love story, exploring themes of religion, social class-based oppression, and the cost of personal integrity.
Amazon sells the CD, featuring Marla Schaffel as Jane and James Barbour as Mr. Rochester. YouTube unfortunately doesn't have many songs from the show, but here are the (good) ones I could find.
As Good As You (lyrics): Rochester explains the presence of 10-year-old Adelle to Jane. This is from the pre-Broadway tour with Marla Schaffel and Anthony Crivello; I prefer Barbour's more subtle interpretation of the character, which can be heard on the CD.
Sirens (lyrics): Act One finale. The secrets of Rochester's past are threatened to be exposed as he struggles with his feelings for Jane. This was taken from the 2001 Tony Awards. (Note: yes, the third voice at the end is intentional.)
Painting Her Portrait (lyrics): Jane laments her low status and plain features in comparison to her beautiful rival for Mr. Rochester's affection, Blanche Ingram.
If it's possible, to really get a feel for the show you should try to find the following songs, or just get the CD:
Forgiveness
The Graveyard/Sweet Liberty
The Proposal
Farewell Good Angel
The Voice Across the Moors
3 comments:
Alas, "Jane Eyre" didn't win the Tony for best musical in 2001; "The producers" did. And Marla Schaffel was robbed of a Tony as well! One of the great theatrical injustices, imho.
You're absolutely right, I got my shows/actresses mixed up. I remember thinking in 2001 how Marla should have won the Tony. Thanks for bringing that to my attention; I changed my post to reflect the correct info.
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