Metropolis (musical)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Metropolis

Metropolis is a musical based on the 1927 movie of the same name that was staged at the Piccadilly Theatre in London in 1989. The music was written by Joe Brooks while he and Dusty Hughes wrote the lyrics. The show was directed by Jerome Savary. The cast included Judy Kuhn (Maria/Futura), Brian Blessed (John Freeman), Graham Bickley (Steven), Jonathan Adams (Warner), Paul Keown (Jeremiah) and Stifyn Parri (George).

This version of the musical made its North American Premiere in 1990 at the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center in Cicero, Illinois. In 1994, an elaborate staging by Dante J. Orfei, produced by Christopher Eck and Futura Productions, Ltd. began a nine month run at Cicero's Olympic Theatre starring Laura Kirin (Maria/Futura), Warren Karas (John Freeman), Patrick Finn (Steven), Rodney G. Woodworth (Warner), Robert Buccieri (Jeremiah) and Don Orlando (George).

After that time Joe Brooks worked with American Randy Bowser at editing the already finished musical. By 2002 they had created a more complete libretto to the show, and it was first produced at the Pentacle Theater in Salem, Oregon.

Main changes between the silent film and the musical are name changes for many of the characters (John Fredersen = John Freeman, Freder = Steven, Rotwang = Warner), slightly different religious themes, a completely different ending, and a larger focus on the children ("Metropolis the Musical").

1 Synopsis
2 Original London Cast
3 Musical Numbers
4 Future
5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

The city of Metropolis, in around the year 2000. The workers operate vast machines below the city. They power the piviledged lifes of the upper class at the surface of the city. For the workers, it is forbidden to read and to learn. They never see daylight.

The city was built by John Freeman, who now runs it like a despot. His son Steven lives the privileged life of the sons of the upper class, playing at games and taking his pleasures in the Eternal Gardens, unknowing of the dark secrets below the city.

That is, until he sees a young woman from the lower depths of the city. Maria escapes briefly from "down below", showing some of the children of the workers how the rich enjoy themselves. In pursuit of this vision, Steven ends up at one of the machines: Shocked by seeing how the workers suffer for no apparent purpose, he trades places with worker 11811 (George). It seems that there is a group of discontents who attend talks by Maria in the catacombs.

Meanwhile the inventor Warner has developed the man machine 'Futura'. John Freeman wants to use the machine to deceive his son Steven and the workers as an attempt to break down the burgeoning resistance. Freeman wants the machine to take the form of Maria and to use it to discredit and destroy her...

[edit] Original London Cast

Brian Blessed (JOHN FREEMAN)

Judy Kuhn (MARIA/FUTURA)

Graham Bickley (STEVEN)

Jonathan Adams (WARNER)

Paul Keown (JEREMIAH)

Stifyn Parri (GEORGE)

Lindsey Danvers (JADE)

Colin Fay (GROAT)

Megan Kelly (LAKE)

Robert Fardell (MARCO)

Lucy Dixon (LULU)

Keven Power (WORKER 1)

Gael Johnson (BESO)

WORKERS AND ELITISTS

Buz Butler, Joseph Lloyd Collatin, Stephen J. Colley, Mhairi Nelson, Geoffrey Dallamore, Teresa Revill, Mark Fredrick, Scott St. Martyn, Liz Izen, Simon Shelton, Martyn Knight, Charles Shirwell, Bo Light, Julie Ann Ward, Simon Warwich

CHILDREN OF METROPOLIS

Oswald Bailey, Ian McGregor, Amanda Cannon, Jean Paul Pfluger, David Cooper, Elizabeth Pearce, Clare Humphrey, James Tovell, Lucy Indrisie, Emmaline Wood

[edit] Musical Numbers

Act 1

101.11 - Company

HOLD BACK THE NIGHT - Maria, Jade, George, Marco & Company

THE MACHINES ARE BEAUTIFUL - Freeman

HE'S DISTANT FROM ME NOW - Steven

ELITISTS' DANCE (Instrumental) CHILDREN OF METROPOLIS - Maria

ONE MORE MORNING - Steven

IT'S ONLY LOVE - Steven

BRING ON THE NIGHT - Maria

YOU ARE THE LIGHT - Maria and Company

THE SUN - George

THERE'S A GIRL DOWN BELOW - Jeremiah

FUTURA - Warner, Freeman and company

Act 2

WE'RE THE CREAM - Elitists

THIS IS LIFE - Steven, Jeremiah and Company

FUTURA'S DANCE - Maria and Company

IF THAT WAS LOVE - Steven

LISTEN TO ME - Steven and George

LEARNING SONG - Maria and Children

OLD FRIENDS - Warner

WHEN MARIA WAKES - Company

FUTURA'S PROMISE - Futura

HAVEN'T YOU FINISHED WITH ME? - Maria and Warner

LET'S WATCH THE WORLD GO TO THE DEVIL - Futura and Company

ONE OF THESE NIGHTS - Maria

REQUIEM - Company

METROPOLIS - Freeman

FINALE - Company

[edit] Future

It has been announced that the musical will be staged again in early 2007 in Berlin, Germany, produced and directed by Sabine Otto with a slightly reworked score by Joe Brooks.