Aspects of Love
Encyclopedia
Aspects of Love is a musical
/chamber opera with a book and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart
. It is famous for the song "Love Changes Everything."
Based on the novella of the same name
by David Garnett
, the piece focuses on the romantic entanglements of actress Rose Vibert, her admiring fan Alex Dillingham, his underage cousin Jenny, his uncle George, and George's mistress, sculptress Giulietta Trapani, over a period of 17 years. The "aspects" of the title refers to the many forms that love takes in the show: love between couples, both as romantic infatuation and as married people; children and their parents; and there are even some hints of lesbian
ism (Giulietta and Rose).
Lloyd Webber was introduced to Aspects of Love in 1979, when he and Tim Rice
were approached to write a few songs for a proposed film version. When nothing came of it, he suggested to Trevor Nunn
that they collaborate on a stage adaptation. In 1983, they presented a cabaret of numbers they had written, but it was not until five years later that they tackled the project in earnest. For the finished project, Lloyd Webber used at least five of the tunes he had written for the 1986 one-act musical Cricket
, which he had written with Tim Rice
.
production, directed by Trevor Nunn
and choreographed by Gillian Lynne
, opened on April 17, 1989 at the Prince of Wales Theatre
, where it ran for 1,325 performances. The original cast included Kevin Colson
, Ann Crumb
, Michael Ball
, Kathleen Rowe McAllen and Diana Morrison
. Sarah Brightman
, Barrie Ingham
, and Michael Praed
were among the replacements later in the run. Roger Moore
was due to star in the production but dropped out.
The Broadway
production, with the same creative team and many of the original London
cast, opened on April 8, 1990 at the Broadhurst Theatre
and closed on March 2, 1991 after 377 performances and 22 previews. Brightman and John Cullum
joined the cast later in the run. The reviews were lackluster and New York Times critic Frank Rich
wrote in a negative review "Whether Aspects of Love is a musical for people is another matter." When the musical closed, the entire $8 million investment was lost, which, according to the New York Times, made it "perhaps the greatest flop in Broadway history."
In 1991, a "chamber" version of the show with Keith Michell
was mounted in Canada
. It subsequently toured in America
and a similar production was staged in Australia
. Aspects of Love was produced in Japan
, the Philippines, Hungary
, Finland
, and Denmark
as well.
A new UK tour began on 31 August 2007, the first production in 15 years. Starring David Essex
as George Dillingham, the production was directed by Nikolai Foster, and musically directed by Andrew J.Smith. The tour opened at the Theatre Royal
, Newcastle upon Tyne
, and toured for 36 weeks through 8 December 2007.
Following the UK tour, the musical played a limited engagement at The Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg
, South Africa
from May 22 to June 28, 2009. The touring production was re-directed by Nikolai Foster and starred Samantha Peo, Robert Finlayson, Angela Kilian and Keith Smith.
A London revival will run at the Menier Chocolate Factory
from July 15 to September 11, 2010, directed by Trevor Nunn
.
The action then moves back in time to 1947, where 25-year-old starving actress, Rose Vibert, rants at her producer, Marcel, because their show is a flop and is closing for two weeks. Marcel defends himself, then tries to placate Rose by introducing her to an avid young fan, 17-year-old Alex. Alex convinces her to come with him to a villa at Pau belonging to his uncle, George, where they have a brief tryst. George, in Paris with his mistress, Giulietta Trapani, hears that Rose and Alex have broken into his villa and returns to Pau. Rose is attracted to George despite his age. George is briefly overcome when he sees Rose dressed in a gown belonging to his much-adored but long-deceased wife, Delia, who was also an actress. George remarks how much Rose resembles Delia. He advises Alex that all good things have to end, and that his interlude with Rose will one day be just a memory. Alex insists that his relationship with Rose is not a schoolboy crush, but real love. George amuses Rose with tidbits about his life while Alex listens grumpily. George leaves, and the next day, Rose leaves under mysterious circumstances to rejoin Marcel. Alex realizes that Rose had never taken him seriously.
Two years later, Alex, now a soldier, goes to visit his uncle in Paris. George is fixing up the villa in the country, and Alex is shocked to find that Rose is now George's mistress. He accuses her of chasing his uncle's money, but Rose protests that she really loves George. She admits that she did love Alex once, and the two, drawn to each other again, fall into bed. The next morning, an agitated Rose tells Alex to leave before George returns. Alex, enraged, pulls out his gun. Rose throws a candlestick at Alex, and the gun goes off, shooting Rose in the arm, and she faints. George arrives but is surprisingly calm. George and Alex each try to convince the other that he is the right man for Rose. George wins the debate, insisting that Alex should begin a new life with Rose, and Alex finally agrees. George then heads to Venice to see his former mistress, Giulietta. However, Rose orders Alex to leave, having chosen to stay with George. Alex leaves, and Rose and Marcel follow George to Venice. Rose intends to confront Giulietta and reclaim George.
In Venice, Rose has run up bills everywhere. George is exasperated but admits that he'd be lost without her. Later, Giulietta and Rose bond while discussing George's foibles. They both express surprise that the other woman is not at all what they'd imagined. George returns and says that he has lost most of his money (some productions have him catching Rose and Giulietta in bed together). Rose then asks George to marry her and he agrees. At the wedding, Giulietta shocks everyone by claiming her best man's rights and kissing Rose on the mouth. George, however, is delighted. At a military encampment in Malaya some months later, Alex hears of the wedding, and that George will be a father soon.
Two years later, Alex suggests that Jenny needs a Paris education, which upsets Rose, who suspects that her daughter has developed an unhealthy crush on Alex. That evening at dinner, Jenny appears wearing the gown of George's first wife, and George happily dances with his daughter. Jenny tries to draw Alex into the dance, but Alex politely refuses. Later, Jenny and Alex are left alone, and Jenny finally convinces Alex to give her the last dance. Rose catches Jenny clasping Alex in a very adult fashion, and Alex leaves. Jenny tells her mother that Alex is the first to make her feel like a woman. Rose confronts Alex, who admits to having feelings for Jenny, but insists that he would never harm her. Later, Jenny tells Alex that she loves him. She begs him to be honest, then kisses him on the mouth.
George plans his wake, insisting that there should be dancing and fun. Rose tells him that he's bound to outlive them all. At a circus in Paris, George, Rose, Alex, and Jenny are celebrating Jenny's fifteenth birthday. George becomes agitated as he watches Jenny talking with Alex. Later, Alex puts Jenny to bed. Jenny tries to convince him that she's really in love with him, but Alex insists that they're just cousins. Jenny falls asleep, and Alex reflects that he knows he must not love her, but cannot help loving her. George overhears Alex and is enraged, suspecting the worst. However, he collapses before he can burst in on them, and Alex comes out of Jenny's room to find him dead on the floor.
At George's wake, Giulietta gives a eulogy celebrating George's unconventionality and his belief in living life to the fullest. Giulietta and Alex join in the dancing. The two are immediately attracted to each other as they wander away from the party. Jenny spies on them, while Marcel tries to comfort the grieving Rose. Giulietta and Alex awaken in a hayloft, and Alex wonders how to end his relationship kindly with Jenny. Later, Alex tries to explain to Jenny that their relationship was unnatural. She reminds him that he was only seventeen when he met Rose, and that she is no younger than Shakespeare's Juliet. Rose bids Alex farewell, but then she breaks down and begs Alex not to leave her. Alex, unsure of how to reply, leaves.
At the train station at Pau, as Alex and Giulietta wait for the train, Giulietta wonders what will happen in a few years, when Jenny becomes a woman. Alex, unable to reply, reflects once more on how love changes everything.
Act II
Note: most of the musical is sung, however not all the parts that are sung are titled songs some are simply sung-through scenes with minor amounts of dialogue.
When the musical opened, the song "The First Man You Remember" was often performed on TV, the impression being that it was between a couple of romantic lovers. However, in the show itself it is actually a father and daughter duet between George and Jenny. It was sung by Michael Ball
and Diana Morrison
in the CD single version.
The first single released from the musical was "Love Changes Everything
" sung by Michael Ball
. It was a huge succes and reached #2 in the UK singles chart. It stayed in the charts for 14 weeks.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
/chamber opera with a book and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart
Charles Hart (lyricist)
Charles Hart is a British lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for re-writing the lyrics to, and contributing to the book of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical The Phantom of the Opera. He also co-wrote the lyrics to Lloyd Webber's 1989 musical Aspects of Love...
. It is famous for the song "Love Changes Everything."
Based on the novella of the same name
Aspects of Love (novel)
Aspects of Love is a novel by author David Garnett centering on the loves of a young soldier named Alexis Golightly, his uncle George Dillingham, and the beautiful actress Rose Vibert from whom neither man could escape. It was originally published in 1955....
by David Garnett
David Garnett
David Garnett was a British writer and publisher. As a child, he had a cloak made of rabbit skin and thus received the nickname "Bunny", by which he was known to friends and intimates all his life.-Early life:...
, the piece focuses on the romantic entanglements of actress Rose Vibert, her admiring fan Alex Dillingham, his underage cousin Jenny, his uncle George, and George's mistress, sculptress Giulietta Trapani, over a period of 17 years. The "aspects" of the title refers to the many forms that love takes in the show: love between couples, both as romantic infatuation and as married people; children and their parents; and there are even some hints of lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
ism (Giulietta and Rose).
Lloyd Webber was introduced to Aspects of Love in 1979, when he and Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
were approached to write a few songs for a proposed film version. When nothing came of it, he suggested to Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
that they collaborate on a stage adaptation. In 1983, they presented a cabaret of numbers they had written, but it was not until five years later that they tackled the project in earnest. For the finished project, Lloyd Webber used at least five of the tunes he had written for the 1986 one-act musical Cricket
Cricket (musical)
Cricket, also called Cricket , is a short musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth's 60th birthday celebration, and was first performed at Windsor Castle on 18 June 1986....
, which he had written with Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
.
Productions
The West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production, directed by Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
and choreographed by Gillian Lynne
Gillian Lynne
Gillian Barbara Lynne , CBE, born , is a British ballerina, dancer, actor, theatre director, television director and choreographer noted for her popular theatre choreography associated with the iconic musicals Cats and the current longest running show in Broadway history, The Phantom of the Opera.-...
, opened on April 17, 1989 at the Prince of Wales Theatre
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...
, where it ran for 1,325 performances. The original cast included Kevin Colson
Kevin Colson
Kevin Colson is an Australian stage, film and television actor best known for his portrayal of Sir George Dillingham in the musical Aspects of Love, for which he received a Tony nomination, and his early role as Cliff in the original London production of Cabaret opposite Judi Dench...
, Ann Crumb
Ann Crumb
Ann Crumb is an American actress and singer.The daughter of composer George Crumb and sister of composer David Crumb, she made her Broadway debut in 1987 as a member of the original cast of Les Misérables...
, Michael Ball
Michael Ball (singer)
Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
, Kathleen Rowe McAllen and Diana Morrison
Diana Morrison
Diana Morrison is a British stage, TV and Film actress.-Career summary:Diana played the principal role of Jenny in Andrew Lloyd Webber'smusical Aspects of Love directed by Trevor Nunn, in the original...
. Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
, Barrie Ingham
Barrie Ingham
Barrie Ingham is an English actor in stage, TV and film.-Life and career:Ingham was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the son of Irene and Harold Ellis Stead Ingham. He was educated at Heath Grammar School and became a Royal Artillery Officer. His major theatre debut was at Manchester Library...
, and Michael Praed
Michael Praed
Michael Praed born Michael David Prince, 1 April 1960 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire) is a British actor, is probably best known for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series Robin of Sherwood, which attained cult status worldwide in the 1980s...
were among the replacements later in the run. Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
was due to star in the production but dropped out.
The Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production, with the same creative team and many of the original London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
cast, opened on April 8, 1990 at the Broadhurst Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
and closed on March 2, 1991 after 377 performances and 22 previews. Brightman and John Cullum
John Cullum
John Cullum is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including On the Twentieth Century and Shenandoah , winning the Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for each...
joined the cast later in the run. The reviews were lackluster and New York Times critic Frank Rich
Frank Rich
Frank Rich is an American essayist and op-ed columnist who wrote for The New York Times from 1980, when he was appointed its chief theatre critic, until 2011...
wrote in a negative review "Whether Aspects of Love is a musical for people is another matter." When the musical closed, the entire $8 million investment was lost, which, according to the New York Times, made it "perhaps the greatest flop in Broadway history."
In 1991, a "chamber" version of the show with Keith Michell
Keith Michell
Keith Michell is an Australian actor, particularly noted for his television and film performances as King Henry VIII of England.- Early life :He was born in Adelaide and brought up in Warnertown, near Port Pirie...
was mounted in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It subsequently toured in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a similar production was staged in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Aspects of Love was produced in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Philippines, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
as well.
A new UK tour began on 31 August 2007, the first production in 15 years. Starring David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
as George Dillingham, the production was directed by Nikolai Foster, and musically directed by Andrew J.Smith. The tour opened at the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Newcastle
The Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger's grand design for the centre of Newcastle, and was opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant...
, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, and toured for 36 weeks through 8 December 2007.
Following the UK tour, the musical played a limited engagement at The Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
from May 22 to June 28, 2009. The touring production was re-directed by Nikolai Foster and starred Samantha Peo, Robert Finlayson, Angela Kilian and Keith Smith.
A London revival will run at the Menier Chocolate Factory
Menier Chocolate Factory
The Menier Chocolate Factory is an award-winning 180 seat fringe studio theatre, restaurant and gallery. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory in Southwark Street, a major street in the London Borough of Southwark, central south London, England. The theatre stages plays...
from July 15 to September 11, 2010, directed by Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
.
Act One
At a train station in Pau, France in 1964, a man (who will later be identified as the 34-year-old Alex) reflects on his love life over the past 17 years. A woman (who will later be identified as Giulietta Trapani) replies to him that "it's all in the past."The action then moves back in time to 1947, where 25-year-old starving actress, Rose Vibert, rants at her producer, Marcel, because their show is a flop and is closing for two weeks. Marcel defends himself, then tries to placate Rose by introducing her to an avid young fan, 17-year-old Alex. Alex convinces her to come with him to a villa at Pau belonging to his uncle, George, where they have a brief tryst. George, in Paris with his mistress, Giulietta Trapani, hears that Rose and Alex have broken into his villa and returns to Pau. Rose is attracted to George despite his age. George is briefly overcome when he sees Rose dressed in a gown belonging to his much-adored but long-deceased wife, Delia, who was also an actress. George remarks how much Rose resembles Delia. He advises Alex that all good things have to end, and that his interlude with Rose will one day be just a memory. Alex insists that his relationship with Rose is not a schoolboy crush, but real love. George amuses Rose with tidbits about his life while Alex listens grumpily. George leaves, and the next day, Rose leaves under mysterious circumstances to rejoin Marcel. Alex realizes that Rose had never taken him seriously.
Two years later, Alex, now a soldier, goes to visit his uncle in Paris. George is fixing up the villa in the country, and Alex is shocked to find that Rose is now George's mistress. He accuses her of chasing his uncle's money, but Rose protests that she really loves George. She admits that she did love Alex once, and the two, drawn to each other again, fall into bed. The next morning, an agitated Rose tells Alex to leave before George returns. Alex, enraged, pulls out his gun. Rose throws a candlestick at Alex, and the gun goes off, shooting Rose in the arm, and she faints. George arrives but is surprisingly calm. George and Alex each try to convince the other that he is the right man for Rose. George wins the debate, insisting that Alex should begin a new life with Rose, and Alex finally agrees. George then heads to Venice to see his former mistress, Giulietta. However, Rose orders Alex to leave, having chosen to stay with George. Alex leaves, and Rose and Marcel follow George to Venice. Rose intends to confront Giulietta and reclaim George.
In Venice, Rose has run up bills everywhere. George is exasperated but admits that he'd be lost without her. Later, Giulietta and Rose bond while discussing George's foibles. They both express surprise that the other woman is not at all what they'd imagined. George returns and says that he has lost most of his money (some productions have him catching Rose and Giulietta in bed together). Rose then asks George to marry her and he agrees. At the wedding, Giulietta shocks everyone by claiming her best man's rights and kissing Rose on the mouth. George, however, is delighted. At a military encampment in Malaya some months later, Alex hears of the wedding, and that George will be a father soon.
Act Two
Twelve years later at a theater in Paris, Rose has risen to stardom and has a young lover, Hugo. Marcel and the rest of the cast celebrate the latest hit, but Rose insists that she must return to the villa at Pau and to her husband George and their 12-year-old daughter, Jenny. Marcel praises her, calling her the perfect leading lady, before reintroducing her to the 32-year-old Alex. Rose is delighted and insists that he come with her to Pau. At the villa at Pau, Jenny is excited by the prospect of her mother's return. George says that he would trade all the other pleasures of the world for his little girl. George is happy to see Alex, returning with Rose, and Jenny, who has heard much about him, meets him for the first time. Rose and George insist that Alex should stay with them. Meanwhile, in Venice, George's former mistress, Giulietta, ponders the meaning of stable, long-lasting love versus romantic infatuation.Two years later, Alex suggests that Jenny needs a Paris education, which upsets Rose, who suspects that her daughter has developed an unhealthy crush on Alex. That evening at dinner, Jenny appears wearing the gown of George's first wife, and George happily dances with his daughter. Jenny tries to draw Alex into the dance, but Alex politely refuses. Later, Jenny and Alex are left alone, and Jenny finally convinces Alex to give her the last dance. Rose catches Jenny clasping Alex in a very adult fashion, and Alex leaves. Jenny tells her mother that Alex is the first to make her feel like a woman. Rose confronts Alex, who admits to having feelings for Jenny, but insists that he would never harm her. Later, Jenny tells Alex that she loves him. She begs him to be honest, then kisses him on the mouth.
George plans his wake, insisting that there should be dancing and fun. Rose tells him that he's bound to outlive them all. At a circus in Paris, George, Rose, Alex, and Jenny are celebrating Jenny's fifteenth birthday. George becomes agitated as he watches Jenny talking with Alex. Later, Alex puts Jenny to bed. Jenny tries to convince him that she's really in love with him, but Alex insists that they're just cousins. Jenny falls asleep, and Alex reflects that he knows he must not love her, but cannot help loving her. George overhears Alex and is enraged, suspecting the worst. However, he collapses before he can burst in on them, and Alex comes out of Jenny's room to find him dead on the floor.
At George's wake, Giulietta gives a eulogy celebrating George's unconventionality and his belief in living life to the fullest. Giulietta and Alex join in the dancing. The two are immediately attracted to each other as they wander away from the party. Jenny spies on them, while Marcel tries to comfort the grieving Rose. Giulietta and Alex awaken in a hayloft, and Alex wonders how to end his relationship kindly with Jenny. Later, Alex tries to explain to Jenny that their relationship was unnatural. She reminds him that he was only seventeen when he met Rose, and that she is no younger than Shakespeare's Juliet. Rose bids Alex farewell, but then she breaks down and begs Alex not to leave her. Alex, unsure of how to reply, leaves.
At the train station at Pau, as Alex and Giulietta wait for the train, Giulietta wonders what will happen in a few years, when Jenny becomes a woman. Alex, unable to reply, reflects once more on how love changes everything.
Song list
Act I- Love Changes EverythingLove Changes EverythingLove Changes Everything may refer to:*"Love Changes Everything", a song in Aspects of Love, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, covered by, among others, Michael Crawford, Michael Ball, Teatro, Julian Lloyd Webber, Sarah Brightman...
(Alex) - "the toast of the town, the hit of year" (Rose, Marcel, actress, Alex)
- Parlez-vous Français? (Crooner, Alex, Rose, Marcel, Waiter and Actors)
- "That girl can really act" (Alex and Rose)
- Seeing is Believing (Alex and Rose)
- "Wish my arms were longer, or the gap was wider" (Alex and Rose)
- "Dam the boy! Dam the boys!" (George and Giulietta)
- A Memory of a Happy Moment (Giulietta and George)
- "This is what I ought to feel onstage" (Rose and Alex)
- "You must forgive my rude intrusion" (George, Alex and Rose)
- "What was that? Listen" (Rose and Alex)
- Chanson d'Enfance (Rose and Alex)
- "Marcel wants me in Lyon" (Rose and Alex)
- Everybody Loves a Hero (Harkers and Ensemble)
- "How you've grown" (Elizabeth, Alex and Rose)
- First orchestral interlude (Alex, Elizabeth, Rose and George)
- She'd Be Far Better Off with You (George and Alex)
- Second Orchestral interlude (orchestra)
- Stop. Wait. Please. (George, Giulietta and Rose)
- "I now pronounce you man and wife" (Priest, Friends, George, Rose and Giulietta)
- " News takes time to reach us here" (Alex)
Act II
- Orchestral introduction to Act II (orchestra)
- A theatre in Paris (Marcel, Rose, actress and Hugo)
- Leading Lady (Marcel, Rose, Alex and Hugo)
- "Have I changed?"(Rose and Alex)
- "I think by now I'm old enough to put myself to bed"(Jenny & George)
- Other Pleasures (George)
- "Big surprise I can't be with you this weekend" (Giulietta)
- There is More to Love (Giulietta)
- I trust you're staying for the vynship"(George, Jenny, Rose and Alex)
- Mermaid Song (Jenny, Alex and George)
- The country side around the house (Third orchestral interlude) (orchestra)
- "Say the word. Say it now. Nice and loud." (Jenny, Alex and Rose)
- "What could be sweeter? Nothing is sweeter" (George, Hugo, Alex, Rose and Jenny)
- The First Man You Remember (George, Jenny & Alex)
- Now that's what I call a wall" (George, Rose, Alex, Jenny, Hugo and Workmen)
- Up in the Pyrenees (Chanson d'Enfance - reprise/love changes everything - reprise) (Jenny and Alex)
- "My finest vintage champange"(George and Rose)
- Journey of a Lifetime (Chanteuse, Ensemble, George, Rose, Alex and Jenny)
- Falling (Alex, Jenny, Rose and George)
- "Come on Jenny that's enough now"(Alex, Jenny, George, Rose and Hugo)
- Hand Me the Wine and the Dice (Giulietta, Chorus, Alex, Jenny, Rose, Hugo and Marcel)
- "What was that? Listen" (Giulietta and Alex)
- "Jenny this is just as hard for me" (Alex, Jenny and Rose)
- Anything But LonelyAnything But Lonely"Anything But Lonely" is a 1989 single by Sarah Brightman. The song is from the musical Aspects of Love. The music was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and the lyrics are credited to Don Black and Charles Hart. The single peaked at #79 in the UK charts....
(Rose) - "It won't be long till Jenny's a woman" (Gulietta & Alex)
Note: most of the musical is sung, however not all the parts that are sung are titled songs some are simply sung-through scenes with minor amounts of dialogue.
Recording
The two-disc original cast recording of the London production preserved the bulk of the score with some edits made for reasons of length. A 2005 remastered edition restored all the material cut from the original release.When the musical opened, the song "The First Man You Remember" was often performed on TV, the impression being that it was between a couple of romantic lovers. However, in the show itself it is actually a father and daughter duet between George and Jenny. It was sung by Michael Ball
Michael Ball (singer)
Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
and Diana Morrison
Diana Morrison
Diana Morrison is a British stage, TV and Film actress.-Career summary:Diana played the principal role of Jenny in Andrew Lloyd Webber'smusical Aspects of Love directed by Trevor Nunn, in the original...
in the CD single version.
The first single released from the musical was "Love Changes Everything
Love Changes Everything
Love Changes Everything may refer to:*"Love Changes Everything", a song in Aspects of Love, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, covered by, among others, Michael Crawford, Michael Ball, Teatro, Julian Lloyd Webber, Sarah Brightman...
" sung by Michael Ball
Michael Ball (singer)
Michael Ashley Ball, born 27 June 1962) is a British actor, singer, and radio and TV presenter who is best known for the song "Love Changes Everything" and musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Edna Turnblad...
. It was a huge succes and reached #2 in the UK singles chart. It stayed in the charts for 14 weeks.
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since. Before the 21st Drama Desk Awards, acting awards were given without making distinctions between roles in straight dramas as opposed to musicals, nor were there... |
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| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical was first awarded in the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has subsequently been awarded every year. In the 1993-1994 Drama Desk Awards the award was given under the name of Outstanding Supporting Actress - Musical... |
Danielle DuClos | |||
| Outstanding Orchestrations Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
David Cullen David Cullen David Cullen is a former basketball player who currently assists the organisation Crossover Basketball with its work in Northern Ireland... and Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of... |
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| Outstanding Music Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee comprising New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of... |
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| Outstanding Lighting Design Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Andrew Bridge Andrew Bridge Andrew Bridge is a Broadway and West End lighting designer, who has worked on many Broadway productions, including The Phantom of the Opera. He has won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design three times: in 1988 for The Phantom of the Opera, 1995 for Sunset Boulevard, and in 1999 for Fosse.In... |
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| Theatre World Award Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:... |
Kathleen Rowe McAllen | |||
| Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Best Musical Tony Award for Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack... |
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| Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible... |
David Garnett David Garnett David Garnett was a British writer and publisher. As a child, he had a cloak made of rabbit skin and thus received the nickname "Bunny", by which he was known to friends and intimates all his life.-Early life:... |
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| Best Original Score Tony Award for Best Original Score The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score consists of music and lyrics... |
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of... |
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| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947... |
Kevin Colson Kevin Colson Kevin Colson is an Australian stage, film and television actor best known for his portrayal of Sir George Dillingham in the musical Aspects of Love, for which he received a Tony nomination, and his early role as Cliff in the original London production of Cabaret opposite Judi Dench... |
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| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of the Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical. The award, introduced in 1950, was previously named as Best Performance by a Featured or Supporting Actress in a Musical until 1976.... |
Kathleen Rowe McAllen | |||
| Best Direction of a Musical Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions... |
Trevor Nunn Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera... |
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