Fire (musical)
Encyclopedia
Fire is a 1985 Dora Award winning musical
by Paul Ledoux and David Young
. The musical is based loosely on the story of Jerry Lee Lewis
and his cousin Jimmy Swaggart
and the divergent paths their lives took.
The musical follows the lives of the character "Cale Blackwell", based on real-life story of Jerry Lee Lewis
and his brother "Herchel Blackwell" which is based on Lewis' real-life cousin Jimmy Swaggart
. Herchel follows in the footsteps of his father, the reverend Blackwell's, as a preacher. Herchel's father is proud of him but does not approve of his son's use of the radio and then television while pioneering televangelism
. The Reverend JD Blackwell is almost immediately disappointed with Cale who quickly finds fame as a Boogie-Woogie
star and wallows in an accompanying life of rebellion against society and his own upbringing. Both brothers fall in love with their mutual childhood sweetheart "Molly King".
Ultimately neither brother can claim to have led a moral life, and both had succumbed to their own flaws.
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...
by Paul Ledoux and David Young
David Young (Canadian playwright)
David Samuel D'Arcy Young is a Canadian playwright, novelist, and screenwriter.Born in Oakville, Ontario, Young studied at the University of Western Ontario...
. The musical is based loosely on the story of Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
and his cousin Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
and the divergent paths their lives took.
The musical follows the lives of the character "Cale Blackwell", based on real-life story of Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
and his brother "Herchel Blackwell" which is based on Lewis' real-life cousin Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
. Herchel follows in the footsteps of his father, the reverend Blackwell's, as a preacher. Herchel's father is proud of him but does not approve of his son's use of the radio and then television while pioneering televangelism
Televangelism
Televangelism is the use of television to communicate the Christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine. A “televangelist” is a Christian minister who devotes a large portion of his ministry to television broadcasting...
. The Reverend JD Blackwell is almost immediately disappointed with Cale who quickly finds fame as a Boogie-Woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
star and wallows in an accompanying life of rebellion against society and his own upbringing. Both brothers fall in love with their mutual childhood sweetheart "Molly King".
Ultimately neither brother can claim to have led a moral life, and both had succumbed to their own flaws.
Characters
- Cale Blackwell
- Herchel Blackwell
- JD Blackwell
- Shelly Grant
- Jackson
- Sam
- Molly King
- Truman King
Setting
The musical is set in the US south in the middle of the 20th century and on into the latter quarter of the 20th century.Awards
- Won Chalmers AwardFloyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play AwardThe Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Awards were a Canadian literary award, given to Canadian plays produced by any professional Canadian theatre company, and having at least ten performances in the Toronto area....
in 1989 - Won Dora award for Outstanding New Revue or Musical in 1989
- Won Dora award for Outstanding Production in 1989
- Won Dora award for Outstanding Direction in 1989
- Won Dora award for Outstanding Musical Direction in 1989
- Won Dora award for Outstanding Performance by a Male for Ted Dykstra in 1989
- Won Dora award for Outstanding Musical Direction in 1989