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King David (musical)
Encyclopedia
King David is a musical
, sometimes described as a modern oratorio
, with a book and lyrics by Tim Rice
and music by Alan Menken
. The musical is based on Biblical
tales from the Books of Samuel
and 1 Chronicles
, as well as text from David's Psalms.
The work was conceived as an outdoor piece to commemorate the 3,000th anniversary of the city of Jerusalem. However, according to Rice, "When it proved logistically and financially impossible to do it and Disney took an interest, we changed gears.... We felt we'd been commissioned to write it as an oratorio, and still hoped it would be performed as such in Israel
. ... we should have emphasized that more to avoid being judged primarily as a Broadway show."http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88034.html
Act II
, was presented as the inaugural production at Disney's newly renovated New Amsterdam Theatre
(the former home of the Ziegfeld Follies
), playing for a nine-performance limited run in 1997. The cast included Roger Bart
, Stephen Bogardus
, Judy Kuhn
, Alice Ripley, Martin Vidnovic
, and Michael Goz, with Marcus Lovett in the title role. The piece ran two hours and 45 minutes and was only partially staged.
On September 6, 1997, Patti LuPone
, Davis Gaines, and Rebecca Luker
gave a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
that ended with three selections from King David. There was a production in Irving, Texas
in 2004 and another in Newnan, Georgia
, near Atlanta, by Landmark Christian School in 2005. A concert performance was produced by NYU Steinhardt's Vocal Performance and the NYU Symphony Orchestra in conjunction with the authors on November 13 and 14, 2008. At present, there are no plans for a fully staged Broadway
production.
called it "Unrelentingly serious-minded and devoid of the wit that Menken brought to previous projects"http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117341382.html?categoryid=33&cs=1.
The cast album, however, which cuts several musical numbers and reprises, has been praised.http://www.soundtrack-express.com/osts/kingdave.htm
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...
, sometimes described as a modern oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
, with a book and lyrics by 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...
and music by Alan Menken
Alan Menken
Alan Menken is an American musical theatre and film composer and pianist.Menken is best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have each won him two Academy Awards...
. The musical is based on Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
tales from the Books of Samuel
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
and 1 Chronicles
Books of Chronicles
The Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible. In the Masoretic Text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim . Chronicles largely parallels the Davidic narratives in the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings...
, as well as text from David's Psalms.
Description and history
King David is through composed (no dialogue) and the music swings from pop to jazz to grand choral arrangements. It uses a large orchestra and a large choir.The work was conceived as an outdoor piece to commemorate the 3,000th anniversary of the city of Jerusalem. However, according to Rice, "When it proved logistically and financially impossible to do it and Disney took an interest, we changed gears.... We felt we'd been commissioned to write it as an oratorio, and still hoped it would be performed as such in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. ... we should have emphasized that more to avoid being judged primarily as a Broadway show."http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88034.html
Musical numbers
Act I- Prologue - David, Bathsheba, Young Solomon, Joab and Chorus
- Israel and Saul - Joab, Samuel, Saul and Chorus
- Samuel Confronts Saul - Saul, Samuel, Agag and Chorus
- Samuel Anoints David - Joab, Samuel, Jesse, David and Chorus
- The Enemy Within - Saul and Chorus
- There is a View - Joab, Abner, Saul and Chorus
- Psalm 8 - David
- Genius from Bethlehem - Saul, David, Abner, Joab, Jonathan and Michal
- The Valley of Elah - Goliath, Abner, Joab, David, Saul and Soldiers
- Goliath of Gath - Goliath, David, Joab, Soldiers and Chorus
- Sheer Perfection - Joab, Saul, David and Michal
- Saul Has Slain His Thousands - Joab and Chorus
- You Have It All - Saul, Jonathan and David
- Psalm 23 - Saul and David
- You Have It All (Reprise) - Jonathan, Joab, Michal and David
- Sheer Perfection (Reprise) - Jonathan, Joab, Michal and David
- Hunted Partridge on the Hill - Joab, Saul, Michal, David and Men
- The Death of Saul - Saul, Jonathan, Samuel and Chorus
- How Are The Mighty Fallen -
Act II
- This New Jerusalem - David, Absalom, Jonathan, Joab and Chorus
- David and Michal - David, Joab and Michal
- The Ark Brought to Jerusalem - David and Chorus
- Never Again - Michal and David
- How Wonderful the Peace - Absalom, Joab, David and Chorus
- Off Limits - Bathsheba, David and Joab
- Warm Spring Night - David
- When in Love - Bathsheba
- Uriah's Fate Sealed - David, Joab, Bathsheba and Chorus
- Atonement - David, Saul, Samuel, Bathsheba and Chorus
- The Caravan Moves On - Joab, Absalom, David, Saul, Samuel and Men
- Death of Absalom - Joab and Absalom
- Absalom My Absalom - David
- Solomon - Young Solomon, Joab, David and Bathsheba
- David's Final Hours - Michal, David, Joab, Bathsheba, Goliath, Saul, Jonathan, Samuel and Chorus
- The Long Long Day - David
- This New Jerusalem (reprise) - Young Solomon and Company
Productions
A concert version, produced by Disney Theatrical Productions and André Djaoui and directed by Mike OckrentMike Ockrent
Mike Ockrent was a British stage director, well-known both for his Broadway musicals and smaller niche plays. He was educated at Highgate School. Through directing Educating Rita and Follies, he became an established figure in London theatre...
, was presented as the inaugural production at Disney's newly renovated New Amsterdam Theatre
New Amsterdam Theatre
The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theater located at 214 West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Theatre District of Manhattan, New York City, off of Times Square...
(the former home of the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
), playing for a nine-performance limited run in 1997. The cast included Roger Bart
Roger Bart
Roger Bart is an American actor and singer.-Life and career:Bart was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son of a teacher and a chemical engineer, and grew up in Bernardsville, New Jersey. His uncle is journalist Peter Bart. He made his Broadway debut in Big River as Tom Sawyer in 1987...
, Stephen Bogardus
Stephen Bogardus
-Biography:Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Bogardus graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in 1972 and Princeton University in 1976, where he was a member of the Princeton Nassoons and the Princeton Triangle Club.-Career:...
, Judy Kuhn
Judy Kuhn
-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
, Alice Ripley, Martin Vidnovic
Martin Vidnovic
Martin Vidnovic is an American actor and singer.Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Vidnovic made his Broadway debut in the ill-fated Home Sweet Homer which, following a one-year tour, closed on opening night...
, and Michael Goz, with Marcus Lovett in the title role. The piece ran two hours and 45 minutes and was only partially staged.
On September 6, 1997, Patti LuPone
Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and as Madame Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy, and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les...
, Davis Gaines, and Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker
Rebecca Luker is an American musical theatre actress and soprano who has appeared in several prominent Broadway productions.-Life and career:...
gave a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
that ended with three selections from King David. There was a production in Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
in 2004 and another in Newnan, Georgia
Newnan, Georgia
Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 27,097 in 2006 and 33,293 in July 2008...
, near Atlanta, by Landmark Christian School in 2005. A concert performance was produced by NYU Steinhardt's Vocal Performance and the NYU Symphony Orchestra in conjunction with the authors on November 13 and 14, 2008. At present, there are no plans for a fully staged 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.
Opening night cast
- Roger BartRoger BartRoger Bart is an American actor and singer.-Life and career:Bart was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son of a teacher and a chemical engineer, and grew up in Bernardsville, New Jersey. His uncle is journalist Peter Bart. He made his Broadway debut in Big River as Tom Sawyer in 1987...
- Jonathan - Stephen BogardusStephen Bogardus-Biography:Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Bogardus graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in 1972 and Princeton University in 1976, where he was a member of the Princeton Nassoons and the Princeton Triangle Club.-Career:...
- Joab - Anthony Galde - Absalom
- Judy KuhnJudy Kuhn-Life and career:Kuhn was born in New York City and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She attended Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C.She entered Oberlin College in 1976. Although she was very interested in singing and theater, she began Oberlin in the College, not the Conservatory. After taking...
- Michal - Marcus Lovett - David
- Alice Ripley - Bathsheba
- Peter Samuel - Samuel
- Martin VidnovicMartin VidnovicMartin Vidnovic is an American actor and singer.Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Vidnovic made his Broadway debut in the ill-fated Home Sweet Homer which, following a one-year tour, closed on opening night...
- King Saul
- Bill Nolte - Goliath
- Timothy Shew - Abner
- Timothy Robert Blevins - Agag
- Peter C. Ermides - Uriah
- Michael Goz - Jesse
- Daniel James Hodd - Young Solomon
- Kimberly JaJuan - Abishag
- Dylan Lovett - Young Absalom
Critical response
The debut concert performance provoked a lukewarm review by the New York Times, and VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called it "Unrelentingly serious-minded and devoid of the wit that Menken brought to previous projects"http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117341382.html?categoryid=33&cs=1.
The cast album, however, which cuts several musical numbers and reprises, has been praised.http://www.soundtrack-express.com/osts/kingdave.htm