King of Hearts (musical)
Encyclopedia
King of Hearts is a 1978 musical
with a book by Joseph Stein
, lyrics by Jacob Brackman
, and music by Peter Link
, orchestrated by Bill Brohn. It is based on the 1966 anti-war
cult film
of the same name
.
Set in the fiction
al French
town of DuTemps in September 1918, shortly before the end of World War I
, its protagonist
is Private Johnny Perkins, whose mission is to defuse a bomb intended to destroy the entire village. All the local residents have fled, leaving behind only the cheerful inmates of the insane asylum, who happily take over the town and proclaim Johnny their King of Hearts. The show raises the question of who is more insane, the asylum's patients or those who wage war.
The Broadway
production was directed and choreographed by Ron Field
. After a Boston tryout at the Colonial Theatre and six Broadway previews, it opened on October 22, 1978 at the Minskoff Theatre
and ran for 48 performances. The cast included Don Scardino
as Johnny and Pamela Blair
, Bob Gunton
, and Millicent Martin
in supporting roles. Santo Loquasto
designed the sets.
New York City
was in the midst of a three-month-long newspaper strike when the musical opened, and the lack of advertising and print reviews might have contributed to its quick demise. Of it, musical theatre historian Ken Mandelbaum
recalls, "its score was only so-so; its theme (the insane are somehow "saner" than the sane) had a '60s feel; and its cast was not particularly distinctive." http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=514458
Two recordings of the score have been released: one, released on the Original Cast
label, featuring the original Broadway cast http://www.castalbumdb.com/rec.cfm?RNumber=616 and another with the 1982 Los Angeles
cast http://www.castalbumdb.com/singer.cfm?RecN=2870.
Act II
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...
with a book by Joseph Stein
Joseph Stein
Joseph Stein was an American playwright best known for writing the books for such musicals as Fiddler on the Roof and Zorba.-Biography:...
, lyrics by Jacob Brackman
Jacob Brackman
Jacob Brackman is an American journalist, writer, and musical lyricist.After graduating from Harvard University in 1965, he went to work for Newsweek as a journalist. He remained there for six months and was then hired by The New Yorker...
, and music by Peter Link
Peter Link
Peter Link is an American composer, lyricist, music producer, stage director, and presently CEO/Creative Director of Watchfire Music, an on-line Inspirational record company and music store....
, orchestrated by Bill Brohn. It is based on the 1966 anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
of the same name
King of Hearts (1966 film)
King of Hearts is a 1966 French comedy-drama film directed by Philippe de Broca and starring Alan Bates....
.
Set in the fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
town of DuTemps in September 1918, shortly before the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, its protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is Private Johnny Perkins, whose mission is to defuse a bomb intended to destroy the entire village. All the local residents have fled, leaving behind only the cheerful inmates of the insane asylum, who happily take over the town and proclaim Johnny their King of Hearts. The show raises the question of who is more insane, the asylum's patients or those who wage war.
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 was directed and choreographed by Ron Field
Ron Field
Ronald Field was an American choreographer, director, and dancer.-Biography:Field was born in New York City, New York where he made his Broadway debut as a child in Lady in the Dark with Gertrude Lawrence...
. After a Boston tryout at the Colonial Theatre and six Broadway previews, it opened on October 22, 1978 at the Minskoff Theatre
Minskoff Theatre
The Minskoff Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre, located at 1515 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan. It is now showing the musical The Lion King, based on the Disney animated film of the same name....
and ran for 48 performances. The cast included Don Scardino
Don Scardino
Don Scardino is an American television director and producer and a former actor.-Acting:Born in New York City, Scardino began his career as an actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and...
as Johnny and Pamela Blair
Pamela Blair
Pamela Blair , known as Pam, is an American actress, singer, and dancer best known for originating the role of "Val" in the musical A Chorus Line and several appearances on American soap operas.-Early life and career:...
, Bob Gunton
Bob Gunton
Robert Patrick "Bob" Gunton, Jr. is an American actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters, with his best known roles as Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison film The Shawshank Redemption, Chief George Earle in 1993's Demolition Man, and President Juan Peron in the original...
, and Millicent Martin
Millicent Martin
Millicent Mary Lillian Martin is an English actress, singer and comedienne.Martin was born in Romford, England. She made her Broadway debut opposite Julie Andrews in The Boy Friend in 1954...
in supporting roles. Santo Loquasto
Santo Loquasto
Santo Richard Loquasto is a Sicilian-Italian-American production designer, scenic designer and costume designer for stage, film, and dance. He is a descendant of Libertino lo Guasto of Serradifalco, Caltanissetta, Sicily. Indy race car driver Al Loquasto was his first cousin...
designed the sets.
New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
was in the midst of a three-month-long newspaper strike when the musical opened, and the lack of advertising and print reviews might have contributed to its quick demise. Of it, musical theatre historian Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum is an American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre.Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mandelbaum was introduced to Broadway musical theatre by his parents and grandparents at an early age...
recalls, "its score was only so-so; its theme (the insane are somehow "saner" than the sane) had a '60s feel; and its cast was not particularly distinctive." http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=514458
Two recordings of the score have been released: one, released on the Original Cast
Original Cast (record label)
Original Cast Records is a record label based in Georgetown, Connecticut, that specialises in obscure theatre recordings, primarily cast albums from little-known Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway and other stage productions, but also theatre-related film scores, cabaret, concert and solo...
label, featuring the original Broadway cast http://www.castalbumdb.com/rec.cfm?RNumber=616 and another with the 1982 Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
cast http://www.castalbumdb.com/singer.cfm?RecN=2870.
Song list
Act I- A Stain on the Name (of St. Anne's)
- Deja Vu
- Promenade (The Transformation)
- Turn Around
- Nothing, Only Love
- King of Hearts
- Close Upon the Hour
- A Brand New Day (The Coronation)
Act II
- Le Grand Cirque de Provence
- Hey, Look at Me, Mrs. Draba
- Going Home Tomorrow
- Somewhere Is Here
- Nothing, Only Love (Reprise)
- March, March, March
Awards and nominations
- Tony AwardTony AwardThe 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...
for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Millicent Martin, nominee) - Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe 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...
for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Bob Gunton, nominee) - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design (Patricia ZipprodtPatricia ZipprodtPatricia Zipprodt was an American costume designer. She was known for her technique of painting fabrics and thoroughly researching a project's subject matter, especially when it was a period piece...
, winner) - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design (Santo LoquastoSanto LoquastoSanto Richard Loquasto is a Sicilian-Italian-American production designer, scenic designer and costume designer for stage, film, and dance. He is a descendant of Libertino lo Guasto of Serradifalco, Caltanissetta, Sicily. Indy race car driver Al Loquasto was his first cousin...
, nominee)