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Jane Eyre (musical)
Encyclopedia
Jane Eyre is a musical
drama
with music and lyrics by composer-lyricist Paul Gordon
and a book by John Caird
, based on the novel
by Charlotte Brontë
. The musical premiered on Broadway
in 2000.
in 1995. The musical had a work-in-progress workshop production in Wichita, Kansas
in Autumn 1995 at the Centre Theatre. Minor roles and the large ensemble of schoolgirls for the scenes at Brocklehurst's school were cast locally, while the directors brought several members of the principal cast from New York. The musical was well received, and a recording of this rendition allowed the creative team and their backers to slowly move the project towards an opening on Broadway. The musical had its world premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto
, Canada in late 1996. The musical then had a pre-Broadway try-out at La Jolla Playhouse
, San Diego, California, July 14, 1999 to August 29, 1999. The cast had been reduced from 30 in Toronto to 19.
The musical debuted on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre
on November 9, 2000, with an official opening on December 10, 2000 and closed on June 10, 2001 after 36 previews and 209 performances. Marla Schaffel
, who played the title character, won a Drama Desk Award
for her performance. The production was directed by John Caird
and Scott Schwartz, choreography by Jayne Paterson, set designers by John Napier, costumes by Andreane Neofitou, and lighting by Jules Fisher
and Peggy Eisenhauer
. Days after the Tony Award nominations were announced, a closing date of May 20 was announced. Alanis Morissette
, a friend of Paul Gordon's, bought $150,000 worth of tickets to the musical and donated them to various charity groups. This would allow the show to be open past the Tony Award telecast, although the show closed a week after.
A revised version is in the works, with an originally expected regional debut in the 2008 or 2009 season.
The London premiere of Jane Eyre the Musical took place in June 2007 at the Jack Lyons Theatre: Royal Academy of Music
, with Director Matt Ryan and Musical Director John Owen Edwards.
Act II
^ = songs on the soundtrack -----
Poor Master on the soundtrack is sung by Richard Mason, so it's slightly different.----
Before the song "Rain", on the CD, a cut song from the show "My Maker" is sung by Jane.
Jane Eyre, a young orphan, is living at Gateshead but is ill-treated by her Aunt Mrs. Reed and cousin John Reed. Jane is sent to a boarding school. Over the years, Jane becomes a teacher at the boarding school but longs to see other sights. She becomes a tutor of Adele Varens, a young French girl who lives at Thornfield Hall as the ward of the owner, Rochester. When a fire breaks out, Jane puts it out and saves Edward's life, and the two become close. Edward, however, cannot accept his affection for Jane, and so invites wealthy guests as a distraction. It appears that Blanche Ingram and Edward may be getting married, and Jane is unhappy over this.
Mason, an old friend, arrives, and Edward is disturbed. He asks Jane whether she would leave if he had a terrible secret, and she vows her faithfulness.
Act 2
When Mason is attacked in the attic, he is helped by Jane and Edward and leaves.
Edward, pretending to be a gypsy, tells Blanche Ingram that he is not rich, and she hastily departs Thornfield. Edward at last tells Jane that he loves her and proposes marriage, and Jane happily accepts. However, on the day of the wedding, Mason tells the secret. Edward is already married to Bertha (who is Mason's sister) and his mad wife lives in the attic of Thornfield. Jane, unwilling to live with Edward without being married, leaves. Bertha meanwhile sets fire to Thornfield, and she dies in the fire.
Jane, hungry and exhausted after wandering the moors, has returned to Gateshead Hall, and discovers that her aged aunt is near death. Mrs. Reed has tried to steal her inheritance, but Jane forgives this last evil treatment. St. John Rivers, a clergyman, proposes marriage and Jane almost accepts. But, she hears Edward calling out to her. She returns to Thornfield to see that it has been destroyed. Jane and Edward, blind and crippled in the attempt to save his wife, are married. Edward's sight is partially restored as Jane shows him their new-born son.
, "Most of the novel's unforgettable Gothic incidents are here: the orphaned Jane's cruel treatment at the hands of her aunt and her spoiled, sadistic cousin; further humiliation at the Lowood school, where she is befriended by the angelic Helen Burns, who then departs --- lickety-split --- to join her immortal brethren; and, of course, Jane's great, doomed romance with her employer Edward Fairfax Rochester (James Barbour), dark of brow and gloomy of spirit, but sexy as hell."
The New York Times reviewer wrote that "The overall gallop through Bronte's significant plot has the teasing quality of a movie trailer. We barely see Bertha when she sneaks down from the attic to set Rochester's bed aflame."
In the book, Jane's aunt left her nothing when she died. It was Jane's uncle, whom we never meet, that made her rich.
In the book, Jane does not return to Gateshead Hall after leaving Edward but is found by St. John Rivers, who then helps her get a teaching position.
The character of Miss Temple, the caring teacher at the Lowood Institution, is not in the stage musical.
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...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
with music and lyrics by composer-lyricist Paul Gordon
Paul Gordon (composer)
-Career:Gordon composed the music and lyrics for the stage musical Jane Eyre which ran on Broadway in 2001, for which he received a Tony Award nomination...
and a book by John Caird
John Caird (director)
John Newport Caird is a British stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre,...
, based on the novel
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. with the title Jane Eyre. An Autobiography under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York...
by Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
. The musical premiered on 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...
in 2000.
Production history
A workshop of the musical was performed at Manhattan Theatre ClubManhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
in 1995. The musical had a work-in-progress workshop production in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
in Autumn 1995 at the Centre Theatre. Minor roles and the large ensemble of schoolgirls for the scenes at Brocklehurst's school were cast locally, while the directors brought several members of the principal cast from New York. The musical was well received, and a recording of this rendition allowed the creative team and their backers to slowly move the project towards an opening on Broadway. The musical had its world premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada in late 1996. The musical then had a pre-Broadway try-out at La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
, San Diego, California, July 14, 1999 to August 29, 1999. The cast had been reduced from 30 in Toronto to 19.
The musical debuted on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
The Brooks Atkinson Theatre is a Broadway theater located at 256 West 47th Street in Manhattan.Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, it was constructed as the Mansfield Theatre by the Chanin brothers in 1926. After 1933, the theatre fell into relative disuse until 1945, when Michael Myerberg...
on November 9, 2000, with an official opening on December 10, 2000 and closed on June 10, 2001 after 36 previews and 209 performances. Marla Schaffel
Marla Schaffel
Marla Schaffel is an American actress, especially in musical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation of Jane Eyre.- Personal life :...
, who played the title character, won a 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...
for her performance. The production was directed by John Caird
John Caird (director)
John Newport Caird is a British stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre,...
and Scott Schwartz, choreography by Jayne Paterson, set designers by John Napier, costumes by Andreane Neofitou, and lighting by Jules Fisher
Jules Fisher
Jules Fisher is a lighting designer and producer. He is credited with lighting designs for more than 200 productions over the course of his 45 year career in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well extensive work in film, ballet, opera, television, and rock and roll concert tours...
and Peggy Eisenhauer
Peggy Eisenhauer
Peggy Eisenhauer is an American lighting designer for both theatre and films. She has designed more than twenty Broadway shows and frequently collaborates with Jules Fisher.-Career:...
. Days after the Tony Award nominations were announced, a closing date of May 20 was announced. Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
, a friend of Paul Gordon's, bought $150,000 worth of tickets to the musical and donated them to various charity groups. This would allow the show to be open past the Tony Award telecast, although the show closed a week after.
A revised version is in the works, with an originally expected regional debut in the 2008 or 2009 season.
The London premiere of Jane Eyre the Musical took place in June 2007 at the Jack Lyons Theatre: Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, with Director Matt Ryan and Musical Director John Owen Edwards.
Characters and cast
- Edward Fairfax Rochester – James Stacy BarbourJames Stacy BarbourJames Stacy Barbour , a.k.a. James Barbour, is a singer and Broadway actor. He graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Acting and a minor in Philosophy.- Theatre credits :...
- Jane EyreJane Eyre (character)Jane Eyre is the heroine of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name.-Appearance:Jane Eyre is described as plain, with an elfin look. She sees herself as "poor, obscure, plain and little". Mr. Rochester once compliments Jane's "hazel eyes and hazel hair", but she tells the reader about Mr...
– Marla SchaffelMarla SchaffelMarla Schaffel is an American actress, especially in musical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation of Jane Eyre.- Personal life :... - Marigold/Mrs. Fairfax – Mary Stout
- Blanche Ingram – Elizabeth DeGrazia
- St. John Rivers – Stephen Buntrock
- Robert – Bruce DowBruce DowBruce Dow is a professional actor and singer working on stage and in film/TV in Canada and the United States....
- Young Jane – Lisa Musser
- Adele – Andrea BowenAndrea BowenAndrea Lauren Bowen is an American actress who is best known for playing Julie Mayer on Desperate Housewives . She has won two SAG Awards.-Biography:...
- Richard Mason – Bill Nolte
- Bertha Mason – Marguerite MacIntyre
- The Gypsy – Marje Bubrosa (an anagram of James Barbour)
Musical numbers
Act I- Jane — Edward Fairfax Rochester
- The Orphan — Jane Eyre ^
- Children of God — Schoolgirls, Mr. Brocklehurst, Mrs. Reed, Miss Scatcherd and Ensemble ^
- Forgiveness — Helen Burns, Young Jane and Jane Eyre ^
- The Death of Helen Burns — Helen Burns, Young Jane, Ensemble
- The Graveyard — Jane Eyre, Young Jane and Ensemble ^
- Sweet Liberty — Jane Eyre and Ensemble ^
- Secrets of the House — Ensemble ^
- Perfectly Nice — Mrs. Fairfax, Adele and Jane Eyre ^
- The Icy Lane — Ensemble
- The Master Returns — Mrs. Fairfax, Robert
- Captive Bird — Edward Fairfax Rochester
- As Good As You — Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
- You're Word to God — Edward Fairfax Rochester
- The Fire — Bertha Mason, Ensemble
- After the Fire — Edward Fairfax Rochester
- Secret Soul — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
- Society's Best — Mrs. Fairfax
- Galloping Up to the Drive — The Guests
- The Finer Things — Blanche Ingram ^
- Oh How You Look In The Light — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Blanche Ingram and Ensemble
- The Pledge — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
- Sirens — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Jane Eyre and Bertha ^
Act II
- Things Beyond This Earth — Ensemble ^
- The Scream — Richard Mason, Bertha Mason, Edward Fairfax Rochester, Ensemble
- Painting Her Portrait — Jane Eyre ^
- In The Light Of The Virgin Morning — Jane Eyre and Blanche Ingram^
- The Gypsy — Marje Bubrosa ^
- The Proposal — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
- The Chestnut Tree — Grace Poole, Servants 1 + 2
- Slip of a Girl — Mrs. Fairfax, Jane Eyre, Robert and Adele ^
- The Wedding — Ensemble
- Wild Boy — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Jane Eyre, Bertha and Ensemble
- Sirens (Reprise) — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
- Farewell Good Angel — Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
- Rain — Woman, Ensemble ^
- The Death of Mrs. Reed — Mrs. Reed, Jane Eyre and Ensemble
- The Voice Across The Moors — St. John Rivers, Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
- Poor Master — Mrs. Fairfax and Jane Eyre ^
- Brave Enough For Love — Jane Eyre, Edward Fairfax Rochester and Ensemble ^
^ = songs on the soundtrack -----
Poor Master on the soundtrack is sung by Richard Mason, so it's slightly different.----
Before the song "Rain", on the CD, a cut song from the show "My Maker" is sung by Jane.
Synopsis
Act 1Jane Eyre, a young orphan, is living at Gateshead but is ill-treated by her Aunt Mrs. Reed and cousin John Reed. Jane is sent to a boarding school. Over the years, Jane becomes a teacher at the boarding school but longs to see other sights. She becomes a tutor of Adele Varens, a young French girl who lives at Thornfield Hall as the ward of the owner, Rochester. When a fire breaks out, Jane puts it out and saves Edward's life, and the two become close. Edward, however, cannot accept his affection for Jane, and so invites wealthy guests as a distraction. It appears that Blanche Ingram and Edward may be getting married, and Jane is unhappy over this.
Mason, an old friend, arrives, and Edward is disturbed. He asks Jane whether she would leave if he had a terrible secret, and she vows her faithfulness.
Act 2
When Mason is attacked in the attic, he is helped by Jane and Edward and leaves.
Edward, pretending to be a gypsy, tells Blanche Ingram that he is not rich, and she hastily departs Thornfield. Edward at last tells Jane that he loves her and proposes marriage, and Jane happily accepts. However, on the day of the wedding, Mason tells the secret. Edward is already married to Bertha (who is Mason's sister) and his mad wife lives in the attic of Thornfield. Jane, unwilling to live with Edward without being married, leaves. Bertha meanwhile sets fire to Thornfield, and she dies in the fire.
Jane, hungry and exhausted after wandering the moors, has returned to Gateshead Hall, and discovers that her aged aunt is near death. Mrs. Reed has tried to steal her inheritance, but Jane forgives this last evil treatment. St. John Rivers, a clergyman, proposes marriage and Jane almost accepts. But, she hears Edward calling out to her. She returns to Thornfield to see that it has been destroyed. Jane and Edward, blind and crippled in the attempt to save his wife, are married. Edward's sight is partially restored as Jane shows him their new-born son.
Comparison between the book and musical
According to 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...
, "Most of the novel's unforgettable Gothic incidents are here: the orphaned Jane's cruel treatment at the hands of her aunt and her spoiled, sadistic cousin; further humiliation at the Lowood school, where she is befriended by the angelic Helen Burns, who then departs --- lickety-split --- to join her immortal brethren; and, of course, Jane's great, doomed romance with her employer Edward Fairfax Rochester (James Barbour), dark of brow and gloomy of spirit, but sexy as hell."
The New York Times reviewer wrote that "The overall gallop through Bronte's significant plot has the teasing quality of a movie trailer. We barely see Bertha when she sneaks down from the attic to set Rochester's bed aflame."
In the book, Jane's aunt left her nothing when she died. It was Jane's uncle, whom we never meet, that made her rich.
In the book, Jane does not return to Gateshead Hall after leaving Edward but is found by St. John Rivers, who then helps her get a teaching position.
The character of Miss Temple, the caring teacher at the Lowood Institution, is not in the stage musical.
Response
The Talkin Broadway reviewer wrote: "A successful dramatic interpretation of the ever-popular novel by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is also blessed with a luxuriant score, haunting and memorable music, and crisp, intelligent lyrics which speak from the very heart of this tragic and romantic story. John Caird, who wrote the book, and Paul Gordon, who wrote the music and lyrics, have come up with a major contender come Spring’s award time...With Jane Eyre, Marla Schaffel joins that small group of great stars of the American musical theatre - Angela Lansbury, Julie Andrews, and Bernadette Peters - who, lady-like to the core, can effortlessly carry a major musical on their delicate shoulders and enchant an audience with a smile."Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 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 Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel is an American actress, especially in musical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation of Jane Eyre.- Personal life :... |
|
| Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... |
Outstanding New Broadway Musical | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel is an American actress, especially in musical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation of Jane Eyre.- Personal life :... |
|||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Andreane Neofitou | |||
| 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... |
John Caird John Caird (director) John Newport Caird is a British stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre,... |
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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... |
Paul Gordon Paul Gordon (composer) -Career:Gordon composed the music and lyrics for the stage musical Jane Eyre which ran on Broadway in 2001, for which he received a Tony Award nomination... |
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| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel Marla Schaffel is an American actress, especially in musical theatre, noted for her award winning performance in the title role in the musical adaptation of Jane Eyre.- Personal life :... |
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| Best Lighting Design Tony Award for Best Lighting Design This is a list of the winners of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a play or musical, first presented in 1970. In 2005 the category was divided with each genre represented separately.-1970s:* 1970: Jo Mielziner – Child's Play... |
Jules Fisher Jules Fisher Jules Fisher is a lighting designer and producer. He is credited with lighting designs for more than 200 productions over the course of his 45 year career in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well extensive work in film, ballet, opera, television, and rock and roll concert tours... and Peggy Eisenhauer Peggy Eisenhauer Peggy Eisenhauer is an American lighting designer for both theatre and films. She has designed more than twenty Broadway shows and frequently collaborates with Jules Fisher.-Career:... |
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