Jerry Springer: The Opera
Encyclopedia
Jerry Springer: The Opera is a British
musical written by Richard Thomas
and Stewart Lee
, based on the television show The Jerry Springer Show
. The musical is notable for its profanity
, its irreverent treatment of Judeo-Christian
themes, and surreal
images such as a troupe of tap-dancing
Ku Klux Klan
members. The musical is completely sung through, with the exceptions of title character, Jerry, who speaks, and a brief speech by the character Steve
.
The musical ran for 609 performances in London from April 2003 to February 2005 before touring the UK in 2006. The production won four Laurence Olivier Awards
including Best New Musical. The first American performance was at the MGM Grand
in Las Vegas to benefit Golden Rainbow
, featuring performers for the then-current versions of The Phantom of the Opera
, Mamma Mia!
, and other Las Vegas Strip
theatrical shows. The musical received a number of American regional theatre productions and made its New York City debut on 29 January and 30 January 2008 at Carnegie Hall
. Harvey Keitel
starred as Jerry Springer
.
Jerry Springer: The Opera was the subject of controversy beginning in January 2005, when its UK
television
broadcast on BBC Two
elicited 55,000 complaints. The organisation Christian Voice
led street protests against the screening at nine BBC
offices and announced their intention to bring blasphemy
charges, due to the depictions of the Judeo-Christian
characters in Act II. The Christian Institute
attempted to bring a private prosecution against the BBC, but the Magistrates Court refused to issue a summons, a decision which was later upheld by the High Court of Justice
. Protests continued at tour venues in 2006 and on the internet.
. Dwight is also cheating with a transexual, Tremont. After a commercial break, Jerry's second guest, Montel, tells his partner, Andrea, that he likes to dress as a baby and that he is cheating on her with Baby Jane, a woman who dresses as a little girl. Jerry's Warm-Up Man contributes to Andrea's humiliation and is fired. Jerry again wrestles with his inner Valkyrie
. Jerry's final guests are Shawntel and her husband Chucky. She wants to be a stripper and demonstrates a dance before her mother, Irene, arrives. Irene attacks Shawntel. Chucky pleads innocence, but Jerry's secret JerryCam camera footage shows that Chucky is a patron of strip clubs and a Ku Klux Klan
member. The Klan comes up on stage, and the Warm Up Man gives Montel a gun. The Warm-Up Man jostles Montel, who accidentally shoots Jerry.
. Baby Jane asks Satan to spare Jerry's soul. Satan forces Jerry to return to Hell
with him to do a special show.
, the next guest, who resembles Montel. Jesus and Satan trade accusations. Adam and Eve
are next; they are reminiscent of Chucky and Shawntel. They argue with Jesus, and Eve eventually attacks him. Mary, mother of Jesus, who resembles Irene, condemns Jesus. Everyone turns against Jerry, who hopes for a miracle.
God
and the angels arrive and ask Jerry to come to Heaven and help God judge humanity. He accepts the offer, but the angels and devils fight over Jerry, and the talk-show host finds himself suspended over a pit of flame. Jerry launches into a series of glib homilies asking for his life, but finally gives up and makes an honest statement that resounds with his audience. Devils, angels and everyone sing a hymn of praise to life.
Back on solid ground, Baby Jane tells Jerry that he must go back to Earth. Jerry wakes up in his television studio, having been shot, his life ebbing away as he is cradled in Steve's arms. Jerry gives a final speech, and everyone is joined in sorrow.
Act II
Act III
in May 2000 and featured two members of a dysfunctional family
singing obscenities to each other. This led Thomas to create his one-man show How to Write an Opera About Jerry Springer, which was performed at the Centre in February 2001.
In May 2001, Thomas returned to the Battersea Arts Centre with his show How to Write an Opera About Jerry Springer, accompanied by four singers in a tiny studio theatre. It attracted positive press and investment. Stewart Lee
teamed up with Thomas, and the two began to write Jerry Springer: The Opera. The show received its first performance, while still under development, at the Centre in August 2001, with a cast of twelve. It ran for a week, selling out. When the show returned to the Centre in February 2002, the three-week run sold out in advance.
The show was then performed in concert at the Edinburgh Festival
in August 2002, selling out. Jerry Springer
came to see the show and endorsed it, stating, "I wish I'd thought of it myself." The Edinburgh run included the introduction of character of Tremont — an amalgamation of two previous characters. Australian born Actor Andrew Bevis
created the new role.
Following the Festival run, Nicholas Hytner
offered to include the show in his opening season as director of the National Theatre
in London.
on 29 April 2003, with a cast of 33, including Bevis as Tremont and Michael Brandon
as Jerry. It played to packed audiences and received favourable reviews. The show had its final performance at the National Theatre on 30 September, before moving to the West End
.
On 10 November 2003, the show opened at the Cambridge Theatre
, with the same cast as the National Theatre production, and ran there until 19 February 2005, before starting a tour of the United Kingdom
. The West End run was sponsored by British Sky Broadcasting
. On 12 July 2004, David Soul
took over the role of Jerry from Michael Brandon.
In 2004, a Broadway
production was announced and cancelled.
threatened to picket them. In addition, Arts Council England
turned down a bid for funding, stating that the decision was based on the show's commercial pedigree rather than "pressure from extremist groups".
The tour ran for 22 weeks, starting at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth
on 27 January 2006. Immediately prior to the show's opening in Plymouth, it was reported that members of the far-right British National Party
were part in a local campaign against the performances, although Christian Voice claimed to disapprove of their involvement. According to Ticketmaster UK, ticket sales were good throughout the tour, and reviews were positive.
The cast for the tour included several cast members from the London cast, and American actor Rolf Saxon
replaced David Soul as Jerry Springer. The tour had a scaled down set and scaled down effects as well as a smaller on-stage "audience".
The opposition by Christian Voice caused the cancer charity Maggie's Centres
to reject a £3,000 donation from Jerry Springer: The Opera. Christian Voice threatened to picket their centres, which provide palliative care to cancer sufferers and their families. It claimed it had warned the charity that accepting cash from a show full of "filth and blasphemy" would be a public relations disaster.
In January 2007 Christian Voice, represented by Stephen Green, attempted to prosecute BBC director-general Mark Thompson
for blasphemy over the show. A summons was refused due to lack of prima facie
evidence that a crime had been committed, and a provision of the 1968 Theatres Act
which enshrines the right of free expression in theatrical works. An appeal to the High Court
was dismissed on 5 December 2005, with the decision of the lower court upheld on all counts and ruling that it was reasonable to conclude that the play "in context" could not be considered as blasphemous.
Asked about the controversy during an interview with The Observer
in 2009, Lee stated:
Asked if the experience had an impact on his stand-up comedy, Lee replied: "It did make me feel there was not much point ever trying to reach a mass audience with anything interesting and provocative. You just run the risk of being misunderstood on a large scale".
at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
that began on 3 May 2007, with a 14 May opening. Performances were scheduled to continue until 8 July but the show was then extended for additional performances until 19 August. Bailiwick founder and artistic director David Zak (a seven-time Jeff Citations Awards winner) directed, with Brian Simmons playing the part of Jerry Springer and Jeremy Rill playing the part of Warm Up Man/The Devil. The Bailiwick production featured an eight-piece orchestra and a cast of 29.
The show opened on 14 May to rave reviews with Steve from the actual Jerry Springer show and Richard Thomas (composer/lyricist) in attendance. Reviews from major Chicago periodicals (Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune) are available online. The Bailiwick production was honored with a Non-Equity Jeff Award for Outstanding Musical Production on 9 June 2008, in Chicago. Jeremy Rill also won a Jeff for Supporting Actor in a Musical for his work as Warm-up Man/Satan.
was the first to receive a nonexclusive license, and the show was scheduled to run there from 10 August to 9 September 2007. Jerry Springer was played by Jim Hopkins
.
lining the streets. Scheduled to run until 17 August 2008 (extended to 31 August 2008)(extended again to 7 Sept.), the show’s official opening kicked-off Studio Theatre’s 2ndStage 20th Anniversary on Sunday, 27 July 2008 at 7:30pm, receiving rave reviews.
2ndStage’s Artistic Director, Helen Hayes Award Winning Keith Alan Baker, directed the production, which was co-directed and choreographed by Helen Hayes Award Winning Matthew Gardiner.
Helen Hayes Award Winning Lawrence Redmond was cast as Jerry Springer and Helen Hayes Award Nominated Bobby Smith played opposite him as Jonathan Weriz/Satan.
StageWest presented Jerry Springer, The Opera 25 January through 16 February 2008 at the Stoner Theater within the Civic Center in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Principal Production Personnel were Karla Kash and Todd Buchacker, co-directors; Paul Dieke, music director/vocal coach; David Decker, choreographer; and Ron Lambert, producing artistic director.
In spite of some controversy in the media, letters to the theatre, and picketing, performances played to full houses of wildly enthusiastic audiences. An additional week was added, but prior bookings in the space prevented more.
presented "a cast of 21 performers, with an 8-piece band", from 21 to 26 April 2009, starring David Wenham
as Jerry, David Bedella
as Jonathan Weiruss/Satan, Ursula Yovich
as Andrea/Archangel Michel, Kate Miller-Heidke
as Baby Jane, Alison Jiear
as Shawntel/Eve, and Marcus Graham
as special guest star; also appearing are Andrew Bevis
and James Millar
.
. It was directed by theatre critic and Director Richard Ouzounian. Music Direction by Lily Ling and choreography by Shannon Cote. The best-selling show in Toronto for the 08 - 09 season. It featured Byron Rouse in the title Role and Jean-Paul Bevilacqua as "Jonathan/Satan". Other original Canadian Cast members include Linda Gallant (Shawntel/Eve), Scott Gorman (Montel/Adam), Jocelyn Howard (Peaches/Baby Jane), Brandi Hewitt (Zandra/Irene/Mary), Ian Bender (Tremont/Gabriel), Benjamin Mehl (Chucky/Jesus), Hayley Toane (Andrea/Angel Michael), Gregory Finney (Dwight/God), and James Schedlich (Steve Wilkos)
; Best New Musical, Best Sound Design, Best Actor in a Musical (David Bedella) and Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical (the Chorus). It also won Best Musical at the 2004 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, Best Musical at the 2003 Evening Standard Awards
and the 2004 WhatsOnStage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards
Best New Musical and London Newcomer of the Year (Benjamin Lake). The show won four awards at the 2003 Nowt2Do.Com Awards, Best Actor in a Musical (David Bedella) Best Actress in a Musical (Alison Jiear) Best London Show and Most Entertaining Show.
In 2006, the show won Best Touring Production at the TMA Awards
.
It is the only show ever to win all four "Best Musical" awards.
televised the musical on 8 January 2005 as part of an evening of Jerry Springer-themed programming on BBC Two
. News of the screening had prompted TV standards campaigners Mediawatch
to write a letter to the BBC Chairman of the BBC Governors, Michael Grade
, asking him to reconsider the decision to show the musical.
On 7 January, the day before the broadcast, the BBC announced that it had received over 47,000 complaints about its plans to screen the musical – the most complaints ever received about a British television broadcast. Many commentators, including the BBC, attributed such a high volume of complaints to an orchestrated campaign by various Christian
groups. Supporters of the BBC's broadcasting of the show pointed out that the supposedly blasphemous content was clearly presented as a fantasy in the mind of the dying central character and was not intended to be a serious comment on Christ or Christian theology. John Beyer, chairman of Mediawatch-UK, argued that the BBC should shoulder much of the blame for the campaign against the musical since they had promoted the musical as "pushing back the boundaries of taste" and "controversial" when it had never been intended to offend the groups who campaigned against it.
In November 2005, a DVD
of the show was made available in the UK. However, because of complaints by customers, Sainsbury's and Woolworths decided to stop selling the DVD. Many blog
s and Liberal Democrat
MP, Lynne Featherstone
condemned the action from the stores as being corporate censorship
, something which both retailers deny. Most other retailers continue to stock the DVD.
On the DVD's commentary, it was stated that it would not be possible to tour the show in the UK due to pressure from religious groups, but since the release of the DVD, the UK Tour 2006 went forward. The DVD commentary also stated that Stewart Lee was unhappy with an unscripted action by Alison Jiear. In the "Adam and Eve and Mary" scene in Act II, Jiear runs her hand under Jesus's loincloth, prompting a surprised look from Leon Craig, the actor playing Jesus. Lee said, on the commentary, "I wish she hadn't done that".
. It has been accused of including "8,000 obscenities"—it is not known where this count originated, but the 8,000 figure is popularly quoted. This however is impossible, as 8,000 obscenities over the show's 120 minute runtime would mean that there were 66 obscenities a minute, and thus over one per second. Several publications, including the Daily Mail
and The Sun
, claimed a figure of "3,168 mentions of the word fuck
and 297 of the word cunt
". As stated in the BBC's findings, however, "the reported figure was in fact a vast exaggeration. In reality, there were 96 uses of "fuck" and nine uses of "cunt". While a substantial number, this was not necessarily unacceptable in terms of late night terrestrial television." The numbers reported were found by multiplying the number of cast members singing a profanity at the same time, i.e. the reported 297 uses of the word cunt
is the result of multiplying the 33 cast members with the genuine number of uses of the word, i.e., nine times.
According to director Stewart Lee, there are 174 swear words in all.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musical written by Richard Thomas
Richard Thomas (musician)
Richard Thomas is British a musician, writer, and comedy actor. He is best known for composing and scoring the award-winning Jerry Springer: The Opera with Stewart Lee. Thomas collected the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Score in 2004....
and Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
, based on the television show The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
. The musical is notable for its profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, its irreverent treatment of Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
themes, and surreal
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
images such as a troupe of tap-dancing
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
members. The musical is completely sung through, with the exceptions of title character, Jerry, who speaks, and a brief speech by the character Steve
Steve Wilkos
Steven John "Steve" Wilkos is an American television personality, a former U.S. Marine and officer with the Chicago police. He currently hosts his own talk show, The Steve Wilkos Show, but is best known as the former director of security on The Jerry Springer Show...
.
The musical ran for 609 performances in London from April 2003 to February 2005 before touring the UK in 2006. The production won four Laurence Olivier Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
including Best New Musical. The first American performance was at the MGM Grand
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
in Las Vegas to benefit Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow is the title of a Broadway musical that opened in 1968. It starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé for its entire run until it closed in early 1969....
, featuring performers for the then-current versions of The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
, Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
, and other Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
theatrical shows. The musical received a number of American regional theatre productions and made its New York City debut on 29 January and 30 January 2008 at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
starred as Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
.
Jerry Springer: The Opera was the subject of controversy beginning in January 2005, when its UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
broadcast on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
elicited 55,000 complaints. The organisation Christian Voice
Christian Voice (UK)
Christian Voice is a Christian pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its stated objective is "to uphold Christianity as the Faith of the United Kingdom, to be a voice for Biblical values in law and public policy, and to defend and support traditional family life." It is independent of...
led street protests against the screening at nine BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
offices and announced their intention to bring blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
charges, due to the depictions of the Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
characters in Act II. The Christian Institute
Christian Institute
The Christian Institute is a British evangelical Christian pressure group. The CI promotes a Conservative Christian viewpoint, founded on the belief that the Bible is inerrant and should be the authority on all of life...
attempted to bring a private prosecution against the BBC, but the Magistrates Court refused to issue a summons, a decision which was later upheld by the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
. Protests continued at tour venues in 2006 and on the internet.
Principal roles
- Jerry — The talk show host.
- Jonathan Weiruss/Satan — Weiruss is the warm-up man whom Jerry fires for incompetence.
- Steve Wilkos — Head of Security at the Jerry Springer Show.
- Dwight/God — Dwight is cheating on his fiancee with two other people.
- Peaches/Baby Jane — Peaches is Dwight's fiancee. Baby Jane is an adult baby.
- Tremont/Angel Gabriel — A male-to-female pre-op transsexual, having an affair with Dwight.
- Zandra/Irene/Mary — Zandra is Peaches' best friend, and having an affair with Dwight. Irene is Shawntel’s ashamed mother.
- Montel/Jesus — Montel enjoys dressing as a baby and fouling his own underwear.
- Andrea/Archangel Michael — Andrea is Montel’s lover.
- Chucky/Adam — Shawntel's redneckRedneckRedneck is a historically derogatory slang term used in reference to poor, uneducated white farmers, especially from the southern United States...
husband, who does not approve of her career desires. - Shawntel/Eve — Shawntel dreams of becoming an exotic dancer, but her husband disapproves.
Act I
Jerry Springer's frenzied audience greets Jerry as he arrives at his notorious TV talk show. His first guest, Dwight, is cheating on Peaches with Zandra. The three fight, and Jerry's security men break up the battle. Jerry is briefly admonished by his inner ValkyrieValkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decides who dies in battle. Selecting among half of those who die in battle , the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin...
. Dwight is also cheating with a transexual, Tremont. After a commercial break, Jerry's second guest, Montel, tells his partner, Andrea, that he likes to dress as a baby and that he is cheating on her with Baby Jane, a woman who dresses as a little girl. Jerry's Warm-Up Man contributes to Andrea's humiliation and is fired. Jerry again wrestles with his inner Valkyrie
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decides who dies in battle. Selecting among half of those who die in battle , the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin...
. Jerry's final guests are Shawntel and her husband Chucky. She wants to be a stripper and demonstrates a dance before her mother, Irene, arrives. Irene attacks Shawntel. Chucky pleads innocence, but Jerry's secret JerryCam camera footage shows that Chucky is a patron of strip clubs and a Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
member. The Klan comes up on stage, and the Warm Up Man gives Montel a gun. The Warm-Up Man jostles Montel, who accidentally shoots Jerry.
Act II
Jerry is found injured in a wheelchair, accompanied by his security man, Steve. The scene is Purgatory, a fog enshrouded wilderness. Jerry meets ghostly versions of his talk show guests, who have all suffered unpleasant fates. Jerry tries to justify his actions to the ghosts. The Warm-Up Man arrives and is revealed to be SatanSatan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
. Baby Jane asks Satan to spare Jerry's soul. Satan forces Jerry to return to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
with him to do a special show.
Act III
Jerry arrives in Hell at a charred version of his Earthly TV studio. The audience is locked into cracks in its walls. Jerry reads cue cards produced by Baby Jane that introduce Satan, who is in charge of the proceedings. Satan seeks apology for his expulsion from Heaven and wants to reunite Heaven and Hell. Jerry must faithfully read the cue cards, by introducing JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, the next guest, who resembles Montel. Jesus and Satan trade accusations. Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
are next; they are reminiscent of Chucky and Shawntel. They argue with Jesus, and Eve eventually attacks him. Mary, mother of Jesus, who resembles Irene, condemns Jesus. Everyone turns against Jerry, who hopes for a miracle.
God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and the angels arrive and ask Jerry to come to Heaven and help God judge humanity. He accepts the offer, but the angels and devils fight over Jerry, and the talk-show host finds himself suspended over a pit of flame. Jerry launches into a series of glib homilies asking for his life, but finally gives up and makes an honest statement that resounds with his audience. Devils, angels and everyone sing a hymn of praise to life.
Back on solid ground, Baby Jane tells Jerry that he must go back to Earth. Jerry wakes up in his television studio, having been shot, his life ebbing away as he is cradled in Steve's arms. Jerry gives a final speech, and everyone is joined in sorrow.
Musical numbers
Act I- "Overtly-ture"
- "Audience Very Plainsong"
- "Ladies & Gentlemen"
- "Have Yourselves a Good Time"
- "Bigger Than Oprah Winfrey"
- "Foursome Guests"
- "I've Been Seeing Someone Else"
- "Chick With a Dick"
- "Talk to the hand"
- "Adverts 1"
- "Intro to Diaper Man"
- "Diaper Man"
- "Montel Cums Dirty"
- "This is My Jerry Springer Moment"
- "Mama Gimmee Smack on the Asshole"
- "I Wanna Sing Something Beautiful"
- "Adverts II"
- "First Time I Saw Jerry"
- "Backstage Scene"
- "Poledancer"
- "I Just Wanna Dance"
- "It Has No Name"
- "Some Are Descended from Angels"
- "Jerrycam"
- "Klan Entrance" / "End of Act One"
Act II
- "Gloomy Nurses"
- "Purgatory Dawning"
- "Eat Excrete"
- "Haunting"
- "Him Am the Devil"
- "Every Last Mother Fucker Should Go Down"
- "Grilled & Roasted"
- "Transition Music"
Act III
- "Once in Happy Realms of Light"
- "Fuck You Talk"
- "Satan & Jesus Spat"
- "Adam & Eve & Mary"
- "Where Were You?"
- "Behold God"
- "Marriage of Heaven & Hell"
- "This is My Cheesey"
- "Jerry it is Finished"
- "Jerry Eleison"
- "Please Don't Die"
- "Take Care"
- "Martin's Richard-Esque Finale De Grand Fromage"
- "Play Out"
Battersea Arts Centre and the Edinburgh Festival
Richard Thomas's one act opera, Tourette's Diva, was performed at London's Battersea Arts CentreBattersea Arts Centre
The Battersea Arts Centre is a performance space near Clapham Junction in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth that specialises in music and theatre productions.-History:...
in May 2000 and featured two members of a dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
singing obscenities to each other. This led Thomas to create his one-man show How to Write an Opera About Jerry Springer, which was performed at the Centre in February 2001.
In May 2001, Thomas returned to the Battersea Arts Centre with his show How to Write an Opera About Jerry Springer, accompanied by four singers in a tiny studio theatre. It attracted positive press and investment. Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
teamed up with Thomas, and the two began to write Jerry Springer: The Opera. The show received its first performance, while still under development, at the Centre in August 2001, with a cast of twelve. It ran for a week, selling out. When the show returned to the Centre in February 2002, the three-week run sold out in advance.
The show was then performed in concert at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
in August 2002, selling out. Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
came to see the show and endorsed it, stating, "I wish I'd thought of it myself." The Edinburgh run included the introduction of character of Tremont — an amalgamation of two previous characters. Australian born Actor Andrew Bevis
Andrew Bevis
Andrew Bevis is an Australian-born actor known for a wide range of theatrical roles. Beginning his career as a musician, Bevis was initially a musical director on the original Australian production of The Phantom of the Opera....
created the new role.
Following the Festival run, Nicholas Hytner
Nicholas Hytner
Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003.-Biography:...
offered to include the show in his opening season as director of the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in London.
National Theatre and Cambridge Theatre
The first fully staged production of the musical was performed at the National TheatreRoyal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
on 29 April 2003, with a cast of 33, including Bevis as Tremont and Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman...
as Jerry. It played to packed audiences and received favourable reviews. The show had its final performance at the National Theatre on 30 September, before moving to the West End
West 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...
.
Cambridge Theatre
The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929-30. It was designed by Wimperis, Simpson and Guthrie; interior partly by Serge Chermayeff, with interior bronze friezes by sculptor Anthony Gibbons...
, with the same cast as the National Theatre production, and ran there until 19 February 2005, before starting a tour of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The West End run was sponsored by British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
. On 12 July 2004, David Soul
David Soul
David Soul is an American-British actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television programme Starsky and Hutch . He gained British citizenship in 2004.-Early life:...
took over the role of Jerry from Michael Brandon.
In 2004, a 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 announced and cancelled.
2006 UK Tour
In September 2005, seven months after the show closed in London's West End, it was announced that the show would tour 21 regional theatres around the United Kingdom. Nine theatres originally scheduled to host the show pulled out after Christian VoiceChristian Voice (UK)
Christian Voice is a Christian pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its stated objective is "to uphold Christianity as the Faith of the United Kingdom, to be a voice for Biblical values in law and public policy, and to defend and support traditional family life." It is independent of...
threatened to picket them. In addition, Arts Council England
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
turned down a bid for funding, stating that the decision was based on the show's commercial pedigree rather than "pressure from extremist groups".
The tour ran for 22 weeks, starting at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
on 27 January 2006. Immediately prior to the show's opening in Plymouth, it was reported that members of the far-right British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
were part in a local campaign against the performances, although Christian Voice claimed to disapprove of their involvement. According to Ticketmaster UK, ticket sales were good throughout the tour, and reviews were positive.
The cast for the tour included several cast members from the London cast, and American actor Rolf Saxon
Rolf Saxon
Rolf Saxon , is an American actor living in London.Saxon was born in Alexandria, Virginia. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England where he was awarded the Gold Medal on his graduation, and also studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco,...
replaced David Soul as Jerry Springer. The tour had a scaled down set and scaled down effects as well as a smaller on-stage "audience".
Protests and controversy
In addition to the Christian protests at the BBC facilities, several venues throughout the 2006 tour saw protests. The Manchester Evening News reviewer saw the protests as misplaced, writing "an audacious and scandalous, yet ultimately moral and challenging show that's recommended to anyone who can accept the odd dose of outrage in their lives." Another reviewer recommended, "don’t get your knickers in such a twist, drop ‘em and enjoy yourself."- In Plymouth, at the preview night at the Theatre Royal, a group of about 40 Christian Voice supporters turned out to sing hymns and hand out leaflets to the audience as they entered the theatre.
- In Birmingham, performances attracted a few protesters, and more commotion was made by audience members arguing when being presented with leaflets.
- In York, leaflets were handed out by small numbers of Salvation ArmySalvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
and Christian Voice protesters. - In Manchester, 10 protestors appeared on the opening night, but these were outnumbered by an anti-protest of people holding up signs for freedom of speech. Subsequent nights saw a single regular protestor, or none.
- In Oxford, several elderly Christian protesters turned out.
- In Cambridge, a handful of protesters handed out leaflets on opening night. Protestors were particularly present on Good FridayGood FridayGood Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, the events of which are referenced in Act III of the show. - In Edinburgh, one man from Christian Voice handed out leaflets on a few of the nights.
- In Glasgow, a group of Christian protestors stood outside the theater waving placards, singing Hymns, handing out leaflets and taking photographs of patrons.
- In Bristol, about 100 protesters appeared on opening night, particularly mothers with young children. Many came from the Carmel Evangelical Church in Brislington. Their leaflets stated that the Bristol Old Vic had edited a "classic production" to avoid offending Muslims but did not specify which production. All the protesters had left by the interval.
- In Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, over 300 protestors appeared on opening night.
- In Brighton, two protestors arrived at several of the performances. After the Saturday matinee, Christian Voice protestors appeared.
- In Liverpool, a group of protestors gathered across the road from the theatre singing hymns, whilst small children handed out leaflets about Christianity.
- In St Andrews, a large group of protestors gathered across the street from the student union of the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St AndrewsThe University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
, where a student production of the Jerry Springer opera was being performed. The performance was one of the largest and most elaborate ever put on by the University, and extra security was brought on board to ensure the safety of students as they entered and left the union. On the opening night, the cast received a standing ovation, despite the leaflets being distributed outside by members of the Christian Voice. - 100 church leaders in Cardiff and throughout south Wales signed a letter expressing their wishes for the show to be cancelled. The Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, expressed his concern, stating that the show was 'gratuitously offensive'. In further comments he stated, 'The producer of this opera says that if he manages to incite religious hatred then the opera has done its job: I think that is a terrible intention for an opera to have.' Hundreds of Christians protested outside the Wales Millennium Centre, brandishing placards and singing hymns to theatregoers.
- Stewart Lee said that one of the most vitriolic reactions to the show was during its run at His Majesty's TheatreHis Majesty's TheatreHis Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen is the largest theatre in north-east Scotland, seating more than 1400. The theatre is sited on Rosemount Viaduct, opposite the city's Union Terrace Gardens. It was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1906...
in Aberdeen. (The Christian Institute pushed for supporters to lobby local council members, directors on the board of Aberdeen Performing Arts and the Press and Journal. Only a few protesters picketed the theatre, handing out leaflets. )
The opposition by Christian Voice caused the cancer charity Maggie's Centres
Maggie's centres
Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres are a network of drop-in centres in Great Britain, whichaim to help anyone who has been affected by cancer. They are not intended as a replacement for conventional cancer therapy, but as a caring environment that can provide support, information and practical advice...
to reject a £3,000 donation from Jerry Springer: The Opera. Christian Voice threatened to picket their centres, which provide palliative care to cancer sufferers and their families. It claimed it had warned the charity that accepting cash from a show full of "filth and blasphemy" would be a public relations disaster.
In January 2007 Christian Voice, represented by Stephen Green, attempted to prosecute BBC director-general Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
for blasphemy over the show. A summons was refused due to lack of prima facie
Prima facie
Prima facie is a Latin expression meaning on its first encounter, first blush, or at first sight. The literal translation would be "at first face", from the feminine form of primus and facies , both in the ablative case. It is used in modern legal English to signify that on first examination, a...
evidence that a crime had been committed, and a provision of the 1968 Theatres Act
Theatres Act 1968
The Theatres Act 1968 abolished censorship of the stage in the United Kingdom.Since 1737, scripts had been licensed for performance by the Lord Chamberlain's Office a measure initially introduced to protect Walpole's administration from political satire...
which enshrines the right of free expression in theatrical works. An appeal to the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
was dismissed on 5 December 2005, with the decision of the lower court upheld on all counts and ruling that it was reasonable to conclude that the play "in context" could not be considered as blasphemous.
Asked about the controversy during an interview with The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
in 2009, Lee stated:
If you have been on the verge of becoming a millionaire and that has not happened because of far-right pressure groups, and your work has been banned and taken apart, and you've been threatened with prosecution, and the police have advised people involved with your production to go into hiding, and bed and breakfasts won't have the cast to stay because they're blasphemers, and you have to cross a BNP picket line to go to work in Plymouth, you do start to think, well, what can be worse that that?
Asked if the experience had an impact on his stand-up comedy, Lee replied: "It did make me feel there was not much point ever trying to reach a mass audience with anything interesting and provocative. You just run the risk of being misunderstood on a large scale".
Hollywood Theater, MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada
The musical previewed on 17 and 18 March 2007, performed concert-style at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as a benefit for Las Vegas-based HIV/AIDS charity Golden Rainbow.Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in Chicago
The show had its official American premiere in a non-equity production in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
The Bailiwick Repertory Theatre is a theater company in Chicago founded in 1982 that produces eclectic works. It stages productions at the Bailiwick Arts Center , its home since 1995.In 2007, it presented the American premiere of Jerry Springer - The Opera....
that began on 3 May 2007, with a 14 May opening. Performances were scheduled to continue until 8 July but the show was then extended for additional performances until 19 August. Bailiwick founder and artistic director David Zak (a seven-time Jeff Citations Awards winner) directed, with Brian Simmons playing the part of Jerry Springer and Jeremy Rill playing the part of Warm Up Man/The Devil. The Bailiwick production featured an eight-piece orchestra and a cast of 29.
The show opened on 14 May to rave reviews with Steve from the actual Jerry Springer show and Richard Thomas (composer/lyricist) in attendance. Reviews from major Chicago periodicals (Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune) are available online. The Bailiwick production was honored with a Non-Equity Jeff Award for Outstanding Musical Production on 9 June 2008, in Chicago. Jeremy Rill also won a Jeff for Supporting Actor in a Musical for his work as Warm-up Man/Satan.
Playhouse on the Square in Memphis
Though Chicago was the first to mount the show, Playhouse On the Square in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
was the first to receive a nonexclusive license, and the show was scheduled to run there from 10 August to 9 September 2007. Jerry Springer was played by Jim Hopkins
Jim Hopkins
Jim Hopkins is a New Zealand celebrity well-known for his work in television, radio and theatre.-Biography:Hopkins was scriptwriter for "Close to Home", presenter of "Fast Forward", "Don't Tell Me", "The Inventors", "Dateline Monday", a performer on The BNZ Festival Debates, and radio talkback...
.
Minneapolis Musical Theatre in Minneapolis
Minneapolis Musical Theatre presented Jerry Springer — The Opera 5–28 October 2007 at Hennepin Stages in the heart of the theatre district (downtown Minneapolis). Steven J. Meerdink directed, with music direction by Suzanne Reyburn.Studio Theatre 2ndStage in Washington, D.C.
Washington, DC's Studio Theatre 2ndStage produced Jerry Springer: The Opera as part of its 2007/8 season. Previews began on Wednesday, 23 July 2008 with protesters from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and PropertyAmerican Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property is a civic organization of traditional Roman Catholic inspiration...
lining the streets. Scheduled to run until 17 August 2008 (extended to 31 August 2008)(extended again to 7 Sept.), the show’s official opening kicked-off Studio Theatre’s 2ndStage 20th Anniversary on Sunday, 27 July 2008 at 7:30pm, receiving rave reviews.
2ndStage’s Artistic Director, Helen Hayes Award Winning Keith Alan Baker, directed the production, which was co-directed and choreographed by Helen Hayes Award Winning Matthew Gardiner.
Helen Hayes Award Winning Lawrence Redmond was cast as Jerry Springer and Helen Hayes Award Nominated Bobby Smith played opposite him as Jonathan Weriz/Satan.
StageWest Theater in Des Moines, Iowa
In spite of some controversy in the media, letters to the theatre, and picketing, performances played to full houses of wildly enthusiastic audiences. An additional week was added, but prior bookings in the space prevented more.
New Stage Collective in Cincinnati, Ohio
New Stage Collective presented Jerry Springer: The Opera 26 June 2008 through 3 August 2008 under the direction of Alan Patrick Kenny.SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston, MA
SpeakEasy Stage Company presented the New England premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera 1–30 May 2009 (extended through 7 June due to popular demand) under the direction director Paul Daigneault. The production was staged in the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. On Friday, 1 May, a group of Catholic demonstrators calling themselves TFP - America Needs Fatima gathered in front of the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts to protest the opening night of the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of Jerry Springer - The Opera.Ray of Light Theatre in San Francisco, California
Ray of Light Theatre presented the West Coast Premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera to kick off its 10th Anniversary Season. The opera was performed at the historic Victoria Theatre in San Francisco's Mission District for six weeks beginning 10 September through 16 October 2010.Chance Theater in Anaheim, California
Chance Theater presented the Southern California premiere as part of its 13th Anniversary Season. The show performed from July 1 thru August 14, 2011 (extended from its original closing date of August 7). The Chance's intimate production of "Jerry Springer: The Opera" was Ovation Recommended by LA Stage Alliance, a Los Angeles Times Critic's Choice and Back Stage Critic's Pick.Australian productions
The Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
presented "a cast of 21 performers, with an 8-piece band", from 21 to 26 April 2009, starring David Wenham
David Wenham
David Wenham is an Australian actor who has appeared in movies, television series and theatre productions. He is known in Hollywood for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Carl in Van Helsing and Dilios in 300 and Neil Fletcher in Australia...
as Jerry, David Bedella
David Bedella
David Bedella is an American TV and musical stage actor, perhaps best known for his Olivier award winning role in the controversial Jerry Springer - The Opera...
as Jonathan Weiruss/Satan, Ursula Yovich
Ursula Yovich
Ursula Yovich is an actress and singer. She received a Helpmann Award in 2007 for her performance in Capricornia and was nominated in 2005 for her performance in The Sapphires...
as Andrea/Archangel Michel, Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke is a singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia. Although classically trained, she has followed a career in alternative pop music. She is signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in the UK.-Career:...
as Baby Jane, Alison Jiear
Alison Jiear
Alison Jiear is a popular cabaret artist on the London cabaret circuit. Alison was trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia....
as Shawntel/Eve, and Marcus Graham
Marcus Graham
Marcus Graham is an Australian television and stage actor who has also starred in several films, including Mulholland Drive and Josh Jarman. He was known as a teenage heartthrob in the early 90s while starring in the Australian TV soap E Street as the character "Wheels"...
as special guest star; also appearing are Andrew Bevis
Andrew Bevis
Andrew Bevis is an Australian-born actor known for a wide range of theatrical roles. Beginning his career as a musician, Bevis was initially a musical director on the original Australian production of The Phantom of the Opera....
and James Millar
James Millar (Australian actor)
James Millar is an award-winning Australian actor, singer and writer. He is the author of the musical drama The Hatpin which premiered in Sydney on 27 February 2008 and the critically acclaimed Song Cycle "LOVEBiTES".-WAAPA:James Millar studied writing at the University of Technology, Sydney and...
.
Canadian productions
The first Canadian production opened in Toronto, Ontario on 16 January 2009 at Hart House TheatreHart House Theatre
Hart House Theatre is a 454-seat theatre in Toronto, Ontario located on the campus of the University of Toronto in the Hart House Student Centre. Hart House Theatre has been the University of Toronto Performing Arts Leader Since 1919....
. It was directed by theatre critic and Director Richard Ouzounian. Music Direction by Lily Ling and choreography by Shannon Cote. The best-selling show in Toronto for the 08 - 09 season. It featured Byron Rouse in the title Role and Jean-Paul Bevilacqua as "Jonathan/Satan". Other original Canadian Cast members include Linda Gallant (Shawntel/Eve), Scott Gorman (Montel/Adam), Jocelyn Howard (Peaches/Baby Jane), Brandi Hewitt (Zandra/Irene/Mary), Ian Bender (Tremont/Gabriel), Benjamin Mehl (Chucky/Jesus), Hayley Toane (Andrea/Angel Michael), Gregory Finney (Dwight/God), and James Schedlich (Steve Wilkos)
Awards and nominations
The show won four awards at the 2004 Laurence Olivier AwardsLaurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
; Best New Musical, Best Sound Design, Best Actor in a Musical (David Bedella) and Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical (the Chorus). It also won Best Musical at the 2004 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, Best Musical at the 2003 Evening Standard Awards
Evening Standard Awards
The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre. Sponsored by the Evening Standard newspaper, they are announced in late November or early December...
and the 2004 WhatsOnStage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards
Theatregoers' Choice Award
The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards are organised by the theatre website Whatsonstage.com and recognise the performers and productions of British theatre with emphasis on London's West End. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public....
Best New Musical and London Newcomer of the Year (Benjamin Lake). The show won four awards at the 2003 Nowt2Do.Com Awards, Best Actor in a Musical (David Bedella) Best Actress in a Musical (Alison Jiear) Best London Show and Most Entertaining Show.
In 2006, the show won Best Touring Production at the TMA Awards
TMA Awards
The TMA Awards, established in 1991, are presented annually by the Theatrical Management Association in recognition of creative excellence and outstanding work in United Kingdom theatres...
.
It is the only show ever to win all four "Best Musical" awards.
Original London production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Evening Standard Award | Best Musical | ||
| Nowt2Do.Com Award | Best London Show | |||
| Best Actor in a Musical | David Bedella David Bedella David Bedella is an American TV and musical stage actor, perhaps best known for his Olivier award winning role in the controversial Jerry Springer - The Opera... |
|||
| Wills Morgan | ||||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Alison Jiear Alison Jiear Alison Jiear is a popular cabaret artist on the London cabaret circuit. Alison was trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia.... |
|||
| Best Ensemble Performance | ||||
| Must See Musical | ||||
| Funniest Night Out | ||||
| Most Entertaining Night Out | ||||
| Best Spectacle | ||||
| Most Unusual Night Out | ||||
| 2004 | Critics' Circle Theatre Award | Best New Musical | ||
| Best Actor in a Musical | David Bedella David Bedella David Bedella is an American TV and musical stage actor, perhaps best known for his Olivier award winning role in the controversial Jerry Springer - The Opera... |
|||
| Michael Brandon Michael Brandon Michael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman... |
||||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Alison Jiear Alison Jiear Alison Jiear is a popular cabaret artist on the London cabaret circuit. Alison was trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia.... |
|||
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | The Chorus | |||
| Best Director | Stewart Lee Stewart Lee Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera... |
|||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Jenny Arnold | |||
| Best Sound Designer | Mike Walker | |||
| Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | |||
| Best Actor in a Musical | David Bedella David Bedella David Bedella is an American TV and musical stage actor, perhaps best known for his Olivier award winning role in the controversial Jerry Springer - The Opera... |
|||
| Michael Brandon Michael Brandon Michael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman... |
||||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Alison Jiear Alison Jiear Alison Jiear is a popular cabaret artist on the London cabaret circuit. Alison was trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia.... |
|||
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | The Chorus | |||
| Best Director | Stewart Lee Stewart Lee Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera... |
|||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Jenny Arnold | |||
| Best Sound Design | Mike Walker | |||
| Theatregoers' Choice Award Theatregoers' Choice Award The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards are organised by the theatre website Whatsonstage.com and recognise the performers and productions of British theatre with emphasis on London's West End. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public.... |
Best New Musical | |||
| Best Actor in a Musical | David Bedella David Bedella David Bedella is an American TV and musical stage actor, perhaps best known for his Olivier award winning role in the controversial Jerry Springer - The Opera... |
|||
| Michael Brandon Michael Brandon Michael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman... |
||||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Alison Jiear Alison Jiear Alison Jiear is a popular cabaret artist on the London cabaret circuit. Alison was trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia.... |
|||
| London Newcomer of the Year | Benjamin Lake | |||
| Best Choreographer | Jenny Arnold | |||
Original UK tour
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | TMA Award | Best Touring Production | ||
Television
Jerry Springer: The Opera was the subject of controversy when the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
televised the musical on 8 January 2005 as part of an evening of Jerry Springer-themed programming on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. News of the screening had prompted TV standards campaigners Mediawatch
Mediawatch-uk
Mediawatch-uk, formerly known as the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, is a pressure group in the United Kingdom, which campaigns against the publication and broadcast of media content that it views as harmful and offensive, such as violence, profanity, sex, homosexuality and...
to write a letter to the BBC Chairman of the BBC Governors, Michael Grade
Michael Grade
Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth CBE is a British broadcast executive and businessman. He was BBC chairman from 2004 to 2006 and executive chairman of ITV plc from 2007 to 2009.-Early life:...
, asking him to reconsider the decision to show the musical.
On 7 January, the day before the broadcast, the BBC announced that it had received over 47,000 complaints about its plans to screen the musical – the most complaints ever received about a British television broadcast. Many commentators, including the BBC, attributed such a high volume of complaints to an orchestrated campaign by various Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
groups. Supporters of the BBC's broadcasting of the show pointed out that the supposedly blasphemous content was clearly presented as a fantasy in the mind of the dying central character and was not intended to be a serious comment on Christ or Christian theology. John Beyer, chairman of Mediawatch-UK, argued that the BBC should shoulder much of the blame for the campaign against the musical since they had promoted the musical as "pushing back the boundaries of taste" and "controversial" when it had never been intended to offend the groups who campaigned against it.
In November 2005, a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of the show was made available in the UK. However, because of complaints by customers, Sainsbury's and Woolworths decided to stop selling the DVD. Many blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
MP, Lynne Featherstone
Lynne Featherstone
Lynne Choona Featherstone , is a British Liberal Democrat politician, and the Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green....
condemned the action from the stores as being corporate censorship
Corporate censorship
Corporate censorship is censorship by corporations, the sanctioning of speech by spokespersons, employees, and business associates by threat of monetary loss, loss of employment, or loss of access to the marketplace.- TV Guide debate :...
, something which both retailers deny. Most other retailers continue to stock the DVD.
On the DVD's commentary, it was stated that it would not be possible to tour the show in the UK due to pressure from religious groups, but since the release of the DVD, the UK Tour 2006 went forward. The DVD commentary also stated that Stewart Lee was unhappy with an unscripted action by Alison Jiear. In the "Adam and Eve and Mary" scene in Act II, Jiear runs her hand under Jesus's loincloth, prompting a surprised look from Leon Craig, the actor playing Jesus. Lee said, on the commentary, "I wish she hadn't done that".
Profanity
The musical is noted for its profanityProfanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
. It has been accused of including "8,000 obscenities"—it is not known where this count originated, but the 8,000 figure is popularly quoted. This however is impossible, as 8,000 obscenities over the show's 120 minute runtime would mean that there were 66 obscenities a minute, and thus over one per second. Several publications, including the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
and The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, claimed a figure of "3,168 mentions of the word fuck
Fuck
"Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,...
and 297 of the word cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
". As stated in the BBC's findings, however, "the reported figure was in fact a vast exaggeration. In reality, there were 96 uses of "fuck" and nine uses of "cunt". While a substantial number, this was not necessarily unacceptable in terms of late night terrestrial television." The numbers reported were found by multiplying the number of cast members singing a profanity at the same time, i.e. the reported 297 uses of the word cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
is the result of multiplying the 33 cast members with the genuine number of uses of the word, i.e., nine times.
According to director Stewart Lee, there are 174 swear words in all.
Sources
- Information about the show from StageAgent.com
- The Observer report on the BBC broadcast and the protests
- FAQs on the show
- 2006 review of the show in Manchester
- 2007 review from Reviews Gate.com