Rex (musical)
Encyclopedia
Rex is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers
, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
and libretto by Sherman Yellen
, based on the life of King Henry VIII
.
at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
on April 25, 1976 and closed June 5, 1976, after 14 previews and 49 regular performances. During tryouts, Harold Prince took over as director (uncredited), with the original director Edwin Sherin
remaining. It is remembered for being a rare instance of a Richard Rodgers flop, and for being one of the early Broadway appearances of actress Glenn Close
, her first in a musical. Until the Canadian premiere of Rex in 2010, this show was the only Richard Rodgers work since the 1940s not available for performance from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Clive Barnes
, reviewing for The New York Times
, wrote that it was "one of the most interminable musicals in years."
Andrew Lloyd Webber
persuaded his then-wife, Sarah Brightman
to record the ballad "Away From You", the only song from the musical that has been separately released.
Years after the show closed, and after Rodgers's death, Sheldon Harnick and Sherman Yellen reworked the musical, attempting to make its lead character more sympathetic, presenting it in a concert performance as part of the York Theatre
's "Musicals In Mufti" series in 2000. It also had a one-night performance at Stages!, the Chicago Festival of New Musicals in 2007.
The first fully staged production of the revised version took place in February, 2010 in Toronto, Canada.
Canadian Premiere cast
In this revised version, the songs "So Much You Loved Me," "Dear Jane" and "Tell Me, Daisy" which were cut from the original production, have been restored, as has Henry's eleventh hour musical soliloquy "The Pears of Anjou." Further, two seemingly superfluous songs "Wee Golden Warrior" and "Why?" have been dropped.
Owing to the success of the Canadian production, Rex is reportedly being prepared for inclusion in the Rodgers & Hammerstein catalog of available musicals for production.
Act Two opens 10 years later. Since the end of Act One, Henry has had three more wives: Anne of Cleves (divorced) and Catherine Howard (executed) and is now married to Katharine Parr, a matronly widow, who satisfies the elder Henry’s need for companionship in his later years. Edward is now a child of 10, Elizabeth is a healthy young woman and, joined by their half-sister, Mary, they celebrate “Christmas at Hampton Court.” Francis of France arrives to discuss the terms for peace at the holiday and brings Henry a gift: pear trees from Anjou, a rare fruit which comes to fruition once every ten years. Following a ferocious altercation with Elizabeth, Henry realizes that he admires her regal courage and that Elizabeth is the "son" he never had; but to love and admire her duly, it must be “From Afar” and he banishes her from the kingdom. Will Somers cheers Elizabeth up, and then proceeds to humorously torment Comus who is in the course of charting the worst prediction of his career: Edward will not live to maturity and Elizabeth will become a great leader. Henry falls ill and reflects on the events and motives in his life, and while he is still determined to live to see the fruition of “The Pears of Anjou,” he dies. Elizabeth gives encouragement to the nervous Edward, telling him that with courage and determination, he will be a fine king "In Time." Edward ascends to the throne, but in a final tableau, we see Henry's realization and acceptance that Elizabeth will become the great ruler that he had always wanted to bequeath to England.
Act 2
Songs cut before New York opening: "So Much You Loved Me," "Dear Jane," "Tell Me, Daisy," "Rex," "I'll Miss You" and "The Pears of Anjou"
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Sheldon Harnick
Sheldon Harnick is an American lyricist best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on hit musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof....
and libretto by Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen
Sherman Yellen is a playwright and screenwriter.- Biography :Sherman Yellen was born in 1932 to Nathan and Lillian Yellen. He attended the High School of Music & Art in Harlem and graduated from Bard College on the Hudson in 1953 where he met his future wife, Joan Fuhr...
, based on the life of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Production history
Following tryout engagements in Delaware, Washington and Boston, it opened on BroadwayBroadway 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...
at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 205 West 46th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by the architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings, it was built by producer Charles Dillingham and opened as the Globe Theatre, in honor of London's Shakespearean playhouse, on...
on April 25, 1976 and closed June 5, 1976, after 14 previews and 49 regular performances. During tryouts, Harold Prince took over as director (uncredited), with the original director Edwin Sherin
Edwin Sherin
Edwin Sherin is an American theatre and television director and producer. He is the husband of actress Jane Alexander. He has directed many episodes of the television drama Law & Order, as well as directing for the stage, mainly on Broadway, including The Great White Hope.-Biography:Born in...
remaining. It is remembered for being a rare instance of a Richard Rodgers flop, and for being one of the early Broadway appearances of actress Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
, her first in a musical. Until the Canadian premiere of Rex in 2010, this show was the only Richard Rodgers work since the 1940s not available for performance from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Clive Barnes
Clive Barnes
Clive Alexander Barnes, CBE was a British-born American writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977 he was the dance and theater critic for the New York Times, the most powerful position he had held, since its theater critics' reviews historically have had great influence on the success or failure of...
, reviewing for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, wrote that it was "one of the most interminable musicals in years."
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
persuaded his then-wife, Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
to record the ballad "Away From You", the only song from the musical that has been separately released.
Years after the show closed, and after Rodgers's death, Sheldon Harnick and Sherman Yellen reworked the musical, attempting to make its lead character more sympathetic, presenting it in a concert performance as part of the York Theatre
York Theatre
The York Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre at 619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of 54th Street in the East Midtown section of Manhattan, New York City. It is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each season consists of three or...
's "Musicals In Mufti" series in 2000. It also had a one-night performance at Stages!, the Chicago Festival of New Musicals in 2007.
The first fully staged production of the revised version took place in February, 2010 in Toronto, Canada.
Broadway cast
- Nicol WilliamsonNicol WilliamsonNicol Williamson is a Scottish-born English actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
as Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, King of England - Tom AldredgeTom AldredgeThomas Ernest "Tom" Aldredge was an American television, film and stage actor.-Life and career:Aldredge was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Lucienne Juliet and W. J. Aldredge, a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps...
as Will Somers - Penny FullerPenny FullerPenny Fuller is an American actress.Born in Durham, North Carolina, Fuller attended Northwestern University in Illinois. She then went to New York City to make a name for herself on Broadway...
as Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
and Princess ElizabethElizabeth I of EnglandElizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty... - Barbara Andres as Catherine of AragonCatherine of AragonCatherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
- Glenn CloseGlenn CloseGlenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
as Princess MaryMary I of EnglandMary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547... - Martha Danielle as Queen Claude of France, Lady Margaret, and Queen Katherine Parr of England
- Ed Evanko as Mark Smeaton
- Merwin Goldsmith as ComusComusIn Greek mythology, Comus or Komos is the god of festivity, revels and nocturnal dalliances. He is a son and a cup-bearer of the god Bacchus. Comus represents anarchy and chaos. His mythology occurs in the later times of antiquity. During his festivals in Ancient Greece, men and women exchanged...
- William Griffis as Cardinal Wolsey
- Michael John as Prince EdwardEdward VI of EnglandEdward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
- Craig LucasCraig LucasCraig Lucas is an American playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, musical actor, and film director.-Biography:...
- Ensemble - Valerie Mahaffey as Catherine HowardCatherine HowardCatherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
, Ensemble - Stephen D. Newman as Francis, King of FranceFrancis I of FranceFrancis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
- Sparky Shapiro as Young Princess Elizabeth
- April Shawhan as Lady Jane SeymourLady Jane SeymourLady Jane Seymour was an influential writer during the sixteenth century in England, along with her sisters, Lady Margaret Seymour and Anne Seymour, Countess of Warwick. She was the daughter of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who from 1547 was the Lord Protector of England after the death of...
- Lillian Shelby as Nurse, Ensemble
Canadian premiere
Rex had its Canadian premiere in February 2010, in a newly revised version by Sheldon Harnick and Sherman Yellen, presented at the Fairview Library Theatre in Toronto. Much of the score and script was heavily revised by Messrs. Harnick and Yellen for this production.Canadian Premiere cast
- Joe Cascone as Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, King of England - David Haines as Will Somers
- Ashley Gbson as Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
and Princess ElizabethElizabeth I of EnglandElizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty... - Carol Kugler as Catherine of AragonCatherine of AragonCatherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
- Elizabeth Rose Morriss as Princess MaryMary I of EnglandMary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
- Damien Gulde as Mark Smeaton
- Eric Botosan as ComusComusIn Greek mythology, Comus or Komos is the god of festivity, revels and nocturnal dalliances. He is a son and a cup-bearer of the god Bacchus. Comus represents anarchy and chaos. His mythology occurs in the later times of antiquity. During his festivals in Ancient Greece, men and women exchanged...
- Lloyd Dean as Cardinal Wolsey
- Andrea Barker as Lady Jane SeymourLady Jane SeymourLady Jane Seymour was an influential writer during the sixteenth century in England, along with her sisters, Lady Margaret Seymour and Anne Seymour, Countess of Warwick. She was the daughter of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who from 1547 was the Lord Protector of England after the death of...
- Max Lee as Prince EdwardEdward VI of EnglandEdward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
- Susan Sanders as Katherine Parr
- Larry Gibbs as Francis, King of FranceFrancis I of FranceFrancis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
- Stephanie Douglas as Claude, Queen of France
In this revised version, the songs "So Much You Loved Me," "Dear Jane" and "Tell Me, Daisy" which were cut from the original production, have been restored, as has Henry's eleventh hour musical soliloquy "The Pears of Anjou." Further, two seemingly superfluous songs "Wee Golden Warrior" and "Why?" have been dropped.
Owing to the success of the Canadian production, Rex is reportedly being prepared for inclusion in the Rodgers & Hammerstein catalog of available musicals for production.
Plot
Act One opens in 1520 at “The Field of Cloth of Gold” in Calais, France, a peace treaty organized by Cardinal Wolsey, Archbishop of York. Henry VIII, king of England is there with his wife, Catherine of Aragon, daughter Mary and a large part of his court, including his fool, Will Somers, and court musician Mark Smeaton with whom he shares his latest song composition, “No Song More Pleasing” which charms and delights everyone present. At the meeting with King Francis of France, Henry meets Anne Boleyn and immediately becomes smitten with her. Having failed to produce a male heir with his wife Catherine, Henry considers divorcing her and marrying Anne. Henry’s court astrologer Comus, along with Will Somers, Mark Smeaton and Cardinal Wolsey humorously lament Henry’s notorious wandering eye in “The Chase” leaving Henry to pluck the petals from a daisy to prophesize the outcome of his desire for Anne. Catherine refuses to grant Henry a divorce, so Henry founds the Church of England, and thus divorces and banishes Catherine. Passionately in love, Henry and Anne admit that they cannot bear to be “Away From You”, but after their marriage, things sour when Anne gives birth, not to a son, but to daughter “Elizabeth.” Things become further strained as Anne becomes intrigued with Mark Smeaton, and Henry with Jane Seymour, one of Anne’s ladies-in-waiting. Charges of treason against Anne and Smeaton are laid and they are found guilty. Shortly before her execution, Anne and Henry reflect on their time together, “So Much You Loved Me.” Will promises Anne that he will look after Elizabeth. Henry marries Jane Seymour and they have a son together, Edward, but Jane dies in childbirth, leaving Henry conflicted as he rejoices in the arrival of his son, but questioning his methods in this pursuit.Act Two opens 10 years later. Since the end of Act One, Henry has had three more wives: Anne of Cleves (divorced) and Catherine Howard (executed) and is now married to Katharine Parr, a matronly widow, who satisfies the elder Henry’s need for companionship in his later years. Edward is now a child of 10, Elizabeth is a healthy young woman and, joined by their half-sister, Mary, they celebrate “Christmas at Hampton Court.” Francis of France arrives to discuss the terms for peace at the holiday and brings Henry a gift: pear trees from Anjou, a rare fruit which comes to fruition once every ten years. Following a ferocious altercation with Elizabeth, Henry realizes that he admires her regal courage and that Elizabeth is the "son" he never had; but to love and admire her duly, it must be “From Afar” and he banishes her from the kingdom. Will Somers cheers Elizabeth up, and then proceeds to humorously torment Comus who is in the course of charting the worst prediction of his career: Edward will not live to maturity and Elizabeth will become a great leader. Henry falls ill and reflects on the events and motives in his life, and while he is still determined to live to see the fruition of “The Pears of Anjou,” he dies. Elizabeth gives encouragement to the nervous Edward, telling him that with courage and determination, he will be a fine king "In Time." Edward ascends to the throne, but in a final tableau, we see Henry's realization and acceptance that Elizabeth will become the great ruler that he had always wanted to bequeath to England.
Songs
Act 1- "No Song More Pleasing" - Henry VIII and Mark Smeaton
- "The Field of Cloth of Gold" - King Frances, King Henry, Wolsey, Company
- "Where Is My Son?" - Henry VIII
- "Basse Dances" - Company
- "The Chase" - Comus, Will Somers, Mark Smeaton and Gentlemen
- "Why?" - Henry VIII
- "Away From You" - Henry VIII
- "As Once I Loved You" - Queen Catherine
- "Away From You" (reprise) - Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII
- "Elizabeth" - Mark Smeaton, Lady Margaret and Lady in Waiting
- "No Song More Pleasing" (reprise) - Lady Jane Seymour and Henry VIII
- "Away From You" (reprise) - Anne Boleyn
- "Te Deum" - Company
Act 2
- "Christmas at Hampton Court" - Princess Elizabeth, Prince Edward and Princess Mary
- "The Wee Golden Warrior" - Will Somers, Prince Edward, Princess Elizabeth, Ladies and Gentlemen
- "The Masque" - Will Somers, Prince Edward, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Mary, Ladies and Gentlemen
- "Sword Dance" - Sword Dancers
- "From Afar" - Henry VIII
- "In Time" - Princess Elizabeth and Will Somers
- "In Time" (reprise) - Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward
- "Te Deum" (reprise) - Company
Songs cut before New York opening: "So Much You Loved Me," "Dear Jane," "Tell Me, Daisy," "Rex," "I'll Miss You" and "The Pears of Anjou"