Metropolis (musical)
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| Metropolis | |
|---|---|
| 215px | |
| Music | Joe Brooks |
| Lyrics | Joe Brooks Dusty Hughes |
| Book | Dusty Hughes |
| Basis | 1927 film, Metropolis |
| Productions | 1989 West End 1989 Lüneburg, Germany 1990 Cicero, Illinois 2002 Salem, Oregon 2010 Seattle |
Metropolis is a musical based on the 1927 silent movie of the same name that was staged at the Piccadilly Theatre in London in 1989. The music was written by Joe Brooks, the lyrics by Dusty Hughes. The show was directed by Jérôme Savary. The cast included Judy Kuhn, Brian Blessed, Graham Bickley, Jonathan Adams, Paul Keown and Stifyn Parri. The musical marked the London debut of Judy Kuhn, who left the show shortly before the end of its run to be replaced by Mary Lincoln. Mary plays Maria in many of the YouTube clips that can be found of the original London cast. The production was notable for its set design by Ralph Koltai.
After that time Joe Brooks worked with American Randy Bowser at editing the already finished musical. By 2002 they had created a more complete libretto to the show, and it was first produced at the Pentacle Theater in Salem, Oregon.
The main changes between the silent film and the musical are name changes for many of the characters (Joh Fredersen to John Freeman, Freder Fredersen to Steven, Rotwang to Warner, Hel to Helen), slightly different religious themes, a completely different ending, and a larger focus on the children.
Contents
Synopsis
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Act I
The city of Metropolis - around the year 2000. The workers operate vast machines below the city and power the privileged lives of the upper class on the surface of the city. Workers are forbidden to read and to learn. They never see daylight.
The city was built by John Freeman, who now runs it like a despot. His son, Steven, lives the privileged life of the sons of the upper class playing games and taking his pleasures in the Eternal Gardens, ignorant of the dark secrets below the city.
Soon, he discovers a young woman from the lower depths of the city. Maria escapes briefly from "down below" in an effort to educate the children of the workers how the rich enjoy themselves. In pursuit of this vision, Steven ends up at one of the machines. Shocked by seeing how the workers suffer for no meaningful purpose, he trades places with worker 11811 (George). A group of discontented workers poised for revolution attend inspirational homilies given by Maria in the catacombs.
Meanwhile, the inventor, Warner, has developed a human-like female machine - 'Futura'. John Freeman wants to use the machine to deceive his son Steven and the workers as an attempt to break down the burgeoning resistance. Freeman wants the machine to take the form of Maria and to use it to discredit and destroy her.
Act II
Futura posing as Maria causes chaos. The workers get angry and destroy the machine. With the machine destroyed the lower depths of the city start flooding. The children in the lower depth are rescued by John and Maria. Futura is revealed as an imposter. John helps the workers and elitists reconcile.
Original London cast
- Brian Blessed as John Freeman
- Judy Kuhn as Maria/Futura
- Graham Bickley as Steven
- Jonathan Adams as Warner
- Paul Keown as Jeremiah
- Stifyn Parri as George
- Lindsey Danvers as Jade
- Colin Fay as Groat
- Megan Kelly as Lake
- Robert Fardell as Marco
- Lucy Dixon as Lulu
- Kevin Power as Worker #1
- Gael Johnson as Beso
Musical numbers
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Awards and nominations
Original London production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Judy Kuhn | Nominated |
