''Cyrano'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

with a book and lyrics by Anthony Burgess and music by Michael J. Lewis. Based on

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...

's classic 1897 play of the same name, it focuses on a love triangle involving the large-nosed poetic Cyrano de Bergerac, his beautiful cousin Roxana, and his classically handsome but inarticulate friend Christian de Neuvillette who, unaware of Cyrano's unrequited passion for Roxana, imposes upon him to provide the romantic words he can use to woo her successfully in mid-17th century Paris. In the early 1960s,

David Merrick David Merrick (born David Lee Margoulis; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of Tony Awards. Life and career Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick gradua ...

had announced plans to produce a musical entitled ''Cyrano'' with a score by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, but nothing came of the project. Burgess had translated the Rostand play for the Guthrie in Minneapolis, and director Michael Langham suggested he adapt it for a musical version. Burgess joined forces with film composer Lewis, replacing dialogue in his play with musical numbers, and the completed work was staged at the Guthrie, again with Langham at the helm. Following a 6 week tryout in Boston's Colonial Theatre and five previews, the Broadway production, directed and

choreographed Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

by Michael Kidd, opened on May 13, 1973 at the

Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...

, where it ran for 49 performances. The cast included Christopher Plummer as Cyrano, Leigh Beery as Roxana, and Mark Lamos as Christian, with Tovah Feldshuh making her Broadway debut in two small supporting roles. Plummer won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical and

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for Outstanding Performance, and Beery was Tony-nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. An original cast recording LP was released by A&M Records in 1973. An original cast recording CD was released by

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

in 2005. In September 1994, an abridged version of the musical was staged at The Newport Arts Center in Orange County, California. Directed by Kent Johnson, and starring John Huntington as Cyrano and Deirdre McGill as Roxanne. One song, "You Have Made Me Love", released on a Broadway standards album sung by McGill.

Song list

;Act I *Cyrano's Nose - Cyrano *La France, La France - Company *Tell Her - Le Bret and Cyrano *From Now Till Forever - Cyrano & Company *Bergerac - Cyrano & Roxana *Pocapdedious - Cadets *No, Thank You - Cyrano *From Now Till Forever (Reprise) - Cyrano & Christian ;Act II *Roxana - Christian & Company *It's She and It's Me - Christian *You Have Made Me Love - Roxana *Thither, Thother, Thide of Thee - Cyrano *Pocapdedious (Reprise) - Le Bret & Cadets *Paris Cuisine - Cyrano, Le Bret & Cadets *Love Is Not Love - Roxana *Autumn Carol - Roxana & Nuns *I Never Loved You - Cyrano

Original Broadway cast

*Cyrano de Bergerac - Christopher Plummer *Roxana - Leigh Beery *Christian de Neuvillette - Mark Lamos *Le Bret, Captain of the Gascons - James Blendick *Montfleury, A Romantic Tragedian - Patrick Hines *Count de Guiche, Guardian of Roxana - Louis Turenne *Ragueneau, A Baker and Poet - Arnold Soboloff *Viscount de Valvert -

J. Kenneth Campbell J. Kenneth Campbell (born July 22, 1947) is an American film, stage, and television actor who has been cast in over 80 roles. He was born in Flushing, Queens, Flushing, New York (state), New York. Campbell studied acting under theatrical fight dir ...

*Roxana's Duenna, Sister Marthe - Anita Dangler *Pickpocket, Capucine Monk - Geoff Garland *Jodelet -

Michael Goodwin Michael Goodwin may refer to: * Michael Goodwin (architect), architect and politician in the Phoenix, Arizona area * Michael Goodwin (actor) Michael W. Goodwin (b. October 9, 1941, in Virginia, Minnesota) is an American character actor. He has appe ...

*The Marquis in Red - Alexander Orfaly *Vendor - Tovah Feldshuh *Child in the Bakery -

Paul Thompson Paul Thompson may refer to: Education *Paul Thompson (professor) (born 1951), British management professor at the University of Strathclyde *Paul B. Thompson (philosopher) (born 1951), American philosopher at Michigan State University *Paul H. Tho ...

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

References

*''Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops'' by

Ken Mandelbaum Ken Mandelbaum is a Jewish American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mandelbaum was introduced to Broadway musical theatre by his parents and grandparents at ...

, published by St. Martin's Press (1991), pages 191-92 ()

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing''Cyrano''
at the Music Theatre International website {{Cyrano de Bergerac 1973 musicals Works based on Cyrano de Bergerac (play) Broadway musicals Musicals based on plays Tony Award-winning musicals