''Jean Seberg'' 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 ...

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

with a book by

Julian Barry Julian Barry ( Julian Barry Mendelsohn; born December 24, 1930) is a retired American screenwriter and playwright, best-known for his Oscar-nominated script for the 1974 film '' Lenny'' about comedian Lenny Bruce. Barry adapted the script from h ...

, lyrics by Christopher Adler, and music by Marvin Hamlisch. It is based on the life of the late American actress and premiered at the National Theatre in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 1 December 1983.

Background

Adler had almost completed a full draft with his current composer, Nathan Hurwitz, when his agent contacted him, asking about his interest in working with Hamlisch. Leaving Hurwitz for Hamlisch, several small sections of Hurwitz's music ultimately remained in the production at the National Theatre, uncredited. The production underwent major problems and faced criticism during its developmental and rehearsal stages. The original choreographer was fired and two of the stars suffered ankle injuries. One of them was replaced, resulting in the opening being delayed. Supporters of the National Theatre were dismayed that it was staging the premiere of what was primarily an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

musical, and rumors that it was a disaster spread through London. In an interview with Stephen Holden of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', Hamlisch said, "A project like ''Jean'' seems awfully risky to a producer. . . . I have to keep reminding myself that ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...

'' was initially considered weird and off the wall. It was ''A Chorus Line'' that convinced me that if you give an audience a theatrical moment, whether it's funny or mean or satiric, they'll accept it as long as it's theatrical. You mustn't underestimate an audience's intelligence."

Overview

The plot covers Seberg's life and career from her first screen appearance in the 1957

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...

film '' Saint Joan'' followed by her acclaim in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

prompted by her appearance in '' Breathless''. Her support of the Black Panthers is shown, and her mysterious 1979 death in Paris at the age of forty. The main characters besides Seberg are

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation � ...

, Otto Preminger and

Romain Gary Romain Gary (; 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (, and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt under two names. He i ...

(Seberg's second husband).

Production

''Jean Seberg'' opened on 1 December 1983 at the Royal National Theatre, Olivier Theatre. Directed by Peter Hall,

Kelly Hunter Kelly Hunter (born 21 July 1963) is a British film, television, radio, stage and musical actress, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. She is a Laurence Olivier Award nominee and Radio Academy Award and TMA A ...

and

Elizabeth Counsell Elizabeth Counsell (born 7 June 1942) is an English actress, best known for starring in the BBC television series ''Brush Strokes'', and for her work in classical theatre. Career She played Lady Macbeth to Michael Gambon's Macbeth at the Foru ...

were featured as the younger and older actress, respectively.Billington, Michael
"''Jean Seberg'' on the London Stage"
''The New York Times'', December 18, 1983 The choreographer was

Irving Davies Irving Davies (26 April 1926 – 14 October 2002) was a Welsh dancer and choreographer. Born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales,Brian McFarlane, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of British Film'' (4th edition, 2016), p. 1905 Davies's screen work included ...

, and sets, costumes and lighting were by John Bury.

Critical response

In his review in the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'', John Barber described the musical as "a very big musical for someone who seems to have been a very small girl".

Milton Shulman Milton Shulman (1 September 1913 – 24 May 2004) was a Canadian author, film and theatre critic who was based in the United Kingdom from 1943. Early life Shulman was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of a successful shopkeeper. His parents wer ...

in the ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' compared the songs to "penny whistles at a state funeral", while Robert Cushman of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' felt "Marvin Hamlisch's score is the best he has written for the theater." An article in the January 12, 1984 edition of ''The New York Times'' reported that the National, citing "disappointing reception by the critics" and poor

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...

, would close the show on April 4."Musical 'Jean Seberg' Cuts Run in London"
''The New York Times'', January 12, 1984

References

{{Marvin Hamlisch Biographical musicals 1983 musicals West End musicals Musicals by Marvin Hamlisch Cultural depictions of actors Cultural depictions of American women