''Rebecca'' is a German-language
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 ...
based on the
1938 novel of the same name by
Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...
. It was written by
Michael Kunze
Michael Rolf Kunze (born 9 November 1943, in Prague) is a foremost German musical theater lyricist and librettist.
He is best known for the hit musicals '' Elisabeth'' (1992), '' Dance of the Vampires'' (1996), ''Mozart!'' (1999), ''Marie Antoine ...
(book and lyrics) and
Sylvester Levay
Sylvester Levay (originally Lévay Szilveszter, Serbian language, Serbian: Силвестер Леваи, ''Silvester Levai'') is a Hungarian people, Hungarian recording artist and composer, born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia).
Life and career
Levay ...
(music), the authors of the musicals ''
Elisabeth'', ''
Mozart!
''Mozart!'' is an Austrian musical, originally written in German. The original book and lyrics were written by Michael Kunze and the music and arrangements were composed by Sylvester Levay. The show is a new imagining of the struggles of the famou ...
'' and ''
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...
''. The plot, which adheres closely to the original novel, revolves around wealthy Maxim DeWinter, his naïve new wife, credited as "Ich" ("I"), and Mrs. Danvers, the manipulative housekeeper of DeWinter's
Cornish estate Manderley. Mrs. Danvers resents the new wife's intrusion and persuades the new wife that she is an unworthy replacement for the first Mrs. DeWinter, the glamorous and mysterious Rebecca, who perished in a drowning accident. The new Mrs. DeWinter struggles to find her identity and take control of her life among the shadows left by Rebecca.
The musical premiered on 28 September 2006 at the
Raimund Theater
The Raimund Theater is a theatre in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria.
Named after the Austrian dramatist Ferdinand Raimund, the theatre was built by an association of Viennese citizens and opened on 28 November 1893 with Raimund's play ...
in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Austria, where it ran for three years. Subsequent productions have been mounted in Finland, Korea, Japan and elsewhere.
Background
As a teenager,
Michael Kunze
Michael Rolf Kunze (born 9 November 1943, in Prague) is a foremost German musical theater lyricist and librettist.
He is best known for the hit musicals '' Elisabeth'' (1992), '' Dance of the Vampires'' (1996), ''Mozart!'' (1999), ''Marie Antoine ...
had read
Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...
's novel ''Rebecca''. In the 1990s, he re-read it and decided that the story would make a good musical. He traveled to
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England, to find du Maurier's son in an attempt to obtain the rights to musicalize the work, which had been denied to other librettists. Attending a performance of Kunze's long-running 1992 musical ''
Elisabeth'' in Vienna persuaded du Maurier's son that the novel would be in good hands with Kunze and his musical partner
Sylvester Levay
Sylvester Levay (originally Lévay Szilveszter, Serbian language, Serbian: Силвестер Леваи, ''Silvester Levai'') is a Hungarian people, Hungarian recording artist and composer, born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia).
Life and career
Levay ...
.
["Rebecca: Das Erfolgsmusical nach dem weltberühmten Roman von Daphne du Maurier"](_blank)
storyarchitekt.com (Michael Kunze
Michael Rolf Kunze (born 9 November 1943, in Prague) is a foremost German musical theater lyricist and librettist.
He is best known for the hit musicals '' Elisabeth'' (1992), '' Dance of the Vampires'' (1996), ''Mozart!'' (1999), ''Marie Antoine ...
's official site). Google Translation
/ref>
Writing the libretto took Kunze nearly two years, and Levay took another two years to compose the music.[ A 2003 demo recording in English was made, with ]Pia Douwes
Pia Douwes (born 5 August 1964) is a Dutch actress in musical theatre in Europe. She is best known for having created the title role in the German-language musical '' Elisabeth''.
Biography
Douwes was born in Amsterdam, North Holland, The Nethe ...
as Mrs. Danvers, Maike Boerdam as "I" and Uwe Kröger
Uwe Kröger (; born 4 December 1964 in Hamm, West Germany) is a musical star in the German-speaking countries of the world. Besides starring on stage, Kröger has taken part in galas and concerts, as well as making television and film appearances ...
as Maxim de Winter. Workshops were also presented in Essen
Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
and Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
.[
Kunze and Levay formed a collaboration with American director ]Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello (born August 24, 1956) is an American opera and theatre director. She serves as director of Glimmerglass Festival and the Washington National Opera.
Early life and education
Born in New York City, Zambello lived in Europe whe ...
and English set designer Peter J. Davison.[ In early 2005, they decided to launch the musical in ]Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Austria, with the production company Vereinigte Bühnen Wien
Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (VBW), or United Stages Vienna, is a musical production company based in Vienna, Austria which produced several own musicals that were very successful.
It also owns and/or operates three theaters: the Theater an der Wien, ...
, which had previously produced Kunze's musicals '' Elisabeth'', ''Tanz der Vampire
''Dance of the Vampires'' is a musical remake of the 1967 Roman Polanski film of the same name (known as ''The Fearless Vampire Killers'' in the USA). Polanski also directed this musical’s original German-language production (titled ). The mus ...
'' (''Dance of the Vampires''), and ''Mozart!
''Mozart!'' is an Austrian musical, originally written in German. The original book and lyrics were written by Michael Kunze and the music and arrangements were composed by Sylvester Levay. The show is a new imagining of the struggles of the famou ...
''.["''Rebecca'': musical sees world premiere in Vienna"]
www.wieninternational.at, 2006. Retrieved February 5, 2011
Synopsis
Act I
A young woman, "I", dreamily walks among "shadows"; in the background, Manderley appears destroyed by fire ("Ich hab getraumt von Manderley"). "I" reveals her "paid companion" clothes, as she is transported to a hotel in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
in April 1926. Her employer is a wealthy American, Mrs. Van Hopper ("Du wirst niemals eine Lady"). Widowed, aristocratic Maxim de Winter enters, as the hotel guests gossip ("Er verlor unerwartet seine Frau, Rebecca"). In the dramatic hills near Monte Carlo, Maxim kisses "I", his worldly charm sweeping the inexperienced girl off her feet. Back in the hotel, "I" is told that she is to return to New York. She reflects on the memories she shared with Maxim. ("Zeit in einer Flashe") Moments later, Maxim comes in and asks "I" to marry him.
Maxim and "I" honeymoon in Italy and then drive up to his stately Cornwall estate, Manderley. The servants enter and talk about what they’d think their new mistress will be like. ("Die neue Mrs. de Winter"). The haughty head housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, who oversees the well-organized servants, is cold and hostile to "I". Later, in the morning room, Mrs. Danvers is alone lamenting about Maxim's first wife, Rebecca ("Sie ergibt sich nicht"). "I" comes in and accidentally breaks a statue of Cupid; she is frightened. Mrs. Danvers fears that she is an unworthy replacement for the beautiful, elegant and mysterious Rebecca. Maxim's sister Beatrice and her husband Giles arrive at Manderley to meet "I". The three get along well and are in a happy mood ("Die lieben verwandten"). In the library, "I" becomes tipsy and Mrs. Danvers comes in to tell Maxim that the Cupid statue is broken. "I" admits to doing it, causing a fight between her and Maxim ("Bist du glücklich - Bist du böse"). At night, "I" and Maxim reflect on how they are seeking solace in each other ("Hilf mir durch die Nacht"). At her house, Beatrice reflects on her affection for her brother and how he has changed in the past year ("Was ist nur los mit ihm"). In Rebecca's room, Rebecca's cousin Jack Favell tries Mrs. Danvers' patience ("Sie war gewohnt geliebt zu werden"), arguing about Rebecca's possessions and the fact that Rebecca “loved him” and that he was “her favorite cousin”. "I" comes in and meets Favell who tells her not to tell Maxim he was at Manderley. "I" and Mrs. Danvers discuss an upcoming masked ball and Danvers suggests "I" wear a dress that copies a portrait of one of Maxim's ancestors. Unbeknownst to "I", this is part of Mrs. Danvers's plan to humiliate her. Then, Mrs. Danvers worshipfully describes Maxim's first wife, Rebecca, who drowned while sailing on Maxim's sailboat a year earlier.
Members of an elite golf club gossip about Maxim and his new wife ("Wir sind British"). Later, Ben, a mentally handicapped man, is in the boat house ("Sie's fort") and meets "I". He rambles about how she is better than Rebecca until Maxim returns and finds that "I" is near the boathouse. This causes Maxim to fly into a rage due to his dark memories ("Gott, warum"). Frank Crawley is in his office discussing the upcoming ball as well as the late Rebecca with "I". He reassures her that she doesn't need to be just like Rebecca to gain Maxim's love and be socially respected ("Ehrlichkeit und vertrauen"). Later at the ball, everyone is waltzing ("Der Ball von Manderley"). Mrs. Van Hopper enters ("I'm an American Woman"). "I" is in her room in the dress Mrs. Danvers suggested she wear, hoping to impress both the guests and Maxim ("Heut' nacht verzauber' ich die Welt"). She emerges and begins to descend the staircase to the party. The guests freeze in horror, realizing that the dress "I" is wearing is the same one Rebecca had worn at last year's ball. Maxim bursts into fury and "I" runs upstairs crying, while Mrs. Danvers looks on malevolently.
Act II
At night, "I" stands outside Rebecca's room hoping to sort out the previous night's accident, while Mrs. Danvers is inside the room ("Und das, und das, und das"). Mrs. Danvers makes "I" uncomfortable and she runs off when Mrs. Danvers menaces her ("Tu nicht, was sie empört!" ... "Nur ein schritt"). At the seaside, the people of Cornwall find the remains of a shipwreck and with it, Rebecca's boat with her body inside the cabin("Flotsam and Jetsam"). "I" runs to the boat house and sees Ben and a disheveled Maxim, who had gone to help the sailors. He tells "I" that Rebecca was a manipulative and deceitful person and that he never really loved her. After he confronted Rebecca about her multiple affairs, an altercation between the two ensued, in which Maxim snapped and pushed Rebecca, causing her to hit her head and die from a concussion. He had panickedly hid the body in the boat. ("Now she has returned" ... "No smile was ever so cold"). Maxim is suspected of having killed Rebecca, and an investigation is taking place. The next morning in the house, Beatrice is panicking about the hearing but notices and subsequently compliments "I"'s newfound confidence (Die Stärker Einer Frau). "I" confronts Mrs. Danvers, having had enough of her unfair treatment, and makes some changes in the house's decor, discarding all of Rebecca's items ("Mrs. de Winter bin Ich"). "I" is now a confident woman; when she breaks the Cupid statue again, she is no longer frightened.
At a nearby courtroom, a hearing takes place, with Maxim and Horridge, the coroner, at odds. "I" faints, and everyone returns to Manderley. Danvers and Favell arrive at Manderley and go to the library. Mrs. Danvers leaves and Favell remains in the library ("Eine Hand wäscht die andre"). Frank and "I" unsuccessfully try to get him to leave. Favell tries to blackmail Maxim with a letter from Rebecca and accuses him of murdering her but lacks sufficient proof so he calls Mrs. Danvers and asks for Rebecca's diary. It is revealed that Rebecca had gone to see a man named Dr. Baker on the day she died. Favell assumes she was pregnant and Maxim killed her out of jealousy because the nonexistent child wasn't his but no one knows the real reason. Standing by her husband, "I" takes initiative, deciding to visit Dr. Baker in London to find out why Rebecca visited him, while Maxim is ordered to stay at Manderley until the truth is found out. The servants and Mrs. Danvers comment on the situation ("Sie fuhr'n um acht"). Maxim picks up a phone call from "I", who explains that Rebecca was terminally ill with a form of cancer, likely instigating her own death by provoking Maxim because she did not want to die slowly and painfully. Mrs. Danvers overhears and learns that Rebecca was going to die of cancer.
After this liberating news, Maxim can finally remove the picture of Rebecca from Manderley and completely focus on his new wife. Maxim picks up "I" at the train station in Cornwall, and they kiss passionately ("Jenseits der Nacht"). As they prepare to return, they see a red glow in the distance and realise that Manderley is in flames. Maxim and "I" hurry home as the servants run around with buckets of water ("Feuer, feuer, Manderley in Flammen!"). Mrs. Danvers stands inside the house atop the staircase with Rebecca's nightgown, holding a candelabra in her hand as the flames consume Manderley. Maxim and "I" arrive, and Frank runs towards them. Inside, Danvers inclines the candles to the stairway handrail and sets it ablaze. The house collapses and Mrs. Danvers perishes in the flames together with her memories of Rebecca.
"I" walks dreamily in darkness ("Ich hab getraumt von Manderley" (reprise)). Everyone except Maxim is standing among Manderley's ruins, but now the shadows have faces. Under a bright blue sky, Maxim holds his hand out to "I" who runs to him, and they kiss.
Productions
Vienna
''Rebecca'' had its world premiere at the Raimund Theater
The Raimund Theater is a theatre in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria.
Named after the Austrian dramatist Ferdinand Raimund, the theatre was built by an association of Viennese citizens and opened on 28 November 1893 with Raimund's play ...
in Vienna, in German, in September 2006, "where it played to sold-out houses totaling more than three years".[ It was directed by Zambello and choreographed by Denni L. Sayers, with production design by Davison, with costumes by Birgit Hutter and lighting by Andrew Voller. The cast starred Wietske van Tongeren as "Ich" ("I"), Uwe Kröger as Maxim and Susan Rigvava-Dumas as Mrs. Danvers.
'']Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine considered the Vienna production a "dream of a show", adding:
:Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay deliver a work every bit as compelling as their hit ''Elisabeth'', the most successful German-language musical of all time, while Francesca Zambello's dazzling, cinematic production offers storytelling at its best, clearly defining the whirlpool of emotions experienced by the three tortured principal characters. ... Kunze's deft lyrics take us deep into the psyches of the never-named heroine (simply called "I"); moody, mercurial Maxim de Winter; obsessive Mrs. Danvers; and even the late Rebecca herself. Levay knows how to write tunes that jam in your head; he delivers the goods with Mrs. Danvers' haunting "Rebecca" and the anthem "The Power of a Woman in Love". ... Designer Peter J. Davison stunningly captures the atmosphere, from heady summer nights on the Riviera to the oppressive decay of Manderley.
:Wietske Van Tongeren has all the endearing pipsqueak qualities to make the nameless heroine endearing, expertly conveying the slow transformation from little brown mouse to confident, strong woman. Her performance is marred only by her screechy pop vocal production. ... Kroger has built a substantial career on his pretty-boy looks. As Maxim, they work against him: He seems too young, too fey, too lightweight for such a haunted, world-weary character. His singing, while impassioned, is merely adequate, but he rises to the challenge of confessing his hatred for Rebecca in "No Smile Was Ever as Cold". ... Mrs. Danvers gets the best music, and in Susan Rigvava-Dumas has found a perfect interpreter. ... With a rich mezzo-soprano as her weapon, she embodies evil born of passion and jealousy in a multi-layered turn.
Reviewing the Vienna production on a night when an understudy was playing the protagonist "I", the critic of ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', Benedict Nightingale
William Benedict Herbert Nightingale (born 14 May 1939) is a British journalist, formerly a regular theatre critic for ''The Times'' newspaper. He was educated at Charterhouse and Magdalene College, Cambridge. His first published theatre review ...
, praised the fidelity of the plot to du Maurier's original and rated the staging "up to the most lavish West End visual standards. ... Only the shipwreck that leads to the discovery of Rebecca's body disappoints – and only a gallumphingly Wodehousean golfing number (Wir Sind Britisch) needs excising." Nightingale judged the ending of the musical "forgivably ... a bit more upbeat than the novel's." He found the dancing dull and the music "seldom harsh or imaginative enough" despite "a terrific central song, a soaring, grieving tribute" to Rebecca by "Susan Rigvava Dumas's mesmeric Danvers". He said of Kröger's Max, "though white-hot at moments of crisis, ehasn't quite the mix of brooding inwardness and outer sang froid the character needs."
2008 Japan production
''Rebecca'' was then produced at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, opening on 6 April 2008. Later there was a 2010 production and 2018-19 10th anniversary production. In 2010 a studio recording of Japanese Cast was release
European productions
The musical was performed in Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, Finland, at the Helsingin kaupunginteatteri (Helsinki City Theatre
The Helsinki City Theatre ( fi, Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri; sv, Helsingfors stadsteater) is a theatre located in Helsinki, Finland. Owned by the Helsinki Theatre Foundation, it calls itself a "modern popular bilingual repertoire theatre."
The ...
) from 28 August 2008 to 9 May 2009. as well as in Kouvola
Kouvola () is a cities of Finland, city and Municipalities of Finland, municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located along the Kymijoki, Kymijoki River in the Regions of Finland, region of Kymenlaakso, kilometers east of Lahti, west of Lapp ...
, Finland, at the Kouvolan Teatteri on 11 September 2010.''Rebecca'' played in Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, Hungary, on 18 and 19 March 2010 (and later in repertory).
On 7 February 2014 the musical opened in Malmö, Sweden at Malmö Opera
Malmö Opera ( Swedish: ''Malmö opera'') is an opera house in Malmö, Sweden. An opera company of the same name presents seasons of opera in this house.
Built 1933-1944 by architect Sigurd Lewerentz and, until 1992, known as the Malmö City Th ...
. Director was Åsa Melldahl and Musical Director Anders Eljas
Anders Erik Gillis Eljas (born 15 January 1953 in Stockholm) is a Swedish musician, orchestrator and conductor.
Biography
He was educated at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he studied piano and violin, began his musical career at ...
.
Productions have also played in Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
, Germany; St. Gallen
, neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach
, twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic)
, website ...
, Switzerland; Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia; Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Serbia; Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, Romania; and Ostrava
Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rive ...
, Czechia.["Broadway's ''Rebecca'' Cancelled for Spring! Aiming for 2012-2013"]
BroadwayWorld.com, January 24, 2012
2009 West End readings
In 2009, Ben Sprecher co-produced two English-language readings of ''Rebecca'', hoping to mount a London West End production.[Jones, Kenneth]
"Boggess, Barrett Sing ''Rebecca'' Musical in London Reading Oct. 2"
. ''Playbill'', October 2, 2009 In October 2009, a reading featured Sierra Boggess as "I", Brent Barrett
Brent Barrett (born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and tenor who is mostly known for his work within American theatre. Barrett has performed in musicals and in concerts with theatres, symphony orchestras, opera houses, and concert halls ...
as Maxim and Pia Douwes as Mrs. Danvers.[ The English-language book was written by ]Christopher Hampton
Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...
in collaboration with Kunze.
U.S. reading and cancelled Broadway production
A reading took place on 18 March 2011 in New York, directed by Michael Blakemore
Michael Howell Blakemore OBE, AO (born 18 June 1928) is an Australian actor, writer and theatre director who has also made a handful of films. A former Associate Director of the National Theatre, in 2000 he became the only individual to win T ...
and Francesca Zambello. The cast featured Boggess as "I", Hugh Panaro
Hugh Panaro (born February 19, 1964) is an American actor and singer known for his work on Broadway.
Early life
Panaro was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and resided in the East Oak Lane section of the city with his family. As a schoolchild, ...
as Maxim, Carolee Carmello
Carolee Ann Carmello (born September 1, 1962) is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series ''Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time T ...
as Mrs. Danvers and James Barbour
James Barbour (June 10, 1775 – June 7, 1842) was an American slave owner, lawyer, politician and planter. He served as a delegate from Orange County, Virginia in the Virginia General Assembly, and as speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates ...
as Jack Favell. A Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production of the musical was announced twice during 2012, to be co-directed by Blakemore and Zambello. However, the producers cancelled both times after financing for the production fell through, even though there were $1 million in advance ticket sales. In October 2012, ''The New York Times'' reported that four of the "investors" in the proposed Broadway production never existed. Following criminal investigations by the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
and federal prosecutors in Manhattan, Mark Hotton, the middleman who fabricated the fictitious investors, and received $60,000 in fees, was arrested and charged with fraud.[Healy, Patrick]
"''Rebecca'' Producer Hopes For Broadway Run in 2013"
''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 ...
''. January 2, 2013. In January 2013, producer Ben Sprecher told an interviewer that he hoped to mount the show on Broadway later in 2013.[ Although after completing an investigation the ]Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
pursued no action against Sprecher and his partner, the producers were unable to raise enough funding for a 2014 Broadway opening.[Hetrick, Adam]
"NY Supreme Court Finds Broadway Publicist Liable in ''Rebecca'' Scandal; Producers Push Forward"
Playbill.com, May 12, 2015 On 24 April 2017, during a trial concerning the musical, it was announced that Sprecher and Louise Forlenza had lost the rights to produce the show, and, therefore, the show will not be pursuing a Broadway run.
2013 Korean production
''Rebecca'' premiered in Korea in January 2013, and was met with both critical and commercial success. The cast included Yoo Jun-sang
Yoo Jun-sang (born November 28, 1969) is a South Korean actor and singer. Yoo is best known for starring in the Hong Sang-soo films '' Ha Ha Ha'' (2010), '' The Day He Arrives'' (2011), and '' In Another Country'' (2012). He was also praised for ...
, Ryu Jung-han, and Oh Man-seok
Oh Man-seok (born January 30, 1975) is a South Korean actor. Best known for playing the titular transgender singer in rock musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', Oh's acting career spans theater, television and film.
Career
Theater beginnings ...
as Maxim, Lim Hye-young and Kim Bo-kyung as "I", and Ock Joo-hyun
Ock Joo-hyun (; sometimes spelled Ock Ju-hyun; born March 20, 1980) is a South Korean singer and musical theatre actress, known mostly for her role as the lead singer of the South Korean girl group Fin.K.L. After their unofficial breakup in 2 ...
and Shin Young-sook as Mrs. Danvers. In the 2013 7th Annual Musical Awards, the production won 5 awards, with Ock Joo-hyun as the Best Featured Actress, Robert Johanson as the Best Director, Jung Seung-Ho as the Best Scenic Designer, Jack Mehler as the Best Lighting Designer, and Kim Ji-Hyeon as the Best Sound Designer.
2023 Off West End production
''Rebecca'' is scheduled to have its English language premier running at Off West End
Off West End refers to theatres in London which are not included as West End theatres. The term is a relatively recent one, coined after the similar American term "off-Broadway" (though without the same strict definition). It is usually used synony ...
's Charing Cross Theatre
The Charing Cross Theatre is a theatre under The Arches off Villiers Street below Charing Cross station. Founded in 1936, the venue occupied several premises in the West End of London before locating to its present site. The current site was o ...
from 4 September 2023 to 18 November 2023. The London premier with an orchestra of 18, will be directed by Alejandro Bonatto and has a new English translation by Christopher Hampton
Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...
and Michael Kunze
Michael Rolf Kunze (born 9 November 1943, in Prague) is a foremost German musical theater lyricist and librettist.
He is best known for the hit musicals '' Elisabeth'' (1992), '' Dance of the Vampires'' (1996), ''Mozart!'' (1999), ''Marie Antoine ...
.
Characters and original cast
Songs in the original production
This list includes a literal translation of the German song titles into English
Act I
*Ich hab geträumt von Manderley ("Ich", Shadows) – ''I dreamt of Manderley''
*Du wirst niemals eine Lady (Mrs. van Hopper, "Ich") – ''You will never be a lady!''
*Er verlor unerwartet seine Frau Rebecca (Ensemble) – ''He lost his wife Rebecca unexpectedly''
*Am Abgrund ("Ich", Maxim) – ''At the abyss''
*Zeit in einer Flasche ("Ich") – ''Time in a bottle''
*Hochzeit (Instrumental) – ''Wedding''
*Zauberhaft Natürlich (Maxim)- Naturally Enchanting ¥
*Die neue Mrs. de Winter (Ensemble, Mrs. Danvers, Crawley) – ''The new Mrs. de Winter''
*Sie ergibt sich nicht (Mrs. Danvers) – ''She won't surrender''
*Die lieben Verwandten (Beatrice, "Ich", Giles) – ''The dear relatives''
*Bist Du glücklich? ("Ich", Maxim) – ''Are you happy?''
*Bist Du böse? ("Ich", Maxim) – ''Are you angry?''
*Hilf mir durch die Nacht ("Ich", Maxim) – ''Help me through the night''
*Was ist nur los mit ihm? (Beatrice) – ''What's wrong with him?''
*Sie war gewohnt, geliebt zu werden (Mrs. Danvers, Favell) – ''She was used to being loved''
*Rebecca - Version 1 (Mrs. Danvers, Ensemble)
*Wir sind britisch (Ensemble) – ''We are British''#
*Sie's fort (Ben) – ''She's gone''
*Gott, warum? (Maxim) – ''God, why?''
*Ehrlichkeit und Vertrauen (Crawley) – ''Honesty and trust''
*Ball von Manderley (Ensemble) – ''The Ball at Manderley''^
*I'm an American Woman (Mrs. van Hopper)
*Heut Nacht verzaubere ich die Welt ("Ich", Clarice) – ''Tonight I'm going to enchant the world''
*Finale Erster Akt (Mrs. Danvers & Ensemble) – ''Finale: Act One''
Act II
*Entr'acte
*Und Das und Das und Das ("Ich") – ''And this and this and this''
*Rebecca - Version 2 (Mrs. Danvers, "Ich", Shadows)
*Nur ein Schritt (Mrs. Danvers) – ''Just one step''
*Strandgut (Ensemble, "Ich", Crawley, Favell) – ''Flotsam and jetsam''
*Sie's fort – Reprise (Ben)
*Du liebst sie zu sehr ("Ich") – ''You love her too much''
*Kein Lächeln war je so kalt (Maxim) – ''Never was a smile that cold''
*Die Stärke einer Frau (Beatrice, "Ich") – ''The power of a woman''
*Die Neue Mrs. de Winter – Reprise (Ensemble)
*Mrs. de Winter bin Ich! ("Ich", Mrs. Danvers) – ''I am Mrs. de Winter!''
*Die Voruntersuchung (Ensemble) – ''The Enquiry''
*Eine Hand wäscht die andre Hand (Favell) – ''One Hand washes the other''^
*Sie's fort – Reprise (Ben)
*Sie fuhr'n um Acht (Ensemble) – ''They drove at eight o'clock''
*Keiner hat Sie durchschaut (Maxim) – ''No one saw through her''
*Rebecca – Reprise (Mrs. Danvers, Shadows)
*Jenseits der Nacht ("Ich", Maxim) – ''Beyond the night''^
*Manderley in Flammen (Maxim, Mrs.Danvers, Ensemble, Crawley) – ''Manderley in Flames''
*Ich hab geträumt von Manderley ("Ich", Shadows) – ''I dreamt of Manderley''
#-Replaced with the song Merkwürdig, where the servants make fun of “Ich”, in the St. Gallen and subsequent productions
¥-Written for the 2010 Japan production and used in all productions afterwards
^-Shortened for the Stuttgart production
Recordings
The original Vienna cast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...
, ''Rebecca – Das Cast Album'', a studio recording, was released on 24 November 2006. It has 22 tracks. It peaked number 18 on the Ö3 Austria Top 75 album chart.
One of the songs from the show, "The Power of a Woman in Love", was released in English, as a single sung by Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor ( née Fowles; born September 7, 1943) is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), " Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), " I Am What I Am" (1983), and her version of "Never Can Say Goodbye" ( ...
, prior to the Viennese premiere.
''Rebecca – Gesamtaufnahme Live'' (''Rebecca'' – ''Complete Recording Live'') was recorded on 6 and 7 June 2007. The 2-CD live recording was released on 19 October 2007. Its 44 tracks include the entire production, including all spoken dialogue and songs.''Rebecca'' – Das Musical – Gesamtaufnahme Live
at Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
The recording also includes a bonus track: Marika Lichter, who performed Mrs. Van Hopper from the summer of 2007 through the end of 2007, singing "I'm an American Woman".
''Rebecca – Original Japanese Cast Recording'' was released on 5 March 2010. The CD has 10 tracks, including "Zauberhaft Natürlich", which was written for this production.
''Rebecca – Original Hungarian Cast Recording'' was released on 22 May 2010. It includes 16 tracks.
Rebecca – Gesamtaufnahme Live was recorded in 2012, this time with the Stuttgart cast featuring Valerie Link as “Ich”, Jan Amman as Maxim de Winter, Pia Douwes
Pia Douwes (born 5 August 1964) is a Dutch actress in musical theatre in Europe. She is best known for having created the title role in the German-language musical '' Elisabeth''.
Biography
Douwes was born in Amsterdam, North Holland, The Nethe ...
as Mrs. Danvers, and Kerstin Ibald reprising her role as Beatrice
References
External links
{{Christopher Hampton
2006 musicals
Musicals based on novels
Musicals by Michael Kunze
Musicals by Sylvester Levay
Works based on Rebecca (novel)