''The Visit'' 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 by

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...

, lyrics by

Fred Ebb Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Ri ...

, and music by

John Kander John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''Ca ...

. Based on

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-g ...

's 1956

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

play about greed and revenge ''Der Besuch der alten Dame'', it focuses on the world's wealthiest woman, Claire Zachanassian, who returns to her financially depressed hometown and offers its residents a new lease on life in exchange for the murder of Anton Schell, the man who abandoned her years ago.

Background

The musical adaptation of ''The Visit'' was originally developed as a vehicle for

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

and was scheduled for 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 ...

opening on March 15, 2001. It had been scheduled for a try-out in Boston for December 2000–January 2001.

Frank Galati Frank Joseph Galati (November 29, 1943 – January 2, 2023) was an American director, writer, and actor. He was a member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company and an associate director at Goodman Theatre. He taught at Northwestern University for many ...

was the director with

Ann Reinking Ann Reinking (November 10, 1949December 12, 2020) was an American dancer, actress, choreographer and singer. She worked predominantly in musical theater, starring in Broadway (theatre), Broadway productions such as ''Coco (musical), Coco'' (1969) ...

as choreographer, and co-starring

Philip Bosco Philip Michael Bosco (September 26, 1930 – December 3, 2018) was an American actor. He was known for his Tony Award-winning performance as Saunders in the 1989 Broadway production of ''Lend Me a Tenor'', and for his starring role in the 2007 fi ...

.Jones, Kenneth
"Angela Lansbury Withdraws From 'The Visit'; Producers Seek Alternatives"
playbill.com, July 20, 2000 However, in July 2000 Lansbury withdrew due to the illness and subsequent death of her husband.Jones, Kenneth and

Simonson, Robert Robert Simonson (born September 11, 1964) is an American journalist and author. Personal life Robert Simonson was born in Wisconsin; he has lived in Brooklyn since 1988. Career Robert Simonson began writing about cocktails, spirits and bars for ...

br>"Playbill News: Rivera Is Triple Threat in Kander & Ebb's The Visit, Opening Oct. 1"
playbill.com, October 1, 2001

Production history

Chicago, 2001

Chita Rivera Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson; January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in ''West Side Story'', Velma Kelly in ''Chica ...

was signed as Lansbury's replacement and the musical, directed by Frank Galati 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 ...

, was staged with Rivera and

John McMartin John Francis McMartin (August 21, 1929 – July 6, 2016) was an American actor of stage, film and television. Life and career McMartin was born in Warsaw, Indiana, on August 21, 1929, and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota. After graduating fro ...

by the

Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the lan ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, opening on October 1, 2001. Galati said that because of the

September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

the show did not move to Broadway: "It was generally a success, but we couldn't get anyone from New York or California to see it. People weren't flying." In that climate, he says, "the whole idea of moving a very dark parable about human greed, the dark side of human nature," was difficult. Reinking said: "By the time you really could travel and people felt safe again, our run was up." Regional theatre productions were considered as an alternative, while McNally rewrote the book. Then, in late 2003,

The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

announced it was mounting an

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

production with Rivera and

Frank Langella Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American stage and film actor. He has won four Tony Awards: two for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance as Richard Nixon in Peter Morgan's '' Frost/Nixon'' and as André in Flori ...

early the following year, but that too was cancelled when financing fell through.

Signature Theatre, 2008

The Signature Theatre in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

production of ''The Visit'', began previews on May 13, 2008, officially opened on May 27 and ran through June 22. With direction by Frank Galati and choreography by Ann Reinking, Rivera was once again in the lead, with co-stars

George Hearn George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre. Early years Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before ...

and

Mark Jacoby Mark Jacoby (born May 21, 1947) is an American musical theatre performer. He has achieved fame from his leading roles on Broadway theatre, Broadway in ''Show Boat'', ''The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical), The Phantom of the Opera'' and ''Ra ...

. Prior to this production, a closed reading was held on February 19, 2008, with, among others,

Jayne Houdyshell Jayne Houdyshell (born September 25, 1953) is an American, Tony-winning actress known for her performances on stage and screen. Houdyshell made her Broadway debut in the 2005 production of ''It's a Wonderful Life''. The following year she earn ...

, Florence Lacey, and

Jason Danieley Jason D. Danieley (born July 13, 1971) is an American actor, singer, concert performer and recording artist. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and was married to fellow performer Marin Mazzie. Career Ben Brantley, in a review of ''Curtains'' ...

, joining Rivera, Hearn and

Concert, on Broadway, 2011

On November 30, 2011, Rivera and

John Cullum John Cullum (born circa 1930) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including '' Shenandoah'' (1975) and ''On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Mus ...

, directed by Carl Andress, starred in a stage concert at the Ambassador Theatre, presented by The

Actors Fund The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports performers and behind-the-scenes workers in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 17,000 people directly each year. Ser ...

and The

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Its first production was in 1981. It is best known for its productions of the Tony award-winning ...

Williamstown Theatre Festival, 2014

A one-act version appeared at the

Williamstown Theatre Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...

, (Massachusetts) running from July 31, 2014 to August 17. The cast featured Chita Rivera,

Judy Kuhn Judy Kuhn (born May 20, 1958) is an American actress and singer, known for her work in musical theatre. A four-time Tony Award nominee, she has released four studio albums and sang the title role in the 1995 film ''Pocahontas'', including her re ...

Roger Rees Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. He also rece ...

, Diana DiMarzio,

David Garrison David Earl Garrison (born June 30, 1952) is an American actor. His primary venue is live theatre, but he is best known as the character Steve Rhoades in the television series, '' Married... with Children''. He has also appeared in numerous theat ...

Michelle Veintimilla Michelle Veintimilla (born November 11, 1992) is an Ecuadorian American film, television, and theater actress. She played the role of villain Firefly in the second and fourth seasons of the Fox television series '' Gotham''. Recently, she port ...

and Rick Holmes, with direction by John Doyle and choreography by

Graciela Daniele Graciela Daniele (born December 8, 1939) is an Argentine-American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director. Biography Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Raúl Daniele and Rosa del Carmen Almoina. After her parents divorced, her mother got a jo ...

. Music Direction was by

David Loud David Loud (born November 28, 1961, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American music supervisor, music director, conductor, vocal and dance arranger, pianist and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with and interpretations of the music of bot ...

, who has served as Music Director for each incarnation of the show.

Broadway, 2015

The "one-act" version of ''The Visit'' which was presented at the Williamstown Theatre Festival began Broadway previews on March 26, 2015 and premiered on

at the Lyceum Theatre on April 23, 2015.

and

, in his final stage performance, starred, with direction by John Doyle and choreography by

. The production closed on June 14, 2015. Tom Nelis took over the role of Anton when Rees became ill.

Synopsis

Act I "The citizens of Brachen are awaiting the visit of their very own Claire Wascher, now Claire Zachanassian, the oft-widowed, richest woman in the world. It's been a lifetime's absence during which they have fallen into utter bankruptcy. In anticipation of this visit, Anton Shell, a once prosperous shop keeper, remembers himself and Claire as young lovers ("Prelude"). The Mayor and the School Master have prepared a special welcome for their distinguished visitor ("Out of the Darkness"). All Brachen marvels at their visitor's glamorous, bejeweled presence ("At Last"). Claire explains the reason for it ("I Walk Away"). Her warm greeting to Anton makes the Mayor realize that Anton is the key to asking Claire to relieve them from their misery. Anton is confident he can ("I Know Claire). He leaves to rendezvous with Claire and their old trysting place, Konrad's Village Wood, while the others exult in their good fortune. Only the School Master has forebodings about her visit ("A Happy Ending"). Alone in the woods, the two old lovers and their younger selves reminisce ("You,You,You"). Anton is convinced that she will be their salvation ("I Must Have Been Something"). Everyone prepares for the gala banquet that evening at the Golden Apostle Hotel in Claire's honor ("Look at Me"). The Mayor and the citizens tell Claire of their inexplicable decline from prosperity to utter bankruptcy ("A Masque"). Claire then recounts her version of events, which differs considerably from theirs ("Eunuch's Testimony"). In exchange for rescuing them from financial calamity, she asks for the life of Anton Shell ("Winter"). The Mayor expresses outrage but the seeds have been planted ("Yellow Shoes"). Act II Claire reveals that it is she herself who destroyed Brachen's once booming economy ("A Confession"). She is resolute in her terms: Anton's death. Claire's entourage, her Butler and two Eunuchs, swear eternal fealty to her ("I Would Never Leave You"). Alone in the attic above his shop, Anton wrestles with his fears ("Back and Forth"). The School Master visits Anton and tells him how the village is turning against him ("The Only One"). Anton struggles with his conscience ("Fear"). Embracing his fate and at peace with himself, he invites family for a drive in his son's new automobile, bought, like everything else in Brachen now, on credit ("A Car Ride"). Knowing Anton will join her in their old trysting place, Claire reflects on the incidents that have brought her to this moment in her life (Love and Love Alone). The lovers meet for a last time to discuss their whole past, including a child who died, before the town meeting that will decide Anton's fate ("In the Forest Again"). The visit over, Claire tells her butler, "Rudi, get the bags packed. We are going to Capri" ("Finale")."

Song list

''From the 2008 Signature Theatre production'' ;Act I *"Out of the Darkness" — Townspeople *"At Last" — Claire, Townspeople *"I Walk Away" — Claire, Entourage *"I Know Claire" — Anton *"A Happy Ending" — Mayor, Policeman, Doctor, Priest, Schoolmaster, Townspeople *"You, You, You" — Anton, Claire *"I Must Have Been Something" — Anton *"Look at Me" — Anton, Claire, Entourage, Eunuchs, Rudi, Young Anton, Young Claire, Family *"A Masque" — Mayor, Townspeople *"Testimony" — Louis, Jacob *"Winter" — Claire *"Yellow Shoes" — Townspeople ;Act II *"Chorale" — Townspeople *"A Confession" — Claire, Entourage *"I Would Never Leave You" — Entourage, Claire *"The One-Legged Tango" — Entourage, Claire *"Back and Forth" — Matilda, Ottillie, Karl *"The Only One" — Schoolmaster *"Fear" — Anton *"A Car Ride" — Anton, Matilda, Ottillie, Karl *"Winter (reprise)" — Young Anton *"Love and Love Alone" — Claire *"In the Forest Again" — Anton, Claire *"Finale" — Townspeople ''From the One Act 2015 Broadway Production'' *"Prelude" *"Out of the Darkness" — Townspeople *"At Last" — Claire, Townspeople *"I Walk Away" — Claire, Louis Perch, Jacob Chicken, Rudi *"I Know Claire" — Anton *"A Happy Ending" — Mayor, Priest, Doctor, Police Chief, School Master, Townspeople *"You, You, You" — Anton, Claire *"I Must Have Been Something" — Anton *"Look at Me" — Claire, Anton, Young Claire, Young Anton *"A Masque" — Mayor, Townspeople *"Eunuch's Testimony" — Jacob Chicken, Louis Perch *"Winter" — Claire *"Yellow Shoes" — Doctor, Townspeople *"A Confession" — Claire, All *"I Would Never Leave You" — Rudi, Louis Perch, Jacob Chicken, Claire *"Back and Forth" — Matilda, Ottillie, Karl *"The Only One" —Frederich Kuhn *"Fear" — Anton *"A Car Ride" — Anton, Matilda, Karl, Ottillie, Young Anton, Young Claire *"Love and Love Alone" — Claire *"In the Forest Again" — Anton, Claire, Young Anton, Young Claire *"Finale" — Townspeople

Critical reaction

In reviewing the Signature Theatre production, theatre critic Peter Marks of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' wrote that it is an "admirable if not consistently embraceable musical", and that it "comes across as something short of electrifying with the addition of song and dance. It makes at times for a jarring art-house spectacle, as in the creepy contributions of Claire's eunuchs, harmonizing in falsetto. And yet there is also fine craftsmanship here, courtesy of director Frank Galati (''Ragtime'') and a design team expertly conjuring a laconic, Brechtian physical realm..." The score is"...a melodically cohesive web of Middle European waltzes and choral numbers that befit the cynical strands in the story and the formality of Swiss society." Paul Harris, reviewing for ''

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), ...

'', wrote: "The polished Signature production offers much to admire, starting with an abundance of enjoyable melodies and clever lyrics from K&E...The radiant hitaRivera offers a stylish performance as the aloof Claire, a woman eager to heap disdain on everyone she meets while guardedly avoiding remorse over the dirty plot against her only true love. She handles song and dance assignments with equal aplomb... eorgeHearn is equally credible...Not everything works. Trouble spots include an overly contrived act-one number in which the townspeople beg for Claire's help...But in its reincarnation, there is sufficient vitality, intrigue and entertaining music to make for a most satisfying "Visit."Harris, Pau
"Legit Reviews, Regional. 'The Visit'"
''Variety'', May 28, 2008

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Notes

External links

*
Interview with Terrence McNally, ''Playbill'', 29 August 2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Visit, The 2001 musicals Friedrich Dürrenmatt Musicals based on plays American plays Musicals by Kander and Ebb Musicals by Terrence McNally Plays set in Switzerland