''Triumph of Love'' 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 James Magruder, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by

Jeffrey Stock Jeffrey may refer to: * Jeffrey (name), including a list of people with the name * ''Jeffrey'' (1995 film), a 1995 film by Paul Rudnick, based on Rudnick's play of the same name * ''Jeffrey'' (2016 film), a 2016 Dominican Republic documentary film ...

Overview

Resembling a

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

al more than a traditional

book musical Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

, it is based on the 1732

Pierre de Marivaux Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux (4 February 1688 – 12 February 1763), commonly referred to as Marivaux, was a French playwright and novelist. He is considered one of the most important French playwrights of the 18th century, writing nume ...

commedia dell'arte (; ; ) was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as , , and . Charact ...

play '' Le Triomphe de l'Amour'' and centers on

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

n princess Léonide, whose love for Agis is complicated by the fact her throne was wrongfully wrested by her family from the object of her affection. Agis has been raised an educated man ruled by reason rather than passion by his uncle Hermocrates and his aunt Hesione. The princess, conspiring with her servant Corine, disguises herself as Phocion in order to infiltrate the guarded "men-only" palace compound occupied by Agis, who is plotting her

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

. Complications ensue when both Agis and Hermocrates separately guess her secret, and she tells the former she's Cécile, on the lam from an undesirable paramour, and to the latter claims to be Aspasie, who wishes to study

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

with him. Adding to the convoluted plot are Hermocrates'

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "vale ...

Harlequin and

gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...

Dimas.

Production

''Triumph of Love'' opened on

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 ...

on October 23, 1997 at the

Royale Theatre The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (formerly the Royale Theatre and the John Golden Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 242 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the thea ...

, where it ran for 85 performances and 30 previews."'Triumph of Love' Broadway"
Playbill (vault), accessed March 28, 2016 The musical was directed by Michael Mayer 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 ...

Doug Varone Doug Varone is an American choreographer and director. He works in dance, theater, opera, film and fashion. He is an educator and advocate for dance. His company, Doug Varone and Dancers, has been performing for over three decades. Education Var ...

. The cast included

Susan Egan Susan Farrell Egan (born February 18, 1970) is an American actress, singer and dancer, known for her work on the Broadway stage. She is best known for originating the role of Belle in the Broadway musical adaptation of ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1 ...

as Léonide, Christopher Sieber as Agis,

F. Murray Abraham F. Murray Abraham (born Murray Abraham; October 24, 1939) is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he came to prominence for his acclaimed leading role as Antonio Salieri in the drama film '' Amadeus'' (1984) for which he wo ...

as Hermocrates,

Betty Buckley Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the American T ...

as Hesione,

Nancy Opel Nancy Carol Opel (born December 13, 1956) is an American singer and actress, known primarily for her work on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2002 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the musical Urinetown. Early life and ...

as Corine,

Roger Bart Roger Bart (born September 29, 1962) is an American actor and singer. He won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Snoopy in the 1999 revival of '' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown''. Bart received his second Tony Award n ...

as Harlequin, and

Kevin Chamberlin Kevin Chamberlin (born November 25, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for his theatre roles such as Horton in ''Seussical'' and Uncle Fester in ''The Addams Family''. For his theatre work, he received three Tony Award and three Drama Desk A ...

as Dimas. Comedian

Elayne Boosler {{Orphan, date=July 2021 Elayne is a female given name of French origin, which means "light". The name can be a variant of Elaine or Elena. Elayne may refer to: People * Elayne Angel *Elayne Arrington * Elayne Boosler (born 1952), American comed ...

had been announced to play Corine but dropped out during rehearsals due to creative differences. An

original cast recording Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...

was released by Jay Records. As a bonus track, it included Buckley's cut solo from Act II, "If I Cannot Love."

Songs

Source: ;Act I * This Day of Days - Hesione, Harlequin, Agis, and Hermocrates * Anything - Princess Leonide * Classic Clown - Harlequin * The Bond that Can't Be Broken - Princess Leonide, Agis * Mr. Right - Corine, Harlequin * You May Call Me Phocion - Princess Leonide, Hesione * Mr. Right (Reprise) - Corine, Dimas * Emotions - Hermocrates, Princess Leonide * The Sad and Sordid Saga of Cécile - Princess Leonide, Agis, Corine, Harlequin, Dimas * Serenity - Hesione * Issue in Question - Agis * Teach Me Not to Love You - The Company ;Act II * Have A Little Faith - Corine, Princess Leonide, Harlequin, Dimas * The Tree - Hesione, Hermocrates * What Have I Done? - Princess Leonide * Henchmen Are Forgotten - Harlequin, Dimas, Corine * Love Won't Take No For An Answer - Hermocrates, Hesione, Agis * This Day of Days (Reprise) - Princess Leonide, Agis, Corine, Harlequin, Dimas

Critical response

The ''Variety'' reviewer called the musical "Modest in everything but talent and charm, this chamber-size comedy just might have the sass to take its place alongside the season’s big-budget lions."Evans, Greg
"Review: ‘Triumph of Love’"
''Variety'', November 1, 1997

Original Broadway production

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing

''Triumph of Love'' at MTI Shows

{{Authority control 1997 musicals Broadway musicals