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''Jerry Springer: The Opera'' is a British
musical written by
Richard Thomas and
Stewart Lee
Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian, screenwriter, and television director. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, deadpan delivery, and consistent breaking of the fourth wall.
Lee b ...
, based on the
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...
''
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...
''. It contains irreverent treatment of
Christian themes, extensive
profanity
Profanity, also known as cursing, cussing, swearing, bad language, foul language, obscenities, expletives or vulgarism, is a socially offensive use of language. Accordingly, profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rud ...
, and
surreal images, such as a troupe of
tap-dancing
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...
Ku Klux Klan members.
The musical ran for 609 performances in London from April 2003 to February 2005 before touring the UK in 2006. It won four
Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. The first North American performance was at the
MGM Grand in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. The musical has been performed by a number of American regional theatre companies and made its New York City debut on 29–30 January 2008 at
Carnegie Hall.
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...
starred as Jerry.
In January 2005, its
UK television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
broadcast on
BBC Two elicited 55,000 complaints. The organisation
Christian Voice led street protests against the screening at nine
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
offices and announced their intention to bring
blasphemy charges, due to the depictions of the Christian characters in Act II. The
Christian Institute
The Christian Institute (CI) is a pressure group operating in the United Kingdom, promoting a fundamentalist Christian viewpoint, founded on a belief in Biblical inerrancy. The CI is a registered charity. The group does not report numbers of sta ...
attempted to bring a private prosecution against the BBC, but the magistrates' court refused to issue a summons, a decision which was later upheld by the
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (Englan ...
. Protests continued at tour venues in 2006 and on the Internet.
Principal roles
(Sometimes the roles are shared by the person playing the first role; sometimes the roles are played by additional actors)
*
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...
– Host of ''Jerry Springer''.
*Jonathan Weiruss/
Satan – Weiruss, the warm-up man whom ''Jerry Springer'' fires for incompetence.
*
Steve Wilkos
Steven John Wilkos (; born March 9, 1964) is an American television personality, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a former law enforcement officer with the Chicago Police Department. He has been hosting '' The Steve Wilkos Show'' s ...
– Head of Security at ''Jerry Springer''.
*Dwight/
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
– ''Dwight'', a guest on the show who is cheating on his fiancée with two other people. ''God'' appears in Act III.
*Peaches/Baby Jane – ''Peaches'', a guest on the show, who is ''Dwight's'' fiancée. ''Baby Jane'' is an adult baby in Act III.
*Tremont/Angel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...
– ''Tremont'', a guest on the show, a cross dressing man who is having an affair with Dwight. ''Angel Gabriel'' appears in Act III.
*Zandra/Irene/Mary – ''Zandra'', a guest on the show, is the best friend of ''Peaches'', and is having an affair with ''Dwight''. ''Irene'' is ''Shawntel's'' ashamed mother. ''Mary'' appears in Act III.
*Montel/
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
– ''Montel'', a guest on the show, enjoys dressing as a baby and fouling his own underwear. ''Jesus'' appears in Act III.
*Andrea/
Archangel Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
– ''Andrea'', a guest on the show, is ''Montel's'' lover. ''Archangel Michael'' appears in Act III.
*Chucky/
Adam – ''Chucky'', a guest on the show, is ''Shawntel's''
redneck
''Redneck'' is a derogatory term chiefly, but not exclusively, applied to white Americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the Southern United States.Harold Wentworth, and Stuart Berg Flexner, ' ...
husband, who does not approve of her career desires. ''Adam'' appears in Act III.
*Shawntel/
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
– ''Shawntel'', a guest on the show, dreams of becoming an exotic dancer, but her husband, ''Chucky'', disapproves. ''Eve'' appears in Act III.
Synopsis
Act I
''Jerry Springers frenzied audience greets Jerry as he arrives at his notorious TV talk show. His first guest, Dwight, is cheating on Peaches with Zandra. The three fight, and Jerry's security men break up the battle. Jerry is briefly admonished by his inner
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...
. Dwight is also cheating with a cross dresser named Tremont. After a commercial break, Jerry's second guest, Montel, tells his partner, Andrea, that he likes to dress as a baby and that he is cheating on her with Baby Jane, a woman who dresses as a little girl. Jerry's Warm-Up Man contributes to Andrea's humiliation and is fired. Jerry again wrestles with his inner Valkyrie. Jerry's final guests are Shawntel and her husband, Chucky. She wants to be a stripper and demonstrates a dance before her mother, Irene, arrives. Irene attacks Shawntel. Chucky pleads innocence, but Jerry's secret JerryCam camera footage shows that Chucky is a patron of strip clubs and a
Ku Klux Klan member. The Klan comes up on stage, and the Warm Up Man gives Montel a gun. The Warm-Up Man jostles Montel, who accidentally shoots Jerry.
Act II
Jerry is found injured in a wheelchair, accompanied by his security man, Steve. The scene is Purgatory, a fog-enshrouded wilderness. Jerry meets ghostly versions of his talk show guests, who have all suffered unpleasant fates. Jerry tries to justify his actions to the ghosts. The Warm-Up Man arrives and is revealed to be
Satan. Baby Jane asks Satan to spare Jerry's soul. Satan forces Jerry to return to
Hell with him to do a special show.
Act III
Jerry arrives in Hell at a charred version of his Earthly TV studio. The audience is locked into cracks in its walls. Jerry reads cue cards produced by Baby Jane that introduce Satan, who is in charge of the proceedings. Satan seeks an apology for his expulsion from Heaven and wants to reunite Heaven and Hell. Jerry must faithfully read the cue cards, which introduce
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
, the next guest, who resembles Montel. Jesus and Satan trade accusations.
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
are next; they are reminiscent of Chucky and Shawntel. They argue with Jesus, and Eve eventually attacks him.
Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, who resembles Irene, condemns Jesus. Everyone turns against Jerry, who hopes for a miracle.
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
and the
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
s arrive and ask Jerry to come to Heaven and help God judge Humanity. He accepts the offer, but the angels and devils fight over Jerry; and the talk-show host finds himself suspended over a pit of flame. Jerry launches into a series of glib homilies asking for his life, but finally gives up and makes an honest statement that resounds with his audience. Devils, angels, and everyone sing a hymn of praise to life.
Back on solid ground, Baby Jane tells Jerry that he must go back to Earth. Jerry wakes up in his television studio, having been shot, his life ebbing away as he is cradled in Steve's arms. Jerry gives a final speech, and everyone is joined in sorrow.
Musical numbers
The musical is mostly
sung-through
A sung-through (also through-sung) musical, musical film, opera, or other work of performance art is one in which songs entirely or almost entirely replace any spoken dialogue. Conversations, speeches, and musings are communicated musically, for e ...
.
Steve Wilkos
Steven John Wilkos (; born March 9, 1964) is an American television personality, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a former law enforcement officer with the Chicago Police Department. He has been hosting '' The Steve Wilkos Show'' s ...
has a brief speech, and
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...
speaks his lines.
In 2018, Thomas revised the score. He added 2 songs to "better highlight the parallels between Jonathan and the Devil", rewrote some of the grooves to be "hipper", and added a song for Springer. Thomas also removed some "unnecessarily aggressive" gay slurs.
;Act I
# "Overtly-Ture"
# "Audience Very Plainsong"
# "Ladies and Gentlemen"
# "Have Yourselves a Good Time"
# "Bigger than Oprah Winfrey"
# "Foursome Guests"
# "I've Been Seeing Someone Else"
# "Chick With a Dick"
# "Talk to the Hand"
# "Adverts 1"
# "Intro to Diaper Man"
# "Diaper Man"
# "Montel Cums Dirty"
# "This is my Jerry Springer Moment"
# "Mama Gimmee Smack on the Asshole"
# "I Wanna Sing Something Beautiful"
# "Adverts 2"
# "The First Time I Saw Jerry"
# "Backstage Scene"
# "Poledancer"
# "I Just Wanna Dance"
# "It Has No Name"
# "Some are Descended from Angels"
# "Jerrycam"
# "Klan Entrance" / "End of Act One"
; Act II
# "Gloomy Nurses"
# "Purgatory Dawning"
# "Eat Excrete"
# "The Haunting"
# "Him Am the Devil"
# "Every Last Mother Fucker Should Go Down"
# "Grilled and Roasted"
; Act III
# "Transition Music"
# "Once in Happy Realms of Light"
# "Fuck You Talk"
# "Satan & Jesus Spat"
# "Adam & Eve & Mary"
# "Where Were You?"
# "Behold God"
# "It Ain't Easy Being Me"
# "Marriage of Heaven & Hell"
# "This is my Cheesey Jerry Springer Moment"
# "Jerry it is Finished"
# "Jerry Eleison"
# "Please Don't Die"
# "Take Care"
# "Martin's Richard-Esque Finale de Grand Fromage"
# "Play Out"
Background
Richard Thomas's one-act opera, ''Tourette's Diva'', was performed at London's
Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) in May 2000 and featured two members of a
dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often child neglect or abuse and sometimes even all of the above on the part of individual parents occur continuously and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such ...
singing
obscenities to each other. This led Thomas to create his one-man show ''How to Write an Opera About Jerry Springer'', which was performed at BAC in February 2001.
In May 2001, Thomas returned to BAC with his show ''How to Write an Opera About Jerry Springer'', accompanied by four singers in a tiny studio theatre. It attracted positive press and investment.
Stewart Lee
Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian, screenwriter, and television director. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, deadpan delivery, and consistent breaking of the fourth wall.
Lee b ...
teamed up with Thomas, and the two began to write ''Jerry Springer: The Opera''.
Productions
Battersea Arts Centre and the Edinburgh Festival
The show received its first performance, while still under development, at BAC in August 2001, with a cast of 12. It ran for one week, selling out. When the show returned to BAC in February 2002, the three-week run sold out in advance.
The show was then performed in concert at the
Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
in August 2002, selling out.
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...
came to see the show and endorsed it, stating, "I wish I'd thought of it myself." The Edinburgh run included the introduction of character of Tremont – an amalgamation of two previous characters. Australian-born actor,
Andrew Bevis
Andrew Bevis is an Australian-born actor known for a wide range of theatrical roles. Beginning his career as a musician, at the age of 18, Bevis was initially a musical director on the original Australian production of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' ...
, created the new role.
Following the Festival run,
Nicholas Hytner
Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner (; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include '' Miss Saigon'', ''T ...
offered to include the show in his opening season as director of the
National Theatre in London.
National Theatre and Cambridge Theatre
The first fully staged production of the musical was performed at the
National Theatre on 29 April 2003, with a cast of 33, including Bevis as ''Tremont'' and
Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon (born Michael Feldman; April 20, 1945) is an American actor. He is known for his role as James Dempsey in the British drama series '' Dempsey and Makepeace'' (1985–1986). His theatre credits include the original Broadway produ ...
as ''Jerry''. It played to packed audiences and received favourable reviews. The show had its final performance at the National Theatre on 30 September 2003, before moving to the
West End.
On 10 November 2003, the show opened at the
Cambridge Theatre
The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site".
Design and construction
It was des ...
, with the same cast as the National Theatre production, and ran there until 19 February 2005, before starting a tour of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. The West End run was sponsored by
British Sky Broadcasting
Sky UK Limited is a British broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television and broadband Internet services, fixed line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of ...
. On 12 July 2004,
David Soul
David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943) is an American-British actor and singer. He is known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television series ''Starsky & Hutch'' from 1975 to 1979; Joshua Bolt on ' ...
took over the role of ''Jerry'' from
Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon (born Michael Feldman; April 20, 1945) is an American actor. He is known for his role as James Dempsey in the British drama series '' Dempsey and Makepeace'' (1985–1986). His theatre credits include the original Broadway produ ...
.
In 2004, 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 was announced, and then cancelled.
2006 UK tour
In September 2005, seven months after the show closed in London's West End, it was announced that the show would tour 21 regional theatres around the United Kingdom. Nine theatres that were originally scheduled to host the show pulled out after
Christian Voice threatened to picket them. In addition,
Arts Council England turned down a bid for funding, stating that the decision was based on the show's commercial pedigree rather than "pressure from extremist groups".
The tour ran for 22 weeks, starting at the Theatre Royal in
Plymouth on 27 January 2006. Immediately prior to the show's opening in Plymouth, it was reported that members of the far-right
British National Party
The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK gover ...
were part in a local campaign against the performances, although Christian Voice claimed to disapprove of their involvement.
The cast for the tour included several cast members from the London cast, and American actor,
Rolf Saxon, replaced
David Soul
David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943) is an American-British actor and singer. He is known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television series ''Starsky & Hutch'' from 1975 to 1979; Joshua Bolt on ' ...
as ''Jerry Springer''. The tour had a scaled-down set and scaled-down effects as well as a smaller on-stage "audience".
New York
The show was supposed to open on Broadway in 2005 however it was never produced.
The show was performed in concert in January 2008 for two performances at
Carnegie Hall in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
with
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...
playing the title role. The show was picketed on 57th Street by
The American 'TFP', who cited the production's mockery of the Crucifixion, Mass, Eucharist, in addition to Jesus' depiction as "fat", and "a little bit a gay" as "blasphemous content".
The show's first formal performance in New York City was 23 January 2018 – 11 March 2018 at the
Off-Broadway Pershing Square Signature Center
The Pershing Square Signature Center is a complex of three Off-Broadway theatres in the Theatre Row section of West 42nd Street in New York City. It is on the first floors of the 43-floor MiMa Building apartment complex. Pershing Square Signat ...
venue with
Terrence Mann
Terrence Vaughan Mann (born July 1, 1951) is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the Broadway stage, which include Chester Lyman in '' Barnum'', Rum Tum Tugger in ''Cats'', Javert in '' Les ...
playing the title role and
Will Swenson playing Satan. It was produced by
The New Group
The New Group, is a New York City Off-Broadway theatrical troupe founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, that produced its first play, Mike Leigh's '' Ecstasy'', in 1995.
The New Group is run by founding Artistic Director, Scott Elliott, an ...
. It was directed by
John Rando
John Rando is an American stage director who won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for ''Urinetown the Musical'' in 2002. He received his 2nd nomination in the same category in 2015 for the 2014 Broadway revival of '' On the Town''.
...
. It was extended until 1 April 2018 with
Matt McGrath (actor)
Matt McGrath is an American actor.
Early life
McGrath was born into an Irish Catholic family, with parents who worked in local politics. He first resided in Stuyvesant Town, then in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, then briefly in Albany, New York.
He ...
taking over the role of Jerry Springer.
This 2018 run attracted less controversy for blasphemous content. However, the production still faced criticism, with the second and third acts being described as offensive only "to those of us who appreciate quality dramaturgy". Another review suggested the Opera had lost its offensive and comedic edge due to Springer's diminished cultural relevance and shifts in the contemporary discourse. When interviewed in 2018, Richard Thomas defended the Opera's profanity and blasphemy, but admitted to removing homosexual slurs as they were "unnecessarily aggressive".
Regional productions
America
The musical premiered on 17 March 2007. It was performed in semi concert-style with costumes and a minimal set at the
MGM Grand in Las Vegas as a benefit for Las Vegas-based HIV/AIDS charity,
Golden Rainbow. The cast featured performers for the then-current versions of ''
The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...
'', ''
Mamma Mia!'', and other
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city ...
theatrical shows.
The show had its official American premiere in a non-equity production in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
at the
Bailiwick Repertory Theatre that began on 3 May 2007, with a 14 May opening.
Jerry_Springer_The_Opera_-_Playhouse_on_the_Square.jpg, Michael Detroit as Satan, and Jim Hopkins as Jerry Springer in the Playhouse on the Square production in Memphis, TN.
Australia
The play was staged at the
Sydney Opera House from 21 to 26 April 2009, starring
David Wenham
David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Friar Carl in '' Van Helsing'', Dilios in '' 300'' ...
as Jerry,
David Bedella
David Bedella (born September 25, 1962) is an American actor. He is currently based in London and is best known for his Olivier award-winning roles in ''Jerry Springer – The Opera'', ''In The Heights'' and ''& Juliet''.
Early life
Bedella wa ...
as Jonathan Weiruss/Satan,
Ursula Yovich
Ursula Yovich is an Aboriginal Australian actress and singer.
Early life and education
Yovich was born and grew up in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Her father, Slobodan Jović, was a Serbian immigrant who anglicised his name to Stan ...
as Andrea/Archangel Michel,
Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Melina Miller-Heidke (; born 16 November 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Although classically trained, she has generally followed a career in alternative pop music. She signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in th ...
as Baby Jane,
Alison Jiear
Alison Jiear (born 6 May 1965) is a popular cabaret artist and musical theatre performer on the London cabaret circuit. Jiear was trained at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Australia.
Life and career
Jiear was one of The Fabulous Singl ...
as Shawntel/Eve, and
Marcus Graham
Marcus Graham (born 11 October 1963) is an Australian film, television (including both serials and mini-series) and stage actor and director, with roles including ''Mulholland Drive'' and ''Josh Jarman''. He was known as a teenage heartthrob in ...
as special guest star; also appearing are
Andrew Bevis
Andrew Bevis is an Australian-born actor known for a wide range of theatrical roles. Beginning his career as a musician, at the age of 18, Bevis was initially a musical director on the original Australian production of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' ...
and
James Millar.
Canada
The first Canadian production opened in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
on 16 January 2009 at
Hart House Theatre
Hart House Theatre is a 454-seat theatre in Toronto, Ontario located on the campus of the University of Toronto in the Hart House Student Centre. The theatre serves the university and the Toronto community at large.
Hart House Theatre opened i ...
. It was directed by theatre critic and Director Richard Ouzounian. Music Direction by Lily Ling and choreography by Shannon Cote. The best-selling show in Toronto for the 08 – 09 season. It featured Byron Rouse in the title Role and Jean-Paul Bevilacqua as "Jonathan/Satan". Other original Canadian Cast members include Linda Gallant (Shawntel/Eve), Scott Gorman (Montel/Adam), Jocelyn Howard (Peaches/Baby Jane), Brandi Hewitt (Zandra/Irene/Mary), Ian Bender (Tremont/Gabriel), Benjamin Mehl (Chucky/Jesus), Hayley Toane (Andrea/Angel Michael), Gregory Finney (Dwight/God), and James Schedlich (Steve Wilkos)
Ireland
NYMT (National Youth Musical Theatre) Ireland staged the first Irish production of Jerry Springer: The Opera in the Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin. Starring Simon Delaney as Jerry and Eoin Cannon as Johnathan Weiruss/Satan, the show took place from 31 Oct – 5 Nov 2011.
UK
In August 2019 production company Northern Ricochet produced a month-long run of Jerry Springer: The Opera at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. It was directed by James Baker with choreography by Sindy Richardson, lighting by Aaron J. Dootson, design by Victoria Hinton and sound design by Chris Bogg. Playing the title role was Michael Howe, supported by Elizabeth Chadwick as Mary/Zandra/Irene, Robbie Waugh as Chucky/Adam, CiCi Howells as Shawntel, Matt Bond as Dwight/God, Emily Chesterton as Peaches/Baby Jane, Georgina James as Andrea/Archangel Michael, Kai Jolley as Steve, Tom Lloyd as Satan/Jonathan Weiruss, Andrew Patrick-Walker as Tremont/Angel Gabriel, Emily Clarke & Megan Davies-Truin (Swing/Ensemble) and a 13-strong choir.
Jerry Springer's response
Jerry Springer saw the production in Edinburgh and "pronounced it 'wonderful'", adding that he didn't "object to anything in it", and that he "only wish
d he'dthought of it first".
He revised his opinion in later years, however:
Protests and controversy
In addition to the Christian protests at the BBC facilities, several venues throughout the 2006 tour saw protests. The ''Manchester Evening News'' reviewer saw the protests as misplaced, writing "an audacious and scandalous, yet ultimately moral and challenging show that's recommended to anyone who can accept the odd dose of outrage in their lives." Another reviewer recommended, "don't get your knickers in such a twist, drop 'em and enjoy yourself."
*In
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
, performances attracted a few protesters, and more commotion was made by audience members arguing when being presented with leaflets.
*In
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, leaflets were handed out by small numbers of
Salvation Army and Christian Voice protesters.
*In
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, one man from Christian Voice handed out leaflets on a few of the nights.
*In
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
and throughout
South Wales, 100 church leaders signed a letter expressing their wishes for the show to be cancelled. The
Archbishop of Wales
The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and disestablished. The four historic Welsh dioceses had previously formed part of the Province of Canterbury, and so came unde ...
,
Barry Morgan, expressed his concern, stating that the show was 'gratuitously offensive'. In further comments he stated, 'The producer of this opera says that if he manages to incite religious hatred then the opera has done its job: I think that is a terrible intention for an opera to have.' Hundreds of Christians protested outside the
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...
, brandishing placards and singing hymns to theatregoers.
*In
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, the Christian Institute pushed for supporters to lobby local council members, directors on the board of Aberdeen Performing Arts and the Press and Journal. Stewart Lee called this one of the most vitriolic reactions to the show. Ultimately, only a few protesters picketed the theatre, handing out leaflets.
Consequences
The opposition by Christian Voice caused the cancer charity
Maggie's Centres
Maggie's centres are a network of drop-in centres across the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, which aim to help anyone who has been affected by cancer. They are not intended as a replacement for conventional cancer therapy, but as a caring enviro ...
to reject a £3,000 donation from ''Jerry Springer: The Opera''. Christian Voice threatened to picket their centres, which provide palliative care to cancer sufferers and their families. It claimed it had warned the charity that accepting cash from a show full of "filth and blasphemy" would be a public relations disaster.
In January 2007 Christian Voice, represented by Stephen Green, attempted to prosecute BBC director-general
Mark Thompson for blasphemy over the show. A summons was refused due to lack of
prima facie evidence that a crime had been committed, and a provision of the
1968 Theatres Act which enshrines the right of free expression in theatrical works. An appeal to the
High Court was dismissed on 5 December 2007, with the decision of the lower court upheld on all counts and ruling that it was reasonable to conclude that the play "in context" could not be considered as blasphemous.
Asked about the controversy during an interview with ''
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 ...
'' in 2009, Lee stated:
If you have been on the verge of becoming a millionaire and that has not happened because of far-right pressure groups, and your work has been banned and taken apart, and you've been threatened with prosecution, and the police have advised people involved with your production to go into hiding, and bed and breakfasts won't have the cast to stay because they're blasphemers, and you have to cross a BNP picket line to go to work in Plymouth, you do start to think, well, what can be worse than that?
Asked if the experience affected his stand-up comedy, Lee replied: "It did make me feel there was not much point ever trying to reach a mass audience with anything interesting and provocative. You just run the risk of being misunderstood on a large scale."
Profanity
The musical contains extensive
profanity
Profanity, also known as cursing, cussing, swearing, bad language, foul language, obscenities, expletives or vulgarism, is a socially offensive use of language. Accordingly, profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rud ...
. It has been accused of including "8,000 obscenities"
—it is not known where this count originated, but the 8,000 figure is popularly quoted. 8,000 obscenities over the show's 120-minute runtime would imply that there were 66 obscenities a minute, and thus more than 1 per second. Several publications, including the ''
Daily Mail'' and ''
The Sun'', claimed a figure of "3,168 mentions of the word
fuck and 297 of the word
cunt". According to the BBC investigation, however, there were 96 uses of "fuck" and nine uses of "cunt". The BBC report said: "While a substantial number, this was not necessarily unacceptable in terms of late night terrestrial television." The numbers reported by the ''Mail'' and the ''Sun'' were found by multiplying the number of cast members singing a profanity at the same time, i.e. the reported 297 uses of the word
cunt is the result of multiplying the 33 cast members by the nine occurrences of the word.
According to writer Stewart Lee, there are 174 swear words in all.
UK Parliament
The BBC's role in broadcasting the musical was raised in the UK Parliament. Generally, they voiced more concern over the reactions of Christian groups than over the show itself.
Early Day Motion no 488, THE BBC AND JERRY SPRINGER – THE OPERA, was tabled on 12 January 2005, by
Jeffrey Donaldson
Sir Jeffrey Mark Donaldson (born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish politician who has served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) since June 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lagan Valley since 1997, and lead ...
MP:
That this House regards with dismay the decision by the BBC to broadcast Jerry Springer – The Opera on BBC2, causing widespread offence to Christians and those of other faiths by its mocking portrayal of Jesus Christ, Holy Communion and some of the central tenets of the Christian faith; condemns the show's juvenile and offensive use of repeated profanity in an attempt at humour; further notes that it is particularly serious that the show should have been transmitted by the publicly-funded national broadcaster and questions whether it places the Corporation in breach of its Charter; laments the arrogant dismissal of Christian concerns by the content of programmes aired by the BBC; and calls on the government publicly to rebuke the corporation for its attack on the religion adhered to by over 70 per cent. of the UK population and for its lowest common denominator approach to ethics in its attempts to chase ratings.
EDM no 531, BBC AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, was later tabled on 17 January 2005 by
Evan Harris
Evan Leslie Harris (born 21 October 1965) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative ...
MP:
That this House applauds the decision by the BBC to stick by its decision to broadcast, 'Jerry Springer – The Opera' on BBC2 on 8 January, despite the orchestrated campaign from religious pressure groups, the irresponsible actions of one of which caused alarm and distress to the families of BBC executives by making public their contact details and exposing them to hate attacks; believes that individuals have a choice whether or not to watch programmes which they are warned might be offensive to them, and that broadcasters have the right and duty to broadcast a variety of work, some of which may receive differing critical opinions; recognises that in any case this particular programme was of undoubted artistic merit as demonstrated by the opera having attracted a record number of awards, and substantial theatre audiences; reminds the BBC that its own study What the World Thinks of God suggested Britain was the most religiously sceptical country in the world and that as a publicly-funded national broadcaster the Corporation has a duty to reflect society in its output which will entail broadcasting programmes which some religious people find offensive; and calls on the BBC to stand firm against the increasingly assertive religious pressure being applied to restrict freedom of expression.
EDM no 1270, JERRY SPRINGER DVD WITHDRAWAL, was tabled on 14 December 2005 by
Don Foster MP:
That this House agrees with Noam Chomsky that 'if you're really in favour of free speech, then you're in favour of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise. Otherwise, you're not in favour of free speech'; regrets the apparent decision of Sainsbury's and Woolworths to respond to minimal pressure by withdrawing DVDs of Jerry Springer: the Opera from sale in their stores; recognises that Jerry Springer: the Opera is a widely acclaimed work of art having won eight major awards including best musical at the Olivier Awards, the Critics' Circle Awards and the Evening Standard Awards; notes that vociferous minority pressure groups now increasingly target works of art with the outcome that the majority are sometimes denied the choice to judge works for themselves; and calls on the Government to ensure that freedom of expression remains a central principle of society and to protect the ability of individuals to explore comprehensively and lawfully all aspects of culture.
EDM no 488 received 5 supporting signatories. EDM no 531 received 16 signatories. EDM no 1270 received 40 signatories.
Awards and nominations
The show won four awards at the 2004
Laurence Olivier Awards; Best New Musical, Best Sound Design, Best Actor in a Musical (David Bedella) and Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical (the Chorus). It also won Best Musical at the 2004
Critics' Circle Theatre Awards
The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called ''Drama'' Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, ar ...
, Best Musical at the 2003
Evening Standard Awards
The ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the ''Evening Standa ...
and the 2004
WhatsOnStage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards Best New Musical and London Newcomer of the Year (Benjamin Lake). The show won four awards at the 2003 Nowt2Do.Com Awards, Best Actor in a Musical (David Bedella) Best Actress in a Musical (Alison Jiear) Best London Show and Most Entertaining Show.
In 2006, the show won Best Touring Production at the
TMA Awards
The UK Theatre Awards, established in 1991 and known before 2011 as the TMA Awards, are presented annually by UK Theatre (formerly the Theatrical Management Association) in recognition of creative excellence and outstanding work in regional theat ...
.
It is the only show ever to win all four "Best Musical" awards.
Original London production
Original UK tour
2018 Off Broadway Production
Television broadcast
''Jerry Springer: The Opera'' was the subject of controversy when the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
televised the musical on 8 January 2005 as part of an evening of Jerry Springer-themed programming on