Amélie (musical)
Amélie is a musical based on the 2001 romantic comedy film of the same name with music by Daniel Messé, lyrics by Messé and Nathan Tysen and a book by Craig Lucas. The musical premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2015. The musical opened on Broadway in the Walter Kerr theatre on March 9, 2017 (first preview) April 3rd, 2017 was the official opening night and closed on May 21, 2017.
This article is about the stage musical. For the original film, see Amélie.Amélie: A New Musical
Daniel Messé
Daniel Messé
Nathan Tysen
September 11, 2015: Berkeley Repertory Theatre
2015 Berkeley
2016 Los Angeles
2017 Broadway
2019 UK tour
2021 West End
A substantially transformed production, with new orchestrations, an expanded repertoire of songs, and new staging in the actor/muso style, opened on the West End in December 2019, at the Other Palace. Critics praised its improvements on the Broadway version, with The Guardian describing it as "a triumph of adaptation"[1] "high on imagination",[1] while The Daily Telegraph lauded the "wonderful, wistful evening" it made.[2] It was nominated for three awards at the 2020 Laurence Olivier Awards: Best New Musical, Best Original Score or New Orchestrations, and Best Actress in a Musical (for Audrey Brisson as Amélie).
Songs and recordings[edit]
Broadway production[edit]
An original Broadway cast recording of the show was released by Warner Classics, digitally on May 19 and physically on June 9, 2017.[29]
Critical reception[edit]
The San Francisco Chronicle gave the Berkeley production of the show a rave review, saying "wit crackles and charm fills the house…in this seamless blend of visual, narrative and performance delights."[35]
On Broadway, the show received mixed reviews, often praising Soo, the cast and design elements of the show, but being critical of the score. According to The New York Times, "The musical, adapted from the 2001 film about a shy but whimsically altruistic French waitress, had struggled at the box office since opening to underwhelming reviews. Without a single Tony nomination in a competitive Broadway season, an uptick in sales was unlikely."[36]
The London production received much more positive reviews, with many praising the re-orchestrations and Audrey Brisson's lead performance; WhatsOnStage called the show "a fanciful Valentine to the City of Light, and...a celebration of the unbeatable power of live music".[37] This production was nominated for three Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.