Passion (musical)
Passion is a one-act musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine. The story was adapted from Ettore Scola's 1981 film Passione d'Amore, and its source material, Iginio Ugo Tarchetti's 1869 novel Fosca. Central themes include love, sex, obsession, illness, passion, beauty, power and manipulation. Passion is notable for being one of the few projects that Stephen Sondheim himself conceived, along with Sweeney Todd and Road Show.
Passion
1994 Broadway
1996 West End
1996 St. Louis, MO
2007 Chicago
2010 London
2013 Off-Broadway
2016 Sweden
Set in Risorgimento-era Italy, the plot concerns a young soldier and the changes in him brought about by the obsessive love of Fosca, his Colonel's homely, ailing cousin.
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Productions[edit]
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Original Broadway production[edit]
After 52 previews, Passion opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on May 9, 1994, and closed on January 7, 1995. Directed by James Lapine, the cast starred Jere Shea as Giorgio, Donna Murphy as Fosca and Marin Mazzie as Clara. Scenic design was by Adrianne Lobel, costume design by Jane Greenwood, lighting design by Beverly Emmons, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, and music direction by Paul Gemignani. This production was filmed shortly after closing and televised on the Public Broadcasting Service series American Playhouse on September 8, 1996. (It was released on DVD in 2003 by Image Entertainment.) The musical ran a total of 280 performances, making it the shortest-running musical ever to win the Tony Award for Best Musical.
The role of Fosca was originally offered to Patti LuPone, but she turned it down to star in Sunset Boulevard in the West End. LuPone was then famously fired from Sunset Boulevard in favor of Glenn Close, who would take the show to Broadway.
Original London production[edit]
The show opened in the West End, with significant musical and script revisions, at the Queen's Theatre in 1996. Directed by Jeremy Sams, the cast featured Michael Ball as Giorgio, Helen Hobson as Clara, and Maria Friedman as Fosca (Friedman had previously appeared in several Sondheim musicals in the UK). The production ran for 232 performances. A recording was later made of the show performed in concert, with nearly all of the original London cast recreating their roles and preserving the musical changes from the earlier production.
2010 London revival[edit]
A production at the Donmar Warehouse in London, as part of Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday celebrations, opened on September 10, 2010, in previews, with the official opening September 21, running through November 27. It was directed by Jamie Lloyd, who was the Donmar associate director at the time, and the cast included Argentine actress Elena Roger, as well as Scarlett Strallen and David Thaxton.[4][5] This production won the Evening Standard Awards, Best Musical Award.[6] David Thaxton won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[7]
2011 premiere in Germany[edit]
Passion received its German-language premiere (translated by Roman Hinze) on January 28, 2011, at the Dresden State Operetta. Directed by Holger Hauer, the lead roles were filled by Marcus Günzel (Giorgio), Maike Switzer (Clara) and Vasiliki Roussi (Fosca). The choir and orchestra of the Dresden State Operetta performed under the musical direction of Peter Christian Feigel. A special feature of this production was its orchestral arrangement for a symphonic orchestra, including a great string ensemble, harpsichord and harp, with no electronic instruments being used and modifications to the musical score being made in cooperation with the composer. Passion ran at the Dresden State Operetta in the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons. The work was performed for the CD label “bobbymusic” from August 22 to 25, 2012 using the same performers. It is the first recording in German, and the first recording of the entire work with all of the musical numbers and spoken texts. Since December 2, 2013 the double CD has been on sale at the Dresden State Operetta (www.staatsoperette-dresden.de) as well as online (www.soundofmusic-shop.de or www.bobbymusic.de).
2013 Off-Broadway revival[edit]
The show was mounted by the East Village-based Classic Stage Company, starring Judy Kuhn as Fosca, Melissa Errico as Clara and Ryan Silverman as Giorgio. Known primarily for their stagings of classical plays, Passion was the first musical that the company had ever produced.[8] The production was helmed by John Doyle and took a minimalist approach to the piece. Unlike other Doyle productions of Sondheim works, there were no instruments onstage. The run was extended through April 2013, and a two-disc cast recording was released on July 2 from PS Classics. Rebecca Luker, who played the role of Clara in the Kennedy Center's 2002 Sondheim Celebration production, replaced the ill Errico on this recording.[9][10]
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Passion received its Swedish-language premiere (translated by Ulricha Johnson) on September 17, 2016, at the Kulturhuset Spira. Directed by Victoria Brattström, the lead roles were portrayed by Kalle Malmberg (Giorgio), Mari Lerberg Fossum (Clara) and Annica Edstam (Fosca). The Jönköping Sinfonietta performed under the musical direction of Johan Siberg who also wrote the musical arrangements. The production had a second run at NorrlandsOperan in 2017.[11]
Other productions[edit]
The musical made its regional premiere at New Line Theatre in St. Louis, MO in 1996, and was later part of the Sondheim Celebration at the Kennedy Center, running from July 19, 2002, through August 23, 2002, directed by Eric Schaeffer. Judy Kuhn and Michael Cerveris played Fosca and Giorgio, with Rebecca Luker as Clara.[12]
The work was presented by the Minnesota Opera in February 2004, staged by Tim Albery and starring Patricia Racette as Fosca, William Burden as Giorgio and Evelyn Pollock as Clara.[13]
In 2004 the show was performed in the Netherlands, and a Dutch-language recording was released—one of the few translations of a Sondheim score. This production had Vera Mann as Fosca, Stanley Burleson as Giorgio and Pia Douwes as Clara.[14][15]
A semi-staged concert, starring Patti LuPone as Fosca, Michael Cerveris as Giorgio and Audra McDonald as Clara, was held at Lincoln Center in New York for three performances, March 30 – April 1, 2005. Directed by Lonny Price, this production was broadcast on the PBS television show Live from Lincoln Center on March 31, 2005. It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program.[16] The score in this production preserved the musical revisions from the London version. This same cast had performed at the Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, Illinois, on August 22–23, 2003.
The show was done at Chicago Shakespeare Theater from October 2, 2007, to November 11, 2007, starring Ana Gasteyer as Fosca, Adam Brazier as Giorgio and Kathy Voytko as Clara.[17]
The work was presented by Life Like Company at the Arts Centre Melbourne from November 5, 2014, to November 8, 2014, starring Theresa Borg as Fosca, Kane Alexander as Giorgio and Silvie Paladino as Clara.
The musical had its Italian premiere at the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte of Montepulciano on July 12, 2019, directed by Keith Warner. The musical direction was by Roland Boer, and Janie Dee played Fosca.[18]
A production was staged in 2018 at Signature Theatre directed by Matthew Gardiner and starring Claybourne Elder as Giorgio, Natascia Diaz as Fosca and Steffanie Leigh as Clara. It was Signature's second production of the work. [4]
The show was set to open in Pasadena, CA on March 15, 2020, directed by Michael Michetti at Boston Court Pasadena, but was postponed, and later cancelled, due to COVID-19 closures.
In a production produced by Ruthie Henshall who also stars as Fosca, Passion opened at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester on May 5, 2022.
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Note: No song titles appear in the program; titles below are from cast recordings.
Scene 1: Clara's bedroom in Milan
Scene 2: The dining quarters; Outdoors; The dining quarters
Scene 3: The castle garden
Scene 4: The dining quarters
Scene 5: The courtyard; Fosca's drawing room & Clara's bedroom
Scene 6: Fosca's Drawing Room; Doctor Tambourri's office
Scene 7: Fosca's bedroom
Scene 8: Billiard room; Outdoors; Flashback to Fosca's past
Scene 9: Flashback to Fosca's past
Scene 10: The Mountainside, a distance from the outpost.
Scene 11: Parade ground; Giorgio's bedroom
Scene 12: A Train compartment to Milan; back at the Courtyard
Scene 13: Near the Milan Train Station
Scene 14: A Christmas party at the dining quarters.
Scene 15: Doctor Tambourri's office; Fosca's Bedroom
Scene 16: An Open Field
Scene 17: A hospital
† Cut from the original Broadway production and then restored to 1996 London production.
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