Robert and Elizabeth

Robert and Elizabeth is a musical with music by Ron Grainer and book and lyrics by Ronald Millar. The story is based on an unproduced musical titled The Third Kiss by Judge Fred G. Moritt, which in turn was adapted from the play The Barretts of Wimpole Street by Rudolph Besier. It is an operetta-style musical which tells the story of the romance and elopement of poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett. The original 1964 London production was a success, starring John Clements as Barrett, June Bronhill as Elizabeth and Keith Michell as Robert. Several revivals have followed.

Robert and Elizabeth
Original Cast Recording
MusicRon Grainer
LyricsRonald Millar
BookRonald Millar
BasisThe Third Kiss by Fred G. Moritt and The Barretts of Wimpole Street by Rudolph Besier
Productions1964 West End

Songs
  • The Corner of Wimpole Street
  • "The Family Moulton-Barrett"
  • "Frustration"
  • "The Girls That Boys Dream About"
  • "Hate Me, Please"
  • "I Know Now"
  • "I Said Love"
  • "I'm the Master Here"
  • "In A Simple Way"
  • "Love and Duty"
  • "The Moon In My Pocket"
  • "Pass the Eau-de-Cologne"
  • "The Real Thing"
  • "Soliloquy"
  • "Under a Spell"
  • "Want to Be Well"
  • "Escape Me Never" (lyric adapted from Browning)
  • "What the World Calls Love"
  • "What's Natural"
  • "Woman And Man"
  • "The World Outside"
  • "You Only To Love Me"

Productions

The original West End production opened at the Lyric Theatre in London on 20 October 1964 and ran for 948 performances.[1] The cast was as follows:

The original Australian production, in which June Bronhill reprised her London role, opened at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne on 21 May 1966. The cast also starred English actor Denis Quilley as Robert, Frank Thring as Edward, and included Madeleine Orr in a smaller role. The show ran for six months in Melbourne before moving to Sydney, where it ran for four weeks.[2]

The musical was produced at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, England, starring Jeremy Brett and Sally Ann Howes from 22 December 1976 to 29 January 1977. Another production ran at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey, from November through December 1982, with Marc Jacoby as Robert and Leigh Beery as Elizabeth.[3]

It was staged in the 1987 Chichester Festival, featuring Mark Wynter. A recording of the production was released by First Night Records (ASIN: B000024TK6).[4] The musical then played at the Forum Theater in Chicago, Illinois in November 1974, with Steven Arlen as Robert.[5]

The show was prevented from being produced on Broadway due to a copyright disagreement with the estate of Rudolph Besier, author of The Barretts of Wimpole Street, on which the story was partly based.[1]

References
  1. "'Robert and Elizabeth' production and song list" guidetomusicaltheatre.com, retrieved 17 May 2010
  2. Thomson, John. Article at australianmusicals.com, retrieved 17 May 2010
  3. Gussow, Mel. "Musical: The Brownings". The New York Times, 18 November 1982
  4. "'Robert and Elizabeth' listing". Amazon.com, 17 May 2010
  5. Anderson, George. "Local Angles". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 19 November 1974


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