• Source: Elegies (William Finn)

Elegies is a song cycle by William Finn about the deaths of friends and family and is a response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Elegies premiered at Lincoln Center in 2003 and has been performed in many other venues.




Productions


The song cycle premiered at Lincoln Center, the Newhouse Theater (New York City), running from March 2, 2003 to April 19, 2003. Directed by Graciela Daniele, the cast starred Christian Borle, Betty Buckley, Carolee Carmello, Keith Byron Kirk, and Michael Rupert. The production was recorded nearly complete and released on compact disc by Fynsworth Alley (distributed through Varèse Sarabande).




Themes


Most of the songs were composed in memory of Finn's friends, several of whom died of AIDS. Three songs deal specifically with the passing of his mother, Barbara Finn. The final set of songs deal with the collapse of the World Trade Center and its emotional aftermath. In a review of a regional production in 2004, the reviewer wrote: "Never morbid, Elegies is touching, funny, and ultimately buoyant; floating on the spirits of those who inhabit its songs. Consisting of eighteen diverse musical moments, the styles and tones range throughout the musical from the unabashedly optimistic -- "Life has infinite, infinite joys!" -- to the hilariously irreverent."




Musical numbers


Looking Up Quintet
Mister Choi & Madame G
Mark's All-Male Thanksgiving
Only One
Joe Papp
Peggy Hewitt & Mysty del Giorno
Passover
Infinite Joy
The Ballad of Jack Eric Williams (and other 3-named composers)
Fred †
Elevator Transition †
Dear Reader †
Monica & Mark
Anytime (I Am There)
My Dogs
Venice
14 Dwight Ave., Natick, Massachusetts
When the Earth Stopped Turning
Goodbye
Boom Boom
Looking Up
Goodbye (Finale)
† Not featured on Original Off- Broadway Cast Recording




Main characters represented


Mark Thalen, attorney and gay-rights advocate
Bill Sherwood, director/editor/screenwriter of the film Parting Glances
Joseph Papp, producer and impresario
Peggy Hewitt, character actress
Misty del Giorno, chiropractor
Jack Eric Williams, composer and performer
Ricky Ian Gordon, composer
Quentin Crisp, raconteur/actor/writer
Monica Andress, a friend of the composer
Bolek Greczynski, art therapist, creator the Living Museum at Creedmoor
Barbara Finn, the composer's mother




Notable productions


UK Premiere
Arts Theatre Off-West End, directed by Jamie Lloyd - 7–14 November 2004
The cast included

John Barrowman
Peter Caulfield
Ray Shell
Susannah Fellows
Lauren Ward
Boston Premiere by SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts - May 7–29, 2004
Cast:

Kerry Dowling
Michael Mendiola
Jose Delgado
Will McGarrahan
Leigh Barrett
Directed by Paul Daigneault,
Musical Direction by Paul S. Katz,
Production Stage Management by Dana Elizabeth Wolf,

Toronto Premiere by Acting Up Stage Theatre Company at the Berkeley Street Theatre, Toronto, Ontario - February 15 - March 4, 2007
Cast:

Thom Allison
Barbara Barsky
Steven Gallagher
Eliza-Jane Scott
Michael Strathmore
Directed by Lezlie Wade,
Musical Direction by Wayne Gwillim,
Produced by Mitchell Marcus,
Stage Managed by Dot Routledge.

New York City Benefit Production, August 16, 2010
Cast:

Michael Brian Dunn
Darius de Haas
Jason Forbach
AnnMarie Milazzo
Kerry O'Malley
Directed by Michael Rader,
Musical Direction by Eddie Guttman,
Produced by Jamie McGonnigal,
Stage Managed by David Beris.




Notes






References


Showbusiness Weekly review




External links


TalkinBroadway review

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Daftar buku Penguin Classics
• Elegies (William Finn)
• Elegy (disambiguation)
• William Finn
• Make Me a Song (musical)
• Ira Weitzman
• Infinite Joy
• Roslyn Kind
• Arizona Onstage Productions
• Michael Rupert
• Song cycle