Aida (musical)
| Musical dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Aida |
| Original title: | Aida |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Elton John |
| Book: | Tim Rice |
| Literary source: | Artwork by Linda Woolverton , Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang |
| Premiere: | 1998 |
| Place of premiere: | Atlanta |
Aida is a musical in two acts. The music is by Elton John , the lyrics by Tim Rice based on a book by Linda Woolverton , Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang . The musical is loosely based on Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida from 1871 .
In 1998 the musical called Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida premiered at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta (USA). A year later, a revised version premiered at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago . It premiered on Broadway under the title Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida on March 23, 2000 at the Palace Theater, where it was on the program until September 2004.
In addition to a US tour that started in 2006, international productions were made in Germany , Switzerland , Japan , South Korea , the Netherlands , Italy and Uruguay . In 2008 Aida premiered in the Philippines and toured China with performances in several cities, including Shanghai and Beijing .
action
first act
The story begins in a museum where the statue of the Pharaoh Amneris comes to life and the plot to Ancient Egypt bears ( "Every Story is a Love Story" , dt. "Each story is about love" ) . When the Egyptian commander Radames of a battle returns ( "Fortune Favors the Brave" , dt. "Who dares much who wins" ) , he takes no knowledge of their true identity and the Nubian princess Aida caught ( "The Past is Another Country " , Dt. " A distant land " ) and saves them from death in the copper mines. After sending her as a maid to his fiancé, the pharaoh's daughter Amneris, he learns from his father Zoser that the pharaoh is dying and that Radames will soon be the new ruler of Egypt ("Another Pyramid" , "One more pyramid") ) . However, Radames is unaware of the fact that his father himself poisoned the Pharaoh in order to get him to the throne.
Mereb, Radames' Nubian servant, recognizes in Aida, the daughter of the Nubian King, however, promises to keep their secret to save their lives ( "How I Know You" , dt. "I know you" ) . Finally, it is presented to Amneris, who knows how to cover their characterological uncertainties with style and fashion ( "My Strongest Suit" , dt. "My sense of style" ) .
After the imminent wedding between Amneris and Radames was announced, he mourned the end of his days as an explorer ("Fortune Favors the Brave (reprise)" , German: "Who dares, wins (reprise)" ) . He meets Aida, and together they talk about their dreams and worries ("Enchantment Passing Through" , " kidnapped by a dream" ) . Also Amneris, her father worried by the disease, found in Aida a contact person ( "My Strongest Suit (Reprise)" , dt. "My sense of style (Reprise)" ) . Meanwhile, Radames is increasingly attracted to Aida.
Brought from Mereb to a Nubian camp, Aida is asked by his people to lead them ( "Dance of the Robe" , dt. "Mantle dance" ) , after which she implores Radames to help them ( "Not Me" , dt. " Not me, not me ” ) . When he confesses his love for her, Aida also gives in to her feelings for Radames ("Elaborate Lives" , "Through the darkness of the world" ) . Shortly afterwards, however, the news of the capture of the Nubian king Amonasro, Aida's father, arrives. Left alone by Radames, she assures her people that Nubia will continue to exist ("The Gods Love Nubia" , "The Sun of Nubia" ) .
Second act
The story takes a tragic course between love and political obligation ( "A Step Too Far" , dt. "One step too far" ) . With Mereb's help, Aida gets into her father's cell, whereupon a plan arises to free him during Amneris 'and Radames' wedding ceremony. Aida stands between her father and the man she loves ("Easy as Life" , German: "So easy - so difficult" ) .
As Radames' father it responds to the affair and makes it clear that this could cost him the throne, says his son, he could his ambition no longer share ( "Like Father, Like Son" , dt. "Like father, like son" ) . Zoser then orders Aida to be found and killed.
By a letter Aida learns of Radames' regrets about his attitude towards the arrest of her father ( "Radames' Letter" , dt. "Radames' Letter" ) , appear as Egyptian soldiers in the camp. After another Nubian woman, Nehebka, sacrifices her life for the princess, she decides to leave him forever and let Mereb do this (“How I Know You (Reprise)”) . “I can't understand you ( Reprise: I know you) " ) . However, Radames tells her that he had the wedding canceled. Knowing that this would prevent her father's escape, she nevertheless convinces him to marry Amneris ("Written in the Stars" , "Are the stars against us?" ) And to provide her with a boat for her escape. What they do not realize is that Amneris was able to follow the entire conversation, and now must recognize that their wedding is a sham ( "I Know the Truth" , dt. "The Truth" ) .
The wedding is interrupted by news of Amonasro's escape, and Radames learns of Aida's true identity. Mereb is murdered by Zoser at the port, whereupon Radames enables the Nubian king to escape. Aida and Radames are captured, charged with high treason, and sentenced by the Pharaoh to be buried alive. As the future pharaoh, Amneris convinces her father to let the two die in the same burial chamber in view of the people she loves.
In view of death ("Elaborate Lives (Reprise)" , German "Through the darkness of the world (Reprise)" ) , with less and less air and light ("Enchantment Passing Through (Reprise)" , German "Kidnapped by a dream ( Reprise) “ ) , Radames vows to search for Aida forever and to find it at some point.
The main message of the musical is that love defeats time. Both the first and the last scene show two people who meet in an Egyptian museum. However, only at the end does the viewer realize that these are Aida and Radames who find themselves in a new life in front of their former burial chamber (“Every Story is a Love Story (Reprise)”) . “Every story is about love ( Recapitulation) " ) .
Track list
| first act | Second act |
|---|---|
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Awards
Tony Award
- Tony Award for Best Original Music (Elton John, Tim Rice)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Heather Headley)
- Tony Award for Best Scene Design (Bob Crowley)
- Tony Award for Best Light Design (Natasha Katz)
- nominated for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design (Bob Crowley)
Further prices
- Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Heather Headley)
- Grammy Award for Best Musical Soundtrack (Original Broadway Cast Recording, Elton John, Tim Rice)
German language productions
Germany
In Germany, the German version of the musical by Michael Kunze was shown for the first time in German by Stage Holding at the Colosseum Theater in Essen between October 2003 and July 2005 .
The main roles of the German premiere were cast with Florence Kasumba (Aida), Mathias Edenborn (Radames) and Maricel (Amneris), who can also be heard on the original CD recording.
From November 19, 2005 to January 15, 2006 , the first German-language tour performance of the play took place in the Deutsches Theater in Munich . For the one-year tour through the German-speaking area, the book and the set were carefully edited by Bob Crowley. In 2006 the production could be seen in Germany in Niedernhausen , Bremen , Berlin and Leipzig . From March to May 2007 the play was played again in the Deutsches Theater in Munich. In the summer of 2009 Aida was performed on the Tecklenburg open-air stage in Tecklenburg . AIDA - Das Musical was performed at the Clingenburg Festival in Klingenberg am Main from June 22nd to July 31st, 2011. The musical was given in the 2011/2012 season at the Darmstadt State Theater (premiere 10 September 2011). Since the premiere on September 10, 2011, the Chemnitz Opera House also had this musical in its repertoire, with Judith Lefeber , Christian Alexander Müller , Bettina Mönch, Maricel and Michael Heller, among others , until June 2014.
From March 22nd to December 28th, 2013 the musical was performed in the Nordhausen Theater with Femke Soetenga , Nyassa Alberta, Patrick Stanke and others. a. listed. It was also shown at the Burgfestspiele in Jagsthausen . In 2014 and 2015 the musical was played in the Gloria Theater Bad Säckingen . In 2014 it was shown in the Wettringen factory theater , in the Hermann-Kimling-Halle Östringen and in the Leonberg town hall .
Switzerland
- From March 19 to May 28, 2006 Aida was performed in the Musical Theater in Basel .
- From 8 July to 28 August 2014 was Aida by the Lake Thun Festival in Thun listed
Austria
- From January 27 to March 4, 2007, Aida was performed in the new festival hall in Bregenz .
- From July 3 to July 27, 2008 Aida was performed on the Wörtherseebühne in Klagenfurt .
- From July 23rd to August 16th, 2008 Aida was performed in the course of the musical Sommer Amstetten in Amstetten .
- From July 22nd to August 13th 2011, Aida was performed as an open air production on the Staatz rock stage in Lower Austria .
Liechtenstein
- From August 18 to October 20, 2012, Aida was performed in the community hall in Balzers .
filming
The Walt Disney Company spent some time working on a cartoon based on a children's book by Leontyne Price about Verdi's opera . The approaches available there served as sources for the Broadway musical.
In 2008 there were rumors of a Disney-produced film about Aida . Beyoncé Knowles was under discussion for the title role, while Christina Aguilera should have been offered the role of Amneris .
Web links
- Aida in the Internet Broadway Data Base
Individual evidence
- ↑ musicalzentrale.de
- ↑ theater-nordhausen.de ( Memento from September 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Aida - Story of a Love.Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- ↑ musical-aida.de
- ↑ fabriktheater.de
- ↑ aida-ditzingen.de ( Memento from November 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Doug Rule: Soundwaves: Deborah Cox, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Lily Allen , metroweekly.com, September 25, 2008, accessed August 22, 2013