Can-Can (musical)
Can-Can is a musical by Cole Porter ; with a book by Abe Burrows ; it was produced by Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin. The main roles were Lilo (de la Passardière) and Gwen Verdon . Can-Can became Kate Porter's most successful musical after Kiss Me . It premiered on May 7, 1953 at the Shubert Theater in New York .
First performance in London's West End was on October 14, 1954 at the Coliseum Theater . The German-language premiere was on February 7, 1959 in the Basel Theater . The translation is by Paul Baudisch, the lyrics by Robert Gilbert (text for All Paris dreams of love by Kurt Feltz ).
content
Place and time: Paris, 1893.
Laundresses were arrested in a Montmartre pub while performing the forbidden cancan . For the trial the girls meet the newly appointed judge Aristide Forestier. The charge is for violation of the moral code. Forestier, like every other French law, takes this very seriously. During an on-site visit, he is not recognized by the head of the establishment, La Môme Pistache. She brags to him about her clientele from the realm of state power. For this she and her girls end up in prison and the establishment has to close for six months. Pistache opens without permission for the artists' ball "Bal des Quat'z Arts". Forestier, who is now in love with Pistache, appears that evening and is photographed kissing her.
This picture, circulated by the Parisian Journaille , led to Forestier's suspension from duty. Because Pistache's bar was finally closed after the ball, she suggests that they open a laundry with evening can-can performances together. Forestier accepts this suggestion in order to later be able to take action against public hypocrisy by self-reporting. Pistache, however, gets ahead of him and asks the court whether it is immoral to make people happy.
Music numbers
I. act | ||
---|---|---|
title | performed by | Remarks |
Introduction | orchestra | |
Maidens Typical of France | ensemble | |
Never give anything away | La Môme Pistache | |
C'est Magnifique | Pistache and Judge Aristide Forestier | |
quadrille | orchestra | |
Come Along with Me | Hilaire Jussac | |
Come Along With Me (Reprise) | Boris Adzinidzinadze | |
Live and Let Live | Pistache | |
I am in love | Judge | |
If You Loved Me Truly | Claudine and Boris | |
Montmartre | ensemble | |
Garden of Eden Ballet | orchestra | |
Allez-Vous-En | Pistache | |
II. Act | ||
title | performed by | Remarks |
Entr'acte | orchestra | |
Who Said Gay Paree? | Judge | later taken out |
Never, Never Be An Artist | Boris and ensemble | |
It's All Right with Me | Judge | It should be fine with me in the German-language version |
Every man is a stupid man | Pistache | |
The Apaches | dance | |
I love Paris | Pistache and ensemble | All of Paris dreams of love in the German version |
Cancan | Pistache and the women | |
final | ensemble |
Awards
In 1954 Gwen Verdon received the Tony Award for best supporting actress in a musical , Michael Kidd for best choreography .
filming
The material was filmed by Walter Lang in 1960, also under the title Can Can .
literature
- Hubert Wildbihler: The international course book for musicals. 2nd Edition. Musical archive Wildbihler, Passau 2001, ISBN 3-928979-40-X .
Web links
- Can-Can in the Internet Broadway Database (IBDB)
- Can-Can in the Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide (English)