I was enthralled by this production a few weeks ago and resurfaced this thread when I was looking to see if anyone had cataloged the differences in the show over the years (which I still haven't been able to find an extensive list for, so if anyone has that or would like to write it up that would be much appreciated). But anyways, this was my first encounter with Brigadoon in any way and I loved this production, so I'll detail the changes for anyone that's still interested:
- Jeff and Tommy are downed WWII pilots (still American), trying to find their way back to base, Tommy seems like he has a stomach wound and Jeff has trouble walking. Tommy does not have a fiance. When they enter Brigadoon they both remark on how much better they feel.
- The act break here also happens after Almost Like Being in Love and act 2 starts with the Entrance of the Clans
- I think most of the events in Brigadoon happen generally the same, but the reason for Brigadoon's disappearance might be slightly different. They mention that they got word of oncoming war and wanted to hide the town as they're not really warriors (which I think is similar to one of the later rewrites? But it played nicely into the idea of Tommy and Jeff being soldiers too and they commiserate). The person that explains this is just known as Lundie, and when Fiona introduces her she uses a word I didn't quite make out but she seemed like the wise woman of the clan.
- It looks like Jeff inadvertently trips Harry during the chase and they say he bashed his head on a rock in the fall. Jeff seems to really struggle with the guilt around this.
- When they leave Brigadoon after Tommy has his moment of doubt, their original injuries come back and they can barely make it forward. Jeff says he's managed to radio the base and that there will be people coming for them but Tommy keeps saying how Fiona was right and he wants to go back. Jeff does not make any mention of Brigadoon or anything that happened there.
- Tommy collapses and Jeff panics to the point where it's assumed that Tommy is dead or very close to it. Jeff calls out for help and Fiona reappears to say to Tommy she loves him and he magically comes back to life and reunites with her, following her back into Brigadoon. After they leave, the search party finds Jeff and when asked where Tommy is, he just says "he's gone".
I think this plays into the ambiguity of whether Brigadoon was real or simply a fever dream. My own personal theory is that perhaps Tommy had died earlier (Jeff mentions how Tommy was piloting the plane they crashed in and it was a miracle they managed to land at all) and Jeff feels guilty about surviving, which manifests into him imagining Brigadoon as a "nicer" reason for why Tommy is now gone.
Like I said, I really loved this production (I was actually shocked at how much I enjoyed it). The DeMille choreography was wonderful to see and they had really great actors, especially for Tommy, Fiona, and Charlie. Seeing it in Regent's Park, surrounded by the trees and being able to hear the wind rustle the leaves also just added to the atmospheric feel of being in this kind of fairy tale town, and they used the shape of the theater really well, having bagpipe players come down through the aisles of the audience and having the set sort of blend into the nature around the theater. There are still moments of the show that clunk a bit, like going from the chase and Harry's death into My Mother's Wedding Day into the funeral, and the first Meg/Jeff encounter really just felt a little uncomfortable to watch (though I love Love of My Life). But I expected far worse and it never really felt all that dated to me. I'd love to see this production get further life, though I know Alexandra Silber is also penning a rewritten version for Pasadena Playhouse so I'll be curious what changes are incorporated in that one too.
