Hi! I am intrigued by the musical phenomenon that was 'Bernadette'! Perhaps one of the most notorious London flops - the concept album is quite fun, especially 'Watch Me Begin'. Did anyone see the show? I understand Meredith Braun was in the original cast. Did she play Bernadette? Wish I'd seen this one - it sounds a hoot!
PS: - I've tried to change my user id (obviously not really Petula Clark, just a fan and especially 'Someone Like you'!!!!)
If my memory serves me well Martine McCutcheon was also in the cast.
I recall the priest from the pulpit in our catholic church urging people to support this musical because of its message and because it had been written by devout catholics.
I'm unsure how much of a successful marketing campaign this was because it struggled from day 1!!
THEATRE 2020: CURTAINS**** LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS***** WICKED***** KEITH RAMSAY TAKING NOTES WITH EDWARD SECKERSON***** KAYLEIGH MCKNIGHT CONCERT***** RAGS***** ON MCQUILLAN'S HILL** DEAR EVAN HANSEN***** THE JURY***
Barely running a month, it actually sold out every performance it played. Such was the incredible word of mouth , people just flocked to it! The album makes you wonder how they even got that far!
It got its notices, it got its notice, it got its audience purely as people wanted to see the disaster that the press were going mad over. The entire thing was a laughing stock and Rank wanted it asap.
I was there on opening night. I remember Sheridan Morley the next day on television giving his review: "It was like watching a plate of liver."
Actually, it was wonderfully, spectacularly awful. I still tell stories about it. At one point the woman sitting next to me, beautiful dress and a string of pearls, was crammed on the floor and so breathless with laughter that she started saying, "I'm going to pee! I'm going to pee!"
In the earlier previews, there was the most naive and stunning exchange between the policeman and Bernadette as he tromped around the grotto:
Policeman: Where is this lady? I don't see her! Bernadette: Please, monsieur! You're standing on the Holy Mother's bush!"
I've never heard a shriek of laughter like that from an audience ever. EVER.
The only other West End musical that I've heard was as unintentionally funny as Bernadette was Behind the Iron Mask. But the most comments I heard about Bernadette had to do with the set. Particularly, the giant pile of feces that descended from the sky.
Sort of like the SPIDERMAN of its time.
I'd compare Spider-Man to Moby Dick or Metropolis rather than Bernadette. Spider-Man's visuals can at least compensate for the muddy book and bewildering second act. And the music is nowhere near as banal as Bernadette.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian