Has trapeze artists been used in a Broadway musical as a choreographical element?

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 9:41pm

Trapeze artists were used with great effect in the swedish production of Chess during two lovesong duets. I feel that they heightened the drama and that they illustrated well the attraction between the singers, their dependence on each other and also the sense of uncertainty regarding what would happen. Purely from a visual standpoint it was stunning to see. The stage designer was Robin Wagner who is no stranger to Broadway so i thought that it might have been used earlier. I should say that the name of the theater building where the swedish version of Chess were performed is "Circus" so it was of course extra fitting because of that.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 9:43pm

I believe there may have been a trapeze in the original production of Barnum.

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 9:53pm

Ha didn't know anything about that musical until 1 minute ago. Turns out it's about P.T. Barnum who engaged Jenny Lind as a singer on a tour around america. (update) I guess though that the trapeze artists in that show actually were displaying what was happening in the story and created a comical not romantic effect. (update)

"There is a sucker born every minute". But every minute a sucker learns something new as well!
Updated On: 10/21/06 at 09:53 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 9:54pm

Jim Dale :)

Could you elaborate on the acrobatics in CHESS?

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 10:18pm

It's difficult to describe choreographical moves in words. There were one male and one female acrobat who were up in the air in a trapeze. During one of the songs "You and I" (first version of the song in the show) there was a long instrumental buildup before the start of the song. During that buildup and during the song they were doing sensual and dangerous moves in the trapeze. The greatest effect is when Florence asks Anatoly. Do you want to be mine (my man)? The guy in the trapeze is high up in the ropes. The woman is holding her hands around the step and dangling below it. Directly after that question both the man and the woman loses their grip on the trapeze (the man first). He is falling and manages to take hold of the woman so that she doesnt fall to the ground. Because of that you could hear the audience breathe out in exitement directly after that vital question.

If my words were not colorful enough that scene to the song "drömmar av glas" should be broadcasted on a tellie near you.


Updated On: 10/21/06 at 10:18 PM

[Jon]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 11:24pm

The recent revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN featured Annie (well, actually a stunt double) swinging on a trapeze by her legs while performing a sharpshooting exhibition.

The original producton of LADY IN THE DARK had a circus fantasy sequence that included trapeze artists.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 11:26pm

Don't they use one in CATS?

[sabrelady]

Posted: 10/22/06 at 8:13am

Lady in the Dark?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/22/06 at 8:46am

Lady in the Dark was a fascinating musical about psychotherapy- quite ground breaking actually.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 10/22/06 at 8:49am

Yeah, there is a trapeze artist in Cats. At least, there is in the Broadway production. I've seen it on Broadway and on tour. In the tour, two actors just did cartwheels and stuff.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 10/22/06 at 11:01am

The most extraordinary trapeze artist on Broadway was Barbette.

Born as Henry VanDerClyde, he achieved his biggest fame in Paris. An artist of extreme refinement and poise, he was the first gender-illusionist trapeze artist, performing in spangly tights, full glamour makeup and a blonde wig. At the close of his performance, he would astonish his audiences by ripping off his wig and sauntering off. He had a long featured role in Rodgers & Hart's JUMBO and was involved in two other shows.


Here's a great page on Barbette:

http://footlightnotes.tripod.com/Barbette.html

Barbette on Broadway

Updated On: 10/22/06 at 11:01 AM