John Barry's Brighton Rock

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John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/9/07 at 8:20pm

Having recently heard some of Barry's pretty great Lolita my Love score, I remembered how a few years back I had read in a British piece about lota hope being placed on Barry and Don Black's adaptation of Graham Greene's Brighton Rock, but had never heard of it opening.

So I looked it up and I guess it was a pretty major flop that went nowhere... Has any of it been recorded--and did anyone hear see it? A nything worth salvaging?

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/9/07 at 8:27pm

Good thing you didn't hear The Little Prince and the Aviator.

That one could turn you off musicals forever.

What great ones do the less will prattle of

Updated On: 5/9/07 at 08:27 PM

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/9/07 at 11:40pm

Hahah what is it with people wanting to musicalize Little Prince??

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 7:42am

"The Little Prince And The Aviator" closed BEFORE or during previews? Eric, you might be interested to hear JIM STEINMAN was working on a TV version. I don't know what happened with it.

Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try -South Pacific

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 8:28am

Steinman was interested in Petit Prince too? wow... though actually that doesn't completely surprise me...

E

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 9:03am

Not interested, as far as I know, more of a "job".

Speaking of John Barry and Don Black, has anyone seen their "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" film? It just might be the most faithful of all the film versions with some haunting music. I recommend "Curiouser And Curiouser" and "The Me I Never Knew".

Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try -South Pacific

Updated On: 5/10/07 at 09:03 AM

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 9:09am

The London production was never recorded - I saw a couple of TV spots and decided to save my money (just left university and the debts were mounting!). I don't know if it has any kind of future or whether it's just died a death...

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 12:22pm

I actually saw this as part of a performance class whilst studying abroad in London... And I have to say it was pretty awful. I'd go on about what an insufferable mess I thought it was, but it's not going to make any of us feel any better.

To answer your question, I can't recall if there was anything much worth salvaging, but if your interest runs deep, i can try to dig out the programme.

Then again, some stones are better left unturned.

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 12:25pm

I love John Barry's film scores, especially WALKABOUT and MIDNIGHT COWBOY.

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” ~ Muhammad Ali

#10

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 7:15pm

Yeah I love much of his film muxic too (and those Bond themes!) but I know people think Lolita My Love is his only theatrical score.

Brighton Rock was called by them, rather presumptiously, the first "nigthmare musical" (so what does that make Sweeney) and the material itself causes probs but isn't unsurmoutnable. I know though that Barry had originally started working on it in the early 70s with Graham Greene himself doing lyrics (60s even?) and usually works that long in gestation don't come to be successes.

Do you have a link to the imdb of Alice's Adventures with the Barry score? I've seen MANY different tv adaptations but never that I don't think

#11

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/10/07 at 11:58pm

Did John Barry, or was it someone else, write the musical- Passion Flower Hotel?- that has to do with English girl's school mistaken for a brothel (kind of like lerner +loewe's What's Up possibly) where Francesca Annis played one of the girls?

#12

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 5/11/07 at 12:30am

John Barry did "Lolita My Love"? Wow.

Here's the link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068190/

Don't know anything about "Passion Flower Hotel" btw.

Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try -South Pacific

#13

re: John Barry's Brighton Rock

Posted: 1/4/11 at 10:44pm

Just discovered Barry wrote this flop in '04. Fascinating. Any further thoughts?

I love Passion Flower Hotel, Billy, and especially his Lolita, My Love score.

I would love to hear the music, but if it's on the level of Little Prince... never mind.

With Irma you gotta do something!

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