Lolita, My Love

Years ago I was in a Tower Records in Manhattan. They had copies of a live cast recording in album form for something like $5.00. I am STILL kicking myself for not buying it.

Alan Jay Lerner wrote it. Brings new meaning to "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" doesn't it.

---

I vaguely remember thinking that I would come back later when I had time and pick it up. Never did. The pain!

I remember the cover was white with "Lolita, My love" is that screwly "That '70's Show" kind of font. With Lolita, looking seductive on the cover... now that was CREEPY.

I think Dorothy Loudon played her mother. I only imagine how perfect she must have been. At the end of the First Act she run over by a car. I have a vision of the audience reaction similar to that of the audience in the Film "The Producers" after watching "Springtime for Hitler."

I spoke to a guy about six month ago in a record store here in Los Angeles who had a copy. Wonder if I should track him down...

---

Updated On: 8/26/05 at 02:41 PM

Hi, I have a copy of the musical. The score has many fine moments, the story line was just too much of a squrm factor for its' audience (as does pretty much any dramatization of this story)

If you can get your hands on a copy, do so. The music is worth it.

---

A friend of mine actually worked as a rehearsal pianist on this show. Apparently the audience loved Loudon so much they couldn't bear it when she was killed at the end of the first act and they were left with John Neville (Baron Munchausen in the nineties movie and a prime Shakespearean actor) having an affair with Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregard in the first "Willy Wonka" movie). Eww. The score and the adaptation were wonderful, it was just an idea that couldn't work. I believe Davis Gaines sings a song from it on one of those Carnegie Hall benefit recordings, but I don't know if you can get the actual recording any more.

---

Maybe Footlight might have it

I have a tape I made of the album. It deserves to be on CD

---

Updated On: 8/26/05 at 06:59 PM

I agree with you Enchanted, but with masters like Albee and Alan Jay Lerner, the attempt must be respected. It was the same risk taking combined with talent that turned Pygmalion into My Fair Lady.

---

Thanks Demitri - I'm becoming very fond of you!
I know this guy. I'll e-mail him too. I've been meaning to order "Something More" from him.. I won't make the same mistake I made with Lolita, my love!

---

I never knew that at one point, Lolita was turned into a musical, I always thought it would be a great musical, but oh well, I guess I was wrong. Was this on broadway?

---

It closed pre Broadway in 1971. It was supposed to play the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The subject matter, as Nabokov, himself says, is difficult to capture in any medium, because what is erotic on page simply becomes unpleasant on stage. The story is after all about the relationship (sexual) between a 40 year old man and a 13 year old girl.


And HUNTER, you are of course entitled to your opinion, but have you read the script for the musical and heard the complete archival recordings not just what was issued on BluePear? I can consider the piece as a whole terrific.

Updated On: 8/27/05 at 10:57 PM

I just heard the complete recording of it. Wow! it is really good. Very creepy, but really well done. I can only guess it was the subject matter that turned this show into a flop. Some "hit" show should be as well crafted as LOLITA, MY LOVE.

Makes perfect sense that this would be the follow-up musical from the man who wrote "Thank Heaven for Little Girls."

I have a photocopy of the final script. He did a job of adapting "Lolita" that is equal to the job he did on "Pygmalion". He did more than adapt it. He "channeled" Nabokov the way he did Shaw. Lines of dialogue that you would swear came from the original are actually his original creations! He never wrote so "adultly" (no pun intended) or with such guts before or ever again.

It's a pity that the show never came in as his libretto, John Neville and Dorothy Loudon would have won Tonys for their work. (It would have gone up against "Follies", so his and John Barry's fabulous score wouldn't have won, anyway.)

Much as I enjoy the recording of "Prettybelle" (another casualty of that season), I wish that someone would have gathered the cast together (at least Dorothy, John and Leonard Frey) and recorded this score.

It deserves a concert staging, at least!!!

---