Martin Guerre- My guilty pleasure

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:41am

I was pulling my extra CD of Martin Guerre to mail to a member of this board (you know who you are *wink, wink*), when i decided to give the album a little spin.

Ohmygosh! I love this show. I have never seen it but the music is so beautiful! I love Live With Somebody You Love, With You As A Friend and Don't"

Has anyone seen this? I don't think it ever made it to broadway. I wonder why.

Updated On: 5/12/05 at 11:41 AM

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:43am

I looooove Martin Guerre. I'm surprised that "Live With Somebody You Love" hasn't gotten more attention. It's a beautiful song.

It certainly isn't the strongest show book wise, but it's also a guilty pleasure of mine. I'm bummed it never made it to Broadway. I look at stuff like Brookyln and wonder how.

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:46am

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE With Somebody you LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!"

i love singing this song!
Updated On: 5/12/05 at 11:46 AM

[musicnmath]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 11:52am

The choreography in that original production in London was great. Very unique to the piece. I saw it twice

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:00pm

Martin Guerre has to be in my Top 5 of favorite shows of all time! I love it, saw it quite a few times in London. However, I loved the original version and the second version in London the most... hated the touring productions.

QM

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:01pm

It toured? ...the states?

[rmposey]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:01pm

Hee Hee! This show makes me giggle. I must say though, Forbidden Broadway got it right when they sang, "...they've gotten rid of what made you care!" But, the odd thing is, I listen anyway! It brings me great joy! =)

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 12:07pm

Well, it toured the UK for quite a bit, so I was refering to that. But I believe there were some sort of try-out in The States too.

QM

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 1:53pm

i would love to see the score to this show. it sounds more simple than les miz or miss saigon.



(another guilty pleasure of mine is The Scarlet Pimpernel.)
HeHe

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:00pm

The 1997 recording (now out of print) is far superior to the 1999 revision, especially the orchestrations. I think the only things I like on the 1999 version are "Why" and "How Many Tears". "Live With Somebody You Love" has nice music, but the lyrics are not too hot (the title tells you that much). There was a US mini-tour. I don't know all the cities it played, but I do know it ran in Detroit. My friends went to the 1997 production in London and said it was gorgeous.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:03pm

I think it was also in San Diego, but I missed it. LOVE the music......

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:05pm

Of course we all know my guilty pleasure (<---)

Anyway, schonberg had les mis, miss saigon, and martin guerre (I also feel like they did notre dame - but i cant remembeR).

Martin guerre was the least popular. oh well. it happens.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:07pm

The Scarlet Pimpernel is heaven on earth. there's nothing to feel guilty about with that one. the music is stirring and the book is frikin' hilarious.

Martin Guerre on the other hand ... well... honestly... I love it too. I dunno why. It's musical court room drama at it's best. well... maybe not it's best, but it's still okay... I've fantasized about walking into an audition and singing "Look, LOOOOOOOOOOOK! I'M MARTIN GUEEEEERRE! ... SOOOOOON THEY WILL SEEEEEEE A MAN CAN CHOOSE TO BE FREEEE! THEY ALLLLLLLL LOOK TO SOMEONE TO BLAME! BUT, I SWEAR IT ALOUD I WILL BE PROUD THAT MARTIN GUERRE IS MY NAME!!!!"

and, again, DRACULA I don't feel guilty about enjoying. it's a fantastic show. it was flawed on Broadway but I don't feel guilty about liking it one bit.
Updated On: 5/12/05 at 02:07 PM

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:08pm

As hinted earlier, the big problem with the book was taking the whole Sommersby suspense element out of the story: knowing that Martin Guerre is NOT Martin Guerre fillets the entire show!

The entire production period was a nightmare in London, with cast rehearsing new versions in the day and performing old versions in the evening- very dispiriting!

Like Candide, it was a real case of not being able to see the woods for the trees, and despite attempts to mend the lyrics, it was all too late in the end.

Bob Avian's choreography was fantastic, but maybe 60% was cut in rehearsal or preview- though he never complained, he must have been gutted! Pity- it was the best element of the physical production, by far.

Maybe distance will help the show- a certain someone is still too much on her high horse to admit to making mistakes, but this is a score which demands proper service in due course. A symphonic version would be nice in the meantime.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:13pm

Thernadier, although I really enjoyed Notre Dame please don't 'blame' that show on Boublil and Schonberg. They didn't have anything to do with Notre Dame.

QM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:18pm

CATSNY - If you should ever sing the title song, please use the original lyrics. They are much stronger.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:19pm

I didn't blame anyone on anything - I was just asking a question and saying that I love all their work - just Martin Guerre the least.

[chenofan]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:23pm

I know that it had a premier at the Guthrie in Minneapolis. I think it started there in the US. A fun side note about that Hunter Foster and a few other broadway names where it!

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:28pm

oh god don't say it came to san diego! how could have i missed it! have both records... and love the 2nd one way better! Although i do listen to both.

but they need to record the symphonic recording as they did with les miserables and miss saigon.

"LOOOOOOOk, I'm Martin GuEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRE!"
(i love high drama)
Updated On: 5/12/05 at 02:28 PM

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:35pm

100% agreed, Mister Matt. The 1999 lyrics are nowhere near the original ones.

QM

Updated On: 5/12/05 at 02:35 PM

[Peter]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 2:38pm

I saw the show in LA and to this day, it remains one of the worst shows I've ever seen...and I'm a big Boubil-Shonberg fan. You know the show's in trouble when it starts by pointing a canon at the audience and letting it go. It sure was a bomb and not in a good way..I had high hopes for it since I did enjoy the recordings, especially the superior 1997 one.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 3:45pm

I just looked up the original lyrics, matt, and I have to say they scare me a little... can't really say I like them better. maybe I'd need to hear it. I dunno. I've become quite partial to the 99 version...

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 5/12/05 at 6:02pm

me too. they lyrics for the latter cd make more sense

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 5/13/05 at 5:38am

Put me in the 'I love Martin Guerre' camp as well! I saw both the West End verison and the later UK tour and liked them both, though for different reasons. The original had a huge orchestra and cast and was spectacularly staged. The tour version was more intimate and focused more on the actual lead characters. To be perfectly honest, I'm not wild about the lyrics in either of the productions, but it's a jolly little romp and I was gripped by the 'will they/won't they get away with it' plot

It does need a more complete recording - one fantastic song ('If you still love me') was left of the '99 CD, and it just doesn't flow very well. It would sound great with a slightly larger orchestra and the beautiful Proglogue put back in . . .

[Huey's Pop]

Posted: 5/13/05 at 1:57pm

I saw it in LA too. Horrible. Just horrible.
The original album was great....