Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#1Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 12/31/07 at 6:47pmDoes anyone here remember seeing this Paul Giovanni play at the original Helen Hayes Theatre in 1978-1979? A friend and I were reminiscing about it. It had some terrific scenery designed by John Wulp and a terrifically terrifying lightning storm sequence where the audience could see bits and pieces of the stage action only when the lightning would flash. It starred Paxton Whitehead and the cast included a then unknown Glenn Close.
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#2re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 12/31/07 at 6:59pm
I don’t remember the Broadway production, but I do know the show! It was one of the BIGGEST productions I had ever worked on. I did it YEARS ago at PCPA in Santa Maria, CA, and I just remember having a blast with all of the special effects. We had a dream sequence in the opium den where the character was having hallucinations and saw himself inside a plexi-glass coffin. I built a fully articulated double of the actor that screamed and gushed blood from his head. I also remember there was a boat chase on stage…with two boats. This was years before Phantom, so when folks were talking about the boat in Phantom, I said, “Heck, try doing that with two boats on stage!”
Good Times, good times.
#2re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 12/31/07 at 8:31pmYes, I remember seeing it. I enjoyed it very much.
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#3re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 12/31/07 at 10:15pmThis play sounds so cool. I envy you people who are old enough to have seen such amazing works and performers onstage before my time.
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#4re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 12/31/07 at 10:50pmThe scenery and effects were amazing. I remember the creepy opium den. I remember the boat chase. I remember the pygmy crawling through the window during the storm. And this was the age before computers. No software to make the effects happen. Just skilled stagehands.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#5re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 2:03amI remember it fondly . Really liked the show.
#6re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 4:05am
I saw it in London, at the Theatre Royale, Haymarket with Keith Mitchell (original Broadway and London cast of "Irma La Douce.") It creeped the hell out of me. This would have been in the late 1970's. The big souvenir program was made to look like a music hall program circa 1889. The conceit of the show was to use the wondrous stage effects from the 1880's, basically the effects created for the Theatre Royal at Drury Lane which was always known for its amazing SPFX.
EganFan2
Broadway Star Joined: 9/8/04
#7re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 9:28amWould this have had Jeremy Brett in the cast before he played Sherlock Holmes on TV? I know he was in a production as Watson.
#8re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 12:16pmNo, I think he just did America.
#9re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 12:18pm
I saw Brett nad Hardwick do their two hander about Sherlock Holmes in London. Although it was wonderful to see and hear him do Holmes live, it was so utterly anti-climactic because it was basically just a bunch of monologues. All character development, no plot, no props, no other characters.
But then he died and I have to reming myself at least I saw him live.
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#10re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 12:24pm
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#11re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 12:35pmI wish they would release the taped version with Charlton Heston I believe to DVD.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#12re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 12:42pmI saw the play and recall not only the opium den, but a boat gliding across the stage in the fog. Am I correct about that?
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#13re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 12:45pm
You are correct about the boat.
Your ub should be un per Mrs R. Nous vous souhaitions le meme!!!!!!
How about that? I know French.
#14re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 8:49pmAllOfMyLife I also saw the London production at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and i have the very programe you describe here in my hand. Inside is my ticket stub for 23rd March 1979. It was at the time i saw 'Aint' Misbehavin' across the road at Her Majestys, now home to 'Phantom Of The Opera'. I remember 'Crucigier' very well with the amazing effects and i dont think ive been so frightened in a theatre since then (well, maybe at 'The Drowsy Chaperone!).
#15re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/1/08 at 9:12pmWickedboy, did Drowsy frighten you for the right or wrong reasons?
postergirl
Leading Actor Joined: 3/13/07
#16re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/2/08 at 1:50amOh great, get WickedBoy 63 started on this again...
WOSQ
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/03
#17re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/2/08 at 10:53am
Broadway trivia: the original production of Sweeney Todd won 8 Tony Awards out of 9 nominations.
The only category it did not win was Lighting Design which was won by The Crucifer of Blood.
#18re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:05pm
By the way, Wickedboy2 a neat piece of trivia:
Did you know the name of Her Majesty's Theatre will change when Queen Elizabeth (long may she reign) passes away? It will then again be called "His Majesty's" after her son Charles, a title the theatre had for the first sixty or so years of its existence.
#19re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:08pm
Its not trivia its fact. The new monach will be asked if they want the name to remain or be changed.
The Queens wont be changed to the Kings etc.
#20re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:11pmWhats that supposed to mean Postergirl?
postergirl
Leading Actor Joined: 3/13/07
#22re: Remember B'way's The Crucifer of Blood ?
Posted: 1/2/08 at 3:11pmFact in GB. Trivia in America. Cool either way.
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