Jane Eyre (musical)

Infobox Musical
name= Jane Eyre


caption=Original Cast Recording
music=Paul Gordon
lyrics=Paul Gordon
book=John Caird
basis="Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
productions= 1995 Wichita, Kansas
1995 Toronto
2000 Broadway
awards=

"Jane Eyre" is a musical drama with music by composer-lyricist Paul Gordon and a book by John Caird, based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë.

The premiere of the musical took place in Wichita, Kansas in the autumn of 1995. Minor roles and the large ensemble of schoolgirls for the scenes at Brocklehurst's school were cast locally, while the directors brought several members of the principal cast from New York. The musical was well received, and a recording of this rendition allowed the creative team and their backers to slowly move the project towards an opening on Broadway.

The musical debuted at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on November 9, 2000, with an official opening on December 10, 2000 and closed on June 10, 2001 after 36 previews and 209 performances. Marla Schaffel, who played the title character, won a Drama Desk Award for her performance. The production was directed by John Caird and Scott Schwartz, with choreography by Jayne Paterson.

A revised version is currently in the works, with an expected regional debut in the 2008 or 2009 season.cite news | last= Jones | first= Kenneth | title=Jane Eyre the Musical, Like Its Namesake, Reaches for a Brighter Future | publisher=Playbill | date=2007-08-18 | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/110402.html |accessdate=2007-09-25]

Characters and cast

*Edward Fairfax Rochester – James Stacy Barbour
*Jane Eyre – Marla Schaffel
* Marigold/Mrs. Fairfax – Mary Stout
*Blanche Ingram – Elizabeth DeGrazia
*St. John (pronounced Sin Jun) Rivers – Stephen Buntrock
*Robert – Bruce Dow
*Young Jane – Lisa Musser
*Adele – Andrea Bowen
*Richard Mason – Bill Nolte
*Bertha Mason – Marguerite MacIntyre
*The Gypsy – Marje Bubrosa

Musical numbers

;Act I
* Jane — Edward Fairfax Rochester
* The Orphan — Jane Eyre ^
* Children of God — Schoolgirls, Mr. Brocklehurst, Mrs. Reed, Miss Scatcherd and Ensemble ^
* Forgiveness — Helen Burns, Young Jane and Jane Eyre ^
* The Death of Helen Burns — Helen Burns, Young Jane, Ensemble
* The Graveyard — Jane Eyre, Young Jane and Ensemble ^
* Sweet Liberty — Jane Eyre and Ensemble ^
* Secrets of the House — Ensemble ^
* Perfectly Nice — Mrs. Fairfax, Adele and Jane Eyre ^
* The Icy Lane — Ensemble
* The Master Returns — Mrs. Fairfax, Robert
* Captive Bird — Edward Fairfax Rochester
* As Good As You — Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
* You're Word to God — Edward Fairfax Rochester
* The Fire — Bertha Mason, Ensemble
* After the Fire — Edward Fairfax Rochester
* Secret Soul — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
* Society's Best — Mrs. Fairfax
* Galloping Up to the Drive — The Guests
* The Finer Things — Blanche Ingram ^
* Oh How You Look In The Light — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Blanche Ingram and Ensemble
* The Pledge — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
* Sirens — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Jane Eyre and Bertha ^;Act II
* Things Beyond This Earth — Ensemble ^
* The Scream — Richard Mason, Bertha Mason, Edward Fairfax Rochester, Ensemble
* Painting Her Portrait — Jane Eyre ^
* In The Light Of The Virgin Morning — Jane Eyre and Blanche Ingram^
* The Gypsy — Marje Bubrosa ^
* The Proposal — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
* The Chestnut Tree — Grace Poole, Servants 1 + 2
* Slip of a Girl — Mrs. Fairfax, Jane Eyre, Robert and Adele ^
* The Wedding — Ensemble
* Wild Boy — Edward Fairfax Rochester, Jane Eyre, Bertha and Ensemble
* Sirens (Reprise) — Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
* Farewell Good Angel — Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
* Rain — Woman, Ensemble ^
* The Death of Mrs. Reed — Mrs. Reed, Jane Eyre and Ensemble
* The Voice Across The Moors — St. John Rivers, Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester ^
* Poor Master — Mrs. Fairfax and Jane Eyre ^
* Brave Enough For Love — Jane Eyre, Edward Fairfax Rochester and Ensemble ^

^ = songs on the soundtrack -----Poor Master on the soundtrack is sung by Richard Mason, so it's slightly different.----Before the song "Rain", on the CD, a cut song from the show "My Maker" is sung by Jane.

Trivia

*The songs frequently touch upon blindness as a theme. Rochester is blind by the end of the story.
*In the book, Jane's aunt left her nothing when she died. It was Jane's uncle, whom we never meet, that made her rich.
*"Marje Bubrosa" (the Gypsy) is an anagram of James Barbour.

Awards and nominations

*Tony Award Best Musical (nominee)
*Tony Award Best Book of a Musical (nominee)
*Tony Award Best Original Score (nominee)
*Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical(nominee)
*Tony Award Best Lighting Design (nominee)
*Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Marla Schaffel (WINNER)
*Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Marla Schaffel (WINNER)

References

External links

*
* [http://www.theatre-musical.com/janeeyre.html Brave Enough for Love - Jane Eyre]
* [http://members.boardhost.com/janeeyre/ Jane Eyre the Musical Forum]