The Fix (musical)

"The Fix" is a 1997 musical with book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe. It was developed and first produced at London's Donmar Warehouse in association with Cameron Mackintosh, directed by Sam Mendes and starring John Barrowman and Philip Quast.

The musical focuses on Cal Chandler, the son of a US senator and Presidential candidate (Reed Chandler) who dies while in bed with his mistress. At Reed's funeral, his widow (Violet) encourages her brother-in-law, Grahame Chandler, to mentor Cal through the ranks of political office, following in the footsteps of his father. Violet and Grahame shepherd Cal through successful campaigns for the City Council and Governor, but Cal gets mixed up with local mob boss Anthony Gliardi and begins an affair with a club singer, Tina. Alcohol and drugs take their strain on Cal. Eventually, the mob turns on Cal, and he and Tina are brutally gunned down.

Philip Quast won the 1998 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in "The Fix". The musical was also nominated for Oliviers for Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (for John Barrowman), and Best Lighting Designer (for Howard Harrison). [ cite web|url=http://www.albemarle-london.com/awards/AwardWinners.php?Award_Type=Laurence%20Olivier%20Awards&Year=1998 |title=1998 Olivier Awards winners and nominations |accessdate=2007-05-21 |work=Albermarle of London ] Colin Welford conducted the production. [Cast Albums, 21 July, 2008 [http://www.castalbums.org/recordings/3049] ]

Musical numbers (Donmar Warehouse, 1997)

;Act I
*"Advocate/Architect" – Ensemble
*"The Funeral" – Company
*"One, Two, Three" (Musical clip|thefix-123.ogg|play clip) – Cal, Ensemble
*"Embrace Tomorrow" – Violet, Grahame, Bobby
*"Army Chant/Control" – Reed, Cal
*"America's Son" – Cal, Violet, Grahame, Leslie, Supporters, Newscaster
*"I See The Future" – Cal
*"Lonely is a Two-Way Street" – Tina
*"Simple Words" – Cal, Grahame, Reporters
*"Alleluia/Flash, Pop, Sizzle!" – Tina
*"Sense out of Insanity" – Grahame
*"Dangerous Games" – Gliardi, Frankie, Ensemble;Act II
*"Two Guys at Harvard" – Grahame, Reed, Violet, Ensemble
*"First Came Mercy" – Grahame, Ensemble
*"Bend the Spoon/One, Two, Three ("reprise")" – Tina, Cal
*"Cleaning House" – Violet, Peter
*"Upper Hand" – Cal, Grahame
*"Spin" – Violet
*"The Ballad of Bobby "Cracker" Barrel" – Bobby, Ensemble
*"Child's Play" – Cal
*"Simple Words (reprise)" – Cal, Ensemble
*"Lion Hunts the Tiger" – Ensemble
*"Mistress of Deception" – Tina, Ensemble
*"Finale" – Company

Musical numbers (Signature Theater, 1998)

;Act I
*"Let the Games Begin" – Reed, Ensemble
*"The Funeral" – Company
*"One, Two, Three" (Musical clip|thefix-123.ogg|play clip) – Cal, Ensemble
*"Embrace Tomorrow" – Violet, Grahame, Bobby
*"Control" – Reed, Cal
*"America's Son" – Cal, Violet, Grahame, Leslie, Supporters, Newscaster
*"I See The Future" – Cal
*"Lonely is a Two-Way Street" – Tina
*"Simple Words" – Cal, Grahame, Reporters
*"Alleluia" – Tina
*"Flash Pop Sizzle/Who Said?" – Maids, Grahame
*"Don't Blame the Prince" – Cal
*"Dangerous Games" – Gliardi, Frankie, Ensemble;Act II
*"Two Guys at Harvard" – Grahame, Reed, Violet, Ensemble
*"Mercy Me" – Grahame, Ensemble
*"Alleluia/One, Two, Three ("reprise")" – Tina, Cal
*"Cleaning House" – Violet, Peter
*"Upper Hand" – Cal, Grahame
*"Spin" – Violet
*"The Ballad of Bobby "Cracker" Barrel" – Bobby, Ensemble
*"Child's Play" – Cal
*"Mistress of Deception" – Tina, Ensemble
*"Finale" – Company

Original London Cast

In order of appearance:
*Cal Chandler (Violet's son) – John Barrowman
*Reed Chandler (a senator) – David Firth
*Donna (his mistress) – Christina Fry
*Peter (Chandler family chief of security) – David Bardsley
*Richard (Chandler family's personal physician) – Richard D. Sharp
*Grahame Chandler (Reed's older brother) – Philip Quast
*Violet Chandler (Reed's wife) – Kathryn Evans
*Danielle (maid to the Chandler family) – Hannah Tollman
*Bobby "Cracker" Barrel (a redneck) – Bogdan Kominowski
*Deborah Pullman (soon to be Cal Chandler's wife) – Gael Johnson
*Sheila (Grahame's assistant) – Christina Fry
*Leslie Pynchon (a speech coach) – Carrie Ellis
*Tina McCoy (a dancer) – Krysten Cummings
*Anthony Gliardi (a mob boss) – Nicholas Pound
*Frankie Diamanti (his assistant) – Mark Frendo
*Cardinal O'Hare – Christopher Holt
*Young Bobby "Cracker" Barrel – John Partridge
*Calvin Chandler Jr (Cal's son) – Thomas Hawes/Thomas Moll/Archie Preston
*Newscaster – Rebecca Front

The original cast recording of "The Fix" is available on First Night Records.

References