Aida (musical)
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| Aida | |
| Music | Elton John |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Tim Rice |
| Book | Linda Woolverton Robert Falls David Henry Hwang |
| Basis | Aida by Guiseppe Verdi |
| Productions | 1998 Atlanta 1999 Chicago 2000 Broadway 2005 Beit Zvi, Israel 2006 US Tour 2008 São Paulo, Brazil 2008 Melbourne, Australia 2010 film |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Score |
Aida is a rock musical in two acts based on Giuseppe Verdi's Italian-language opera by the same name, the scenario of which was written by Auguste Mariette. The musical was produced by Disney Theatrical, with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang.
The musical originated from a children's storybook version of Verdi's opera written by the soprano Leontyne Price. The book featured illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. The rights were acquired by Disney studios for a proposed animated feature film. Development on the film was shelved, but the source material evolved into the stage version.
Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida had its world premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia with the production running from September 16 to November 8, 1998. A new, revised production opened on November 12, 1999 at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago. The Broadway production, titled Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, ran at the Palace Theatre from March 23, 2000 to September 4, 2004 for a total of 1,852 performances (and 30 previews). There was also produced a national tour and several international productions. Aida has recently become popular among school and community theaters. Licensing of these amateur productions of Aida is through Music Theatre International.
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[edit] Principal roles
| Character | Voice Type | Description |
| Aida | Alto (F3-F5) | Daughter of Amonasro and Princess of Nubia. With her royalty unbeknown to all except Mereb, who recognizes her as princess, she is taken into slavery with the rest of Nubia, but attracts the attention of Radames. |
| Radames | Tenor (B2-B4) | Captain of the Egyptian army, son of Zoser, and fiancee to Amneris. He is expected to succeed the Egyptian throne after the Pharaoh's death, but finds himself intrigued by a Nubian slave, Aida, instead. |
| Amneris | Mezzo-Soprano (G3-F5) | Princess of Egypt, daughter of the Pharaoh, and fiancee to Radames. She is renowned by all for her fashionable ways. Aida is given to her as a gift to be her handmaiden, by whom her true nature is seen: that she is merely using this fashion-driven identity to hide her own insecurities. |
| Mereb | Tenor/Contralto (C3-B♭4) | A Nubian servant to Radames, who was taken captive by Egyptians as a youth and has served among them ever since. The first to recognize Aida as Princess of Nubia, and the first to tell the other Nubian slaves about it with hopes that she can set them free. |
| Zoser | Tenor (F3-C5) | Chief Minister of Egypt and father of Radames. He highly anticipates his son's succession to the Egyptian throne and does all he can to make it arrive sooner...including poisoning the Pharaoh. |
| Pharaoh | Father of Amneris and King of Egypt. One of the arrangers of Amneris and Radames's much-delayed wedding, he is secretly being poisoned by Zoser to speed up Radames's succession to the throne. | |
| Amonasro | Father of Aida and King of Nubia. He is taken into slavery by Egyptians after Aida and Radames have fallen in love, and Aida realizes that she must betray the man she loves to save her father. | |
| Nehebka | Mezzo-Soprano (A3-D5) | Nubian slave who, upon discovering that Aida is Princess of Nubia, begs her to lead them to freedom from the Egyptians. She later sacrifices her life to save Aida's. |
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Act I
In the Egyptian wing of a modern museum, a man and a woman touring the exhibit catch each other's eyes. A statue of Amneris, a female Pharaoh, comes to life ("Every Story Is a Love Story"). Amneris transports us to ancient Egypt, where Radames, captain of the Egyptian army, and his men are returning from an expedition through the land of Nubia, Egypt's long-time enemy ("Fortune Favors the Brave"). When his soldiers capture a group of Nubian women, he is captivated by one of the women, Aida, who tries to free herself by out-dueling one of his soldiers. He forces her to wash his back, but she refuses, saying that although the Egyptians took everything from the Nubians, they will never take their pride ("The Past Is Another Land"). Radames saves her and the other women from the copper mines by sending them to the palace groundskeeper instead, but sends Aida as a handmaiden to his betrothed, Princess Amneris. Radames' father, Chief Minister Zoser, greets his son with news that the Pharaoh is dying, and Radames must prepare to become the next ruler of Egypt ("Another Pyramid"). Unbeknownst to Radames, his father is poisoning the Pharaoh in order to accelerate Radames' ascension to the throne.
Radames's Nubian servant, Mereb, is a young man who has learned the tricks of survival in Egypt. While delivering Aida to the princess, Mereb recognizes her as the daughter of the Nubian king under whom he'd served during his days in Nubia. She commands him to keep her identity a secret, lest the Egyptians kill her ("How I Know You"). Presented to Amneris, Aida is liked immediately, and she perceives that the Princess' love of fashion only serves as a mask of her insecurities ("My Strongest Suit"). At a banquet, Amneris and Radames learn from the Pharaoh that they are to marry in seven days, leaving the captain distraught that his days as an explorer have ended ("Fortune Favors the Brave (Reprise)"*). Together, he and Aida share their dreams and regrets ("Enchantment Passing Through").
Later that night, Amneris worries about her father's illness, and finds in Aida someone who understands and encourages her ("My Strongest Suit (Reprise)"). Bursting into his fiancée's chamber, Radames steals a moment with Aida to share his growing attraction to her. Aida is taken by Mereb to the Nubian camp, where she submits to her people's pleas to lead them ("Dance of the Robe"). When she implores Radames to help the Nubians, he opens his heart by giving his possessions to them ("Not Me") and declaring his love for her ("Elaborate Lives"). Unable to fight her feelings any longer, she falls into his embrace. Their bliss is interrupted by news that Radames' armies have captured Amonasro, king of Nubia and Aida's father. Unable to comfort her, Radames leaves Aida in distress. Rallying her people, Aida assures them that Nubia will never die ("The Gods Love Nubia").
[edit] Act II
Aida, Amneris, and Radames are entangled in conflicted loyalties and emotions ("A Step Too Far"). Aida and Mereb bribe their way into Amonasro's prison cell, where she's reunited with her father. Mereb hatches a plan to escape with the king during the commotion of Amneris' wedding. To save her father and her nation, Aida must betray the man she loves ("Easy as Life"). Meanwhile, Zoser discovers Radames' affair and warns his son that it could cost him the throne, but Radames no longer shares his father's ambitions ("Like Father, Like Son"). After an emotional bout with his son, Zoser orders his men to find Aida and kill her.
At the Nubian camp, Aida receives a written apology from Radames for the thoughtless way he acted upon hearing of Amonasro's capture ("Radames' Letter"). When Egyptian soldiers arrive seeking Aida, another Nubian, Nehebka, sacrifices herself so that the princess can live ("Dance of the Robe (Reprise)"*). Now even more determined to leave Radames forever, Aida goes to say good-bye to him over Mereb's objections ("How I Know You (Reprise)"). Radames informs Aida that he's calling off the wedding. Aida knows that this would ruin her father's escape and tells him he must go through with it ("Written in the Stars"). Radames agrees, on condition that she escapes to freedom on a boat he will provide. The heartbroken lovers part, but Amneris has overheard their entire conversation and tries to face the fact that her upcoming marriage is a sham ("I Know the Truth").
News of Amonasro's escape disrupts Amneris' wedding. Radames learns the truth of Aida's identity when he arrives at the docks just as she's about to board his boat with her father. Although he is angry that Aida hid this from him, she says she never lied about loving him. In the ensuing chaos, Mereb slays an attacking guard but is mortally wounded by Zoser, and Radames makes possible Amonasro's escape by cutting the rope tied to the dock, but Aida stays with Radames and a dying Mereb. Zoser flees, and Mereb dies in the arms of his kind master and beloved princess. Radames and Aida are then arrested for treason. At the ensuing trial, Pharaoh announces of Zoser's apprehension and sentences both Aida and Radames to be buried alive. Amneris reprises her role as future Pharaoh by convincing her father to let the lovers die in the same tomb, an act of mercy for two people she has come to love. Facing death, Aida looks to Radames for strength ("Elaborate Lives (Reprise)"). As they are slowly deprived of light and air ("Enchantment Passing Through (Reprise)"), Radames swears he will search through a hundred lifetimes to find her again.
Back in the contemporary museum, the spirit of Amneris reveals that as she became Pharaoh, the lovers' death gave birth to a reign of peace between Egypt and Nubia. She watches as the modern man and woman are strangely drawn to each other. They are the reincarnations of Aida and Radames, finding each other in a new beginning ("Every Story is a Love Story (Reprise)").
*"Fortune Favors the Brave (Reprise)" and the instrumental "Dance of the Robe (Reprise)" are not featured on the Original Broadway Cast Recording.
[edit] Broadway cast
In the Broadway production, Heather Headley originally portrayed the title character of Aida along with co-star Adam Pascal as Radames. Sherie René Scott, who was with the project since its first workshop, continued in the role of Amneris. The cast also included Tyrees Allen (Amonasro), John Hickok (Zoser), Daniel Oreskes (Pharaoh), Damian Perkins (Mereb), and Schele Williams (Nehebka).
Popstars such as Deborah Cox, Toni Braxton and Michelle Williams played the title role during its run on Broadway. As well as Maya Days, Saycon Sengbloh, Simone and Merle Dandridge. Other notable replacements during Aida's long run on Broadway included Will Chase, Patrick Cassidy, Richard H. Blake, William Robert Gaynor, Matt Bogart and Cheyenne Jackson as Radames; Idina Menzel, Jessica Hendy, Mandy Gonzalez, Felicia Finley, Taylor Dayne and Lisa Brescia as Amneris; and Mickey Dolenz and Donnie Kehr as Zoser.[citation needed]
[edit] Production history
From the Atlanta staging, only Heather Headley, as Aida, and Sherie Rene Scott, as Amneris, remained. Adam Pascal joined the cast as Radames for the Chicago run. The Chicago run at the Cadillac Theatre also had its share of drama. On Nov. 13, 1999, a set mishap during the final moments of the performance injured stars Headley and Pascal. According to an eyewitness report, while the two actors were being conveyed in a suspended boxlike "tomb" at the climax of the show, the set piece broke from its support and plunged approximately eight feet to the stage. A subsequent press release from the show's publicist stated that Headley and Pascal sustained minor injuries and were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for examination. Both were released from the hospital a few hours later. From then on, the tomb remained on the ground.
The original Atlanta staging conceived of the play with a nearly empty set, displaying only a six-ton gold pyramid-shaped set piece in the center. Driven by pneumatic controls, the pyramid's sides and bottom could be turned and rotated to suggest various locations such as a ship stern or a tomb. However, the piece, constructed at a price of nearly $10 million, frequently broke down, and a new production designer was hired for restaging in Chicago. Nothing of the original Atlanta set design remained in the new production.
[edit] Music
Elton John's music for Aida is stylistically eclectic. "Another Pyramid" is a modern reggae number; "My Strongest Suit" draws heavily on Motown, "The Gods Love Nubia" draws on gospel. There are numbers, e.g., "Not Me," "Elaborate Lives," "A Step Too Far," "Written in the Stars," that reflect Elton John's pop style. There is also a strong influence of African music. These styles are used without much attention to historical authenticity; rather, there is a mix of African (mostly West African), Indian and Middle Eastern influences. Probably the nearest stylistic parallel to the work as a whole is to Elton John's The Lion King, another musical with strong emphasis on ethnically diverse stylistic influences. Among the songs cut from the production after previews and workshops were two songs that made up the final sequence of the play, later replaced with reprises of "Elaborate Lives," "Enchantment Passing Through" and "Every Story Is A Love Story," were a reprise of "Fortune Favors The Brave" entitled "The Two Must Die," and then a final death duet for Aida and Radames, entitled "The Messenger." This song can still be heard on Elton John's unreleased (but frequently leaked and bootlegged) demo for the show, as well as on the concept album, performed by Elton John with LuLu.
The originally male role of Mereb has sometimes been played by women in certain productions.
The music in Aida was the recipient of many awards including the Tony Award for Best Music on Broadway as well as a Grammy Award.
[edit] Musical numbers
[edit] Act I
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[edit] Act II
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[edit] Recordings
A number of recordings are available for Aida:
- 1999 Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, sometimes known as the "Concept Album", was released in 1999 in advance of the theatrical production, and features Elton performing the music along with a number of pop stars.
- 2000 Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida: Original Broadway Cast Recording was released in 2000, and is a conventional cast recording that includes all twenty-one musical numbers from the Broadway incarnation of the show.
- 2001 Dutch Cast
- 2003 Mexican Cast
- 2004 Essen, Germany Cast
- 2004 Japanese Cast
- 2004 Dutch Cast
- 2007 Hungarian Cast
[edit] Film version
Leontyne Price's original storybook version of the opera had first been acquired by Disney with the intention that it should become an animated film, but it was never made.
Following the success of the stage version, Disney is planning a major motion picture adaptation release in 2010. According to Jim Hill Media, Beyonce Knowles will star as the title role of the adaption alongside Christina Aguilera as Amneris. No set actor has been suggested or cast for Radames, nor has Adam Pascal been asked yet if he will reprise the role[1].
[edit] International productions
There have been productions of Aida in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, Uruguay, Australia, Philippines, Mexico, Croatia, Peru, Argentina, Estonia, Canada, Hungary, Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, China, and Israel.
It has been translated into 14 languages: German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Spanish, Estonian, French, Hungarian, Croatian, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish and Hebrew.
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Best Original Musical Score (Elton John, Tim Rice) (winner)
- Best Actress in a Musical (Heather Headley) (winner)
- Best Scenic Design (Bob Crowley) (winner)
- Best Lighting Design (Natasha Katz) (winner)
- Best Costume Design Bob Crowley (nominee)
- Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Heather Headley) (winner)
- Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA: Original Broadway Cast Recording Elton John, Tim Rice, Best Musical Show Album (winner)
[edit] References
- ^ "Beyoncé to Star in Aida Adaptation?". Coming Soon Media. July 7, 2007. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=21792. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
[edit] External links
- Aida at the Internet Broadway Database
- StageAgent: Aida Plot Summary and Character Descriptions
- Aida production, history, tour information at timrice.co.uk
- Production: Aida - Working in the Theatre Seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2000
- Written in the Stars - Aida
- 2008 Whitehorse Musical Production
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