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Martin Guerre is a musical with a book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Boublil and Stephen Clark, and music by Schönberg.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Based on the film The Return of Martin Guerre, the story is set in medieval France, where young Martin Guerre is forced into an arranged marriage with Bertrande de Rols in order to produce a Roman Catholic heir. Beaten by the priests due to his failure to consummate the union, he abandons his home to fight the Protestants, and it is during the skirmishes that he befriends Arnaud du Thil. Believing Martin died in battle, Arnaud goes to his village to inform Bertrande of her husband's death but, mistaken for the supposedly deceased soldier by the residents, he decides to play along with their error and becomes involved with Bertrande. When she becomes aware of Arnaud's deception, she decides to keep his secret, which sets in motion a series of events that culminates in a trial, imprisonment, and escape - with the assistance of an unexpected hero.

Spoilers end here.

Written in the operatic style similar to the creative team's previous efforts, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, the bulk of the show is sung, with little spoken dialogue between the musical numbers.

Six years in the making, Cameron Mackintosh's $6 million West End production opened on July 10, 1996 at the Prince Edward Theatre, where it ran for more than 700 performances. Despite some critical praise (reviews were, for the most part, mixed), positive audience reactions, and a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical, Boublil and Schonberg never were satisfied with the show. After it closed, and before it started its UK tour, the libretto was rewritten extensively, a number of new songs were added, and many of the original tunes were retitled, repositioned, and/or were given new lyrics.

A planned Broadway opening never materialized, although a touring production traveled throughout the US in 1999-2000.

[edit] Original song list

  • Live With Somebody You Love
  • Your Wedding Day
  • The Deluge
  • I'm Martin Guerre
  • Without You As A Friend
  • The Conversion
  • God's Anger
  • How Many Tears
  • Dear Louison
  • Welcome To the Land
  • The Confession
  • The Seasons Turn
  • Don't
  • All the Years
  • The Holdy Fight
  • The Dinner
  • The Revelation
  • The Day Has Come
  • If You Still Love Me
  • The Courtroom
  • Who?
  • All That I Love
  • The Imposter Is Here
  • The Final Witness
  • The Verdict
  • Justice Will Be Done
  • Benoit's Lament
  • Why?
  • You Will Be Mine
  • How Many Tears
  • Live With Somebody You Love (Reprise)