Thou Shalt Not (musical)
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| Thou Shalt Not | |
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| Poster from the production | |
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| Music | Harry Connick, Jr. |
| Lyrics | Harry Connick, Jr. |
| Book | David Thompson |
| Based upon | Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin |
| Productions | 2001 Broadway |
Thou Shalt Not is a musical based on Émile Zola's novel Thérèse Raquin with music and lyrics by Harry Connick, Jr. and an adapted book by David Thompson. Under the direction of Susan Stroman, the creative team included Thomas Lynch's scenic design, William Ivey Long's costumes, Scott Lehrer's sound design, and Peter Kaczorowski's lighting design. The musical deals with the consequences involved in the breaking of several Commandments, namely the fifth and sixth.
After 22 previews which had been delayed a week due to the September 11, 2001 attacks, the musical opened to largely negative reviews at the Plymouth Theatre on October 25, 2001. It limped (as did much of its cast) toward its closing date of January 6, 2002 with 85 performances.
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[edit] Plot
The pianist Laurent LeClaire (Craig Bierko), returns to New Orleans from World War II and runs into his old friend Camille Raquin (Norbert Leo Butz), who is a frail man with an overprotective mother (Debra Monk). Camille is married to his own cousin, Therese (Kate Levering). The jazz pianist Laurent falls in love with Therese, they become lovers, and conspire to kill her husband. The pianist murders Camille, who is pushed over the side of a rowboat, near the end of Act One. The news of his death sends Camille's mourning mother into a crippling stroke. After waiting a year, Laurent marries his friend's widow, but every time he tries to touch her, the ghost of Camille appears and drives them apart. In time, the wife is driven into madness and suicide, and Laurent kills himself as the final curtain falls.
[edit] Musical Numbers
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[edit] Comparison to source material
Stroman's late husband mentioned Zola's novel to her and to Thompson, thinking it might be something they could adapt. They were struck by it immediately, and their original impulse was to make it into a ballet, but they decided against it, and felt it could be strong enough as a musical.
Zola's novel from Paris in the 19th century, is updated to 1946-47 New Orleans in the 9th Ward, outside of the French Quarter. David Thompson explains: "New Orleans is sort of a natural cousin to Paris, in some ways. Not in all ways, but culturally... We were looking for a way for this piece to have an American sensibility to it, while retaining some of the European flavor, which New Orleans has. And the other thing that was important was to find a reason to have music a part of the story."
While Zola set much of his novel in the "dark, low, shallow" building in which the Raquins live and tend shop, the Broadway musical were set to a lively jazz club and restaurant run by Mme. Raquin.
[edit] Cast
The original Broadway cast of 25 included the following:
- Craig Bierko - Laurent LeClaire
- Leo Burmester - Officer Michaud
- Norbert Leo Butz - Camille Raquin
- Kate Levering - Therese Raquin
- Debra Monk - Madame Raquin
[edit] Craig Bierko
The leading man Craig Bierko ruptured one of his vocal cords on opening night, Oct. 25, when he was accidentally hit in the larynx during a fight scene. "He finished the show and went to the opening night party," spokesman Philip Rinaldi said at the time, "but the next day he was hemorrhaging and had to be brought to the hospital. It was just a freak thing that happened." The staging of the fight scene was not altered. Standby David New took over his part from the next day, and Bierko was reported as being out with "vocal problems". After two-and-a-half weeks of vocal rest, Craig Bierko again took the stage on Nov. 13.
[edit] Kate Levering
Shortly after Bierko's return, 22-year-old leading lady Kate Levering sprained an ankle and was away for a few performances.
After several workshops of the show with co-star Craig Bierko, including a topless scene, Levering said: "It's a very physically draining show. The dance stuff in Thou Shalt Not is very physical. There's a lot of fighting. There's a big love ballet on this bed and kind of a rape scene. Every day that we did that workshop, I left with bruises."
Kate Levering had already been co-starring with Craig Bierko in the show The Music Man (reported in some articles as being "very close friends" at the time).
[edit] Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz, as the murdered husband, received a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.
[edit] September 11, 2001 attacks
The previews started on Broadway's Plymouth Theatre in New York, on September 27, 2001, only a little over two weeks after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, USA. (Harry Connick's birthday, coincidentally, is September 11.)
After delaying its first preview a week following the terrorist attacks, the musical's previews started Sept. 27 (the original start date was Sept. 20.)
The musical opened to largely negative reviews Oct. 25 for a limited run through Jan. 6, 2002.
In early previews there were audience complaints about a morgue scene, which seemed tasteless to some in the light of the Sept. 11 attacks. The scene remained in a tamer revised version.
[edit] Reviews
- "It takes a singing dead man to bring a spark of life to Thou Shalt Not." - Ben Brantley, New York Times, October 26, 2001.
- "Unlike Zola's sexually depressed characters, everyone in the Broadway version seems to be getting it in spades." - Charles McNulty, The village Voice, October 31, 2001
[edit] Recordings
A 77-minute original cast recording of Harry Connick, Jr.'s Tony nominated score. Connick does not sing on this album, but plays the piano as an "additional musician", and does the orchestrations and arrangements, and is a producer on the album.
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] 2002 Tony Award nominations
- Tony Award for Best Original Score - Harry Connick, Jr.
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Norbert Leo Butz
[edit] 2002 Drama Desk Award nomination
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Norbert Leo Butz
[edit] External links
- Thou Shalt Not at the Internet Broadway Database
- A Conversation with David Thompson
- Opening Night: Thou Shalt Not, Video Feature, at Broadway.com
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