This may be a mercy, given the lines he has to say. What'cha gonna do when the money's gone The show is based on the life of Charlie Chaplin. Kerr goes on to dissect the opening gag in “The Kid,” in which the Little Tramp, finding an abandoned baby in an alley, immediately looks upward to see where it came from. Designed largely in shades of gray by Beowulf Boritt (sets) and Amy Clark and Martin Pakledinaz (costumes), “Chaplin” presents life at the top as “la vie en gris.”. It’s the East End of London at the turn of the 20th century, and little Charlie (the immensely appealing Zachary Unger) is being encouraged by Hanna (Christiane Noll), his loving but mentally unstable mother, to observe the passers-by on the streets. Charlie Chaplin: The Musical moves backward and forward throughout time, exploring how Chaplin’s childhood and inner insecurities shaped Hollywood’s greatest star….and also created his biggest problems. The show is based on the life of Charlie Chaplin. From the gritty streets and smoky music halls of London to movie screens across the world, Chaplin goes behind the camera to show how a All Rights Reserved. Nonetheless, Chaplin overcomes his youthful sorrows and converts them into cinematic art. A non-replica Brazilian production made major changes to the set and costume designs of the original Broadway production. And it is onstage when Mr. McClure skillfully replicates the moment in a moviemaking sequence. His iconic role as The Little Tramp propelled him to stardom but fame and notoriety posed its own challenges for Chaplin. The laughter that erupts at the Barrymore has relief in it; it’s honest laughter. Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male, Disenchanted!" About Chaplin By Thomas Meehan Nearly a century ago, in 1913, Charles Spencer Chaplin, twenty-four years old and all but penniless, arrived in Hollywood. The cast, which includes Wayne Alan Wilcox as Chaplin’s abidingly loyal big brother and Jim Borstelmann as his long-suffering aide-de-camp, mostly gets lost in the mist. Chaplin is really about a man who had to become the most famous man in the world before he could find happiness by becoming his true self. The play explores Chaplin's connection to the Commedia tradition and the evolution of The Little Fella. He left amidst scandals and controversy. But i'm a voice among the crowd That's questioning your cause, And now i'll spread my doubt among the rest. In any case, we soon learn the answers. This dark (both literally and metaphorically) scene is a promising beginning to Chaplin, the laborious biopic musical currently in performances at the Barrymore Theater. - Charlie; Hannah; Jackie Coogan, Look at All the People (Reprise)/Tramp Discovery - Charlie; Hannah; Jackie Coogan, Tramp Shuffle - Part 1 - Charlie; Max; Usher, Tramp Shuffle - Part 2 - Charlie; Max; Usher, Life Can Be Like the Movies - Charlie; Sydney; Usher, The Look-A-Like Contest  - Charlie; Hannah; Sydney; Alf, Just Another Day in Hollywood - Charlie; Alf; Hedda, What Only Love Can See (Reprise) - Charlie; Oona, This Man - Hannah; Oona; Sydney; Alf; Hedda; Max, Finale/Tramp Reprise - Hannah; Oona; Sydney; Alf; Hedda; Max; Jackie Coogan; Usher. Rob McClure sings “If I Left for London” from the new Broadway musical about the life of Charlie Chaplin. By listing the cast simply as The Man, The Woman, The Tramp and The Policeman, we have already the constituent elements of a drama. [5] The cast features Rob McClure as Chaplin, Jim Borstelmann as Alf Reeves, Jenn Colella as Hedda Hopper, Erin Mackey as Oona O'Neill, Michael McCormick as Sennett/ McGranery/Emcee, Christiane Noll as Hannah Chaplin, Zachary Unger as Young Charlie/Jackie and Wayne Alan Wilcox as Sydney Chaplin. Thomas Meehan and Christopher Curtis’ musical tracks the life and changing fortunes of the famous silent movie star, Charlie Chaplin. [4], The musical premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on August 21, 2012 in previews and officially on September 10, 2012, with direction and choreography by Warren Carlyle. Yet a stolidly conventional heart beats beneath these airy trappings: a by-the-book rags-to-riches-to-loneliness saga, underscored by vaporous music (which includes, I swear, celestial choruses of “aahs”) and vaguely period dances that go on forever without going anywhere. You wave our flag and the country is impressed. – Hannah Chaplin, Young Charlie Chaplin and Ensemble, Vaudeville-dream - Fred Karno, Charlie Chaplin, Sydney Chaplin and Ensemble, Tramp Shuffle Part 1 – Charlie Chaplin, Mack Sennett and Usher, Tramp Shuffle Part 2 – Reporters, Charlie Chaplin, Usher and Ensemble, The Look-a-Like Contest – Charlie Chaplin and Ensemble, The Life that you Wished for - Charlie Chaplin, Life Can Be Like the Movies – Charlie Chaplin, Sydney Chaplin, Mildred Harris and Ensemble, Life Can Be Like the Movies (reprise) - Charlie Chaplin, Just Another Day in Hollywood – Charlie Chaplin, Hedda Hopper and Ensemble, The Life That You Wished For (reprise) – Charlie Chaplin, Man of All Countries – Hedda Hopper and McGranery, The Exile – Hedda Hopper, McGranery and Ensemble, Where Are All the People? 'Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chaplin_(2006_musical)&oldid=978611584, Articles needing additional references from August 2019, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Outstanding Choreographer in a Broadway Show, Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show, What'cha Gonna Do? Hey there, mr. Chaplin, Well, your act deserves applause. In honor of the production, August 1–7, 2016 was declared "Chaplin the Musical Week" by the City of Henderson.[9]. Chaplin - the Musical. It is a richly melodic and thrilling new musical that tells the Chaplin story from his beginnings in utter poverty in the slums of south London, all the way to his last years as a maligned exile in Switzerland. With Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Fritz Schade, Cecile Arnold. There are also occasions in which Mr. McClure is hard to spot in a crowd that is not populated by look-alikes. The show documents the beloved actor’s rise to fame and the people who shaped his life, including his mother Hannah, his older brother Sydney, his fourth wife Oona O’Neill and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. It’s hard not to sympathize with the character who tells him, “I miss the days when you didn’t speak.”. Charlie and his partner are to deliver a piano to 666 Prospect St. and repossess one from 999 Prospect St. Chaplin, of course, took himself seriously. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, "La Jolla's Limelight Will Shine on Musical About Charlie Chaplin", "Limelight Musical, Starring Robert McClure and Ashley Brown, Opens at La Jolla Sept. 19", "Silent Film Legend Chaplin Tramps Onto Broadway; Previews Begin Aug. 21", "'Chaplin: The Musical’ at the Ethel Barrymore Theater", "'Chaplin' Will Take His Final Bow; Broadway Musical to Close in January 2013", The Gleaner- Brilliantly Different producing ‘Chaplin’ musical, "Theater review: 'Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin' at La Jolla Playhouse", "Regional. A musical in 2 acts: music and lyrics by Christopher Curtis; book by Christopher Curtis and Thomas Meehan based on the life of Charlie Chaplin. A revved-up Jenn Colella, as a nasty, witch-hunting Hedda Hopper, manages to make the sharpest impression, but then meanies often do. The first act is completely devoted to the issues of growing and becoming a man who realizes that he wants to be tied up with filming industry, which was then at the very beginning of its ascending. Directed by Stanislav Moša, a non-replica version premiered in the Czech Republic at the City Theatre Brno in January 2017. In 1913, Chaplin arrived in Hollywood aged just 24 years old. You just wanted to marry Charlie Chaplin.” And in which the star’s 11 o’clock number begins with the lyrics, “Once upon a time, I had the world upon a string/Once they stood in line to see my face upon a screen.”, To the show’s dubious credit, there is no conscious camp in such moments, which were threadbare back in the days of “Valley of the Dolls.” Directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, “Chaplin: The Musical” takes itself very seriously as it delivers the unsurprising news that a clown cries. Her unconditional love and support allow Chaplin to truly be himself and let go of The Little Tramp. Produced by Brilliantly Different Productions, the show featured direction by J. Farley Norman, choreography by Alexa Callaham, music direction, technical direction, and scenic design by Collin Mayes, and costume design by Colleen Ohler.