Coraline is a musical with music and lyrics by songwriter Stephin Merritt and book by playwright David Greenspan.
| Coraline | |
|---|---|
 Off-Broadway promotional art | |
| Music | Stephin Merritt |
| Lyrics | Stephin Merritt |
| Book | David Greenspan |
| Basis | Coraline by Neil Gaiman |
| Productions | 2009 Off-Broadway 2011 San Francisco 2013 Edmonton, Canada 2014 Chicago 2015 Charlotte |
Based on the 2002 novella Coraline by Neil Gaiman, its story follows Coraline Jones, a young girl who discovers a parallel world beyond a secret door in her new home.
The show premiered in June 2009, a mere four months after the release of the film adaptation.
Original (MCC) Off-Broadway production
Background
Coraline the musical was commissioned in 2004[1] by St. Ann Warehouse in association with Meet the Composer Commissioning Music/USA.[2] In January 2008, Merritt told the Los Angeles Times that the composition approached its final stages, and he hoped it would premiere later in the year.[3]
Premiere
With previews starting May 8, 2009 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, the show finally premiered June 1, 2009, marking the first time a musical has been produced by MCC Theater. Originally scheduled to run till June 20, the production was extended to July 5 due to popular demand.[4]
Director Leigh Silverman stated, “Coraline is a wildly unconventional musical”.[2] Jayne Houdyshell, then 55,[5] played the titular nine-year-old protagonist. Julian Fleisher played the Cat, while librettist David Greenspan played the Other Mother. Four ensemble actors portrayed the story’s numerous other characters across the show’s 90-minute, intermissionless runtime.[2]
Props and sets were minimalist, and the script often features characters describing their surroundings verbally.[5] Notably, the only instruments used in the musical are pianos, in traditional and toy varieties. The musical also calls for two prepared pianos.[5] All instruments were played by Phyllis Chen during the original run.
Cast
- Jayne Houdyshell as Coraline.
- David Greenspan as Other Mother.
- January LaVoy as Mother, Miss Spink, and Other Miss Spink.
- Francis Jue as Father, Miss Forcible, Other Miss Forcible, Winged Girl, and Tall Girl.
- William Youmans as Other Father, Usher Dog, Little Boy, and Policeman.
- Elliot Vallar as Mr Bobo and Other Mr Bobo.
- Jullian Fleisher as Cat.
Production crew
| Title | MCC World Premiere Production Crew |
|---|---|
| Directed | Leigh Silverman |
| Set design | Christine Jones |
| Musical Director | Kimberly Grigsby |
| Costume design | Anita Yavich |
| Lighting design | Ben Stanton |
| Choreography | Denis Jones |
| Pianist | Phyllis Chen |
| Dialect coach | Deborah Hecht |
| Production manager | B.D. White and Adam Shive |
| Stage manager | David H. Lurie |
| General manager | Ted Rounsaville |
Recording
In February 2010, an original cast album produced by Ghostlight Records was released.
Critical Response
Many critics found the show lacked suspense and affect. Ben Brantley described the original off-Broadway production in the The New York Times as “droll, dry, and very cerebral.”[6] In subsequent runs, critics echoed such negative criticisms. Robert Hurwitt wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, “…Greenspan’s make-believe approach undercuts the tale’s suspense.”[7] Kerry Reid wrote in The Chicago Tribune, “…there needs to be a greater sense of clammy danger for [Coraline] as the shadows fall over the world...” and “Without it, we never quite identify with Coraline’s growing maturity.”[8]
Critics also found the quirky musical score and instrumentation too indistinct and unmemorable. Matthew Murray wrote in TalkingBroadway.com that the show lacks “musical necessity” and goes on to say, “It’s not just that the songs give you nothing to take away, it’s that they take in nothing to give you.”[9] More generally, Toby Zinman wrote on BroadStreetReview.com that attendees may find “the songs were unmusical.”[10]
While the show received generally negative-to-mixed reviews; critics remain supportive of its creative team. Prior to the show’s opening, David Rooney wrote in Variety, “Whether or not the musical-theater crowd warms to this wildly unconventional piece, it succeeds fully in harnessing the essence of three distinctive talents” noting the strength of Gaiman’s novel, Greenspan’s inventive theatrical work, and Merritt’s quirky, esoteric musicianship.”[11] Stephen Merritt received the Obie Award for Design/Music for Caroline in 2010.[12] David Greenspan additionally received an Obie Award for Sustained Achievement in 2010.[12]
Casts
| Role | 2009 Off Broadway World Premiere, | 2011 West Coast premiere, | Canadian Premiere, 2013 | Chicago Premiere,
2014 City Lit Theater[15] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coraline | Jayne Houdyshell | Maya Donato, Jullia Blanoff | Laena Anderson | Sheridan Singleton |
| Mother | January LaVoy | Stacy Ross | Rebecca Merkley | Jennifer T. Grubb |
| Father | Francis Jue | Jackson Davis | Adam Sanders | Justin Kimrey |
| Miss Spink | January LaVoy | Susi Damilano | Rebecca Merkley | Caitlin Jackson |
| Miss Forcible | Francis Jue | Maureen McVerry | Adam Sanders | Kevin Bishop |
| Mr Bobo | Elliot Vallar | Brian Degan Scott | Oscar Derkx | Jeff Bouthiette |
| Cat | Jullian Fleisher | Brian Yates Barber | Graham Mothersill | Kevin Webb |
| Other Mother | David Greenspan | Stacy Ross | Kayla Gorman | Ryan Lanning |
| Other Father | William Youmans | Jackson Davis | Darcy Robinson | Justin Kimrey |
| Other Mr Bobo | Elliot Vallar | Brian Degan Scott | Oscar Derkx | Kevin Bishop |
| Other Miss Spink | January LaVoy | Susi Damilano | Rebecca Merkley | Caitlin Jackson |
| Other Miss Forcible | Francis Jue | Maureen McVerry | Adam Sanders | Kevin Bishop |
| Usher Dog | William Youmans | Jackson Davis | Darcy Robinson | Justin Kimrey |
| Winged Girl | Francis Jue | Maureen McVerry | Adam Sanders | Kevin Bishop |
| Little Boy | William Youmans | Jackson Davis | Darcy Robinson | Justin Kimrey |
| Tall Girl | Francis Jue | Brian Degan Scott | Oscar Derkx | Jeff Bouthiette |
| Policeman | William Youmans | Jackson Davis | Darcy Robinson | Justin Kimrey |
| Others | January LaVoy,
Francis Jue, Elliot Vallar, Jullian Fleisher, |
Jackson Davis,
Brian Degan Scott, Brian Yates Barber, Suso Damilano, Maureen McVerry |
Adam Sanders,
Rebecca Merkley, Oscar Derkx, Darcy Robinson |
Justin Kimrey,
Jennifer T. Grubb, Jeff Bouthiette, Caitlin Jackson |
Other productions of note
The West Coast premiere of Coraline played from November 16, 2010 – January 15, 2011 in San Francisco, produced by The SF Playhouse.[13]
The Canadian premiere of Coraline played from August 15–25, 2013 at the Edmonton Fringe, produced by Impossible Mongoose Productions.[14]
The Midwest premiere of Coraline played from August 8 to September 6, 2014 in Chicago, produced by Black Button Eyes Productions.[15]
Coraline played the Children's Theater of Charlotte in October of 2015. [16]
References
- ^ July 2, NewMusicBox Staffon; 2004 (2004-07-02). "Meet The Composer awards $200,000". NewMusicBox. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
{{cite web}}:|last2=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Hernandez, Ernio (1 June 2009). "Merritt and Greenspan Musical Coraline Opens Off-Broadway June 1". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Facebook; Twitter; options, Show more sharing; Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn; Email; URLCopied!, Copy Link; Print (2008-01-27). "He's trying to weather L.A. 69 love songs to 50 musicals". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ http://www.broadway.com/buzz/98559/new-musical-coraline-extends-a-week-before-opening-at-mcc/
- ^ a b c Dean, Tanya (2013). ""Piano Guts and Other Mothers: Staging Fantasy in David Greenspan and Stephin Merritt's Musical Adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "Coraline"". Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 24. No. 2: 88 – via JSTOR.
{{cite journal}}:|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ login.proxy1.library.jhu.edu https://login.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/login?qurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.proquest.com%2fdocview%2f1030664315%3faccountid%3d11752. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Hurwitt, Robert (2010-11-22). "'Coraline' at SF Playhouse review". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ Reid, By Kerry. "REVIEW: 'Coraline' by Black Button Eyes Productions ★★½". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Talkin' Broadway Off-Broadway - Coraline - 06/01/09". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ Zinman, Toby. ""Coraline' off-Broadway". www.broadstreetreview.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Sign in to your account". login.microsoftonline.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ a b "10". Obie Awards. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ a b Coraline sfplayhouse.org
- ^ a b "Shows" Archived 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine impossiblemongoose.wordpress.com
- ^ a b Coraline coralinechicago.com
- ^ "Weird 'Coraline' gives us willies – as it ought to". charlotteobserver. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
External links
- Coraline at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Review by the NY Daily Times
- "Merritt and Greenspan Musical Coraline Opens Off-Broadway June 1," by ERNIO HERNANDEZ.
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