Nymph Errant
gato3000 wrote on August 10, 2012
With all the recent talk abut Prospect's mounting of a revised version of Nymph Errant, I thought I'd dive in with a bit of shameless promotion, thanks to my friend and literary agent, Mitch Douglas, who informed me of this site.
I was bummed that Prospect mounted this Nymph and doubly bummed when it wasn't all that well received. That's because a late writing partner of mine, Michael Whaley and myself, Steve Mackes, wrote a version of the book that was entirely apart and orginal from the Romney Brent's libretto, but still based on the novel by James Laver. Our version had a development production at the Village Theatre, out on the west coast near Seattle and then ran for five sold-out weeks in 1999 at the Chichester Festival Theatre in Chichester, England. The show got great, even dare I say, rave reviews from all of the London papers.
Though I'm obviouslly biased, I have to say, our version of Nymph is great. It captures the fun and sexiness, while at the same time, maintaining a sense of innocence. It's a very produceable show with a cast of only seven. Our unique concept was to have only one versatile actor play all of the show's male roles, making lightning costume changes from scene to scene in a kind of comic tour de force ala Martin Short in Little Me. The other characters, all women, played multiple roles except for Evangeline. The older women, for instance plays Evangline's school professor, the Cocotte and the mother of Henrietta.
With the great reviews we got, there were high hopes for the show and Samuel French did a deal with Michael and I and the Cole Porter Estate to publish our version. But somehow, in a big way, the stars didn't align. Still, thanks to French the show is available, out there and around. It get's licensed occasionally. Tibbets Summer Theatre in Michigan is doing it right now. And I still feel that, given the right producer, it could have legs and fly.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know.
Best,
Steve Mackes, reachable at [email protected],
PS: I am also one of the writers of the musicals, Boobs, the World According to Ruth Wallis, Wild Women of Planet Wongo and Hell Hole Honeys
I was bummed that Prospect mounted this Nymph and doubly bummed when it wasn't all that well received. That's because a late writing partner of mine, Michael Whaley and myself, Steve Mackes, wrote a version of the book that was entirely apart and orginal from the Romney Brent's libretto, but still based on the novel by James Laver. Our version had a development production at the Village Theatre, out on the west coast near Seattle and then ran for five sold-out weeks in 1999 at the Chichester Festival Theatre in Chichester, England. The show got great, even dare I say, rave reviews from all of the London papers.
Though I'm obviouslly biased, I have to say, our version of Nymph is great. It captures the fun and sexiness, while at the same time, maintaining a sense of innocence. It's a very produceable show with a cast of only seven. Our unique concept was to have only one versatile actor play all of the show's male roles, making lightning costume changes from scene to scene in a kind of comic tour de force ala Martin Short in Little Me. The other characters, all women, played multiple roles except for Evangeline. The older women, for instance plays Evangline's school professor, the Cocotte and the mother of Henrietta.
With the great reviews we got, there were high hopes for the show and Samuel French did a deal with Michael and I and the Cole Porter Estate to publish our version. But somehow, in a big way, the stars didn't align. Still, thanks to French the show is available, out there and around. It get's licensed occasionally. Tibbets Summer Theatre in Michigan is doing it right now. And I still feel that, given the right producer, it could have legs and fly.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know.
Best,
Steve Mackes, reachable at [email protected],
PS: I am also one of the writers of the musicals, Boobs, the World According to Ruth Wallis, Wild Women of Planet Wongo and Hell Hole Honeys
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