Gigi

Synopsis

The Night They Invented Champagne, Thank Heaven for Little Girls, I remember it well - famous songs and a famous film version with Maurice Chevalier. Set against the Belle Époque of Paris, young Gigi breaks with convention when she captures the heart of a rich playboy.

Our Review:

15 August 2008

In My Fair Lady, Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) recounted the tale of a guttersnipe girl cynically prepared for high society; in its sort-of-sequel Gigi, they manufactured another cloudy tale of social engineering, as the innocent heroine is steered towards the life of a courtesan in fin-de-siecle Paris, only to be rescued by true romance.

Gigi was a wonderful 1958 film, based on a novella by Colette, imperishably performed by Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier and Louis Jourdan, but the lacklustre 1985 London premiere of the subsequent 1973 stage musical did not bode well for the revival in Regent’s Park. Timothy Sheader’s production, however, is elegant, colourful and beautifully acted, and restores the harsh, exploitative edge of Gigi’s grooming.

And in Gigi herself, Sheader has revealed a delightful new star in Lisa O'Hare, a recent Mary Poppins in the West End, who is sweet without being cloying; ...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

Stuart - 1 September 2008:

Saw this show on Thursday last and what a great set of performances from the "old uns" a la Millicent martin, Linda Thorson and Topol. They were great and transformed a rather dated show into a entertaining evening.Wasn't so sure about Lisa O'Hare still very mary Poppins. Gaston was definately too much like A A Gill for my liking. Fun though...

Read more and add your own review

Related Whatsonstage.com Articles

Review Round-up: Thank Heaven for Open Air Gigi More»