Doctor Zhivago – The Musical

Anthony Warlow and Lucy Maunder in Doctor Zhivago…on stage?

Today in my browsing adventures…
I have decided I like Anthony Warlow as the Phantom.

Screeches to a stop whilst browsing.

Uh…he’s in a musical version of Doctor Zhivago? The costumes must be absolutely stifling!

eyes bulging…

There’s a musical version of Doctor Zhivago???? Wait just a second. Hold it. STOP THE PRESSES!

Uhm, OK. Please tell me the composer doesn’t portray Larissa (“Lara”). She’s too old! Her voice is too brassy. She might manage Amalia Gishara – Lara’s middle-aged mother, and Komarovsky’s first mistress; Amalia pimps her 17-year-old daughter out to Komarovsky because…well, because. Then when Lara tries to break off with Komarovsky, Amalia attempts suicide. Not much of a mother. Watch the 2002 movie with Keira Knightley as Lara to see what I mean; Lara’s relationship with Komarovsky was very downplayed in the David Lean 1965 movie because of the time at which the movie was made. Censors, public moral tastes, etc.

Oh, thank Zod, it’s this girl who plays Lara instead. OK.

Exhaling. That’s better.

Questions…

Is Tonya Gromeko also be a soprano, or a mezzo instead? Komarovsky will probably be a baritone (standard villain vocal assignment). Pasha as tenor? Hm.

In the book and the movies, Lara is always a blonde girl, and Tonya always brunette. It’s deliberate, to make Lara stand out. Lucy Maunder’s dark hair, while pretty, doesn’t suit Lara’s character at all. She’s meant to look small and fragile, not the typical Russian I’m going to kick your ass and just keep doing my job when it’s 40 below on the Ukrainian front woman. And, no disrepect to the late Omar Sharif intended – but can someone please tell them that Yury doesn’t have a heavy 1960s mustache and heavy eyeliner? It’s obvious they drew on Sharif’s image of the character for inspiration, but please, lose the tache. It’s disturbing. No, I take it back – the eyeliner is worse.

Original Broadway Cast with Tam Mutu available here!

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