Coraline (musical)

Coraline was commissioned in 2004{{Cite web|last=NewMusicBox Staff|date=2004-07-02|title=Meet The Composer awards $200,000|url=https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/Meet-The-Composer-awards-200000/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-04|website=NewMusicBox|language=en}} by St. Ann Warehouse in association with Meet the Composer Commissioning Music/USA.{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Ernio|date=1 June 2009|title=Merritt and Greenspan Musical Coraline Opens Off-Broadway June 1|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/merritt-and-greenspan-musical-coraline-opens-off-broadway-june-1-com-161341|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124230917/https://www.playbill.com/article/merritt-and-greenspan-musical-coraline-opens-off-broadway-june-1-com-161341 |archive-date=2021-01-24 |access-date=2020-10-04|website=Playbill|language=en}} The musical approached completion in 2008,{{Cite web|last=Cromelin|first=Richard|date=2008-01-27|title=He's trying to weather L.A. 69 love songs to 50 musicals|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jan-27-ca-merritt27-story.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}} but was not premiered until the following year.

Coraline began previews on May 8, 2009 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. It premiered on June 1, 2009 and was originally scheduled to close on June 20. Due to popular demand, its run was extended first to July 5,{{Cite web|title=New Musical Coraline Extends a Week Before Opening at MCC|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/98559/new-musical-coraline-extends-a-week-before-opening-at-mcc/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Broadway.com|language=en}} then July 7. Coraline was produced by MCC Theater in association with True Love Productions.{{Cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Ernio|date=23 Feb 2010|title=Original Off-Broadway Cast Album of Coraline Now Available|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/original-off-broadway-cast-album-of-coraline-now-available-com-166142|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Playbill|language=en}} It was the first musical to be produced by MCC Theater.

The musical is "wildly unconventional", according to world-premiere director Leigh Silverman. West-coast premiere director Bill English describes the music as "odd," with pieces ending in the middles of phrases.{{YouTube|id=GfqHIljwaBY|show=|title=Behind the Scenes of Coraline}}. Retrieved 2020-10-04. The only instruments used in the musical are pianos, both traditional and toy varieties. The musical also calls for two prepared pianos.{{Cite journal |last=Dean |first=Tanya |date=2013 |title=Piano Guts and Other Mothers: Staging Fantasy in David Greenspan and Stephin Merritt's Musical Adaptation of Neil Gaiman's 'Coraline' |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/24353202 |journal=Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts |volume= |issue= |pages=264–274 |jstor=24353202 }}

The original production's cast was similarly unconventional, with 55-year-old Jayne Houdyshell as nine-year-old Coraline and librettist David Greenspan as the Other Mother. The cast also featured Julian Fleisher as Cat, Francis Jue as Father and Miss Forcible, January LaVoy as Mother and Miss Spink, Elliot Vallar as Mr Bobo, and William Youmans as Other Father.

Ghostlight Records released an original cast album in February 2010.

The West Coast premiere of Coraline played from November 16, 2010 to January 15, 2011 in San Francisco, produced by The SF Playhouse.[http://sfplayhouse.org/sfph/coraline/ Coraline] sfplayhouse.org The Midwest premiere played from August 8, 2014 to September 6, 2014 in Chicago, produced by Black Button Eyes Productions.[http://www.coralinechicago.com/ Coraline] coralinechicago.com

Coraline also premiered internationally in Canada during the Edmonton Fringe Festival, from August 15, 2013 to August 25, 2013. It was produced by Impossible Mongoose Productions.[http://impossiblemongoose.wordpress.com/shows/ "Shows"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812033855/http://impossiblemongoose.wordpress.com/shows/|date=2014-08-12}}

impossiblemongoose.wordpress.com

1. Overture – Other Father; Mr. Bobo; Cat; Mother; Father;
2. A New House – Coraline; Cat
3. Am Miss Spink (And I Am Miss Forcible) – Mother; Father
4. A Mouse Circus – Coraline; Mr. Bobo; Ensemble
5. Mum and Dad – Coraline; Father; Mother
6. At the Other End – Cat; Coraline
7. Song of the Rats – Ensemble
8. When We Were Young and Trod the Boards – Father; Mother
9. Fluorescent Green Gloves – Coraline
10. Welcome Home – Other Mother; Other Father; Ensemble
11. A Lot of Noise – Ensemble
12. Song of the Rats – Ensemble
13. Theatre Is Fun – Father; Mother
14. Stay with Us – Other Mother; Other Father; Ensemble
15. The Ballad of The Wasps – Coraline
16. O What a Lovely Trip – Father; Mother; Coraline
17. Go to Sleep – Other Mother
18. We Were Children Once – Ensemble
19. When You're A Cat – Cat
20. Song of the Rats – Ensemble
21. Recollections – Other Father; Mr. Bobo; Father
22. Whatever You Want – Mr. Bobo
23. Song of the Rats – Ensemble
24. The World Goes Flat – Ensemble
25. I Saw a Show on Telly Once – Coraline
26. Falling... Falling... – Other Mother; Ensemble
27. One Long Fairytale – Other Mother; Cat; Father; Mother; Mr. Bobo; Other Father; Ensemble

Many critics found the show lacked suspense and affect. Ben Brantley described the original off-Broadway production in The New York Times as "droll, dry, and very cerebral."{{Cite web|last=Brantley|first=Ben|date=2009-06-01|title=Better the Mother You Know than the Other One: Theater Review |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/theater/reviews/02cora.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914032547/http://www.nytimes.com:80/2009/06/02/theater/reviews/02cora.html |archive-date=2015-09-14 |access-date=2020-10-04|website=The New York Times}} 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."{{Cite web|last=Hurwitt|first=Robert|date=2010-11-22|title='Coraline' at SF Playhouse review|url=https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Coraline-at-SF-Playhouse-review-3245015.php|access-date=2020-10-04|website=SFGate|language=en-US}} Kerry Reid wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "There needs to be a greater sense of clammy danger... as the shadows fall over the world... Without it, we never quite identify with Coraline's growing maturity."{{Cite web|last=Reid|first=Kerry|title=REVIEW: 'Coraline' by Black Button Eyes Productions ★★ 1/2|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-coraline-musical-review-story.html|access-date=2020-10-04|website=chicagotribune.com|date=19 August 2014 }}

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."{{Cite web|title=Talkin' Broadway Off-Broadway – Coraline – 06/01/09|url=https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/ob/06_01_09.html|access-date=2020-10-04|website=www.talkinbroadway.com}} More generally, Toby Zinman wrote on BroadStreetReview.com that attendees may find "the songs were unmusical."{{Cite web|last=Zinman|first=Toby|title=Coraline' off-Broadway|url=https://www.broadstreetreview.com/theater/coraline_off_broadway|access-date=2020-10-04|website=www.broadstreetreview.com}}

While the show received generally negative-to-mixed reviews, critics remained supportive of its creative team. Noting the strength of Gaiman's novel, Greenspan's inventive theatrical work, and Merritt's quirky, esoteric musicianship, 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."{{Cite web|last=Rooney|first=David|date=2009-06-01|title=Coraline|url=https://variety.com/2009/legit/reviews/coraline-2-1200507100/#!|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151206014602/http://variety.com:80/2009/legit/reviews/coraline-2-1200507100/ |archive-date=2015-12-06 |access-date=2020-10-04|website=Variety}} Additionally, Stephen Merritt received the Obie Award for Design/Music for Coraline in 2010.{{Cite web|title=10|url=https://www.obieawards.com/events/2010s/year-10/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Obie Awards|language=en-US}}

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{{Coraline}}

musical

Category:2009 musicals

Category:Musicals based on novels

Category:Off-Broadway musicals