Doctor Dolittle (musical)

Last updated
Doctor Dolittle
Doctor dolittle london musical flyer.jpg
Original London production flyer
Music Leslie Bricusse
LyricsLeslie Bricusse
Book Leslie Bricusse
Basis 1967 film and the children's books by Hugh Lofting
Productions1998 London
2000 UK tour
2005 US tour
2007 UK tour
2018 UK tour

Doctor Dolittle is a stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, based on the 1967 movie of the same name and the children's stories by Hugh Lofting about the adventures of a doctor who learns to speak the language of various animals and treats them as patients. The musical features the same songs as the film (which starred Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough), including the Academy Award-winning "Talk To The Animals".

Contents

The musical made its world premiere in London at the Hammersmith Apollo in 1998, followed by tours of the UK and US.

Productions

Original London production (1998-99) and UK tour (2000-2001)

The world premiere production opened at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 14 July 1998 starring TV presenter and personality Phillip Schofield in the title role. The role played by Anthony Newley in the film was played by Irish television presenter and actor Bryan Smyth. The production was directed by Steven Pimlott, designed by Mark Thompson, lighting designed by Hugh Vanstone, choreographed by Aletta Collins and featured animal puppets provided by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The production also featured the pre-recorded voice of Julie Andrews as Polynesia the parrot.

Following his run as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium (after replacing Jason Donovan), Doctor Dolittle was Schofield's second stage musical he starred in. Leslie Bricusse stated that the title role would be played by someone younger than Rex Harrison was in the original movie:

"Rex Harrison [who originated the role in the 1968 film] was fabulous, but he was a generation and half older than the leading lady Samantha Eggar. With a younger Dr. Dolittle, the potential of that relationship is much greater". [1]

The production's budget cost £4 million, at the time one of the most expensive musicals ever staged. The production closed on 26 June 1999, having run for almost a year.

It was followed by a UK tour in 2000 and 2001 which also starred Schofield sharing the title role with Paul Nicholas and Russ Abbott.

US National Tour (2005-06)

The show made its American debut on a national tour which began at the Benedum Center in Pittsburg from August 2, 2005. The production starred Tom Hewitt in the title role and was directed by Glenn Casale, scenic designed by Kenneth Foy, costumes designed by Ann Hould-Ward, puppets and magic designed by Michael Curry, and choreography by Rob Ashford. After just 9 weeks of touring, the producers announced that the production would close due to the lack of ticket sales. [2]

Following the early closure of the production, nine-time Tony Award Winner, Tommy Tune directed and starred in a revamped version of the tour from January 2006. The rest of the creative team remained the same as the start of the tour. The production was produced by Pittsburgh CLO, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Independent Presenters Network and Columbia Artists Theatricals.

Further UK tours

2007-08 UK tour

In 2007, Bill Kenwright produced a brand new production of the musical starring Tommy Steele in the title role which toured the UK until 2008. The production was directed by Bob Tomson, designed by Paul Farnsworth and choreographed by Karen Bruce. This production was a revised version with many changes to the book and musical numbers.

2018-19 UK tour

A new UK tour presented by Music & Lyrics opened at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on 9 November 2018. Mark Williams played the title role alongside Brian Capron as Blossom / Straight Arrow, Vicky Entwistle as Polynesia, Mollie Melia-Redgrave as Emma Fairfax and Patric Sullivan as Matthew Muggins. The production was directed by Christopher Renshaw, designed by Tom Piper, choreographed by Josh Rhodes with musical supervision by Mike Dixon.

Music & Lyrics Productions closed the tour at the end of its run at the New Theatre, Oxford on 26 January 2019. The company has cited lower than anticipated advance ticket sales for the reason to cancel the tour. [3]

Cast and characters

CharacterOriginal London cast2000/1 UK tour2007/8 UK tour2018/19 UK tour
Doctor Dolittle Phillip Schofield Phillip Schofield

Paul Nicholas

Russ Abbot

Tommy Steele Mark Williams
Emma FairfaxSarah Jane Hassell Liza Pulman

Kathleen Shueppert

Abigail JayeMollie Melia-Redgrave
Matthew Muggins Bryan Smyth David Ganly

Jimmy Johnston

Conor Michael-SheridanPatrick Sullivan
Tommy StubbinsJames Paul BradleySteven Fitton

Joshua Ellis-Barnard

Jamie Finch

Joanna Forest Harry Cross

Elliot Morris

Quillan O’Meara McDonald

Louis Parker

Elliott Rose

Thomas Ryan

General BellowesPeter CellierGeorge LittleHalcro Johnston Adèle Anderson
Albert Blossom John Rawnsley David Anthony Brian Capron
Straight Arrow Peter Gallagher Sam Mancuso Ako Mitchell
Polynesia Julie Andrews (voice) Julie Andrews (voice)

Ronnie Le Drew (puppet)

Debden Clarke

Rebecca Hyland

Vicky Entwistle

Musical numbers

Original London production

2007/08 UK touring production

Cast recording

The original London cast recording starring Phillip Schofield was released on 1 October 1998 by Exalshallow Ltd, featuring 22 tracks. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>My Fair Lady</i> Stage musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe

My Fair Lady is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on the 1938 film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion, concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician, so that she may pass as a lady. Despite his cynical nature and difficulty understanding women, Higgins grows attached to her.

<i>Doctor Dolittle</i> (1967 film) 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer

Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, and Richard Attenborough. It was adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the Doctor Dolittle novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920), The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922), and Doctor Dolittle's Circus (1924).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Harrison</span> English actor (1908–1990)

Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play French Without Tears, in what was his breakthrough role. He won his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance as Henry VIII in the Broadway play Anne of the Thousand Days in 1949. He returned to Broadway portraying Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (1956) where he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Dolittle</span> Main character from a series of childrens novels by Hugh Lofting

Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 The Story of Doctor Dolittle. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in their own languages. He later becomes a naturalist, using his abilities to speak with animals to better understand nature and the history of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Newley</span> English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker (1931–1999)

Anthony Newley was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leading men", from 1959 to 1962 he scored a dozen entries on the UK Top 40 chart, including two number one hits. Newley won the 1963 Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "What Kind of Fool Am I?", sung by Sammy Davis Jr., and wrote "Feeling Good", which became a signature hit for Nina Simone. His songs have been sung by a wide variety of singers including Fiona Apple, Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey.

Leslie Bricusse OBE was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films Doctor Dolittle, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Scrooge, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Tom and Jerry: The Movie, the songs "Goldfinger", "You Only Live Twice", "Can You Read My Mind " from Superman, and "Le Jazz Hot!" with Henry Mancini from Victor/Victoria.

<i>Singin in the Rain</i> (musical) 1983 stage musical adapted from the 1952 film of the same name

Singin' in the Rain is a stage musical with story by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown. Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, the plot closely adheres to the original. Set in Hollywood in the waning days of the silent screen era, it focuses on romantic lead Don Lockwood, his sidekick Cosmo Brown, aspiring actress Kathy Selden, and Lockwood's leading lady Lina Lamont, whose less-than-dulcet vocal tones make her an unlikely candidate for stardom in talking pictures.

<i>Stop the World – I Want to Get Off</i> 1961 musical by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley

Stop the World – I Want to Get Off is a 1961 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

<i>The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd</i> 1964 musical

The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The musical is best known for introducing the standards "Look At That Face", "A Wonderful Day Like Today", "Who Can I Turn To?", "Feeling Good", and "The Joker". The show title is a transposition of the phrase "the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd," referring to the experience of theatre performers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Smyth</span>

Bryan Smyth is an Irish singer, television presenter, actor, and artist. He was born in Dublin, Ireland.

Doctor Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books written by Hugh Lofting between 1920 and 1952.

"Talk to the Animals" is a song written by British composer Leslie Bricusse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liza Pulman</span> British singer and actress (born 1969)

Liza Kate Pulman is a British singer and actress. She is one third of the satirical comedy trio Fascinating Aïda which received Drama Desk Award nominations in 2005 and 2010.

Scrooge: The Musical is a 1992 stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Its score and book are closely adapted from the music and screenplay of the 1970 musical film Scrooge starring Albert Finney and Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Bricusse was nominated for an Academy Award for the song score he wrote for the film, and most of those songs were carried over to the musical.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a musical with a book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn. It is based on the 1897 play of the same title by Edmond Rostand.

<i>White Christmas</i> (musical) Musical by Irving Berlin, David Ives and Paul Blake

White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The book is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The original St. Louis production starred Lara Teeter, Karen Mason, Lauren Kennedy, and Lee Roy Reams, and the 2004 San Francisco production starred Brian D'Arcy James, Anastasia Barzee, Meredith Patterson, and Jeffry Denman.

<i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> (musical) 2013 musical

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a musical based on the 1964 children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

<i>Bedknobs and Broomsticks</i> (musical) Musical based on the 1971 film

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a stage musical based on the 1971 Walt Disney film and the stories by Mary Norton. It features the original songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, new songs and additional music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and book by Brian Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures</span>

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures is the live show, stageplay and musical production arm of Warner Bros. Discovery. The company forms a part of Warner Bros., one of the major business segments of Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures is led by Mark Kaufman.

<i>The Chipmunks See Doctor Dolittle</i> 1968 studio album by Alvin and the Chipmunks with David Seville

The Chipmunks See Doctor Dolittle is a 1968 album by Alvin and the Chipmunks with David Seville, released by Sunset Records.

References

  1. "Expect a Younger Dr. Dolittle on Stage | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  2. "Doctor Dolittle Is Unwell; Touring Musical Will Shutter in PA After Nine Weeks | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
  3. "Doctor Dolittle UK Tour Cancelled". britishtheatre.com. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  4. "Doctor Dolittle - World Premiere London Cast Recording by Doctor Dolittle - World Premiere London Cast on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-01-22.