In Dreams | |
---|---|
Music | Various |
Lyrics | Various |
Book | David West Read |
Basis | Songs by Roy Orbison |
Premiere | July 3, 2023: Leeds Playhouse, England |
Productions | 2023 Leeds 2023 Toronto |
In Dreams is a jukebox musical with a book by David West Read and featuring the songs of Roy Orbison. The musical uses the songs of Orbison to tell a modern-day story about Kenna, the former lead singer of a country rock band, who reconnects with her old friends at a family-run Mexican restaurant.
The musical revolves around Kenna, the former lead singer of a country-rock band. At a critical moment in her life, she decides to throw a party at a family-run Mexican restaurant where she reconnects with some of her old friends, including a drummer named Ramsey. [1] The musical explores themes of love, loss, friendship and the power of music to bring people together.
Following the success of & Juliet , Read was approached with the idea of writing another musical, this time using the songs of Roy Orbison. [2] Rather than tell the story of Orbison's life, Read opted to tell a fictional story using songs by Orbison, including some from his time as part of the Traveling Wilburys. Read commented that he "didn’t want to see someone doing their best Roy Orbison impression". [2] Instead, he wanted to take advantage of Orbison's emotionally complex songs to tell a story, in a similar style to jukebox musicals like Girl from the North Country and Mamma Mia! . The musical has the backing and support of Orbison's sons. [2]
In November 2022, it was announced that In Dreams would have its world premiere at the Leeds Playhouse. The musical premiered on 3 July 2023, and closed on 5 August 2023. It starred Lena Hall as Kenna and Oliver Tompsett as Ramsey. It was directed by Luke Sheppard, with choreography by Fabian Aloise. [3]
In Dreams, along with most of the cast, transferred to Toronto, [4] It had its North American premiere at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, where it opened on 26 September 2023 and closed on 12 November 2023. [5]
Role | Leeds | Toronto |
---|---|---|
2023 | ||
Kenna | Lena Hall | |
Ramsey | Oliver Tompsett | |
Jane | Sian Reese-Williams | |
Donovan | Noel Sullivan | |
Oscar | Manuel Pacific | |
Nicole | Gabriela García | Nasim Ramirez |
Ana Sofia | Alma Cuervo | |
George | Richard Trinder | |
Tom | Leon Craig |
Act I
| Act II
|
The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2,000-seat live theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on King Street West, in Toronto's downtown Entertainment District. The theatre's name has a triple meaning: it honours Diana, Princess of Wales, with whose consent the theatre was named; it links the building to its sister theatre, the Royal Alexandra, one block to the east, also named – with Royal assent – for a former Princess of Wales; and it recalls the Princess Theatre, Toronto's first "first-class legitimate" playhouse, that stood three blocks to the east until 1931.
In Dreams may refer to:
"In Dreams" is a song composed and sung by singer Roy Orbison. An operatic rock ballad of lost love, it was released as a single on Monument Records in February 1963. It became the title track of the album In Dreams, released in July of the same year. The song has a unique through-composed structure in seven movements in which Orbison sings through two octaves, beyond the range of most rock singers.
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