| In Dreams | |
|---|---|
 Production artwork | |
| 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
|
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as operatic, earning him the nicknames "The Caruso of Rock" and "The Big O". Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male rock-and-roll performers chose to project machismo. He performed while standing motionless and wearing black clothes to match his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses.
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.
"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)" is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Orbison's recording of the song, produced by Fred Foster for Monument Records, was the first major hit for the singer. It was described by The New York Times as expressing "a clenched, driven urgency". Released as a 45 rpm single by Monument Records in May 1960, "Only the Lonely" went to No. 2 on the United States Billboard pop music charts on 25 July 1960 (blocked by Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry") and No. 14 on the Billboard R&B charts. "Only the Lonely" reached number one in the United Kingdom, a position it achieved on 20 October 1960, staying there for two weeks (out of a total of 24 weeks spent on the UK singles chart from 28 July 1960). According to The Authorized Roy Orbison, "Only the Lonely" was the longest charting single of Orbison's career. Personnel on the original recording included Orbison's drummer Larry Parks, plus Nashville's regulars, Floyd Cramer on piano, Bob Moore on bass, and Hank Garland and Harold Bradley on guitars, Joe Melson and the Anita Kerr Singers on backing vocals. Drummer Buddy Harman played on the rest of the songs on the session.
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.
Alma Cuervo is an American stage actress and singer, who has also performed in film and television. She holds an M.F.A. in acting from the Yale School of Drama, from which she graduated in 1976 alongside Meryl Streep.
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