Musical
Aspects of Love is a musical with music and book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart. It is based on the 1955 novella of the same name by David Garnett.
The piece focuses on the romantic entanglements of actress Rose Vibert, her admiring fan Alex Dillingham, his underage cousin Jenny, his uncle George, and George's mistress, sculptor Giulietta Trapani, over a period of 17 years. The "aspects" of the title refers to the many forms that love takes in the show: love between couples, both as romantic infatuation and as married people; children and their parents; and hints of same-sex attraction (Giulietta and Rose).
Most of the musical is sung, making the show sung-through with only minor amounts of dialogue.
Lloyd Webber was introduced to Aspects of Love in 1979, when he and Tim Rice were approached to write a few songs for a proposed film version. When nothing came of it, he suggested to Trevor Nunn that they collaborate on a stage adaptation. In 1983, they presented a cabaret of numbers they had written, but it was not until five years later that they tackled the project in earnest.[1] The musical features the song "Love Changes Everything".
As with many of his shows, Lloyd Webber first presented Aspects of Love in a workshop presentation as part of his Sydmonton Festival (July 1988).[2] The cast was led by Michael Ball as Alex, Susannah Fellows as Rose, Dinsdale Landen as George, Grania Renihan as Giulietta and Diana Morrison as Jenny.
Productions
West End (1989-1992)
The West End production, directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, musical direction by Michael Reed, opened on April 17, 1989, at the Prince of Wales Theatre, where it ran for 1,325 performances. The original cast included Ann Crumb as Rose Vibert, Michael Ball as Alex Dillingham, Kevin Colson as George Dillingham, Kathleen Rowe McAllen as Giulietta Trapani, Diana Morrison as Jenny Dillingham and Sally Smith as The Chanteuse. Roger Moore was due to star as George in the production but left two weeks before opening night. He later stated in an interview he was unable to cope with the technical side of singing in Aspects of Love, and the production required someone with experience of singing with orchestras. Following his departure, his understudy Kevin Colson took over the role.[3] During the run, the role of Rose Vibert was also played by Susannah Fellows, Carol Duffy, Helen Hobson, Clare Burt, and Sarah Brightman; Alex Dillingham by David Greer, David Malek and Michael Praed; Giulietta Trapani by Becky Norman and Grania Renihan.
Broadway (1990-1991)
The Broadway production, with the same creative team and the four leading members of the London cast, opened on April 8, 1990, at the Broadhurst Theatre and closed on March 2, 1991, after 377 performances and 22 previews. John Cullum joined the cast later in the run, and the closing cast starred Sarah Brightman and Barrie Ingham. The reviews were lacklustre and New York Times critic Frank Rich wrote in a negative review "Whether Aspects of Love is a musical for people is another matter."[4] When the musical closed, the entire $8 million investment was lost, which, according to The New York Times, made it "perhaps the greatest flop in Broadway history".[5]
UK Tour and West End Revival (1993)
In 1993, Really Useful Group and Apollo Leisure breathed life into the show with a new production directed by Gale Edwards, with designs by Roger Kirk, and choreography by Jo Anne Robinson. The show opened at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, toured the UK and then headed into the West End and re-opened at the shows original venue, the Prince of Wales Theatre, London. There were many differences from the original, especially in the stage design, which used a revolve and beautiful butterfly gauzes to help the flow from scene to scene. Kathryn Evans played Rose, with Alexander Hanson as Alex, Gary Bond as George, Lottie Mayor as Jenny and Karen Skinns as Giulietta. The cast also included Paul Bentley, Benjamin Lush, Helen Viner-Slater, Alisdair Harvey, Nicola Dawn, Martin Callaghan, Russell Wilcox, Heather Davies, Nathan Harmer, Leslie Meadows, Gail-Marie Shapter, Myles Faraday, Kate Marsden, Natalie Holton, Angela Lloyd and Peter King. A further tour of the production in 1994 was led by Kevin Colson as George, Anne Wood as Rose, Jay Marcus as Alex, Jacinta Whyte as Giulietta and Elizabeth Price as Jenny.
Subsequent Productions
In 1991, a 'chamber' version of the show with Keith Michell as George was mounted in Canada. It subsequently toured in America and a similar production was staged in Australia. Aspects of Love was also produced in Japan, the Philippines, Hungary, Finland, and Denmark.
The musical toured the United States from 1992 to 1993. The cast starred Ron Bohmer as Alex, Linda Balgord as Rose, Keith Mitchell as George, and Kelli James Chase as Giulietta. Sarah Brightman reprised her performance as Rose at the Los Angeles stop at the Wilshire Theatre. [6]
A new UK tour – the first production in 15 years – began on 31 August 2007. It starred David Essex as George Dillingham, with Matt Rawle as Alex, Shona Lindsay as Rose, and Poppy Tierney as Giulietta. The production was directed by Nikolai Foster, with musical direction by Andrew J. Smith. It opened at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, and toured for 36 weeks through 8 December 2007. Rawle was replaced by Tim Rogers.[7]
The show played a limited engagement at The Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa from May 22 to June 28, 2009. The touring production was re-directed by Nikolai Foster and starred Samantha Peo, Robert Finlayson, Angela Kilian and Keith Smith.[8]
A London revival ran at the Menier Chocolate Factory from July 15 to September 11, 2010, with new direction by Trevor Nunn. The cast featured Dave Willetts as George, Rosalie Craig as Giulietta, Katherine Kingsley as Rose, and Michael Arden as Alex.[9]
In 2012, a Dutch production toured the Netherlands, produced by Stage Entertainment.[10]
The new 'definitive' script was staged at The Playhouse, Whitley Bay from February to March 2014. Produced by Tynemouth Operatic Society, it was the first non-professional staging in the UK to use the new script and full orchestra. It was the first staging in the world of the new 'definitive' version by Lord Lloyd Webber, bringing together elements of several productions to present the show as he wishes to see it staged.
In July 2018, a new revival opened at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester[11] before transferring to the Southwark Playhouse London in January 2019.[12] It featured Kelly Price as Rose, Felix Mosse as Alex, Jérôme Pradon as George, Madalena Alberto as Giulietta and Eleanor Walsh as Jenny.[13]
Second West End Revival (2023)
A West End revival, directed by Jonathan Kent and produced by Nica Burns, opened at the Lyric Theatre, London, on May 12, 2023, for a limited run until November 11. On June 30, 2023 it was announced the production would close nearly three months earlier than originally planned, on August 19.[14] Michael Ball, who played Alex in the original 1989 London production, stars as George, Danielle de Niese as Giulietta. Jamie Bogyo plays the role of Alex.[15] Dave Willetts is Ball’s alternate playing the role on Mondays.[16] An additional performance of George singing "Love Changes Everything" is included so Michael Ball can once more sing his signature song from the original production.
Plot
Act One
At a train station in Pau, France in 1964, 34-year-old Alex Dillingham reflects on his love life over the past 17 years ("Love Changes Everything"). A woman (Giulietta Trapani) replies to him that "it's all in the past."
Flashing to 1947, Rose Vibert, a 25-year-old actress, complains that their production of The Master Builder is a flop. The producer, Marcel, tries to placate Rose by introducing her to a fan, 17-year-old Alex ("A Small Theatre in Montpellier"). Alex and Rose have a brief tryst at his uncle George's villa in Pau ("Seeing is Believing", "The House in Pau"). George Dillingham, in Paris with his mistress, Giulietta Trapani, an Italian sculptor, returns to his villa to see for himself what Alex and Rose are doing ("An Art Exhibition in Paris", "A Memory of a Happy Moment"). Rose is attracted to George, who is overcome when he sees Rose dressed in a gown belonging to his beloved late wife, Delia, also an actress, and remarks how much Rose resembles Delia ("In Many Rooms in the House at Pau").
He advises Alex that all good things have to end, and that his interlude with Rose will be a memory. Alex insists that his relationship with Rose is real love ("On the Terrace"). George leaves, and Rose leaves to rejoin Marcel. Alex realizes that Rose had never taken him seriously ("At the House at Pau").
Two years later, Alex, now a soldier, visits his uncle in Paris, and is shocked to find that Rose is now George's mistress. He accuses her of chasing his uncle's money, but Rose protests that she really loves George. She admits that she did love Alex once, and the two, drawn to each other again, fall into bed ("George's Flat in Paris").
The next morning, an agitated Rose tells Alex to leave before George returns. Alex, enraged, pulls out his gun. Rose throws a candlestick at Alex, and the gun goes off, shooting Rose in the arm, and she faints ("First Orchestral Interlude"). After George arrives, he and Alex each try to convince the other that the other is the right man for Rose. George wins the debate, insisting that Alex should begin a new life with Rose, and Alex finally agrees ("She'd Be Far Better Off With You"). George then heads to Venice to see his former mistress, Giulietta. However, Rose orders Alex to leave, having chosen to stay with George. Alex leaves, and Rose and Marcel follow George to Venice. Rose intends to confront Giulietta and reclaim George. In Venice, Giulietta and Rose bond while discussing George's foibles. They both express surprise that the other woman is not at all what they'd imagined. George returns and says that he has lost most of his money ("Stop. Wait. Please").
Rose then asks George to marry her and he agrees. At the wedding, Giulietta shocks everyone by claiming her best man's rights and kissing Rose on the mouth. George, however, is delighted ("A Registry Office").
At "A Military Camp in Malaya", Alex receives a letter from Rose telling him that she married George, and they are expecting a child.
Act Two
Twelve years later at a theatre in Paris, Rose has risen to stardom and has a young lover, Hugo. Marcel and the rest of the cast celebrate the latest hit (A Month in the Country) ("Leading Lady"), but Rose insists that she must return to the villa at Pau and to her husband George and their 12-year-old daughter, Jenny. Marcel reintroduces her to the 32-year-old Alex ("At the Stage Door"). Rose is delighted and insists that he come with her to Pau. At the villa, Jenny is excited by the prospect of her mother's return. George is happy to see Alex, returning with Rose, and Jenny, who has heard much about him, meets him for the first time. Rose and George insist that Alex should stay with them ("Other Pleasures"). Meanwhile, in Venice, George's former mistress, Giulietta, ponders the meaning of stable, long-lasting love versus romantic infatuation ("There Is More to Love").
Two years later, Alex suggests that Jenny needs a Paris education, which upsets Rose, who suspects that her daughter has developed an unhealthy crush on Alex ("The Garden at Pau (Version 2)"). That evening Jenny appears wearing Delia's gown, much as Rose did ("On the Terrace (Version 2)"); George happily dances with his daughter. Jenny tries to draw Alex into the dance, but Alex politely refuses ("The First Man You Remember"). Later, Jenny and Alex are left alone, and Jenny finally convinces Alex to give her the last dance. Rose catches Jenny clasping Alex in a very adult fashion, and Alex leaves. Jenny tells her mother that Alex is the first to make her feel like a woman. Rose confronts Alex, who admits to having feelings for Jenny, but insists that he would never harm her ("The Vineyard at Pau"). Later, Jenny tells Alex that she loves him. She begs him to be honest, then kisses him ("Up in the Pyrenees").
George plans his wake, insisting that there should be dancing and fun. Rose tells him that he's bound to outlive them all ("George's Study at Pau"). At a circus in Paris, George, Rose, Alex, and Jenny are celebrating Jenny's fifteenth birthday ("Journey of a Lifetime"). George becomes agitated as he watches Jenny talking with Alex ("Falling"). Later, Alex puts Jenny to bed. Jenny tries to convince him that she's really in love with him, but Alex insists that they're just cousins. Jenny falls asleep, and Alex reflects that he knows he must not love her, but cannot help loving her. George overhears Alex and is enraged, suspecting the worst. He collapses, and Alex comes out of Jenny's room to find him dead ("Jenny's Bedroom").
At George's wake, Giulietta gives a eulogy celebrating George's unconventionality and his belief in living life to the fullest ("Hand Me the Wine and Dice"). Giulietta and Alex join in the dancing and are attracted to each other, eventually trysting in a hayloft. Jenny spies on them, while Marcel tries to comfort the grieving Rose. Alex, alone with Giulietta, wonders how to end his relationship kindly with Jenny. He returns to the villa for one last confrontation. Alex tries to explain to Jenny that their relationship was unnatural. She reminds him that he was only seventeen when he met Rose, and that she is no younger than Shakespeare's Juliet ("On the Terrace (Version 3)").
Rose bids Alex farewell, but then breaks down and begs Alex not to leave her. Alex, unsure of how to reply, leaves ("Anything But Lonely"). At the train station at Pau, as Alex and Giulietta wait for the train, Giulietta wonders what will happen when Jenny reaches legal majority in three years. Alex, unable to reply, reflects once more on how love changes everything ("It Won't be Long till Jenny's a Woman").
Recording
The two-disc original cast recording of the London production preserved the bulk of the score with some edits made for reasons of length. A 2005 remastered edition restored all the material cut from the original release.
When the musical opened, the song "The First Man You Remember" was often performed on TV, the impression being that it was between a couple of romantic lovers. However, in the show itself it is actually a father and daughter duet between George and Jenny. It was sung by Michael Ball and Diana Morrison in the CD single version.
The first single released from the musical was "Love Changes Everything", also sung by Ball. It was a success, peaking at #2 and staying in the UK singles chart for 15 weeks, and has since become his signature song.[22]
