Triumph Of Love

Love has triumphed on Valentine's Day. With appropriate timing, producer Margo Lion has announced that "Triumph of Love," which made its world premiere at Center Stage in November, will open on Broadway as the first musical of the 1997-1998 season.Co-produced by Lion, Jujamcyn Theaters and the Pace Theatrical Group with a budget of $3 million, the musical adaptation of Marivaux's 18th-century French comedy will open at the Walter Kerr Theatre in September. Negotiations are under way for Susan Egan to continue in the starring role.

The persistent folly of us mortals when it comes to pursuing romance or power (or both) has provided abundant fuel for any number of theatrical works over the centuries. Among the entertaining examples is an early 18th-century play, Pierre Marivaux's "The Triumph of Love," sparked with cross-gender disguises and sexual-political complications. That piece found its way into our own time and place, thanks to a much-admired translation by James Magruder that was produced in 1993 at Center Stage, where he was dramaturg.

Princess Leonide has a problem. She's fallen in love at first sight with Prince Agis. But he's been raised to despise her because she inherited the throne that is rightfully his.And that's not all. Agis lives in seclusion with a philosopher named Hermocrate and Hermocrate's sister, both of whom have not only sworn off love, they shun society to the point of turning away all visitors.What's a princess to do?Well, since Leonide is the heroine of a play called "The Triumph of Love," it's a good bet that her love will triumph in the end.And Center Stage's production, directed by Irene Lewis and using a new, breezy translation by James Magruder, is a minor triumph in itself, resuscitating this semi-obscure 18th-century comedy by the long-overlooked French playwright Marivaux.

With the musical Triumph of Love, Dignity Players founder and artistic director Mickey Handwerger offers much lighter entertainment than the group's usual socially conscious fare. Dignity Players arrived on the scene a little more than a year ago with The Exonerated, a drama about six death-row inmates whose names were cleared, followed by The Laramie Project on the killing of gay college student Matthew Shepard. After presenting four dramatic pieces, Handwerger said, he decided to "lighten the mood with Triumph of Love and give everyone permission to laugh."

ClarificationSome financial figures were unclear in an article in yesterday's Today section on the expected closing of the Broadway musical "Triumph of Love." The show needed $290,000 of the potential weekly $518,500 net box office receipts to break even.Calling it "the greatest commercial disappointment" of her career, producer Margo Lion said yesterday that she was both sad and puzzled about the imminent closing of "Triumph of Love," the Broadway musical that originated at Center Stage.

Broadway's two new blockbuster musicals, "Ragtime" and "The Lion King," racked up the largest number of Tony Award nominations in New York yesterday. The lion's share, however, went to "Ragtime," which garnered 13 nominations, compared with 11 for "The Lion King."In most categories, "The Lion King," the stage adaptation of Disney's 1994 animated feature, will go head-to-head with "Ragtime," based on E.L. Doctorow's novel about three turn-of-the-century families (a touring production opened at Washington's National Theatre last week)

It's seldom that we can see a life-changing experience yawning in front of us," James Magruder wrote in the journal he kept on Triumph of Love, the 1997 Broadway musical for which he scripted the libretto. "What could be worse -- if something happens to me because of Triumph of Love, or if nothing happens?" Triumph, which closed on Broadway after three months, didn't turn out to be life-changing. But that's OK with Magruder, a longtime member of the dramaturgy staff at Center Stage, where his new translation of Moliere's The Miser opens Wednesday.

"Triumph of Love" didn't get the miracle it hoped would save it. Today the curtain comes down for the last time on the Broadway musical, which made its world premiere at Center Stage last season.Based on an 18th-century French romantic comedy by Marivaux, "Triumph of Love" will have run 83 regular performances and 31 previews.It is one of three Broadway musicals -- along with "Side Show" and the revival of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" -- expected to close this weekend, at the start of a traditionally slow month on Broadway.

Turning a semi-obscure 18th-century French comedy into a musical might sound like a long shot. But from the momentproducer Margo Lion and director Michael Mayer thought of basing a musical on Marivaux's "Triumph of Love," they felt sure it would fly.So much so that in just 2 1/2 years -- relatively fast in musical theater terms -- the show has become a reality and is making its world premiere at Center Stage, where it opens Wednesday. From here it moves to the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, and then, if "Triumph" truly triumphs, to New York.

At each performance of Center Stage's world-premiere musical, "Triumph of Love," the program has included an insert updating the song list and informing theatergoers that the "creative team continues to make changes."The decision on whether the show will proceed to Broadway is expected to be made after it opens at the Yale Repertory Theatre next month.But the continuing work suggests efforts are heading in the direction of Broadway. And a return visit during the show's final week in Baltimore revealed a number of improvements to a production that already gleamed with charm in previews more than three weeks ago.To reiterate the essentials, "Triumph of Love" is a musical based on Marivaux's 18th-century French comedy about a princess who falls in love at first sight with a young man named Agis, who has been raised by his reclusive philosopher aunt and uncle to shun the emotions of the heart in favor of the life of the mind.

It's seldom that we can see a life-changing experience yawning in front of us," James Magruder wrote in the journal he kept on Triumph of Love, the 1997 Broadway musical for which he scripted the libretto. "What could be worse -- if something happens to me because of Triumph of Love, or if nothing happens?" Triumph, which closed on Broadway after three months, didn't turn out to be life-changing. But that's OK with Magruder, a longtime member of the dramaturgy staff at Center Stage, where his new translation of Moliere's The Miser opens Wednesday.

Triumph of Love, an inspired adaptation of a 1732 play by Pierre Marivaux, slips into the Charles Theatre today without any of the ballyhoo that pushed The Importance of Being Earnest. But it's everything that botch of Wilde is not: supple, eloquent and enchanting. The director, Clare Peploe, co-writing the adaptation with her husband, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Marilyn Goldin, has turned what would seem to be an intractably theatrical comedy into a gloriously alive and entertaining movie.

Jay Records has just released the original cast album of "Triumph of Love," the 1997 Broadway musical that made its debut at Center Stage two seasons ago. The CD retains the crisp, chamber sound of the show, while showcasing the distinctive voices of the seven-member cast.And, there's a bonus song -- "If I Cannot Love," a solo for Betty Buckley that was cut after the show's third Broadway preview. Combined with the other half-dozen numbers she sings on the CD, solely or with fellow cast members, it should help boost sales among Buckley's large following.

Broadway's two new blockbuster musicals, "Ragtime" and "The Lion King," racked up the largest number of Tony Award nominations in New York yesterday. The lion's share, however, went to "Ragtime," which garnered 13 nominations, compared with 11 for "The Lion King."In most categories, "The Lion King," the stage adaptation of Disney's 1994 animated feature, will go head-to-head with "Ragtime," based on E.L. Doctorow's novel about three turn-of-the-century families (a touring production opened at Washington's National Theatre last week)

"Triumph of Love" didn't get the miracle it hoped would save it. Today the curtain comes down for the last time on the Broadway musical, which made its world premiere at Center Stage last season.Based on an 18th-century French romantic comedy by Marivaux, "Triumph of Love" will have run 83 regular performances and 31 previews.It is one of three Broadway musicals -- along with "Side Show" and the revival of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" -- expected to close this weekend, at the start of a traditionally slow month on Broadway.

Some financial figures were unclear in an article in yesterday's Today section on the expected closing of the Broadway musical "Triumph of Love." The show needed $290,000 of the potential weekly $518,500 net box office receipts to break even.Pub Date: 12/20/97

NEW YORK -- Even in the throng gathered outside Broadway's Royale Theatre for Thursday night's opening of "Triumph of Love," producer Margo Lion stood out.Celebrities ranging from Parker Posey to Robin Leach caught the glare of the paparazzi's strobes. But decked out in a beaded ball gown with a voluminous blue satin skirt -- an outfit that proved good luck with her first major Broadway hit, "Jelly's Last Jam" -- Lion caused at least a few tongues to wag."Oh, my goodness, is she dressed to the teeth!"

NEW YORK -- To producer Margo Lion, Center Stage's "Triumph of Love" was a watercolor; Broadway's "Triumph of Love" is an oil painting.A number of technical changes have turned this $650,000 regional theater musical, currently in previews at the Royale Theatre, into a $3.5 million Broadway production that's bigger, bolder and brighter.To start with the set: At Center Stage last winter, and at the show's subsequent engagement at the Yale Repertory Theatre, theatergoers were greeted by an 18th-century formal garden maze, whimsically covered in bright-green terry cloth.

ClarificationSome financial figures were unclear in an article in yesterday's Today section on the expected closing of the Broadway musical "Triumph of Love." The show needed $290,000 of the potential weekly $518,500 net box office receipts to break even.Calling it "the greatest commercial disappointment" of her career, producer Margo Lion said yesterday that she was both sad and puzzled about the imminent closing of "Triumph of Love," the Broadway musical that originated at Center Stage.

The musical "Triumph of Love" opened on Broadway Oct. 23 to mostly glowing reviews. (The notable exception was the New York Times.) A nonmusical version of the show -- based on an 18th-century French comedy by Pierre Marivaux -- originated in 1993 at Center Stage, with a translation by the theater's resident dramaturg, James Magruder. Last winter Center Stage premiered the musical, which has a book by Magruder.A newcomer to Broadway, Magruder has documented his debut in a journal, which he calls, "If It Ain't Broke, You're Not Looking Hard Enough," and which The Sun has been excerpting.