King_of_hearts_(musical)

King of Hearts is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Jacob Brackman, and music by Peter Link. It is based on the 1966 anti-war cult film of the same name.

Set in the fictional French town of DuTemps in September 1918, shortly before the end of World War I, its protaganist is Private Johnny Perkins, whose mission is to defuse a bomb intended to destroy the entire village. All the local residents have fled, leaving behind only the cheerful inmates of the insane asylum, who happily take over the town and proclaim Johnny their King of Hearts. The show raises the question of who is more insane, the asylum\'s patients or those who wage war.

The Broadway production was directed and choreographed by Ron Field. After six previews, it opened on October 22, 1978 at the Minskoff Theatre and ran for 48 performances. The cast included Don Scardino as Johnny and Pamela Blair, Bob Gunton, and Millicent Martin in supporting roles.

New York City was in the midst of a three-month-long newspaper strike when the musical opened, and the lack of print reviews might have contributed to its quick demise. Of it, musical theatre historian Ken Mandelbaum recalls, "its score was only so-so; its theme (the insane are somehow "saner" than the sane) had a \'60s feel; and its cast was not particularly distinctive." [1]

Two recordings of the score have been released, one with the original Broadway cast [2] and another with the 1982 Los Angeles cast [3].

Song list

Awards and nominations

• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Millicent Martin, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Bob Gunton, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design (Patricia Zipprodt, winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design (Santo Loquasto, nominee)

External links

• Internet Broadway Database entry

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