Martin Guerre: Cast Recordings (1996-1999)

By the early 1990s, Cameron Mackintosh had produced four of some of the biggest musicals of the twentieth century: "Cats", "Les Misérables", "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Miss Saigon". "Cats" surpassed "A Chorus Line" to become the longest running musical in Broadway history. "Cats" was surpassed by "Phantom" which up until early 2020 was still playing in its original production on both sides of the Atlantic. During that time, three productions of "Les Mis" had opened and closed on Broadway, with two productions of "Miss Saigon".

As "Les Mis" drew towards its tenth anniversary, since it first opened at the Barbican Theatre in October 1985, Boublil and Schönberg were preparing their next musical "Martin Guerre". It was based on the real life account of something that had happened in a French village in the sixteenth century. A man named Arnaud du Tilh had been accused of impersonating another man named Martin Guerre who had left the village a number of years before that, after he was accused of stealing grain from his father. He was revealed to be an impostor when the real Martin Guerre turned up at the trial, and Arnaud was executed. Martin's wife and son had been living with the impostor version for the past three years.

To me, this is a fascinating premise for a musical, or a story in general. I would love to see something like "Cast Away" or the Hitchcock classic "Vertigo" being transformed into a musical, with a score that would feel like a romantic musical or through sung opera. Not that it would sound derivative of Andrew Lloyd Webber or B&S, but something with that emotional intensity and theatrical power. With that said, you can see why "Martin Guerre" would appeal to me and why I would get more out of it than other audiences who had struggled with it, because you see it never really caught on.

The first version of "Martin Guerre" produced by Cameron Mackintosh with lyrics by Edward Hardy and additional lyrics from "Les Mis" collaborator Herbert Kretzmer opened at the Prince Edward Theatre, London in July 1996. Directing this time was Declan Donnellan with choreography from Bob Avian. Following the reviews, the creatives started to try and address the problems with the script, bringing in an additional lyricist Stephen Clark. The re-launched version in November 1996 was successful enough critically that it went on to win an Olivier Award for Best Musical and Best Choreography in 1997. By February 1998 however, the show had closed.

It had to have been disheartening, but it happens to the best of them. With Sondheim, it was "Anyone Can Whistle" and then "Merrily We Roll Along". Andrew had composed the infamous "Jeeves" as his follow-up to "Jesus Christ Superstar". Even Rodgers and Hammerstein had faltered on "Pipe Dream", working to a story by John Steinbeck. For B&S and Cameron, it had been this musical, but they were determined to keep trying.

A re-conceived version opened in December 1998 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds in a co-production with Cameron. When I say re-conceived, it feels like it was almost a completely original musical, based on my experience with the 1999 cast recording. I've only heard it twice so far, but I don't think I’ve ever come across a musical---this major anyway---that has been so radically altered.

Again, I have never seen a production of "Martin Guerre". I'm not sure when I ever will. After the Leeds production, the musical went on tour aiming for a Broadway opening which never happened. A revival emerged in 2007 at the Watermill Theatre near Newbury, England, in what I understand was a very good version directed by Craig Revel Horwood. Much of the material had reverted to what had been performed in London when the show was relaunched. At that point, you might have thought they'd have taken it forward and released the stage rights or something, but it never happened. A few years later there was talk of another revival, with Cameron bringing it to London again, but it never worked out. The last I heard was that Boublil and Schönberg were having thoughts about developing it as an opera.

Since I'm judging by what are two very different recordings, neither which probably contains the full version of the score or libretto, this is going to make this task difficult. It's worth it though, because of what a fascinating premise and a brilliant score I think this is. I really want to write about it.

The Original London Cast (1996) --- this represents the relaunched London version from November 1996 (thanks Playbill because uncle Wiki couldn't really help me here). I was lucky enough to grab the Australian issue from Festival Records and just devoured it, having heard bits of the music before. I was stunned. The emotion, classic B&S of course, the orchestrations, the vocals, everything was stunning. What it wasn't however, besides a few important exceptions, was hummable the way "Les Mis" or "Miss Saigon" had been hummable.

When I say exceptions there, there are some really great ones like "Working on the Land", the title song, "Here Comes the Morning", and seriously one of the coolest songs I have ever heard from a musical called "The Imposters". That tune! I only have to think about it sometimes and I start humming it. In another time and place, it would have been a song from "Les Mis" sung by the student revolutionaries, which would have been amazing. This alone is worth the album, but on the whole there's just not enough of that.

If you're happy to stick with just "Les Mis" and "Miss Saigon", I say do that, but personally I think you're missing out on some great stuff as well, like the moment I didn't mention at the end, "The Land of the Fathers".

The 1999 Cast Recording (1999) --- this is the version that represents what opened at the West Yorkshire Playhouse I believe. From the beginning, you can tell this is radically different, again almost like a new musical, but what it adds is amazing. "Live with Somebody You Love" is my personal favourite of the new material and one of my favourite B&S moments in general now. It was retained for the 2007 Watermill revival and I can see why.

Unfortunately by the end of it, given how much has changed, you're left wondering how someone could put all of this together into some kind of ultimate version that would satisfy everyone, but thinking about that exhausts me. It's a pity, but as they say that's show business sometimes, but who knows? Maybe they will be able to complete it someday.

If I had to pick which version I would love to see onstage, material wise anyway, I'm really interested in that 2007 revival. I would love to see that. As it is, the premise, the religious battle between the Catholics and the Protestants going on in the background, the soaring inspirational score, have left a powerful enough impression on me that I look forward to many future listens.

So that brings me to the end of the review. Will I be looking at the next B&S musical "The Pirate Queen"? What about "Marguerite" and "La Revolution Française"? Sure, if finding those albums don't turn out to be a musical white whale. Oh and by the way, Cameron once worked on a musical "Moby Dick" in the 90s.

Thank you for reading,

Ryan.