Show History

History

Inspiration

Cyrano, with book and lyrics by Anthony Burgess and music by Michael J. Lewis, is based on the 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac, written by Edmond Rostand.  In the late 1960s, Burgess, most notably known as the author of the novel, A Clockwork Orange, had translated the play out of French for a production at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.  The director of the production, Michael Langham, suggested that Burgess adapt his version of the play for the musical stage.  He enlisted the help of Lewis, a film composer, replacing the majority of the original dialogue with musical numbers.  The Guthrie was then the first venue to put up this new version of the classic French love story.

Productions

After a tryout run at the Colonial Theatre in Boston, Cyrano opened on May 13, 1973, at the Palace Theatre on Broadway.  The production ran for 49 performances, and included performances from Christopher Plummer, Mark Lamos and Tovah Feldshuh in her Broadway debut.  The musical was abridged almost twenty years later in September 1994, when it made its West Coast premiere at the Newport Arts Center in Orange County, California.

Cultural Influence

The Broadway production of Cyrano served as the debut for actress, Tovah Feldshuh.  Feldshuh would go on to win multiple awards for her work in shows like Yentl and Golda's Balcony.

The song, "You Have Made Me Love," was released on an album of Broadway standards from actress, Deirdre McGill, who played the role of Roxana in the West Coast production.