Wonderful Town, starring Connie Fisher

Braham Murray OBE, Director

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Sir Mark Elder, Braham Murray, Robert Robson, and Kenny Wax reflect on the genesis of this unique collaboration, and of ambitions achieved.

Braham Murray, The Royal Exchange Theatre

The Royal Exchange has always wanted to collaborate with The Hallé on a grand scale and it doesn’t come much grander than this. It was Mark’s idea. I didn’t know Wonderful Town. I fell in love with it. The music is marvellously inventive, the script is brilliantly funny, the whole a zany celebration of New York. To have The Hallé Orchestra in its entirety is the stuff that dreams are made of and to work with Mark, one of the worlds greatest conductors, is ridiculously exciting.

Sir Mark Elder, The Hallé

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 01:09:13 +0000

Sir Mark Elder, Braham Murray, Robert Robson, and Kenny Wax reflect on the genesis of this unique collaboration, and of ambitions achieved.

Sir Mark Elder, The Hallé

I first came across this extraordinary piece of theatre in 1999. Simon Rattle conducted a performance of Wonderful Town as part of that year’s Prom season in the Albert Hall, with Kim Criswell singing Ruth. It was extraordinary. The jazzy energy, the sumptuous melodies, it all just carried the audience away. Bernstein at his best is very good, and Wonderful Town is very good Bernstein. The atmosphere that Simon and the music generated was electric, and I think that this must have been the only time a Prom has prompted a Conga round the Albert Hall! I had the chance to see the show fully staged in New York in 2004, with Brooke Shields. It was a great production, running I think for nearly 500 performances – no mean feat on Broadway! When I moved to Manchester in 2000, The Lowry was just about to open. Ever since first seeing the Lyric Theatre I have harboured an ambition to put our wonderful orchestra in that pit. The opportunity to do so as part of a production of such a great show – with the skill and talents of Braham and his team at the Royal Exchange – really is an ambition achieved.

Featuring Connie Fisher

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:19:24 +0000

Wonderful Town features the wonderful Connie Fisher

Kenny Wax, Producer

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:16:33 +0000

Sir Mark Elder, Braham Murray, Robert Robson, and Kenny Wax reflect on the genesis of this unique collaboration, and of ambitions achieved.

Kenny Wax, Producer

A couple of years ago I was looking for a new project. I remembered very fondly enjoying a hilarious and madcap production of The Three Musketeers back in 1979 which Braham directed and co-wrote with Derek Griffiths at the Royal Exchange. It starred Robert Lindsay as a dashing D’artagnan. I got in touch with Braham – we spoke a couple of times on the phone. Nothing came of it. A few months later the phone rang out of the blue. Braham talked me through his plans for Wonderful Town – he needed a commercial producer – someone with the experience to extend the life of the project beyond its two week run at The Lowry. You don’t build a reputation like he has at the Royal Exchange without being able to ‘sell’ – and I was sold.

The Hallé Orchestra with Sir Mark Elder

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:38:27 +0000

Wonderful Town features Hallé Orchestra under the instruction of Sir Mark Elder.

Robert Robson, The Lowry

admin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:46:51 +0000

Sir Mark Elder, Braham Murray, Robert Robson, and Kenny Wax reflect on the genesis of this unique collaboration, and of ambitions achieved.

Robert Robson, The Lowry

I remember sitting at the Manchester Evening News theatre awards ceremony a few
years ago, recognising that ourselves and the Royal Exchange were winning a lot of
the awards. Given the success of both organisations, it occurred to me that perhaps
we should get together on a piece of theatre in some way. So we approached the Royal
Exchange about collaborating in principle but there was nothing around at the time. Then
when Braham was approached by Mark Elder about Wonderful Town he remembered
our conversation and came back to us to discuss. We’re absolutely delighted to be a
partner of this unique and exciting project with the three major arts organisations in the
North West.