It had to happen I guess...

Next month sees the premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in California of BONNIE AND CLYDE: THE MUSICAL!
Yes. The musical.

True, there is no reason why there shouldn't be a musical of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.
But then again there is no reason why there should be one. What can be expressed through song that we don't already know about them?

Stark Sands - great name - and Laura Osnes will be playing the thieves who set Depression headlines aflame during a two year campaign of small town robberies.



The score is by Frank Wildhorn whose shows have never made it over here but they include THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, CARMEN, JEKYLL & HYDE, THE CIVIL WAR and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. No... not the most original composer ever. The lyrics are by Don Black so expect something along the lines of "He asked me for a bun / I said no so he showed me his gun".

Oddly enough I watched the 1967 film again on DVD and despite it's grating hip 1960s sensibilities it still holds up well as a landmark film.

By the way Constant Reader, did you know that it was the first X film I ever saw? It was re-released in 1973 and as I was smitten by Gene Hackman after THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE I had to see it come Hell or high water - no pun intended.

So I dressed up in my brother's jacket and my platform shoes - don't ask - and went to the ABC Hammersmith (long-since pulled-down) and sinking my natural soprano down to basso profundo asked for a ticket. Of course the dear old ABC staff would probably have let a babe in arms in as long as it paid cold hard cash so I was in! It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life - waiting to be tapped on the shoulder at any moment!

The interesting thing about the BONNIE AND CLYDE dvd is that it also includes a US TV documentary about the couple which tells the real story of their less-than-dazzling career - and also shows how the screenwriters didn't let a little thing like facts get in their way!