London Musicals 1970-1974.pub - Over The Footlights

BILLYLondon run: Drury Lane, May 1 st (904 Performances)Music: John BarryLyrics: Don BlackBook: Dick Clement & Ian La FrenaisDirector: Patrick GarlandChoreographer: Oona WhiteMusical Director: Alfred RalstonProducer: H. M. Tennent LtdCast: Michael Crawford (Billy), Avis Bunage (Alice Fisher),Bryan Pringle (Geoffrey Fisher), Betty Turner (Grandma), Billy Boyle (Arthur),Christopher Hancock (Mr Shadrack, Gay Soper (Barbara), Elaine Paige (Rita),Diana Quick (Liz)Songs: Ambrosia, Some of us Belong to the Stars, It Were All GreenHills, Is This Where I Wake Up?, The Lady from L.A., I Missed theLast Rainbow.Story: Based on the Keith Waterhouse novel and its subsequent playversion “Billy Liar” by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, this is thesaga of lying, day-dreaming Billy Fisher, an undertaker’s assistant,who yearns to break away from his drab, middle-class Yorkshirefamily and become a successful celebrity. In Billy’s dreams he iswafted to the land of Ambrosia where he becomes President,Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Captain of the AmbrosianWorld Cup football team. His other fantasies see him become bothGene Kelly and Fred Astaire in a great Hollywood film, and a rock-nrollsinging idol.Notes: The show was a success because of the highly popularperformance of Michael Crawford in the title role.Elaine Paige, Michael Crawford, Gay Soper197430Photo by Zoe DominicHAIR (1 st Revival)London run: Queen’s Theatre, June 25 th (Fixed season to September 28th—111 Performances)Music: Galt MacDermotLyrics & Book: Gerome Ragni and James RadoDirector: Tom O’HorganCredit UnknownCast: Demetrius Christopholus (Claude), Gary Hamilton (Berger), Derek James (Woof), Gary Afalo (Hud),Miquel Brown (Sheila), Patricia Hodge (Jeannie)Notes: This revival was mounted tocelebrate the 2,000 th performance whichhad been cancelled at the last momentwhen the original hugely successful runat the Shaftesbury Theatre came to asudden end when the theatre roof fell in.It was a fixed 3½ month run at theQueens with a hope for an eventualtransfer. However, it seemed its day hadpast, and no transfer followed. GaryHamilton in the role of Berger was theonly member of the cast from theoriginal production.The Revival Hair Cast