The touring work from the Tony Award-winning director-choreographer of Swan Lake came stateside this fall after a London debut.
The original London company — which also toured the U.K. and Japan — reunites for the U.S. tour. Reprising the title role are Sam Archer and Richard Winsor at alternating performances.
San Francisco Chronicle theatre critic Robert Hurwitt gave the production high marks: "The feet fly faster than the topiary-snipping scissors-fingers of the artificial boy in Matthew Bourne's musical version of Edward Scissorhands. Not a word is spoken, but the story of the strangely endearing misfit, who tries and fails to find a home in suburban America, is as clear, offbeat and enchanting onstage as in the beloved Tim Burton film on which it's based."
The work was devised, directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, with new music and arrangements by Terry Davies (Play Without Words, The Car Man), including themes from the original motion picture score by Danny Elfman. The project is based on the motion picture by arrangement with 20th Century Fox (original story and motion picture directed by Tim Burton). The original screenplay, story and co-adaptation are by Caroline Thompson.
The dance musical is designed by Les Brotherston, with lighting by Howard Harrison, sound by Paul Groothuis. Edward Scissorhands is co-presented with Dance at the Music Center. The cast includes Scott Ambler, Sam Archer, Kerry Biggin, Madelaine Brennan, Ross Carpenter, Gareth Charlton, Andrew Corbett, Gavin Eden, Adam Galbraith, Sophia Dominique Hurdley, Steve Kirkham, Dena Lague, Rachel Lancaster, James Leece, Matthew Malthouse, Drew McOnie, Michela Meazza, Ebony Molina, Rachel Morrow, Etta Murfitt, Luke Murphy, Gemma Payne, Jake Samuels, Mikah Smillie, Mami Tomotani, Hannah Vassallo, Shaun Walters, Shelby Williams, Philip Willingham, Chloe Wilkinson and Richard Winsor.
Edward Scissorhands follows the story of a young man (played on film by Johnny Depp) created by an inventor who dies before finishing his work — leaving the man with scissors instead of hands. When a determined Avon lady (Dianne Wiest on film) discovers him in his castle, she attempts to bring him into her home. Before long, the community becomes involved, and Edward's hands become more trouble than they are cut out for. Vincent Price, Winona Ryder, Kathy Baker, Anthony Michael Hall and Alan Arkin also starred in the 1990 Tim Burton movie.
Billed as a "touching and witty gothic fairytale," the show hopes to be "a treat for the whole family."
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"Obviously, the first thing is to think theatrically about it rather than cinematically," Bourne previously explained to Playbill.com, about the first hurdle to overcome in adapting the film for the dance theatre piece. "You've got to find a theatrical language for it, theatrical ideas for it and then, of course, dance ideas as well. Was that possible? Could we find enough ways to make it work on stage?
"I think it's finding those parallels, but also [creating] surprises for people who do know the film, so that it's not just an experience where they sort of know what they're going to get. And telling a story to people who have not seen the film or don't have any knowledge of the film." (For more from Bourne, read Playbill.com's Brief Encounter.)
Tour dates (subject to change) include:
