One Touch of Venus Will "Speak Low" at the Boston Conservatory | Playbill

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News One Touch of Venus Will "Speak Low" at the Boston Conservatory Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash's rarely seen 1943 musical One Touch of Venus, about a window dresser who brings the goddess of love to life with a kiss, will be staged by the students of the Boston Conservatory in March.

Featuring a book by S.J. Perelman and Nash, One Touch of Venus includes the Weill standards "Speak Low," "Stranger Here Myself" and "That's Him," as well as "West Wind" and "Foolish Heart." The original Broadway production famously starred Mary Martin in the title role.

Stacey Stephens will stage the romantic, libidinous musical that will run March 3-6 in the Boston Conservatory Theater. Michelle Chassé will choreograph with music direction by Steven Ladd Jones. Peter Mansfield will conduct. The production is funded in part by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc.

"The show is about transformation, not only that of Venus coming to life but the affect she has on the city and those she encounters," Stephens said in a statement. "The design of the show will reflect that transformation as well. The stage will be set with the skyline of drab, wartime New York City. The costumes will have that same ‘colorless’ feel. As Venus affects change, the city and inhabitants will come to life in full color. It is the drabness of suburban life that sends Venus back to original state, leaving the city and those she encountered forever changed."

Here's how the Conservatory bills the musical: "A curator unearths a long-lost statue of Venus of Anatolia and is thrilled to display her in his New York museum. However, a naive young barber unwittingly brings the statue to life and the comic confusion runs rampant."

The cast will include Carolyn Miller as Venus and Edward Tolve as Rodney Hatch, the amorous window dresser. The cast will also feature Shayne Kennon, Margaret Lamb, Grant Wallace, Stephen Markarian, Meryn Beckett, Hayley Lovgren, Emily Smith, Jonathan Stevens, Sean Jones, Bradley Gibson, Jack Scott, Grace Hardin, Diego Klock-Perez, Pim van Amerongen, Laura Graczyk, Kathleen LaMagna, Shoba Narayanan and Courtney Arango. Elia Kazan staged the original Broadway production of One Touch of Venus, which featured choreography by Agnes DeMille. The musical opened at the Imperial Theatre on Oct. 7, 1943, and ran for 567 performances. Marlene Dietrich famously exited the musical during rehearsals due to the racy nature of the subject matter.

For tickets phone (617) 912-9222 or visit BostonConservatory.ticketforce.

 
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