Coraline (musical)

Coraline is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephin Merritt and a book by David Greenspan. It is based on the 2002 novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman. The story follows Coraline Jones, a young girl who discovers a parallel world beyond a secret door in her new home. The world has everything Coraline dreams of, but hides an ominous secret.

Coraline
Off-Broadway promotional art
MusicStephin Merritt
LyricsStephin Merritt
BookDavid Greenspan
BasisCoraline by Neil Gaiman
PremiereJune 1, 2009
Productions2009 Off-Broadway
2011 San Francisco
2013 Edmonton, Canada
2014 Chicago
2015 Charlotte

Coraline premiered off-Broadway in June 2009, four months after the film adaptation's release.

Original Production

Coraline was commissioned in 2004[1] by St. Ann Warehouse in association with Meet the Composer Commissioning Music/USA.[2] The musical approached completion in 2008,[3] but was not premiered until the following year.

Coraline began previews on May 8, 2009 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. It premiered on June 1, 2009 and was originally scheduled to close on June 20. Due to popular demand, its run was extended first to July 5,[4] then July 7.[2] Coraline was produced by MCC Theater in association with True Love Productions.[5] It was the first musical to be produced by MCC Theater.[4]

The musical is "wildly unconventional",[2] according to world-premiere director Leigh Silverman. West-coast premiere director Bill English describes the music as "odd," with pieces ending in the middles of phrases.[6] The only instruments used in the musical are pianos, both traditional and toy varieties. The musical also calls for two prepared pianos.[7]

The original production's cast was similarly unconventional, with 55-year-old Jayne Houdyshell as nine-year-old Coraline and librettist David Greenspan as the Other Mother. The cast also featured Julian Fleisher as Cat, Francis Jue as Father and Miss Forcible, January LaVoy as Mother and Miss Spink, Elliot Vallar as Mr Bobo, and William Youmans as Other Father.[2]

Ghostlight Records released an original cast album in February 2010.[5]

Other Productions of Note

The West Coast premiere of Coraline played from November 16, 2010 to January 15, 2011 in San Francisco, produced by The SF Playhouse.[8] The Midwest premiere played from August 8, 2014 to September 6, 2014 in Chicago, produced by Black Button Eyes Productions.[9]

Coraline also premiered internationally in Canada during the Edmonton Fringe Festival, from August 15, 2013 to August 25, 2013. It was produced by Impossible Mongoose Productions.[10]

Casts
Role 2009 Off-Broadway World Premiere,

MCC Theater[2]

 2011 West Coast Premiere,

San Francisco Playhouse[8]

 Canadian Premiere, 2013

Edmonton Fringe[10]

 Chicago Premiere, 2014

City Lit Theater[9]

Coraline Jayne Houdyshell Maya Donato, Julia Blanoff Laena Anderson Sheridan Singleton
Mother January LaVoy Stacy Ross Rebecca Merkley Jennifer T. Grubb
Father Francis Jue Jackson Davis Adam Sanders Justin Kimrey
Miss Spink/Other Miss Spink January LaVoy Susi Damilano Rebecca Merkley Caitlin Jackson
Miss Forcible/Other Miss Forcible Francis Jue Maureen McVerry Adam Sanders Kevin Bishop
Mr Bobo Elliot Vallar Brian Degan Scott Oscar Derkx Jeff Bouthiette
Cat Julian Fleisher Brian Yates Barber Graham Mothersill Kevin Webb
Other Mother David Greenspan Stacy Ross Kayla Gorman Ryan Lanning
Other Father William Youmans Jackson Davis Darcy Robinson Justin Kimrey
Other Mr Bobo Elliot Vallar Brian Degan Scott Oscar Derkx Kevin Bishop
Ensemble Julian Fleisher,

Francis Jue,

January LaVoy,

Elliot Vallar,

William Youmans

 Brian Yates Barber,

Suso Damilano,

Jackson Davis,

Maureen McVerry,

Brian Degan Scott

Oscar Derkx,

Rebecca Merkley,

Darcy Robinson,

Adam Sanders

Jeff Bouthiette,

Jennifer T. Grubb,

Caitlin Jackson,

Justin Kimrey

Critical response

Many critics found the show lacked suspense and affect. Ben Brantley described the original off-Broadway production in The New York Times as "droll, dry, and very cerebral."[11] In subsequent runs, critics echoed such negative criticisms. Robert Hurwitt wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Greenspan's make-believe approach undercuts the tale's suspense."[12] Kerry Reid wrote in The Chicago Tribune, "There needs to be a greater sense of clammy danger...as the shadows fall over the world...Without it, we never quite identify with Coraline's growing maturity."[13]

Critics also found the quirky musical score and instrumentation too indistinct and unmemorable. Matthew Murray wrote in TalkingBroadway.com that the show lacks "musical necessity" and goes on to say, "It's not just that the songs give you nothing to take away, it's that they take in nothing to give you."[14] More generally, Toby Zinman wrote on BroadStreetReview.com that attendees may find "the songs were unmusical."[15]

While the show received generally negative-to-mixed reviews, critics remained supportive of its creative team. Noting the strength of Gaiman's novel, Greenspan's inventive theatrical work, and Merritt's quirky, esoteric musicianship, David Rooney wrote in Variety, "Whether or not the musical-theater crowd warms to this wildly unconventional piece, it succeeds fully in harnessing the essence of three distinctive talents."[16] Additionally, Stephen Merritt received the Obie Award for Design/Music for Coraline in 2010.[17]

References
  1. NewMusicBox Staff (2004-07-02). "Meet The Composer awards $200,000". NewMusicBox. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  2. Hernandez, Ernio (1 June 2009). "Merritt and Greenspan Musical Coraline Opens Off-Broadway June 1". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  3. Cromelin, Richard (2008-01-27). "He's trying to weather L.A. 69 love songs to 50 musicals". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  4. "New Musical Coraline Extends a Week Before Opening at MCC". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  5. Hernandez, Ernio (23 Feb 2010). "Original Off-Broadway Cast Album of Coraline Now Available". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  6. Behind the Scenes of Coraline on YouTube. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  7. Dean, Tanya (2013). ""Piano Guts and Other Mothers: Staging Fantasy in David Greenspan and Stephin Merritt's Musical Adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "Coraline"". Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 24. No. 2: 88 – via JSTOR.
  8. Coraline sfplayhouse.org
  9. Coraline coralinechicago.com
  10. "Shows" Archived 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine impossiblemongoose.wordpress.com
  11. Brantley, Ben (2009-06-01). "Better the Mother You Know than the Other One: THEATER REVIEW". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  12. Hurwitt, Robert (2010-11-22). "'Coraline' at SF Playhouse review". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  13. Reid, By Kerry. "REVIEW: 'Coraline' by Black Button Eyes Productions ★★​1⁄2". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  14. "Talkin' Broadway Off-Broadway - Coraline - 06/01/09". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  15. Zinman, Toby. "Coraline' off-Broadway". www.broadstreetreview.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  16. Rooney, David (2009-06-01). "Coraline". Variety. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  17. "10". Obie Awards. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
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