By James V. Ruocco
Thirty-four years after starring as lovestruck Alex Dillingham in the original 1989 West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated romantic musical "Aspects of Love," Michael Ball returns to the production, this time playing the older role of George, Alex's distinguished, wealthy uncle.
The musical, based on the 1955 novella of the same name, traces the romantic entanglements of both Dillingham's and their conflicted liaisons with stage actress Rose Vibert and Italian sculptor Giulietta Trapani over a period of 17 years ranging from 1947 to 1964.
The "aspects" of the show's title refers to the musical's many "forms of love" that take place during the course of the actual story including love between two consenting heterosexual couples, their romantic infatuations as married couples and a same-sex attraction between Rose and Giulietta.
The West End production, directed by Trevor Nunn, opened on April 17, 1989, at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London and ran for a total of 1,325 performances. It starred Ball as Alex Dillingham, Ann Crumb as Rose Vibert, Kevin Colson as George Dillingham and Kathleen Rowe McAllen as Giulietta Trapani. A Broadway production featuring the four original members of the London cast opened April 8, 1990, at New York's Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 377 performances.
" 'Aspects of Love' holds a very special place in my heart," says Ball. "I am absolutely delighted to revisit Andrew Lloyd Weber's glorious score in a reimagined chamber production on the West End.
"I am also happy to be collaborating again with the brilliant director Jonathan Kent who was so inspiring when we worked together on 'Sweeney Todd' back in 2012."
Joining Ball for the 2023 staging of "Aspects of Love" is Jamie Bogyo as Alex Dillingham, Laura Pitt-Pulford as Rose Vibert and Danielle de Niese as Giulietta Trapani. The role of Jenny, Rose's 18-year-old daughter with George Dillingham will be played by Anna Unwin. In the musical, young Jenny develops a crush on her handsome cousin Alex at the tender age of 13. Five years later, that crush becomes a romantic obsession.
Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart, "Aspects of Love" is told mainly through musical numbers that feature very little spoken dialogue.
The Tony Award-nominated score - lush, melodic, joyful, inspired - includes the iconic "Love Changes Everything," "Seeing Is Believing," "Anything But Lonely," "The First Thing That You Remember," "There Is More to Love" and "Hand Me the Wine and the Dice."
"I fell in love with Andrew Lloyd Webber's beautiful scores and melodies as a child," recalls de Niese. "And now, even more so with these gorgeous new orchestrations which are so rich and so romantic."
"Aspects of Love" will begin performances at the Lyric Theatre (29 Shaftsbury Avenue, London, UK) May 12, 2023, and run through November 11, 2023.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Ball will not perform on Monday nights beginning May 29, 2023.
Tickets are £30 to £173.
For reservations or more information, call 0330 333 3412.
website: lyric-theatre.co.uk
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