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Marie Antoinette is a stage musical with music by Sylvester Levay and book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, the authors of Elisabeth, Mozart! and Rebecca. The Libretto was written in English and then translated into Japanese. The premiere took place on November 1, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan at the Imperial Garden Theater. Tamiya Kuriyama directed the original production. After running in Tokyo, the show was performed in Fukuoka, Osaka before moving back to Tokyo from April 2007 through May 2007.

The German premiere took place on January 30, 2009 at the Musical Theater Bremen with Kuriyama directing once again.

Plot synopsis

Marie Antoinette tells the story of two parallel lives; that of the infamous Queen of France and that of Margrid Arnaud, a poor woman. Both are the same age, and both are pretty, but that's where the similarities end. While Margrid is roaming the streets of Paris in rags, Marie Antoinette dances and flirts at the Palais-Royal. The French Revolution changes all that. Margrid Arnaud rises and Marie Antoinette falls, and when the two women eventually meet two worlds collide and the drama unfolds. The musical uses the events of the French Revolution as a spectacular backdrop to the fate of the unhappy Queen. Margrid Arnaud personifies the nemesis of the monarchy, eventually leading to the extinction of Marie Antoinette and her world.

Background

In an interview on his website, Kunze said that producers had offered to stage the show in German and English-speaking countries, but said that he wanted to have the Kuriyama production all over the world. His previous musicals were adapted for the country they were played in. Kunze believes that the production MA is the best interpretation of one of his Libretti so far. He praised the director and the cast.

Since then a revised Version premiered in Seoul, South Korea.

Songs

These songs are included in the production and are on the cast recording, which was released in March 2006.

The cast recording also features three additional tracks:

• Blinded By A Thousand Candles
• The Voice in My Heart
• Money's Talking

References

1. Storyarchitekt - Marie Antoinette Retrieved on 2009 July 22
2. "'마리 앙투아네트'·'태양왕'... 2014년 佛 뮤지컬 쏟아진다" ['Marie Antoinette', 'The Sun King'... French musicals pouring in in 2014] (in Korean). Joy News 24. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Naver.
3. "Marie Antoinette Reborn". Blogspot. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2023.

External links

• The Author's (Michael Kunze's) Website (in German)

• 2006 musicals
• Biographical musicals
• Works about Marie Antoinette
• Musicals by Michael Kunze
• Musicals by Sylvester Levay
• Musicals set in Paris