Marguerite
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Introduction to "Marguerite"
"Marguerite" premiered in London’s West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on May 20, 2008, following previews from May 7, and ran for just 135 performances, closing prematurely on September 13, 2008 seven weeks ahead of its scheduled November 1 end. With music by Michel Legrand, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, and a book by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Jonathan Kent, this musical reimagines Alexandre Dumas’ "La Dame aux Camélias" in Nazi-occupied Paris. Directed by Kent, it starred Ruthie Henshall as Marguerite, Julian Ovenden as Armand, and Alexander Hanson as Otto. A £3 million venture from the "Les Misérables" team, its tale of love amid war faltered commercially despite critical intrigue, marking it as a bold but fleeting experiment in a West End favoring lighter fare.
The Creative Team Behind the Show
Michel Legrand composed the lush, evocative score, with Herbert Kretzmer’s lyrics adapted from Boublil’s French adding emotional heft, while Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Jonathan Kent co-wrote the book, shifting Dumas’ courtesan tale to 1940s France. Kent also directed, with Christopher Oram’s glass-and-mirrors set reflecting a fragile wartime world. Ruthie Henshall led as Marguerite, her vocal prowess shining, alongside Julian Ovenden’s ardent Armand and Alexander Hanson’s commanding Otto. Producers Arnold Crook and Nigel Everett bankrolled the ambitious staging, with William David Brohn’s orchestrations enhancing Legrand’s melodies. This heavyweight team fresh off global hits aimed for sophistication, but their serious tone clashed with Theatreland’s escapist pulse, sealing its fate.
A Tragic Love in Occupied Paris
In 1942 Paris, Marguerite, a 40-year-old former chanteuse and mistress to Nazi officer Otto, hosts a birthday party as war rages ("Let the World Turn"). A swing band Armand, his Resistance-linked sister Annette, and friends Lucien and Pierrot crashes the scene, sparking an instant connection when Armand plays her old hit "China Doll." An air raid leaves them alone, igniting a forbidden kiss and affair ("The Face I See"). As Armand’s Resistance ties deepen and Otto’s jealousy festers, Marguerite’s double life unravels Annette’s Jewish lover is deported, and Otto’s grip tightens. Songs like "Intoxication" and "Day by Day" chart her doom; she dies in Armand’s arms, a casualty of love and occupation, her sacrifice hauntingly unresolved.
Performance and Reception
Opening with high expectations, "Marguerite" drew mixed reviews Variety’s David Benedict called it “enjoyable” for Legrand’s “heartbreaking” score and Kent’s “slick” direction, but The Guardian’s Michael Billington found it “dramatically inert,” and The Sunday Times branded it “utter bilge.” Its 135-show run slashed from a planned six months saw Henshall’s “exquisite” Marguerite and Hanson’s “powerful” Otto praised, yet the “banal” lyrics and heavy plot lost audiences, with many exiting early on press night. A cast recording captured its haunting sound, but the £3 million production couldn’t recoup, closing amid a West End boom of frothier hits like "Mamma Mia!" Its ambition shone, but its gravitas proved a tough sell, earning niche admiration over mass appeal.
Legacy in West End Theatre
"Marguerite"’s 135 performances mark it as a West End misfire, its two Olivier nominations Best Supporting Actor (Hanson) and Set Design small consolation against "Les Misérables"’ longevity. A 2010 Czech overhaul in Ostrava, with a rewritten book by Boublil and new Legrand songs, won acclaim, and a 2012 Tabard Theatre hybrid revival hinted at potential, but no major London encore followed. Seen by over 50,000, its cast album endures for fans, with Henshall’s turn a highlight. Unlike "Phantom"’s soar, it’s a cautionary tale of high art clashing with commercial tides a sophisticated flop that dared to defy the West End’s glitz, leaving a legacy of what might have been in a theatre craving lighter escapes.