Metropolis

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Introduction to "Metropolis"

"Metropolis" premiered in London’s West End at the Piccadilly Theatre on March 8, 1989, running for approximately 213 performances until November 4, 1989. With music by Joe Brooks and lyrics by Dusty Hughes and Brooks, this musical adapts Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent sci-fi film. Directed by Jérôme Savary, it starred Judy Kuhn as Maria, Brian Blessed as John Freeman, and Graham Bickley as Steven. Produced by Michael White with a £2 million budget, its towering Ralph Koltai sets and bombastic score aimed to dazzle, marking Kuhn’s London debut. Revived in 2017 at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, its tale of a futuristic city’s class divide echoed in songs like "Hold Back the Night" earned it cult status despite a rocky initial run, blending spectacle with a prescient warning of industrial tyranny.

The Creative Team Behind the Show

Joe Brooks composed the soaring, operatic score and co-wrote lyrics with Dusty Hughes, whose book shaped Lang’s vision into a theatrical epic later refined with Randy Bowser by 2002. Jérôme Savary, a French theatrical maverick, directed with flair, while Ralph Koltai’s monumental sets pistons, cogs, and lifts stole the spotlight. Judy Kuhn brought vocal grace to Maria, Brian Blessed roared as the tyrannical John Freeman, and Graham Bickley shone as Steven, with Jonathan Adams as Jeremiah and Stifyn Parri as George adding depth. Producer Michael White, known for "The Rocky Horror Show," bankrolled the lavish gamble, with David Hersey’s lighting amplifying its dystopian sheen. This team’s bold fusion of filmic roots and stagecraft crafted a polarizing gem that stumbled commercially but lingered in memory.

A Dystopian City’s Collapse

In 2026, Metropolis, the last city on Earth, thrives on enslaved workers toiling underground, powering the elite’s skyscrapers. John Freeman, the city’s ruler, plots to replace them with robots, led by Futura, while his son Steven rebels, yearning for justice. Maria, a teacher to the workers’ children, meets Steven after escaping with her charges to the surface ("One of Those Nights"). Their love ignites a revolt workers sabotage machines after Jade’s death in the cogs while Freeman’s grief over Futura’s chaos drives him to detonate the control room, dying with Jeremiah. Songs like "The Machines Are Beautiful" and "This Is the Vision We’re Forbidden" fuel the uprising, ending with Steven and Maria leading survivors into daylight as Metropolis crumbles a stark fable of class war and redemption.

Performance and Reception

Opening with high stakes, "Metropolis" ran 213 shows six months far shy of its blockbuster peers, closing amid financial strain despite Koltai’s “astonishing” sets (The Times). Critics split: The Guardian’s Michael Billington called it “glum” and “overblown,” while The Stage praised Kuhn’s “luminous” Maria and Brooks’ “enthralling” music. Audiences marveled at the spectacle dry ice, pistons, and a 40-strong cast yet many found its sung-through heft and dour tone alienating, with Variety noting it a “poor cousin” to "Les Misérables." Kuhn’s exit for Mary Lincoln mid-run stirred buzz, but the £2 million venture lost steam against "Phantom"’s dazzle. A 1989 cast recording and 2022 YouTube pro-shot preserved its grandeur, earning a loyal following despite its West End fade.

Legacy in West End Theatre

"Metropolis"’ 213 performances and 1989 run pale beside "Cats"’ 8,949, yet its cult allure endures no awards, but a 2002 Oregon redo and 2017 London fringe revival at Ye Olde Rose and Crown (five stars, WhatsOnStage) signal staying power. Born from Lang’s film, its £2 million flop rivaling "Leonardo"’s infamy contrasts its global reach: Japan, Germany, and amateur stagings thrive via Josef Weinberger Ltd. Judy Kuhn’s debut launched her UK fame, while Brooks’ ballads like "Hold Back the Night" linger in cabaret circles. A 1989 Piccadilly spectacle dwarfed by giants, it’s a West End oddity too eccentric for mass love, yet its dystopian echo and staging daring keep it a theatrical relic, ripe for rediscovery in sci-fi’s ongoing renaissance.