Napoleon

Recently Updated

Introduction to "Napoleon"

"Napoleon" premiered in London’s West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on October 13, 2000, following previews from September 30, and ran for 141 performances until February 25, 2001. With music by Timothy Williams and lyrics by Andrew Sabiston, the book was crafted by Sabiston, drawing inspiration from the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Directed by Francesca Zambello, it starred Paul Baker and Uwe Kröger alternating as Napoleon, with Anastasia Barzee as Joséphine. Produced by Duncan C. Weldon and Triumph Entertainment for £2.5 million, the musical debuted in Toronto in 1994 before its West End transfer. Featuring an operatic score with songs like "Sweet Victory Divine," its ambitious scope aimed to capture Napoleon’s rise and fall, though its five-month run reflected mixed reception, leaving a legacy as a grand but fleeting theatrical venture.

The Creative Team Behind the Show

Timothy Williams composed the lush, dramatic score, paired with Andrew Sabiston’s lyrics and book, weaving a narrative from Napoleon’s historical saga. Francesca Zambello, a seasoned opera director, helmed the production, with Jonathan Tunick’s orchestrations adding depth. Paul Baker and Uwe Kröger shared the titular role Baker’s intensity and Kröger’s flair alternating while Anastasia Barzee’s Joséphine brought vocal elegance. David Hersey’s lighting and Marie-Jeanne Lecca’s costumes evoked revolutionary France, with Michael Curry’s sets aiming for grandeur. Producers Duncan C. Weldon and Jerome Minskoff, alongside Toronto’s Marlene Smith, built on a 1994 Elgin Theatre debut. This team, blending Broadway polish with operatic ambition, crafted a spectacle that leaned heavily on its stars and score, though its complexity challenged West End tastes.

A Conqueror’s Rise and Ruin

In revolutionary France, Napoleon Bonaparte, a Corsican outsider, rises from artillery officer to Emperor, driven by ambition and love for Joséphine de Beauharnais ("On That First Night"). His military triumphs Italy, Egypt clash with personal turmoil as Joséphine’s infertility and infidelity strain their bond ("The Chance"). Crowned in 1804, he faces betrayal from allies like Talleyrand and the Russian campaign’s icy doom ("Sweet Victory Divine"). Joséphine’s death on Elba crushes him ("Joséphine’s Death"), sparking a desperate return at Waterloo, where defeat exiles him to St. Helena. Songs like "Only in Fantasy" and "Waterloo" frame his arc a meteoric ascent undone by hubris and heartbreak culminating in a reflective end as Talleyrand narrates his legacy, a tale of glory and loss amid war’s chaos.

Performance and Reception

Opening after a Dora-nominated Toronto run, "Napoleon" logged 141 West End performances, drawing over 70,000 attendees but closing early from a planned six-month stint. The Evening Standard praised its “sweeping” score and Barzee’s “lovely” Joséphine, yet The Guardian’s Michael Billington called it “ponderous,” critiquing a “clichéd” book Kröger’s stint earned mixed nods. Five tracks, including Baker and Barzee’s "Only in Fantasy," were recorded by First Night Records, charting modestly. Critics admired the ambition Variety lauded its “operatic verve” but many found its three-hour sprawl and dour tone out of step with "Mamma Mia!"’s froth. Audiences split: some cheered the pageantry, others drifted, its £2.5 million sinking amid a season favoring lighter hits, though its scale left a lingering echo.

Legacy in West End Theatre

"Napoleon"’s 141-show run pales beside "Les Misérables"’ thousands, yet its Dora nomination and 2015 NYMF revival praised as “thrilling” hint at cult appeal. Toronto’s 1994 debut ran 76 shows, while post-West End reworkings hit Seoul (2017, 104 performances) and Paris (2023), with Laurent Bàn’s French adaptation blending casts. Kröger’s "Sweet Victory Divine" joined cabaret staples, and a 2009 remastered cast album sustains its sound. No Oliviers or Tonys, but its global stagings over 250,000 attendees via Musical Theatre International keep it alive. Zambello’s vision and Williams’ score foreshadowed epic musicals like "Hamilton," though its West End fate marks it a noble misfire a grand conqueror’s tale too weighty for Theatreland’s mainstream, its legacy a niche footnote of ambition and operatic daring.