Can-Can
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Can-Can: A West End French Fling
"Can-Can" sashayed onto the West End stage at the Strand Theatre on October 26, 1988, running until March 25, 1989, for five months and 165 performances. Reviving Cole Porter’s 1953 Broadway musical, this David Taylor-directed production featured a revised book by Alec Stockwell and David Lampel, starring Donna McKechnie as Pistache and Bernard Alane as Aristide. With its saucy tale of 1890s Parisian nightlife and Porter’s timeless score, it earned mixed reviews but left a mark with a 1989 cast album. As of March 23, 2025, "Can-Can" remains a vibrant footnote in Theatreland’s dance with Broadway imports.
From Broadway to London
"Can-Can" debuted on Broadway in 1953, with Porter’s music and lyrics and Abe Burrows’ book, running 892 performances and winning two Tonys. Set in Paris, it drew from the city’s risqué dance halls, but its original success didn’t fully translate overseas. After a 1981 Broadway revival flopped, Taylor’s 1988 West End version—fresh from a Chichester tryout—reworked the script, leaning into farce over romance. Produced by Taylor and Brian Daniels, it aimed to charm London with its French zest, following a path trod by earlier Porter hits like Kiss Me, Kate.
A Dance of Love and Law
In 1893 Montmartre, La Môme Pistache, a café owner, defies a ban on the scandalous can-can dance, locking horns with Judge Aristide Forestier. Their clash turns to romance as Aristide, initially prudish, joins her world—only for chaos to erupt when critic Hilaire Jussac’s scathing review of dancer Claudine’s debut sparks a brawl. A courtroom showdown looms, but love and a can-can finale triumph. Porter’s classics—“I Love Paris,” “C’est Magnifique,” and “Can-Can”—lift the spirited tale, with new arrangements by Luther Henderson adding punch.
A West End Whirl
Opening with McKechnie’s Tony-winning flair and Alane’s Gallic charm, "Can-Can" dazzled with Ron Field’s choreography and David Chapman’s lush sets—think swirling skirts and Parisian rooftops. Critics split: The Guardian found it “pleasant but dated,” while The Times praised its “joie de vivre.” Janine Duvitski’s Claudine and Milo O’Shea’s Jussac added zest, but the reworked book drew flak for lacking depth. Still, its five-month run drew dance lovers, ending with a Gala Night album recording by First Night Records, preserving its fleeting strut.
A Lasting Kick
By March 23, 2025, "Can-Can"’s West End moment feels distant, overshadowed by glossier modern musicals. Its 1989 cast album—featuring McKechnie’s “I Am in Love” and the ensemble’s title track—keeps its spirit alive, though revivals are rare. A 2007 St. Louis staging and a 2014 Broadway tweak of Porter’s score show its staying power, but London hasn’t kicked up its heels since. A frothy blend of nostalgia and naughtiness, "Can-Can" remains a curio—proof the West End once danced to a French beat with unabashed glee.