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 "The Betrayal of Nora Blake" is a comic musical thriller, set in 1944, about Nora, unjustly convicted of murder, who escapes from Sing Sing by impersonating her twin sister, Laura. She's missing six minutes of memory, so she visits her old psychoanalyst in an effort to recapture them. Her story, told to the doctor, shows us both sisters were involved with the same man in a sexual intrigue that led to his death. Along the way we see the twins open a fashion boutique - Gemini Fashions - whose glamorous clothes (due to the wartime shortages) are all constructed of fishnet and chickenbones. The score is an affectionate tribute to the great Hollywood composers like David Raksin ("Laura") and the entire show is a loving send-up of those 1940s black-&-white melodramas that starred Joan Crawford, Bette Davis or Olivia DeHavilland. This show was produced at London's Jermyn Street theatre to great critical acclaim. |
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NORA'S
RAVES
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| From
Britain: "Steve Martin once had great fun with the conventions of film noir -all dames and double crosses- in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. John Meyer's compact musical covers similar territory with no less exuberant results. The songs slip by at a brisk pace. Meyer has immersed himself in the music of vintage film composers such as David Raksin, and there is a wry touch to lyrics built around such improbable terms as 'amniotic fluid' ". Clive Davis, The Times of London "The
book, music and lyrics are by John Meyer, and he has done a good job in
all departments. The plot is a sharp parody, featuring a pair of rival
twin sisters, a shared man, a murder, and the electric chair. It contains
songs which soar. It also contains surprising, extravagant, explosive
rhymes and lines". "A wonderful
addition to that long tradition of musical mockeries, shows like "Dames
at Sea" and "Little Mary Sunshine" that managed simultaneously
to celebrate and parody certain genres of old Hollywood movies. Meyer
has come up with a masterly parody of all that and more, a score that
harks back to Miklos Rosza and Franz Waxman. An amazingly nimble production.
This show clearly has a strong future off-Broadway, but having opened
over here first for a change, I just hope it stays around long enough
to catch the rest of us old movie freaks". "Superbly
executed. The book, music and lyrics are by John Meyer (where has he been
all this time?) may be a small-scale giant parody, but the detail is superb.
The result is just deliciously funny. Spoil yourself and book immediately". "Best
Musical and Funniest night of the Year Award…the frankly insane film-noir
pastiche The Betrayal of Nora Blake . The opening number, courtesy of
the movie Laura From
Florida: "Best
musical of the Florida season" |
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