Gigi
Original Broadway Poster
Music	Frederick Loewe
Lyrics	Alan Jay Lerner
Book	Alan Jay Lerner
Basis	Novel byColette
Premiere	May 15, 1973:Curran Theatre,San Francisco
Productions	1973Broadway 1985West End 2015Kennedy Center 2015Broadway Revival
Awards	Tony Award for Best Score

Gigi is amusical with a book and lyrics byAlan Jay Lerner and music byFrederick Loewe. It is based on the 1944 novellaGigi byColette and1958 hit musical film of the same name. The story concerns Gigi, a free-spirited teenaged girl living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. She is being groomed as acourtesan in her family's tradition. Before she is deemed ready for her social debut, she encounters thebon vivantbachelor Gaston Lachaille, whom she captivates as she is transformed into a charmingly poised young lady.

The originalBroadway production, produced byEdwin Lester in 1973, ran for a disappointing 103 performances but won theTony Award for Best Score. AWest End production played in 1985.

A new production of the musical starringVanessa Hudgens, adapted byHeidi Thomas and directed byEric D. Schaeffer, premiered at theKennedy Center (Washington, DC) in January 2015, and ran on Broadway^[1] from April 8 to June 21, 2015 at theNeil Simon Theatre.

Gigi originated as a 1945 novella byColette, which was adapted for the screen withDanièle Delorme in 1948. In 1951Anita Loos adapted the novel for the stage, and theBroadway production ofGigi starredAudrey Hepburn in her first major role.^[2]

Seven years later, whileMy Fair Lady was inPhiladelphia prior to its Broadway opening,Arthur Freed approached Lerner about afeature film musical adaptation. Although Loewe had vowed never to work in movies, he was charmed by the book and agreed to collaborate on the project. The 1958 film ofGigi proved to be a major critical and commercial success and the winner of nineAcademy Awards, including Best Picture.

Edwin Lester, founder of theLos Angeles Civic Light Opera, asked for a stage version of the filmGigi, and Lerner and Loewe then wrote the stage musical. They added four songs and a ballet for the stage adaptation.Gigi premiered at theCurran Theatre, San Francisco, on May 15, 1973, and then embarked on a six-month tour.^[3]

The musical opened on Broadway on November 13, 1973 at theUris Theatre,^[4] where it ran for 103 performances and seven previews. Directed by Joseph Hardy and choreographed byOnna White, the cast featuredKarin Wolfe as Gigi,Daniel Massey as Gaston,Maria Karnilova as Mamita,Agnes Moorehead as Aunt Alicia, andAlfred Drake as Honoré.Arlene Francis replaced the ailing Moorehead later in the run (Moorehead died of cancer on April 30, 1974). Anoriginal cast recording was released byRCA Victor.Louis Jourdan starred in a production that toured the United States in the mid 1980s, not in his original role as Gaston, but rather as Honoré.

TheWest End production opened on 17 September 1985 at theLyric Theatre, where it ran for seven months.^[5] The cast includedAmanda Waring as Gigi andGeoffrey Burridge as Gaston, withBeryl Reid as Mamita,Siân Phillips as Aunt Alicia, andJean-Pierre Aumont as Honoré.^[6]

A London cast album was released by First Night Records.

A production of the musical, newly adapted byHeidi Thomas, directed byEric D. Schaeffer, and with choreography by Josh Bergasse, opened at theKennedy Center's Eisenhower Theatre, from January 16, 2015 to February 12, 2015.^[7]Vanessa Hudgens played the role of "Gigi".^[8]

On January 14, 2015, it was announced that the Kennedy Center production ofGigi would transfer to Broadway with a cast led by Vanessa Hudgens. The production began previews on March 19, 2015 at theNeil Simon Theatre and officially opened on April 8.^[9] It closed on June 21, 2015. The Show was lead produced by Jenna Segal with scenic design byDerek McLane, costume design byCatherine Zuber, lighting design byNatasha Katz, and sound design by Kai Harada.^[10] A national tour was also scheduled in the 2016–2017 season but was not produced, and was available for licensing fromTams-Witmark Music Library.^[11]

A Broadway cast album, produced and engineered by six-timeGrammy winnerFrank Filipetti, was released by DMI Records in June 2015.^[12]

Honoré Lachaille explains that in turn-of-the-20th-century Paris, marriage is not the only option. His nephew Gaston is a rich bon vivant, much like his uncle. But Gaston is bored with the high life and his series of mistresses. The one thing he truly enjoys is spending time with an old friend of his uncle, Madame Alvarez, whom he calls Mamita, and especially her granddaughter, the precocious, carefree Gilberte or "Gigi". Gaston's Uncle Honoré was involved romantically with Mamita, although advancing age has confused their recollections of the past.

Madame Alvarez sends Gigi to her Aunt Alicia's to learn to be a high-society courtesan in their family's tradition. Gigi is initially a very poor student, as she does not understand the reasons behind her education and finds Parisians' obsession with making love inexplicable. She does, however, enjoy spending time with Gaston, whom she treats as an older brother. Alicia is unhappy to discover that Gaston took Gigi and Madame Alvarez on holiday, as her sister had not consulted her. She insists that Gigi's education must increase dramatically if she is to catch a prize such as Gaston. Mamita is shocked, but sees the advantages it could bring Gigi and so goes along with the plan - though neither tells Gigi of their scheming. Gigi is miserable in her lessons, but puts up with them as a necessary evil, though she still seems awkward and bumbling to her perfectionist aunt.

Gaston visits and is shocked to see Gigi in an alluring white gown. He tells her she looks ridiculous and storms out, but returns later and apologizes, offering to make it up by taking her to dinner. Mamita refuses, telling Gaston that, with his reputation, a young girl seen in his company might be labelled in such a way as could damage her future. Gaston is enraged again, storms out, and wanders the streets of Paris in a fury.

Gaston realises that he has fallen in love with Gigi. He returns to Mamita and strikes a business arrangement to take Gigi as his mistress, promising to provide the girl with luxury and kindness. He visits Gigi later, but she tells him she does not wish to become someone's mistress; she wants more for herself than to be passed between men, only desired until they grow tired of her and she is moved on to another. Gaston is horrified at this portrayal of the life he wishes to give her, and leaves stunned. Later, however, Gigi contacts him; when Gaston returns, Gigi says she would "rather be miserable with [him] than without [him]."

Later that night Gigi emerges from her room prepared to accept her fate and take up her role as Gaston's mistress. For the first time, she appears as a woman, not a young girl. Gaston is enchanted when he picks Gigi up to take her to dinner at Maxim's, a popular Paris restaurant. Gigi's awkwardness is gone and she seems perfectly at ease. Nevertheless, patrons' stares make Gaston uncomfortable as he realises Gigi's interpretation of things may have been accurate after all. He discovers that his love for her makes the idea of her as his mistress an unbearable one. Angered by Honoré's comments, Gaston leaves the party with Gigi in tow, taking her home without explanation. A weeping Gigi begs to know what she has done to offend him, but Gaston does not answer until he arrives at Mamita's and humbly asks for Gigi's hand in marriage.

• ​Gigi​ (1973 original) at theInternet Broadway Database
• ​Gigi​ (2015 revival) at theInternet Broadway Database
• Gigi on Broadway (2015 production)
• Gigi Production and Synopsis at Tams-Witmark
• Gigi at Ovrtur.com

• 1973 musicals
• Broadway musicals
• Works based on Gigi (novella)
• Musicals based on films
• Musicals based on novels
• Musicals by Frederick Loewe
• Musicals by Alan Jay Lerner
• Musicals set in Paris
• Tony Award–winning musicals

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