| Diana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Music | David Bryan |
| Lyrics | David Bryan Joe DiPietro |
| Book | Joe DiPietro |
| Basis | The life ofDiana, Princess of Wales |
| Productions | 2019La Jolla Playhouse 2021Broadway 2023 London concert |
Diana is amusical with music and lyrics byDavid Bryan andJoe DiPietro, and a book by DiPietro, based on the life ofDiana, Princess of Wales.[1] A filmed performance was released onNetflix on 1 October 2021, to negative reviews.[2][3]
In 1980, 19 year oldLady Diana Spencer attends a party thrown byPrince Charles atBuckingham Palace and meetsCamilla Parker Bowles, Charles' mistress ("Underestimated"). Meanwhile,Queen Elizabeth II is looking for Charles to get married, and he brings up Diana as a possibility, although he has recently broken off a relationship with her older sisterSarah. The Queen encourages Charles to begin the courting process, as she believes Diana would be perfect for what the staff calls ("The Worst Job in England").
Charles sends Diana a necklace and invites her to a performance by cellistMstislav Rostropovich. There, she meets Camilla again and starts to become a lot more suspicious of her and her relationship with Charles. While the performance is going on, she imagines a more punk-rock version of the concert, more in line with her interests ("This Is How Your People Dance"). After the performance, as Camilla watches Charles and Diana leave, Camilla ponders that Diana is the people’s idea of a princess. ("That Is How You People Danced")
The press takes note of Diana's growing relationship with Charles and starts hounding her ("Snap, Click"). Charles is still unsure about marrying Diana, but the Queen tells him that he can keep his close relationship with Camilla while marrying Diana. Charles proposes to her, but tells Camilla he will break it off if that's what she wants. Camilla tells Charles to go ahead with the wedding, and he assures her he will be there for her. A nervous Diana moves in toBuckingham Palace ("Whatever Love Means Anyway"). Soon after, despite some reservations from Diana,she and Charles get married ("I Will"). Camilla's husbandAndrew, having affairs of his own, assures Camilla that they will make their own complicated marriage work ("I Will (Tag)").
Diana's first public appearance happens in Wales, and even though the townsfolk are skeptical at first, they, as well as the whole country, become enamored with Diana. Charles starts to become jealous of Diana's newfound fame ("The World Fell in Love"). Camilla tells Charles that Andrew has cut off all his other relations, hoping to reignite their own marriage, and Camilla breaks up the affair, saying she would be the most hated woman in England if she was found out. ("You Do Your Duty") Diana tells Charles that she is pregnant ("A Baby, Charles)" and soon after their sonWilliam is born. Diana walks in on Charles talking sweetly on the phone to Camilla, who he hasn't talked to in months. Camilla says that Andrew is being stationed more and more overseas. Diana is very hurt by Charles' lack of affection towards her and becomes depressed, even after having their second child,Harry. This culminates in her smashing a window with her hand ("Simply Breathe").
Sarah convinces Diana to fight back and do more with her power, so she decides to become more and more involved with charity, leading to even more popularity, especially after a surprise performance at the Royal Ballet Christmas Gala ("She Moves in the Most Modern Ways"). Charles is enraged at this and reminds Diana that her only achievement is marrying him ("The Rage"). Diana realises this might be the end of any hope of love in her marriage ("As I Love You"). Charles visits Camilla late at night and she says she still loves him and would like to continue their affair ("I Miss You Most on Sundays"). Diana decides to use the press and newfound popularity to get back at Charles and fight back against the norms of British society. Despite Charles' attempt to fight back, she succeeds and becomes more popular ("A Pretty, Pretty Girl").
Barbara Cartland, novelist and Diana's step-grandmother, introduces the audience toJames Hewitt, a war hero who has recently come home. He and Diana begin their own affair ("Here Comes James Hewitt"). Barbara notes that the two affairs between Diana and James as well as Charles and Camilla are filled with more love and happiness than Charles and Diana's marriage ("Him and Her and Him and Her"). Diana tries to talk to Charles, but he wants to "(Just Dance)". Charles' valet Colin lets him know of Diana and James' relationship, but he decides to let it go as he is happy with Camilla.
Despite Charles’ worries, Diana goes to a clinic for AIDS patients and bonds with the men there ("Secrets and Lies"). Soon after, Diana learns from Sarah that Charles and Camilla go out almost every night with their friends, and Diana decides to crash a party for Camilla's sister. At the party, their friends, usually bored by Charles, are excited that they get to witness ("The Main Event") which leads to a confrontation between Diana, Camilla, and Charles. On the car ride home, Charles reveals he knows about Diana's relationship with James, which he says he doesn't care about and that the boys will be fine as long as they both love them ("Whatever Love Means Anyway (Reprise)"). Diana is excited to tell James, but he reveals that he has been stationed in Germany and will be there for two years. ("I Do My Duty") Diana, suspecting Charles, vows to get revenge ("Pretty, Pretty Girl (Reprise)"). The press increasingly hounds Charles about his failing marriage ("Snap, Click (Reprise)"). Diana contactsAndrew Morton, a writer who is writing a book on her, and agrees to give anonymous quotes to him, bashing Charles, Camilla, and the monarchy. The book is published and is the talk of the country ("The Words Came Pouring Out").
Charles tries to get the Queen to meet Camilla, but she refuses. Charles decides to go on TV, tell the truth about his affair, and try to win back some favour from the public ("I Miss You Most on Sundays (Reprise)"). Diana learns about the interview fromPaul, her butler and friend, who comes up with the idea that she draw attention away from it by wearinga "F-You" Dress ("The Dress"). As the Palace Staff laments, ("Staff Quartet") The Queen agrees to a divorce between Diana and Charles. She laments that it didn't work out while reflecting on her own marriage ("An Officer's Wife"), and tells Diana "don't be foolish". Diana is excited to start a new life with her boys, butit is tragically cut short by a car accident. Charles and the company tell the audience that "the people who will change the world are not the ones you think will change the world." ("If (Light of the World)")
Source:[4]
|
|
|
|
† Not featured on the cast recording
| Character | San Diego[4] | Broadway | London |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2021 | 2023 | |
| Princess Diana | Jeanna de Waal | Kerry Ellis | |
| Camilla Parker Bowles | Erin Davie | Alice Fearn | |
| Prince Charles | Roe Hartrampf | Andy Coxon | |
| Queen Elizabeth II /Barbara Cartland | Judy Kaye | Denise Welch | |
| Sarah Spencer | Holly Ann Butler | Aleyna Mohanraj | |
| Paul Burrell | Bruce Dow | Anthony Murphy | n/a |
| James Hewitt | Gareth Keegan | Jay Perry | |
| Andrew Morton | Nathan Lucrezio | n/a | |
| Andrew Parker Bowles | n/a | Zach Adkins | n/a |
| Colin | Jamen Nanthakumar | André Jordan | n/a |
| Graham | Evan Duff | Chris Medlin | n/a |
| Johnnie Spencer | Eric Coles | n/a | |
| Young Diana | Lauren Livia Muehl | n/a | Maiya Quansah-Breed |
Previews forDiana began on 19 February 2019, at theLa Jolla Playhouse. The world premiere ofDiana opened the following month on 3 March. The limited run was extended twice and closed on 14 April 2019.[1] The production was directed byChristopher Ashley with choreography byKelly Devine. Costumes were designed byWilliam Ivey Long and Nic Rackow, Scenic design was designed byDavid Zinn, Lighting was designed byNatasha Katz, and Sound was designed byGareth Owen. The production's orchestrations were composed byJohn Clancy.[5]
Following the La Jolla production, the producers continued workshopping the musical.[6] The production was eventually picked up and began previews at theLongacre Theatre onBroadway on 2 March 2020[7] with the same directing team.[8]
The show was planned to open on 31 March 2020, but on 12 March the show suspended production due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. On 30 March 2021, it was announced the show would resume previews on 1 December, with an official opening set for 16 December. On 14 May 2021, it was announced that previews would begin on 2 November, with an opening night set for 17 November, nearly a month earlier than initially announced.The New York Times reported that the show played to 51 percent capacity and grossed $374,000 in the week ending 12 December 2021.[9] The show closed on 19 December after a total of 33 performances and 16 previews.[10]
As of 11 January 2023, the show is now available for licensing throughBroadway Licensing for both professional regional and amateur productions.
On 14 June 2023, a concert version of the musical was announced to premiere in London, at theEventim Apollo, on 4 December 2023. The concert starredMaiya Quansah-Breed as 19-year-old Diana Spencer andKerry Ellis playing an older Princess Diana, reflecting back on her life. Guest starring as Queen Elizabeth was British actressDenise Welch.[11]
The La Jolla production received mostly negative reviews from critics.[12] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 12% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Diana done dirty."[13]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 29 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[14]
Charles McNulty of theLos Angeles Times wrote: "The score is actually closer to commercial Broadway in the early aughts, an even more dated style to my ear."[15]The Guardian gave the Netflix recording a one-star review, stating "If it was deliberate satire it would be genius, but it’s not."[16]
Jesse Green, chief theater critic forThe New York Times, negatively reviewed the production atBroadway'sLongacre Theatre, deeming it tawdry and exploitative, and writing, "if you care about Diana as a human being, or dignity as a concept, you will find this treatment of her life both aesthetically and morally mortifying."[17]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Picture | David Bryan,Joe DiPietro, andFrank Marshall | Won | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Worst Director | Christopher Ashley | Won | |||
| Worst Actor | Roe Hartrampf | Nominated | |||
| Worst Actress | Jeanna de Waal | Won | |||
| Worst Supporting Actor | Gareth Keegan | Nominated | |||
| Worst Supporting Actress | Erin Davie | Nominated | |||
| Judy Kaye | Won | ||||
| Worst Screenplay | Joe DiPietro (book & lyrics) andDavid Bryan (music & lyrics) | Won | |||
| Worst Screen Combo | Any klutzy cast member & any lamely lyricized (or choreographed) musical number | Nominated | |||
| Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | William Ivey Long | Nominated | [22] | |
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Jeanna de Waal | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Natasha Katz | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Wig and Hair Design | Paul Huntley | Nominated | [23] |
Before opening, the Broadway production was recorded in the summer of 2020 withCOVID-19 safety protocols in place and no audience. This capture, also directed by Ashley, was released onNetflix on 1 October 2021.[24] The recording was universally panned by critics and won five of its nine nominations at the42nd Golden Raspberry Awards, includingWorst Picture, the first filmed stage performance with this distinction.[25]