And now Tim Curry is gone. He’ll always be remembered for his audacious turn as Frank-N-Furter, but here he is as Mozart, with Ian McKellen as Salieri, in “Amadeus.” This production of Peter Shaffer’s play opened on Broadway in December 1980, its U.S. debut, also featuring Jane Seymour as Constanze. “Amadeus” was first presented in London in 1979, with Paul Scofield as Salieri and Simon Callow as Mozart. Curry’s death was announced yesterday. He was 80 years old.
There are a few Broadway shows I missed that I would have loved to have seen. In 1980, I was still basically a kid, and if my parents didn’t take me to see something, I didn’t see it. Thankfully, we did go to a few shows a year, mostly musicals, though my parents went to more (which I don’t begrudge them!). Given my burgeoning interest in classical music (I made them listen to a cassette of the “Eroica” Symphony on a drive in to the city), I don’t know why we didn’t see “Amadeus.”
Another show I would have gone crazy for was the Edward Gorey production of “Dracula,” with Frank Langella (who also played Salieri on Broadway, opposite Dennis Boutsikaris as Mozart). Before I was bitten by the classical music bug, I was crazy for the Universal horror pictures. My parents did see this one. I don’t know why I wasn’t invited. I can’t complain, though. I saw a lot. I just should have seen these two!
From what I understand, there is an audio-visual recording of the McKellen-Curry “Amadeus” archived at the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts, but it is accessible only for research purposes. I don’t know if “Dracula” was documented.
I was beyond excited when I saw the trailer for Langella’s film version (with music by John Williams!), but by all accounts, the Broadway show was the one to see. The film was viewed as a disappointment (and, Langella aside, it is), but on Broadway it was a sensation, with Tony Awards for Gorey’s costume designs and for “Most Innovative Production of a Revival.”
Bela Lugosi appeared in the original Broadway production in 1927, 50 years earlier. Of course, Lugosi went on to star in the classic 1931 film and was typecast as a horror actor for the rest of his life.
You’ll find images of the “Amadeus” Playbill at the link:
https://playbill.com/production/amadeus-broadhurst-theatre-vault-0000002018
Langella and Boutsikaris in “Amadeus”