Harper Listening Report #3 Gigi

Gigi was a musical based on a musical movie of the same name from 1958, which was
based on the novella by Colette. It was a collaboration between the legendary duo Alan Jay
Lerner, who wrote the book and music, and Frederick Loewe, who wrote the music. It was first
produced on Broadway in 1973, when it won a Tony award for Best Original Score, and later
moved to West End in 1985. Last year a revival of Gigi, which featured several new songs and a
newly rearranged score, ran for two months. The musical was written at the tail end of the
Rodgers and Hammerstein-esque musical era. It features a full orchestra score with a subtle
jazz feeling and an overall whimsicalness. The show is a musical comedy and focuses on a
romantic plotline, which is aided by the whimsical nature of the score. The most whimsical
numbers in the show, The Night They Invented Champagne, is the only large ensemble number
in the score and contains loud, boisterous musical breaks that contrast the accompaniment parts.
The entire score lends itself to the traditional approach of a simpler, quieter scoring under the
vocal part and a louder, more involved scoring when there is an instrumental break. For example,
Paris is Paris Again begins with a full string section and brass and as soon as the vocalist
comes in the instrumentation drops to a small string section with occasional antiphonal
instruments. This approach to part writing draws emphasis to the lyrics and the story they are
telling (which goes along with the evolution of the book musical in which the words and the plot
are the most important part). The song The Night They Invented Champagne is also the only
song in which a female character other than Gigi sings full out. We hear Mamita and Aunt Alicia
speak sing in I Remember it Well and The Contract. When Mamita sings in The Night They
Invented Champagne it can be inferred that she is a little tipsy at least and therefore less aware
of her own social obligations. But other than that the women in the show feel an intense social
obligation to be poised and proper to attract a respectable man and have a good future values
they are attempting to teach to Gigi, but she is failing to learn. Gigis innocence and youth are
portrayed through her singing, especially in her solo song The Earth and Other Minor Things.
That particular song also shows her differences through the lyrics in which she describes her
perspective of the world that she lives in. In the 2015 Broadway Revival the older females sing
the songs Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Thank Heaven for Little Girls (Reprise). This
detracts from the stark contrast made by Loewe in his original score, but could still be justifiable
as following his lead because the two women are singing about Gigi and her wonderment.
However, later in Act 2 of the Revival there is a new song, Say a Prayer, that is sung by
Mamita and a duet between her and Honore, Im Glad Im Not Young Anymore that ruins the
allusion of Mamita being more prim and proper than Gigi. In context this also makes sense
because Mamita is the one who relates to Gigi the most. Still, their only interaction in song form
is in The Night They Invented Champagne, which happens to be Gigis only musical
interaction with any character in the show. Both of Gigis other songs in the original score are a
solo, which strengthens the character of Gigi immensely and paints her as a strong and
independent girl. While it is a love story, the use of the two solos gives us a character to love and
cheer for as an individual and not just one half of a relationship or duet. Once again, the Revival
changed that and made In This Wide, Wide World into a duet. While this was for the sake of
giving their companys strongest singer, Corey Cott, more literature to perform, it took a toll on
the character of Gigi. As the titular character it makes sense that the entire plot revolves around
her, but because of Loewes genius writing the entire score revolves around her as well.