 Victor/Victoria
A Musical Comedy in Two Acts, 16 Scenes. Book by Blake Edwards.
(Based on the musical film of the same name, screenplay by
Blake Edwards, which
was based on the German Ufa film "Viktor und Viktoria"
conceived by Hans Hoemburg and written by Rheinhold Schuenzer.)
Music by Henry Mancini. Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.
Marquis Theatre, New York: Opened 25 October 1995; closed
27 July 1997 (738 perfs)
THE STORY
Carroll Todd ("Toddy" to his friends) is tenuously employed
as the resident performer at Henri Labisse's Left Bank gay club,
"Chez Lui." Toddy and Les Boys entertain the small but
appreciative audience. Toddy insults a group of customers which
includes his ex-boyfriend Richard. Labisse threatens to fire him
A penniless English soprano, Victoria Grant, auditions unsuccessfully
for Labisse. Toddy tries to help, but Labisse rejects her and fires
him. Toddy befriends Victoria, and offers her shelter from the wet
wintry night in his tiny apartment. They become instant friends
and confidantes. Toddy wishes he were a woman,
like Victoria, while Victoria believes that there are far more advantages
to being a man.
Richard, the ex-boyfriend, arrives at Toddy's unexpectedly to
collect his things. Victoria is by now wearing his hat and pyjamas.
Richard mistakenly thinks she is Toddy's new boy-friend and insults
Toddy. Victoria punches Richard and kicks him out. Toddy is impressed.
Richard actually thought Victoria was a man! And at that moment
The Inspired Idea strikes Toddy right between the eyes. Why not?
Victoria could indeed be a man - Europe's greatest female impersonator!
Victoria says he's crazy. Toddy pursues his argument, and dreams
up Count Victor Grazinsky - a gay Polish aristocrat and Toddy's
new lover.
"It will work," he assures Victoria.
"It will not!" says Victoria. They'll never accept a
woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman! - "They'll
know he's a phoney!"
"Exactly," says Toddy. "They'll know he's a phoney!
"
Toddy drags the reluctant Victoria to meet Andre Cassell, Paris's
leading impresario, who is dubious about "Count Victor Grazinsky"
until he hears "him" hit a glass-shattering high G-flat.
"Victor" is in business.
"Le jazz hot!" introduces Victor to Paris café
society. His show-stopping performance at once makes him the toast
of Gay Paree. The only doubter of Victor's authenticity is a dashing
American businessman - cum - gangster figure, King Marchan, visiting
Paris with his brassy girlfriend Norma and his loyal bodyguard Squash.
King is convinced Victor is a woman, and determined to prove it.
At Cassell's opening night party for Victor, King invites Victor
to tango with Norma, hoping to prove his point.
Victor's tango is a sensation. Norma is thrilled King is thwarted,
and starts to doubt himself. He finds Victor attractive as a woman
.. but what if he's a man?
By an unwelcome coincidence, King and Norma and Squash find themselves
in the adjoining hotel suite to the newly successful Toddy and Victor.
Norma tries to seduce King. She succeeds only in making him impotent
Next door, Victoria bemoans to Toddy that in King she thinks she
has finally found the man of her dreams, but here she is trying
to convince him that she is a man, too!
Victor continues to take Paris audiences by storm. Norma complains
to Victor and Toddy that King is shipping her back to Chicago because
he fancies Victor - a man! King confronts his doubts about himself
and Victor. Is it possible that he, King, is falling for a man?
He invites Victor and Toddy to dinner to try and find out. After
dinner they visit "Chez Lui," where Labisse also has his
suspicions that Victor is a woman. He invites her/him to sing. Victor
and Toddy oblige. Richard's group arrives noisily in mid-song. Victor
trips Richard and starts a major brawl in the club. The police arrive
to break it up. Outside the club, King says he doesn't care if Victor
is a man, and kisses him. Victoria admits she's not a man. King
says he still doesn't care, and kisses her again.
Back in the hotel, Squash barges into King 's bedroom and finds
King and Victor in bed together. He apologises profusely:
"Sorry, guys!" King tries to explain.
Squash admires King for coming out of the closet, and stuns his
boss by revealing that he, too, is gay!
Victoria and King examine their potential problems if they are
perceived publicly as two men. It won't work.
Back in Chicago, Norma is performing in a night club. She informs
King 's gangster partner, Sal Andretti, that King has dumped her
for another man - and is living with 'a gay Polish fairy."
Sal is aghast, and says they're all going to Europe.
Two weeks later, Toddy and Squash have become happy partners.
Not so for King and Victoria, unable to be seen together in public.
Victoria tells Toddy she doesn't want to be a man anymore. Toddy
understands, neither does he!
Sal and the spurned Norma arrive in Paris. King admits he loves
"Victor," keeping the secret. Sal, disgusted, ends their
business relationship. Victoria reveals herself to Norma as a woman.
Norma is horrified. Labisse witnesses this moment of naked truth.
Victoria is horrified. Toddy tells her not to worry. "Trust
rne!" Dissolve to Victor's farewell appearance. Labisse tries
to expose him/her as a fraud. Toddy, thrilled to be back in drag,
replaces Victoria to thwart Labisse and leave the way clear for
a happy ending for our two loving couples - King and Victoria, and
Toddy and Squash.
Leslie Bricusse
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