Timbuktu!
Template:Short description Template:Infobox Musical Timbuktu! is a musical, with lyrics by George Forrest and Robert Wright, set to music by Borodin, Forrest and Wright. The book is by Luther Davis. It is a resetting of Forrest and Wright's musical Kismet (which also had a book co-written by Davis) and the majority of the play's songs are reused from Kismet. The musical is set in 1361 in Timbuktu, in the Empire of Mali, West Africa.
For the 1978 Tony Awards, the play was considered a revival rather than a new work, and was nominated for a Tony in the Best Revival category.
Production history
The musical premiered on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 1, 1978, and closed on September 10, 1978, after 221 performances and 22 previews.<ref name="The Broadway League 19782">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto"/>
The original production starred Eartha Kitt as Shaleem-La-Lume, William Marshall as Hadji, Gilbert Price as the Mansa of Mali, Melba Moore as Marsinah, and George Bell as the Wazir. Ira Hawkins replaced Marshall prior to the Broadway opening.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> It was directed, choreographed and costume designed by Geoffrey Holder, with sets designed by Tony Straiges. Alan Eichler was associate producer.<ref name="auto"/> Gerald Bordman noted that the sets and costumes had "a Ziegfeldian opulence." The score was largely that of Kismet, though several songs were dropped and three new songs based on African folk music were added to provide "some tonal verisimiltude."<ref>Bordman, Gerald Martin. American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle, "Act Six:Full Circuit; or, Return of the Brits" American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle (3rd ED.), Oxford University Press US, 2001, Template:ISBN, p. 750</ref>
Following its Broadway run, it toured for more than a year with Kitt continuing in her starring role as Shaleem-La-Lume, Gregg Baker as Hadji, Bruce Hubbard as the Mansa and Vanessa Shaw as Marsinah.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Original cast and characters
| Character | Broadway (1978)<ref>Playbill 1978 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/22/2023</ref> | First National Tour (1978)<ref>Playbill 1978 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/22/2023</ref> |
|---|---|---|
| Sahleem-La-Lume | Eartha Kitt | |
| Marsinah | Melba Moore | Vanessa Shaw |
| The Mansa of Mali | Gilbert Price | Bruce Hubbard |
| Hadji | Ira Hawkins | Gregg Baker |
| Munshi | Miguel Godreau | Homer Bryant |
| The Wazir | George Bell | |
| Chief Policeman | Bruce Hubbard | Ronald A. Richardson |
| Najua | Eleanor McCoy | Dyane Harvey |
| M'Ballah of the River | Daniel Barton | |
| Zubbediya | Vanessa Shaw | Priscilla Baskerville |
| The Orange Merchant | Obba Babatundé | Luther Fontaine |
Songs
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
- Act I
- † "Rhymes Have I" - Hadji, Marsinah and Beggars
- † "Fate" - Hadji
- "In the Beginning, Woman" - Shaleem-La-Lume
- † "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" - Marsinah and Merchants
- † "Stranger in Paradise" - The Mansa of Mali and Marsinah
- † "Gesticulate" - Hadji and Council
- † "Night of My Nights" - The Mansa of Mali and Courtiers
- Act II
- † "My Magic Lamp" - Marsinah
- † "Stranger in Paradise (Reprise)" - Marsinah
- † "Rahadlakum" - Shaleem-La-Lume and Ladies of the Harem
- † "And This Is My Beloved" - Hadji, Marsinah, The Mansa of Mali and The Wazir
- "Golden Land, Golden Life" - Chief Policeman and Nobles of the Court
- "Zubbediya" - Zubbediya, Princess, Marriage Candidates and Acrobat
- † "Night of My Nights (Reprise)" - The Mansa of Mali, Marsinah, Hadji and Nobles of the Court
- † "Sands of Time" - Hadji and Shaleem-La-Lume
Songs labelled '†' are from Kismet.
Awards and nominations
- 1978 Tony Award nominations
- Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Gilbert Price
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical - Eartha Kitt
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design - Geoffrey Holder
- Tony Award for Most Innovative Production of a Revival - Luther Davis
- 1978 Drama Desk Award nominations
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - Geoffrey Holder
- Drama Desk Award Outstanding Costume Design - Geoffrey Holder