Preview: Paint Your Wagon at Newcastle Tyne Theatre

‘Paint Your Wagon’ moseys into the Toon

Paint Your Wagon

Newcastle Tyne Theatre & Opera House

Wednesday 22^nd - Saturday 25^th November 2017 

Tickets:

Tickets are available from the Tyne Theatre box office or online:  Tickets from our afilliate Eventim UK

With a wonderful score by Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe, a crowd of love starved miners and a coach full of Fandango ladies what’s not to like about ‘Paint Your Wagon’?

The musical opened on Broadway in 1951 and in London’s West End in 1953 but it is perhaps most well known for the 1969 Hollywood film starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin.

Starlight Theatre Productions will be staging the musical at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House from 22nd - 25th November 2017.

The score has such well known songs as ‘Wandrin’Star’ - growled in the movie by Lee Marvin, ‘I Talk to the trees’ - sung more tunefully by Clint Eastwood, Hand me down that Can o’ beans, They Call the wind Maria, and Whoop-Ti-Ay. It is a mix of rip roarin’ songs and melodies designed to tug on the heart strings such as ‘ I still see Elisa’ and ‘How can I wait’.

The story is set in the California wilderness in May 1853 and centres around gold prospector Ben Rumson, played by Alan Davison, and his 16 year old daughter, Jennifer, played by Hannah Elliot.

They discover gold and found Rumson Town. Other prospectors start flocking to the town to try their luck and Jennifer meets Julio Valveras, a Mexican prospector, with whom she falls in love. Along the way Jacob Woodling, a Mormon, arrives in town with his two wives. The prospectors think it is unfair that he should have two women when they have none and he is prevailed upon to sell one of them. Ben wins the auction but Jennifer is not happy and she goes off East to school.

Into the mix comes Jake Whippany who, once he has saved enough money, sends for his wife Cherry and her Fandango girls.

As happened all too often at this time, the gold begins to run out, causing problems and heartbreak.

Lonely prospectors, complex relationships, gold fever and wonderful music all have a part to play in this fabulous show that is seldom performed due to the large number of men required. Indeed it is more than 20 years since it has been staged in Newcastle so it is a rare opportunity to see this splendid show.

Tickets

Tickets are available from the Tyne Theatre box office or online:  Tickets from our afilliate Eventim UK