To purchase the Original Broadway Cast Recording of MARIE CHRISTINE, click on the image above.

In January, Musical Cyberspace is going to work through a chain of musicals. This is how it works: each day I will discuss, in brief, a musical linked to the previous day’s musical by some kind of common ground. It follows then, that if you – dear reader – liked the previous day’s show, then you might enjoy the current day’s show. Comments, as alway, are welcome!

We’re going to start with one of my favourite shows by Michael John LaChiusa: Marie Christine.

Marie Christine transposes the action of the Greek tragedy, Medea, into 1890s New Orleans and Chicago and combines that narrative with the voodoo-infused myths surrounding Marie Laveau and her daughter. The show tells the story of how Marie meets Dante Keyes, and how she exacts her revenge upon him when he leaves her for another woman. Highlights include “Beautiful”, “Way Back to Paradise”, “I Don’t Hear the Ocean”, “Bird Inside the House” and “We’re Gonna Go to Chicago”.

Marie Christine is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant – one of the greatest musicals of the 1990s. It’s intricate, sophisticated and complex. The first act is just about perfect and the second is almost as good. The premise works brilliantly and is executed with style: the music is incredibly lush and the lyrics, by turn, thrilling filled with profound observations that originate from the characters and the setting, but which are strongly resonant even today. Simply put, it’s a perfect example of excellent contemporary musical theatre.

So, now it’s time to share your thoughts on Marie Christine. And what shows would you suggest to fans of this show? See which one we’ll feature here tomorrow…