WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: Victor Victoria

Julie Andrews on the poster for Victor Victoria

After last week's new show, we today return to the past for a musical based on the 1982 film of the same name, itself a remake of an original German story from 1933, that would end up being Julie Andrews' final broadway appearance before tragically losing her singing voice during the final months of the show's initial New York run. "Victor Victoria" features a score penned by an unlikely combination of Henry Mancini and Frank Wildhorn, the latter also providing additional lyrics, and following tryouts in Minneapolis and Chicago, ran at the Marquis Theatre on broadway for almost two years in 1995-1997, earning Andrews a Tony nomination that she ultimately rejected due to feeling like the rest of the cast were unfairly overlooked.

Telling the story of poor, out-of-work soprano turned Parisian cross-dressing singing sensation, the show's broadway run was a modest affair, only receiving one Tony and three Drama Desk nominations overall, the star power behind the lead role being the likely reason for its almost two year run, with Liza Minelli and Raquel Welch respectively following Andrews into the title role before the production closed in July 1997. It was however filmed a couple of months after opening, and can be streamed on various platforms including AppleTV.

Anna Francolini in Victor Victoria at Southwark Playhouse (October 2012)

The only London run the show had was at Southwark Playhouse in 2012, with Anna Francolini, who most recently starred in Twelfth Night at Regent's Park, taking on the titular character in a limited 6-week run, directed by Thom Sutherland. In spite of a flurry of international productions, this remains the only time the show has been staged professionally in the UK, so perhaps it's overdue a revival over here...