I dimly remember seeing the movie version of Brigadoon (1954) as a kid. So when The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada announced a musical version, I was intrigued. The story of two young American men getting lost in the Highlands of Scotland and stumbling upon the mystical town of Brigadoon retains the charm of the original. Tommy Albright is scheduled to be married after this bachelor trip and his best man, Jeff Douglas, intends to get Tommy back to New York City on time. But the magic of Brigadoon affects both men. Tommy falls in love with Fiona and Jeff has a fling with a hot redhead called Meg. But Brigadoon has its secrets and darkness.
Diane and I enjoyed all the singing and dancing in Brigadoon. Yes, the plot creaks like a production from 1947 (Brigadoon ran for 581 performances at the Ziegfeld Theatre with Broadway revivals in 1950, 1957, 1963, and 1980). But the fun and flair of the characters mixed with Alan Jay Lerner’s lyrics and Frederick Loewe’s melodies create a vibrant experience. GRADE: A
The only thing I know about this is “It Was Almost Like Being in Love,” which I only remember because someone did a very mellow remake in the 1970s.
Deb, “It Was Almost Like Being in Love” is the Big Hit of BRIGADOON. Dean Martin did a version in the 1970s and Natalie Cole did one in 1991.
This is the version I remember from the 1970s. It’s by Michael Johnson who had a hit with “Bluer Than Blue”:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e4oncikBFKU
Deb, thanks for the link! I had completely forgotten Michael Johnson’s version.
I am not sure if I have ever seen this or not. Looks colorful.
Patti, you would have loved BRIGADOON. Plenty of energy and enthusiasm! It’s a good, old-fashioned musical.
Love the film; saw the musical on stage in London. I was really impressed by how they did the “chase” scene on stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPGv3yr3Lpk
Dan, the Shaw Festival used a mechanical deer in their chase scenes. Very cool!
“Go home, go home, go home with Bonnie Jean…”.
We have a DVD of the movie (Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse) and watched it within the last year. There was always something about the story that appealed to me as a kid, and I still enjoy it. I’ve always loved the Scottish accent.
Jeff, same here although I’ve never been to Scotland.
And, of course, there’s the red hair.
Jeff, I’m just waiting for Art Scott to weigh in on that redhead.