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Poe the musical

Picture

Poe the musical

Opening Date: November 2003 
Closing Date: November 2003 
Air date: April 6, 2010
Medium: DVD 
Where to watch: DVD
Stage Production Notes  ​
Poe - the musical started out as an album. In the early 1970s, Scottish writer and producer Eric Woolfson wrote an album inspired by Poe, “Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Edgar Allan Poe.” It was released in 1976. 

Woolfson went on to write and produce 9 more albums in a series entitled “The Alan Parsons Project.” 

Several of the Alan Parsons Project albums were turned into musicals, including Freudiana (1990), Guadi (1993), Gambler (1996), and Dancing Shadows (2007), which had success in Europe and Asia. 

In the early 2000s, Woolfson returned to “Tales of Mystery and Imagination” and developed it into a full-length musical. 

Poe - the musical premiered in 2003 with an elaborate showcase at Abbey Road Studios in London. The show combined elements from Poe’s life with his stories. 

Woolfson passed away in December 2009. 

A studio recording was released on CD in April 2010, under the title “Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination” 

The musical was translated into German and performed at the Halle Opera House in Germany between August 2009 and March 2011. ​
Filmed Production Notes
The Abbey Road Studios premier was filmed and recorded in front of a live audience of 300 people. A special set, lighting and sound equipment were loaded into Studio 1 for the recording. 

The DVD was released by Limelight Records on April 6, 2010 in the hope of attracting American producers to Woolfson’s work. 

Poe - the musical is available to watch on DVD. 
Poe the musical PRODUCTION CREDITS 
Theatre: Abbey Road Studios 
Producer: Sally Seddon, Elliot Davis, Lorna Woolfson (film) 
Music, Lyrics, and Book: Eric Woolfson  
Director: Phil Willmott 
Musical Director: David Firman 
Arrangements: Harry Koning 
Dance arrangements and incidental music: 
Choreography: Mitch Sebastian 
Scenic and Costume Design: Christopher Woods
Lighting Design: Tellson James 
Stage Manager: Judith Bennett 

Cast: 
Steve Balsamo (Poe), David Burt (Griswold), Anna-Jane Casey (Elmira), Juliette Caton (Virginia), James Gillan (Reynolds), Karen Davis (Elizabeth), Angela Bradley, Andrew Bolton, Ceri Anne Gregory, Gail Mackinnon, Ian Mowat, Mark O’Malley, Richard Tate, Shona White, Suzanne Richardson, William Kenning ​

Sources

Articles
  • Dan Bacalzo, “Eric Woolfson's Poe Musical to Be Released on CD and DVD April 6,” TheaterMania (March 17, 2010) 
  • Gordon Cox, “‘Poe’ musical gets CD and DVD release,” Variety (March 16, 2010) 
  • Andrew Gans, “Woolfson's POE Due on CD and DVD in April,” Playbill (March 17, 2010) 

Websites
  • Eric Woolfson Music, “Poe - the musical,” Accessed via: http://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/poe/index.html ​
  • Eric Woolfson Music, “Eric Woolfson,” Accessed via: http://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/biography.html 
Written by Luisa Lyons (May, 2017)
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