The Pursuit of Persephone
Adapted from This side of Paradise
The Pursuit of Persephone is a musical with music and lyrics by Peter Mills and book by Cara Reichel.[1] The show details F. Scott Fitzgerald's time at Princeton University, and his love for Ginevra King.[2] Elements of the plot are loosely adapted from This Side of Paradise (Fitzgerald's own fictionalized account of his time at Princeton).
Productions
The show premiered at the Connelly Theatre in New York City in 2005, featuring Chris Fuller as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jessica Grové as Ginevra King.[2][3]
In 2006 much of the original cast returned for a concert reading of the show at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.[4] That same year, a production of the show was staged at the University of Michigan, starring Justin Paul as F. Scott Fitzgerald.[5]
In 2014 the show was reworked and presented by the Prospect Theater Company under the name "The Underclassman".[6][7]
Cast
| 2005 Off-Broadway[8] | 2006 Concert Reading[4] | 2014 Prospect Theater[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| F. Scott Fitzgerald | Chris Fuller | Matt Dengler | |
| Ginevra King | Jessica Grové | ||
| Marie Hersey | Piper Goodeve | ||
| Edmund Wilson | David Abeles | ||
| John Peale Bishop | Benjamin Sands | Marrick Smith | |
| Trip Everett | Jordan Bondurant | ||
| "Ham" Samuels | Jeremy Morse | ||
| Clive Bagby | Jason Edward Cook | ||
Reception
The show received some praise for its music, costuming, and casting, but often received criticism for its book.[9][8]
The 2014 production similarly was praised for its music, while critics felt the underlying story was not interesting enough to captivate audiences.[6][7]
Awards
| Award | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Drama Desk Awards[10] | Best Music | Nominated |
| Best Orchestrations | Nominated |
External links
- The Pursuit of Persephone Review from Broadway World
- The Pursuit of Persephone Review from Paradise Revisited
- The Pursuit of Persephone Review from The New York Times
References
- ^ Paradise Revisited. "Paradise Revisited Review of The Pursuit of Persephone". Retrieved 2007-12-14.
- ^ a b The New York Times (2005-05-10). "New York Times Review of The Pursuit of Persephone". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (30 April 2005). "New Musical Pursuit of Persephone Tracks Romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald, April 30-May 22 in NYC". Playbill. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ a b "The Pursuit of Persephone, a concert reading at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on the 26 Jun 2006". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ "Duet for Broadway's next pair of star songwriters". Australian Financial Review. 2016-12-02. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ a b Feldman, Adam (21 November 2014). "The Underclassman". Time Out New York. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ a b c Karam, Edward (23 November 2014). "This Side of Princeton". Off Off Online. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ a b Hoban, Phoebe (2005-05-10). "Fitzgerald's Romance Puts a Song (or 26) in the Heart". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ Fox, Jena Tesse. "The Pursuit of Persephone". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ "Peter Mills". NewMusicalTheatre. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald
- This Side of Paradise (1920)
- The Beautiful and Damned (1922)
- The Great Gatsby (1925)
- Tender Is the Night (1934)
- The Last Tycoon (1941, unfinished)
collections
| Flappers and Philosophers (1920) |
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|---|---|
| Tales of the Jazz Age (1922) |
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| All the Sad Young Men (1926) |
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| Taps at Reveille (1935) |
|
| Posthumous works |
- The Vegetable (1923)
- Three Comrades (1938)
- A Yank at Oxford (1938)
- The Crack-Up (1945)
- Beloved Infidel (1959 film)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles' (1974 film)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood (1975 film)
- Zelda (1993 film)
- Last Call (2002 film)
- The Pursuit of Persephone (2005 musical)
- Waiting for the Moon (2005 musical)
- Midnight in Paris (2011 film)
- Z: The Beginning of Everything (2015 series)
- Genius (2016 film)
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