WORCESTER, Mass. – The department of theatre at the College of the Holy Cross will present My Life with Albertine, book and lyrics by Richard Nelson, music and lyrics by Ricky Ian Gordon, based on portions of Marcel Proust’s celebrated work, Remembrance of Things Past. The 2003 musical, directed by Lynn Kremer, professor of theatre, will be performed on Nov. 1-3 and 8 – 10 at 8 p.m. in Fenwick Theatre. Tickets are $7 for members of the Holy Cross community and $10 for the general public. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a special rate of $5 each.
My Life with Albertine is both faithful and innovative in its evocation of Proust’s world. Its sensual memories and shifting emotional colors lead to complicated relationships and moments of startling clarity. In Nelson and Gordon’s adaptation, a middle-aged Parisian recalls his first love affair with the unpredictable, tempestuous Albertine, who he met at the end of the 19th century, when he was 17 and vacationing at the seaside with his grandmother. The 17-year-old Marcel lives on the cusp between childhood and adulthood, longing for an adult love with the object of his affection, but fearful of letting go of the petty jealousies and selfish desires of childhood. The musical was originally performed off Broadway by Playwrights Horizons, Inc. in association with AT&T: On Stage. Holy Cross’s remounting will be a rare revival of this little-known gem.
The acclaimed playwright Richard Nelson, who wrote the script for My Life with Albertine, is best known for James Joyce’s The Dead, Rodney’s Wife, and Goodnight Children Everywhere. The up-and-coming musical theater composer Ricky Ian Gordon created the music, and has had it performed by such luminaries as Audra McDonald, Dawn Upshaw, and Renée Fleming.
The sets and lights for Holy Cross’ production will be designed by Barbara Craig, assistant professor of theatre, with costumes by Kurt S. Hultgren, costume designer in the theatre department. Musical director Michael Lapomardo will conduct accomplished local musicians David Pihl (piano), Ning Tien (cello) and others in the challenging, operatic score.