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THEATRICAL THROWBACK THURSDAY: Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA Turns 15

By: Mar. 26, 2015
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Today we look back at Elton John & Tim Rice's Tony Award-winning rock musical AIDA.

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Elaborate Lives

When it was first announced that legendary rock n roller Elton John was taking on no less than Verdi's vaunted opera AIDA as the subject matter for his stage musical follow-up to international mega-hit THE LION KING, once again with Disney - this time under the production banner of Hyperion Theatricals - speculators assumed that he would be utilizing elements from the original operatic score and subsequently hew closely to the Egyptian roots of the story. As familiar fans will now be the first to point out - that was certainly not the case. Although the story remained grounded in ancient times, the score was wholly new - and, according to lore, it was entirely composed in less than a month, no less, by John along with his multi-award-winning THE LION KING lyricist Tim Rice prior to its Atlanta tryout production approaching the turn of the millennium. Indeed, nary a note of Verdi's remained in John and Rice's vision for the piece - a colorful, rocked-up, pop-tinged take on the tragic tale of a valiant soldier and two princesses at odds caught in an unfortunate love triangle. Eventually going on to win a Tony Award for Best Score for their efforts, Rice and John were proven justified in their artistic ambitions and rewarded for their awesome efforts only a few short years later when AIDA hit Broadway.

While the Broadway success of AIDA was remarkable, running for nearly 2000 performances following its opening on March 23, 2000, the musical did not enjoy a painless birthing period - quite to the contrary, as a matter of fact. The project was originally conceived as an animated film and a first reading of the material was presented way back in 1996, which happened to feature Sherie Rene Scott in the role of Amneris - in a rare casting coup, a part she would play in each subsequent edition of the show from then until Broadway. In 1998, the stage musical premiered out of town in Atlanta under the title ELABORATE LIVES: THE LEGEND OF AIDA with Heather Headley in the commanding title role which she would eventually go on to win a Tony Award for in the Best Leading Actress In A Musical category shortly thereafter - during one of the toughest Tony battles ever in history, to boot. A whole new set was devised by designer Bob Crowley and significant rewrites to the book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang implemented along with fine-tuning of the score occurred next when the production opened at the Cadillac Theater in Chicago in late 1999, featuring the eventual Broadway leading trio of Headley, Scott and Adam Pascal as charismatic soldier Radames. After that, the musical then came to Broadway that Spring during one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory, eventually taking home four Tony Awards.

Over the course of the run, several major names stepped into the production, as well, making AIDA a continual hot ticket during its four-year-run on the Great White Way. Replacements for Headley included Toni Braxton, Michelle Williams and Deborah Cox, while Matt Bogart, Cheyenne Jackson, Will Chase and Patrick Cassidy were among the replacement Radameses. Additionally, Scott was followed in the role of Amneris by Idina Menzel, Jessica Hendy, Mandy Gonzalez, Felicia Finley, Taylor Dayne and Lisa Brescia, among others. Furthermore, Mickey Dolenz and Donnie Kehr essayed the role of nefarious royal advisor Zoser, as well. A prime musical for star-casting - especially those with a music industry background - makes AIDA a ripe revival candidate as well as places it as an entity likely to find its way to the silver screen and fulfill its original artistic intentions someday, too.

View Heather Headley and the original cast of AIDA perform the showstopping Act One closer "The Gods Love Nubia" on THE ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW live below.


As a special bonus, view the music video for the pop single version of "Written In the Stars" featuring LeAnn Rimes.


So, what is your favorite element of Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA? Furthermore, what song do you prize above all others? With a score this sensational and performance opportunities this rich, it seems more than merely likely that a revival of AIDA cannot be too far off - it's practically written in the stars.

Photo Credits: Disney




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