Two Lost Sandy Wilson Musicals to be Released on CD

Stage Door Records are pleased to announce the debut CD release of Sandy Wilson's 'His Monkey Wife' (1971) and 'Aladdin' (1979) on November 20th, 2015. The CD release continues Stage Door's London cast album series and commitment to preserve 'lost' British theatre scores of the past 50 years.

In late 1970, noted British theatre composer Sandy Wilson ('The Boy Friend', 'Valmouth') was commissioned to write a new musical for the Hampstead Theatre Club's 1971/1972 Christmas Season. The subject Wilson chose was John Collier's novel 'His Monkey Wife (or, Married to a Chimp)' and the new musical 'His Monkey Wife' opened on December 20th 1971, running for 28 performances. Writing book, music and lyrics, Wilson's adaptation remained faithful to the Collier novel telling the story of Alfred Fatigay, an English schoolteacher who returns to England from the Upper Congo with Emily, a chimpanzee who resolves to educate herself and become a rival for Fatigay's hand from his pretentious fiancee Fern Flint. The cast included June Ritchie, Robert Swann and Bridget Armstrong.

Following the limited season at the Hampstead Theatre Club, 'His Monkey Wife' was considered for both a West End and Broadway transfer (producer David Merrick expressed a keen interest) but neither materialised.

Stage Door are pleased to debut the original 1971 London Cast album of 'His Monkey Wife' on CD, accompanied with selections from Sandy Wilson's 'Aladdin', a production which was commissioned by the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in 1979, and conceived by Wilson as a musical adaptation of the classic Arabian Nights Tale. The musical featured an all-star cast including Elisabeth Welch, Christine McKenna, Belinda Lang, Joe Melia and Aubrey Woods. Both albums have been digitally remastered and the CD features an extensive booklet with rare production photographs and detailed sleeve notes by theatre archivist Stewart Nicholls.

HIS MONKEY WIFE - ORIGINAL LONDON CAST RECORDING
(Hampstead Theatre Club 1971)
01. EMILY'S WALTZ - Robert Swann
02. HOME AND BEAUTY AND YOU - Robert Swann
03. MARRIAGE - Myvanwy Jenn, Bridget Armstrong
04. IN BOBOMA TONIGHT - Jeffry Wickham, Sally Mates
05. HAVERSTOCK HILL - Bridget Armstrong, Myvanwy Jenn, Roland Curram
06. DON'T RUSH ME - Bridget Armstrong, Robert Swann
07. WHO IS SHE? - Roland Curram
08. DEAR HUMAN RACE - June Ritchie, Sally Mates
09. LEAVE IT ALL TO SMITHERS - Bridget Armstrong, Company
10. MAD ABOUT YOUR MIND - Jeffry Wickham, Bridget Armstrong
11. HIS MONKEY WIFE - Bridget Armstrong, Company
12. A GIRL LIKE YOU - Jeffry Wickham
13. DOING THE CHIMPANZEE - Company
14. LIVE LIKE THE BLESSED ANGELS - Robert Swann
15. REPRISE: HIS MONKEY WIFE - Robert Swann
16. REPRISE: WHO IS SHE? - Company

SELECTIONS FROM 'ALADDIN' - ORIGINAL LONDON CAST
(Lyric Theatre Hammersmith 1979)
17. ALADDIN - The Spirits
18. HANG-CHOW - Richard Freeman, Joe Melia, Aladdin's Companions
19. TUANG KEE PO - Joe Melia
20. IT IS WRITTEN IN THE SANDS - Elisabeth Welch
21. THERE AND THEN - Richard Freeman, Christine McKenna
22. SONG OF THE GENIE OF THE RING - Belinda Lang
23. SONG OF THE GENIE OF THE LAMP - Martin McEvoy
24. CHOPSTICKS - Joe Melia, Christine McKenna, Judy Hopton, Pauline
Lewis
25. ALL I DID - Richard Freeman, Arthur Kohn
26. WICKED - Aubrey Woods
27. LIFE IN THE LAUNDRY - Joe Melia
28. GIVE HIM THE OLD KUNG FU - Elisabeth Welch, Company
29. REPRISE: ALADDIN - Company

For more information visit:
http://www.stagedoorrecords.com/stage9043.html