Lyrics Don Black Lyricist Don Black Orchestrator Paul Bogaev | First performance 19 June 2002 Composer A. R. Rahman Playwrights Meera Syal, Thomas Meehan | |
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Book Meera SyalThomas Meehan Productions 2002 West End2004 Broadway2006 North America tour Similar Thomas Meehan plays, Musicals | ||
Bombay Dreams is a Bollywood-themed musical, with music by A. R. Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and the book by Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan, originally produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production opened in 2002 and ran for two years. The musical was later produced on Broadway in 2004.
Contents
Plot
The story centers around Akaash, a young man from the slums of Bombay who dreams of becoming the next big star in Bollywood. Fate steps in when a rich lawyer and his fiancée, an aspiring documentary filmmaker, arrive to prevent the demolition of Akaash's slum. Akaash quickly falls in love with the lawyer's fiancée, Priya, who happens to be the daughter of a famous Bollywood director. Complications arise as Akaash faces the reality of show business, fame, his love for Priya, and his obligations to his family, friends, and his Paradise slum.
The story also deals with the change of name from Bombay to Mumbai and the identity issues that this raises.
Musical numbers
London production
Broadway production
Productions
Bombay Dreams premiered in the West End at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on June 19, 2002 and closed in June 2004. The original cast included Preeya Kalidas as Priya, Raza Jaffrey as Akaash, Ayesha Dharker as Rani, Dalip Tahil as Madan, and Ramon Tikaram as Vikram.
The musical opened on Broadway at The Broadway Theatre on April 29, 2004 and closed on January 1, 2005 after 284 performances. The director was Steven Pimlott, with choreography by Anthony Van Laast and Farah Khan and scenic and costume design by Mark Thompson. The cast featured Manu Narayan as Akaash and Madhur Jaffrey as Shanti. The plot, format and characters of Bombay Dreams were revised several times. The book of the musical was rewritten and many songs were cut and other songs added to the show for the Broadway run.
A new production produced by Atlanta's Theater of the Stars and the Independent Presenters Association started touring North America in February 2006 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California.
Nominations
Film adaptation
On May 14, 2010, Marquee Pictures will produce a film adaptation of the musical with Deepa Mehta directing the film.
Songs
1Bombay Awakes
2Bombay Dreams
3Like an Eagle