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Stage debut for Becks' faltering falsetto?
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Henry Winter
August 20, 2008
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SUCH is old Goldenballs' phenomenal appeal to the public that a librettist is speaking with West End producers this week about staging a musical entitled David Beckham - The Theatre of Dreams.
"Beckham's story is a modern-day fairytale of heroes, villains, love, Manchester United and what it means to lead your country," explained Mark Archer, the songwriter behind this celebration of Beckham's first 33 years. "His rise from obscurity to international stardom, his universally acknowledged gifts as a supreme sportsman, and his Hollywood lifestyle all have the elements of an aspirational fable.
"With football and celebrity now firmly established as new secular Western religions, The Theatre of Dreams is set within a cheering football stadium - the modern-day church."
The Lion King himself was in more athletic rehearsals in London on Monday, polishing his lines under demanding Italian impresario, Fabio Capello, before Thursday morning's (Sydney time) show for England against the Czech Republic at Wembley.
Still not believing that England are too one-dimensional with the one-paced Beckham, Capello will continue to give him a starring role on the right.
The musical begins with such songs as The Promised Land, detailing manager Alex Ferguson's desire to revive United. After eulogising about the influence of Eric Cantona - "incroyable, catalyseur, legende" - the actor playing Beckham sings about England life in the '90s:
Talk about football coming home,
And then one night in Rome,
We were strong, we had grown,
And now I see Ince ready for war, Gazza good as before,
Shearer certain to score,
And Psycho screaming.
On meeting his wife, the one-time Posh Spice, Beckham sings:
A change has come around,
As I worship this ground,
With you in my life,
We're turning the world upside down.
On reaching the 1998 World Cup in France, Beckham voices the difficulties he encountered under Glenn Hoddle:
You spin me around and point me in the wrong direction,
Always walking over me and putting me down,
You treat me like a fool, You know you have lost affection,
And I won't play these mind games any more.
Archer said the misery of being sent off in England's loss to Argentina in the second round is captured in Mourning Blues, and he "becomes the scapegoat figure of hatred for the whole country in Villain of The Peace".
After an interval, Beckham toughens up with So Strong, and thanks Fergie and United for helping him through difficult times:
You make me feel so strong,
Because I belong.
A flying boot then guides Beckham towards the Old Trafford exit. "Torn between United and Real Madrid, Which Dream has David deciding with [wife] Victoria to sign for the latter as a Galactico," said Archer.
Beckham is incredibly protective of his image, but the very fact that people such as Archer are prepared to write full-length musicals about him highlights his place in English affections.
Telegraph, London
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Henry Winter
August 20, 2008
Advertisement
SUCH is old Goldenballs' phenomenal appeal to the public that a librettist is speaking with West End producers this week about staging a musical entitled David Beckham - The Theatre of Dreams.
"Beckham's story is a modern-day fairytale of heroes, villains, love, Manchester United and what it means to lead your country," explained Mark Archer, the songwriter behind this celebration of Beckham's first 33 years. "His rise from obscurity to international stardom, his universally acknowledged gifts as a supreme sportsman, and his Hollywood lifestyle all have the elements of an aspirational fable.
"With football and celebrity now firmly established as new secular Western religions, The Theatre of Dreams is set within a cheering football stadium - the modern-day church."
The Lion King himself was in more athletic rehearsals in London on Monday, polishing his lines under demanding Italian impresario, Fabio Capello, before Thursday morning's (Sydney time) show for England against the Czech Republic at Wembley.
Still not believing that England are too one-dimensional with the one-paced Beckham, Capello will continue to give him a starring role on the right.
The musical begins with such songs as The Promised Land, detailing manager Alex Ferguson's desire to revive United. After eulogising about the influence of Eric Cantona - "incroyable, catalyseur, legende" - the actor playing Beckham sings about England life in the '90s:
Talk about football coming home,
And then one night in Rome,
We were strong, we had grown,
And now I see Ince ready for war, Gazza good as before,
Shearer certain to score,
And Psycho screaming.
On meeting his wife, the one-time Posh Spice, Beckham sings:
A change has come around,
As I worship this ground,
With you in my life,
We're turning the world upside down.
On reaching the 1998 World Cup in France, Beckham voices the difficulties he encountered under Glenn Hoddle:
You spin me around and point me in the wrong direction,
Always walking over me and putting me down,
You treat me like a fool, You know you have lost affection,
And I won't play these mind games any more.
Archer said the misery of being sent off in England's loss to Argentina in the second round is captured in Mourning Blues, and he "becomes the scapegoat figure of hatred for the whole country in Villain of The Peace".
After an interval, Beckham toughens up with So Strong, and thanks Fergie and United for helping him through difficult times:
You make me feel so strong,
Because I belong.
A flying boot then guides Beckham towards the Old Trafford exit. "Torn between United and Real Madrid, Which Dream has David deciding with [wife] Victoria to sign for the latter as a Galactico," said Archer.
Beckham is incredibly protective of his image, but the very fact that people such as Archer are prepared to write full-length musicals about him highlights his place in English affections.
Telegraph, London
