Peter Quilter
STARSTRUCK
By Peter Quilter
1 F / 4 M
Musical
Small orchestra or playback
English original text
1955 was a remarkable year in Las Vegas. 4 legendary singing stars were performing in the city at the same time – Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Liberace and Mario Lanza. Including 14 classic songs by these stars, STARSTRUCK presents the joy, heartbreak, sadness, extravagance and drama in the lives of these immortal but troubled celebrities. Frank Sinatra was struggling in his career in the early 1950s and his record sales had plummeted. But Vegas made him famous again. Sinatra, however, was separated from his wife and struggling to keep his temper. He found hope in the embrace of Marlene Dietrich, also heartbroken and alone, and the two of them began a passionate affair. Across town, Liberace was presenting his new show at the Riviera Hotel. An eccentric and funny man, he had won the hearts of audiences across America. His replacement at the Frontier Hotel was Mario Lanza, a Hollywood star with a huge operatic tenor voice. But Lanza had addictions to alcohol and drugs and his Las Vegas visit was to be a story of drama and destruction. STARSTRUCK centers on the manager and friend of these four stars, Sammy Lewis. Sammy controlled the shows and tried to keep the singers happy. A friend to Sinatra and Liberace, he was also secretly in love with Dietrich and so his plate was already full before the arrival of Lanza – a dark character full of insecurity and paranoia. It would be a mighty battle to get Lanza on stage in that extraordinary week in entertainment history.
Featuring 14 classic song include “La Vie En Rose”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “Falling in Love Again”,
“Smile”, “I’ll Be Seeing You”, “Begin the Beguine” and “With a Song in My Heart”.
