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Lyrics - Alan J.Lerner
Opened - film: 1958, stage: 1973
Main characters - Gigi, Gaston, Honore, Mamita, Alicia
Plot - It is Paris in the last century. Gigi, an energetic teenager, is part of the upper class society, and is being tutored by her Aunt Alicia so she'll become a proper sophisticated lady, but actually she doesn't want to be particularly and doesn't see whats wrong with the lower classes. She spends most of her time at home with her grandmother, Mamita, who is much more kindly than Alicia. Honore is a gentleman who has romanced his fair share of women in his time, and he is sort of the narrator of the story. His nephew Gaston often visits Gigi and Mamita. When Gaston dumpd his girlfriend and becomes elligible he holds lots of parties and becomes very well known in Paris, and is always in the papers. After taking Gigi and Mamita on a trip to the seaside, Mamita and Alicia realise that there is a chance that Gigi could marry the most elligle bachelor in Paris, and they do all they can to prepare her. Things don't go too well at first, but Gaston suddenly realises that Gigi is no longer a girl and has really grown up without him noticing. Gigi tries to act sophisticated like she's been taught but this saddens Gaston. However, they are soon together and the ending is a happy one.
This is the story of the film, the stage version had a slightly different storyline.
Songs (With marks out of 10) -
1.Paris is Paris again (10)
(Average - 9.29, Overall score - 199)
(These are the songs from the stage version)
2.It's a bore (8)
3.The earth and other minor things (9)
4.Thank heaven for little girls (10)
5.She's not thinking of me (9)
6.The night they invented champagne (9)
7.I remember it well (10)
8.Gigi (10)
9.Entr'acte (10)
10.The contract (8)
11.I'm glad I'm not young anymore (10)
12.Wide wide world (10)
13.The Parisians (7) - (Only in film version)
14.Say a prayer for me tonight (10) - (Only in film version)
Favourite song - Gigi
Favourite character - Honore
Favourite line -
"Thank heaven for little girls, they grow up in the most delightful way. Those little
eyes so helpless and appealing, one day will flash, and send you crashing through the ceiling!"
- Honore, watching the young girls at play, 'Thank heaven for little girls'
Comment - I bought Gigi because I was collecting all of Lerner and Loewe's musicals, and they really are brilliant. Gigi has many gorgeous french-sounding melodies, and it's all very light-hearted and happy stuff. I later bought the film, which has many different songs to the stage version. The film is a classic, apart from some dodgey-looking backgrounds! The characters in the film are great, Honore and Gigi especially. Gigi is a 'Gay romantic fling', to quote one of the songs. :)