Lola Montez (musical)

Lola Montez
Original cast recording
Music	Peter Stannard
Lyrics	Peter Benjamin
Book	Alan Burke
Productions	1958 Melbourne 1958 Brisbane/Sydney

Lola Montez is a 1958 Australian musical. It was written by Alan Burke, Peter Stannard and Peter Benjamin and focuses on four days of Lola Montez visiting the Ballarat Goldfields.

Stannard, Benjamin and Burke were all friends from university who wanted to write a musical together. Alan Burke says he had never heard of Lola Montez until he heard her mentioned in a program on the ABC. He was attracted to the subject because it was Australian but had international appeal - he did not want to make something along the lines of On Our Selection. Also, since the lead was a performer the songs would come naturally.

Hugh Hunt of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust heard several auditions of the work and agreed to fund a trial production at the Union Theatre Repertory Company in Melbourne in early 1958. It was directed by John Sumner. The production was very popular.

The Trust took up their option and launched a professional production. George Carden was brought into direct.

Alan Burke says his dream Lola was Vivien Leigh but that he wanted Moira Fraser to star. Hugh Hunt wanted a star so they imported 25 year old Mary Preston from the United Kingdom to play the lead. Burke said Preston was hopelessly miscast playing a 37 year old aging beauty.

The show trialled in Brisbane for a short season. Michael Cole, who was playing Daniel, was sacked in Brisbane because of his voice. He was replaced by Eric Thornton who Burke said was too old - a 45 year old man playing a 19 year old. The play moved to Sydney where it opened on 22 October 1958. Burke says it lost £30,000 and "was a show loved by very few people but it went into legend." However the show did run for more than three months. Michael Cole's singe recording of "Saturday Girl" became a minor hit.

Lola Montez was adapted for TV by the ABC in 1962. The TV production was directed by Alan Burke, who had written the book for the musical.

Burke says because he directed things were not misunderstood. Johnny Rohan was cast as Daniel after Burke saw him singing on a pop show.

It was filmed in the ABC's Southbank Studios in Melbourne. Choreography was by Rex Reid, and Mary Duchesne danced the Lola in the Bavaria sequence. The dance ensemble included Kelvin Coe and Barry Moreland.