Rufus Wainwright

John Cassavetes Opening Night

John Cassavetes Opening Night is the first stage musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Rufus Wainwright. It premiered in London at the Gielgud Theater in the spring of 2024. The book and direction were by Ivo van Hove. It is based on the 1977 movie Opening Night by American avant garde director John Cassavetes.

Storyline

It tells the story of an actress, Myrtle Gordon, played by Cassavetes' wife, Gena Rowlands, who is premiering a play written for her that is about a woman coming to terms with aging. Myrtle Gordon does not come to terms with her own aging and rebels against the play, throwing the entire production into jeopardy. A young female fan asking her for an autograph at the stage door gets killed by a car as she runs off onto the street. Myrtle is being haunted by the young girl.

Opening Night

On opening night, she arrives completely drunk but ultimately does what she does best: act and improvise. Part All About Eve, Opening Night is the story of an actress who risks madness for her truth.