Classic Story Told With Music at SVP's Grand Hotel

When the curtain opens at Grand Hotel -- The Musical, the latest production at the Somerset Valley Players, you will be invited into the world of 1928 Berlin. The illustrious Grand Hotel promises luxury to its guests, but so much more happens within its walls.

The classic tale of several lives intertwining at the world’s most famous hotel began as a bestselling novel by Austrian author Vicki Baum. It was adapted into a movie in 1932 starring several screen idols of the time, including Greta Garbo, who uttered her iconic line, “I want to be alone.”

“Grand Hotel received a musical treatment in 1989,” says director Jim Jarrell. “It was a Broadway smash that won awards and ran for over 1,000 performances -- proving the story of these characters on the brink of the Great Depression and before the war in Europe could stand the test of time.”

“The novel used words, and the film images, to create each character’s drama and convey the swirling elegance of the setting,” Jarrell continues. “We use music. Each of the songs adds a different layer to the story, by helping to set the scene or get to the heart of a character.”

“The opening number, ‘The Grand Parade,’ establishes the opulent atmosphere of the hotel and how, by operation standards, life will always go on. People come and go,” explains actor Alexander Portera. “The characters in the show are all at the hotel for different reasons, and as the show progresses, they change, for better or for worse.”

Each of the main characters has a chance to express themselves in song. “Probably the most defining song is ‘The Girl in the Mirror,’” adds actor Sean Dickinson. “Sung by one of the female leads, it gives a look into who she is and what she really wants out of life, which I think is interesting.”

“Grand Hotel created the now familiar dramatic device of putting several characters into one location and allowing their lives to intersect,” Jarrell states . “Audiences have loved the concept from The Poseidon Adventure to The Love Boat,” he laughs. “We think they’ll love the original too.”

“Grand Hotel -- The Musical” opens June 8 and runs through June 24, at the Somerset Valley Players on 689 Amwell Road (Route 514) in Hillsborough. For times and tickets go to www.svptheatre.org . The theatre is air conditioned, wheelchair accessible and barrier free.