Lady Bess

At a press conference in Tokyo today Lady Bess will be presented to the public. That's how Sylvester Levay and I call the brand new musical we created over the last three years. The picture shows a moment at London's Sphere Studios where we have recorded the main songs for demonstration. Lady Bess tells the story of the young Elizabeth Tudor (1533-1603) before she became the most famous Queen of England. When Bess was two years and eight months old, her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed. Bess (as she was called by those close to her) was declared illegitimate and deprived of her place in the royal succession. When her  older half-sister, Mary, became Queen, she suspected Bess of plotting against her. Bess was brought to court, and imprisoned at the very room of the Tower of London where her mother had waited for her execution. The dramatic story of Lady Bess is told on stage by an elderly playwright, Robin Blake, who once fell in love with the princess when he was a young poet. It's basically a tale of growing up. My libretto is inspired by well-known historic events, not based on any specific book or movie. Rehearsals for the show start next February. The opening at Tokyo's prestigious Imperial Theater is scheduled for April 13, 2014.