As it’s Valentine’s weekend, it is only right to shine a focus on the best love stories from the stage. All of these different romances compel you for a range of different reasons, whether it’s the silence between the words (or sometimes lyrics), the strength in their duel performances, or the moving story and narrative that bolster their love story. You can count on the below to showcase love at its finest on the live stage.
The Prince of Egypt’s Moses and Tzipporah
The Prince of Egypt is a story of Moses leading an enslaved people (the Hebrews) out of Egypt, as a prophet of God. Growing up alongside Rameses, the heir to the throne of Egypt, he finds out about his Hebrew heritage later in life. He meets Tzipporah, who will become his wife, before he reclaims his Hebrew identity; though their romance progresses later on with the narrative when Moses has fled from his ties to the throne. Tzipporah is a steady presence throughout the musical, endeavouring to highlight Moses’ purpose, despite the pressures and hardship they face. Their love story offers a continual thread of hope amongst the upward struggle of freeing a people, no better showcased in their duet together (‘Never in a Million Years’). The romance heightens an already moving story, offering glimpses of Moses and Tzipporah as people with plenty of love to spare, rather than just figureheads for the cause.
Brokeback Mountain’s Jack and Ennis
Another romance for the ages, Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist took the stage as Ennis and Jack respectively in Brokeback Mountain at Soho Place in 2023. Set in ‘60s Wyoming, the play follows the pair in a heartbreaking and emotive performance spanning twenty years, heightened by almost eerie folk and western songs (songs by Dan Gillespie Sells and performed by Eddi Reader and her band). The on-stage dramatisation of Ang Lee’s 2005 film work to make the romance and realities of Ennis and Jack’s love epic, all-encompassing, yet intimate and familiar through the understated stage design (despite the mountainous setting) and the compelling narrative journey. They all combine to conjure this imperfect, wonderfully performed, and sometimes tragic romance.
Hear their romance in the song ‘Sharing Your Heart’, performed by Eddi Reader from the West End production of Brokeback Mountain.
Hadestown’s Orpheus and Eurydice
The story of Hadestown takes you down to the Underworld and back, focusing on two mythic romances—Eurydice and Orpheus, a young and hopeful couple, and Persephone and Hades, King and Queen of the Underworld and weathered by their time there. Ensues an exhilarating adventure, a tale of hope and creativity, as well as tragedy. Hadestown takes you on a fast-paced story through these two intertwined couples. The blues beats and wide range of historical inspiration for the costume paint this mythically stream-punk picture that enhances each role in the story. ‘All I’ve Ever Known’ recalls Orpheus and Eurydice’s changing selves within their relationship, and you feel their evolution as the stage show progresses. Their story is one of change and growth, a cyclical journey of love that reinvigorates you on each trip. Similarly, Hades and Persephone’s enduring love story is a push and pull that is incredibly enjoyable to see on the stage, best shown in ‘Wait For Me’. By no means as hopeful as their counterparts, the lyric “We’ll try again next fall” says it best—these are romances that’ll endure.
Check out these duets, ‘Come Home With Me’, ‘Promises’, ‘All I’ve Ever Known’, to delve into the musicality of Eurydice and Orpheus’ romance.
Crazy For You’s Bobby and Polly
Crazy For You is a fun-filled, musical foray showcasing a romance familiar to the golden age of cinema. Set in the 1930s in Deadrock, Nevada, the musical is trope-filled, focusing on a rich boy falling in love with a small town girl, along with tap dancing and a good ol ‘musical within a musical. Like other theatrical stories, you witness Bobby and Polly falling for each other, though a bit of mistaken-identity gets in the way—typical of another stage writer, Shakespeare. With a fun-focused ensemble, plenty of show tunes, and a compatible and comedic romantic pairing, Crazy For You is the perfect, low stakes romantic venture that has enough conflict to keep you on your tap shoes.
Check out ‘Could You Use Me’ and ‘Embraceable You’ for duets performed by the characters Polly and Bobby from Crazy From You, an original cast recording.
No matter where you look in the theatre, you’ll be able to find a love story. If it’s a love for fashion (The Devil Wears Prada), a love for popularity (Mean Girls), or even the love you find in comrades (Chicago), the theatre has it all. And there is nothing better than seeing it unfold right before your eyes.
Honourable mention for an anti-love story—each married couple in Chicago.
Words by Annabel Smith
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