I could play the wild mutation…
Today is the 25th anniversary of David Bowie’s first onstage performance as The Elephant Man, in the stage play of the same name.
He opened at Denver Center of Performing Arts on 29th July 1980 and his exceptional performance drew the following sample press comments when the show transferred to Broadway later that year:
“shockingly good” – New York Post
“piercing and haunted” – New York Daily News
“preternaturally wise” – New York Times
David himself had this to say to The Daily Mirror at the time: “It is undoubtedly the biggest single challenge of my career. Going onto Broadway is the fulfilment of a great dream.”
A trawl through futher press cuttings is a humbling experience as superlatives are rained upon his extraordinary interpretation of John Merrick without the aid of prosthetics or make-up.
David’s triumph in the part was the subject of a BowieNet special feature, compiled five years ago by BowieNet members. (12.14.2000 NEWS: BOWIENET MEMBERS SPECIAL FEATURE : DAVID BOWIE in THE ELEPHANT MAN and 01.03.2001 SNIPPET: ELEPHANT MAN)
To celebrate the anniversary today, you can look once again at those reminscences, photographs and press cuttings by clicking on David’s loincloth in either picture.