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The Lion In Winter





PRODUCTION HISTORY



Original Broadway production


The play's premier was in the Ambassador Theatre , New York City on 3 March , 1966 , directed by Noel Willman featuring Rosemary Harris as Queen Eleanor and Robert Preston as King Henry II, and Christopher Walken as a King Philip of France. The production was nominated for two Tony Awards and Rosemary Harris was awarded the Best Actress prize. It had a run of 92 performances.


Revival

The play was revived in March, 1999, at the Criterion Center Stage Right , with Stockard Channing as Queen Eleanor and Laurence Fishburne as King Henry II, in directed by Michael Mayer . Channing was nominated for a best actress Tony prize, and the production ran for 93 performances.


Film adaptations



The film was nominated for 7 ), and Best Score ( John Barry ).




SYNOPSIS


''The Lion in Winter'' occurs in (1157-1199, the future King Richard I Of England 1189-1199), Prince Geoffrey, Duke Of Brittany (1158-1186), and Prince John (1166-1216, the future King John I Of England 1199-1216).

Also in the château, pursuing their own intrigues with the royal family are King Philip II Of France , the son of Eleanor's Ex-husband , and Philip II's half-sister Alais , a daughter of Louis VII. Alais was betrothed to Richard I, but is Henry II's Mistress ; in reality, Henry had many mistresses and bastards. The "Rosamund" mentioned in the film was Henry II's mistress until she died.

''The Lion in Winter'' is fictional: there was no Christmas Court at Chinon in 1183; there was a Christmas court at Caen in 1182; none of the dialogue and action is historic, though the outcomes of the characters and the background are historically accurate. The article on the Revolt Of 1173-1174 describes the historical events leading to the play's events.


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