Time-worn Tale, Timeless Themes: The Story Behind “Brigadoon”
It’s the last weekend of Scottish Highland fun at Village Theatre—read how “Brigadoon” first came to the stage in 1947. Plus, Beethoven takes the spotlight at Seattle Symphony and Family Packs are available for a holiday tradition for all ages.
Brigadoon might only appear out of the mist once every hundred years, but the musical itself was very much a product of its time.
When Brigadoon premiered on Broadway in 1947, it was stepping into a world already changed by Oklahoma!—the Rodgers and Hammerstein sensation that redefined how musicals could tell a story. Gone were the days when a musical was just a patchwork of songs, dance numbers, and a paper-thin plot designed to spotlight a star. Oklahoma! showed that music, dance, and narrative could work together as equal partners to move a story forward. This “integrated musical” approach became the prototype for everything that came after.
Lerner and Loewe, the duo behind Brigadoon, used everything that worked for Oklahoma! and added a Highland twist. Instead of cowboys and cornfields, they gave audiences kilts, misty moors, and a village frozen in time. But beneath the Scottish folklore was a structure—and a story—that felt very familiar.
Like Oklahoma!, Brigadoon centers on multiple couples navigating their way toward happiness, with obstacles (both internal and external) in their path. Both shows open with songs that establish setting, which functions more as a character than a location in both stories. Each features a secondary couple containing an ardent young woman who provides comic relief. The romantic leads sing “I’m-not-in-love-but-maybe-I-am” ballads early in Act I, denying their true feelings and setting up the emotional arc of the story. And both shows use folk-inspired dance (in both cases originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille) to deepen the connection between character and setting.
On the Stage
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
Classical | Seattle Symphony
Now – November 16 | Tickets
International piano star Yulianna Avdeeva returns after her stunning solo recital debut last year to play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, balancing stormy energy and subtle introspection.
More Events
- Parsons Dance | Meany Center | Now – November 15 | View Print Program
- In the Upper Room | Pacific Northwest Ballet | Now – November 16
- A Very Die Hard Christmas | Seattle Public Theater | Now – December 21
- The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza | Seattle Children’s Theatre | November 20 – January 4
Next Line
- Round up your loved ones for A Christmas Carol at Union Arts Center. With Family Packs—including all fees and a 20% savings—it’s the perfect way to enjoy this timeless holiday story side by side.
- Meet Stephen Michael Newby, the new Associate Music Director for Black Nativity, joining Intiman Theatre to help shape the music and vocals alongside Sam Townsend.
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