Today, I'm going to be talking about the fantastic number in Bonnie and Clyde, which does exactly what a musical theatre opening should do: set up the characters and story clearly. Along with, most importantly, making the audience care. Bonnie and Clyde's music was composed by Frank Wildhorn, known for Jekyll and Hyde the Musical and Dracula the Musical, amongst many others. And the lyrics are by Don Black, known for his work in many incredible shows such as the stage adaptation of Sunset Boulevard, Billy and Tell Me on Sunday. Just to name a few. And a book by Ivan Menchell, who most notably worked on the additional materials for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. These are only a few of the creatives that have contributed to the show, making it very clear why it is so well written and successful in its overall storytelling.
Picture Show as a title sums up the characters and their aspirations. Bonnie for her eager dreams of stardom and money, using Clara Bow as her idol. Clyde for his dreams of fame and money, but through the oppsoite means of the hard work that Bonnie is planning to put in, having his idol as Al Capone. This is a really interesting writing choice as it allows the writers to build on well-known celebrities and jump straight into the story without much need for an initial character set-up, as we have two fully formed personalities to compare them to. Also, as the song progresses, we hear from the two of them as children and adults, solidifying this feeling of fullness in terms of character development in only four and a half minutes, making the tragic story immediately more meaningful. It is also interesting that the title more specifically caters to Bonnie's aspirations, as Clara Bow was a movie star and she plans to be the same. This is interesting as I think it highlights the progression of the story, as later on in the show we lose some of Bonnie's sense of identity as Clyde's dreams become more dominant between the two. Another interesting choice, specifically by Laura Osnes in the 2012 production of Bonnie and Clyde, was to have Bonnie enunciate her words more at the beginning and gradually enunciate less as Clyde takes more of a leading role in the two's decisions and dreams. The enunciation clearly serves as a representation for films and therefore her dreams as well as her innocence in the criminal world that Clyde lives in. Creating this beautifully crafted juxtaposition between the characters makes the show feel even more volatile and unpredictable.
Another fascinating choice was to immediately compare her to Clara Bow, and if those watching the show know of her devastating life behind the screen, they will instantly see the classic Romeo and Juliet set up of two characters who were doomed to be together and to die together. For example, a quote from an article from Grunge titled The Tragic Life of Clara Bow, the First Hollywood It Girl stated, "To her many fans, Bow seemed to be just like the character she played in the film, a working-class girl who achieved her goals through tenacity and a joie de vivre. But in reality, Bow was crumbling under the weight of stardom and a past." Both characters clearly hold onto their dreams, and at their foundation, whether they are good or evil, they consistently focus on money, highlighting the poverty that many were enduring at the time and tying the two together as children, as both of their aspirations have the same end goal. It is also interesting how Bonnie focuses on more elaborate privileges such as riding horses and the clothing worn by movie stars, while Clyde focuses on specific details like having his hair style copied by kids and being "looked up to," showing a reflection of his desperation, as these are likely things that Clyde did as a child obsessed with the escape of "the life of an outlaw" and Al Capone. As both of their stars were initially "just some guy" or girl, trying to introduce the tangibility that they, as adults, are struggling to find reasons to hang on to their dreams.
Clyde also mentions aspiring to be like two different people, initially Billy the Kid and later Al Capone. This is fascinating as it shows a clear pattern that no matter how hard Clyde tries, this is what he wants, and his idea of maturing was just aspiring to be like an even more ambitious criminal. Making clear his poor judgement skills and how, ultimately, in combination with Bonnie's over trusting childlike wonder, the two are doomed together.
In conclusion, Picture Show is a wonderful example of what a character set-up song in a musical should look like, both juxtaposing and tying the characters together. Along with cleverly summarising the story and ending all at once, if you investigate the song and the characters motives a little further, if you haven't listened to Bonnie and Clyde before, I would highly recommend doing so, and if you ever get the chance to see it live, I have no doubt it would be outstanding. I would particularly recommend the 2012 recording, as I really love the character choices made by the cast members, including Jeremy Jordan as Clyde and Laura Osnes as Bonnie.
-2012 Jeremy Jordan on the left and Laura Osnes on the right
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