About the work
Brigadoon is a musical by Frederick Loewe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics and book), premiered on Broadway in 1947. It was the first major success of the Lerner and Loewe team and combines a romantic fantasy with Scottish local colour.
Plot
Two American tourists lose their way in the Scottish Highlands and discover the village of Brigadoon, which appears on no map. They learn of a miracle: Brigadoon comes to life only once every hundred years for a single day, to preserve it from the changing world. The tourist Tommy falls in love with the villager Fiona but must decide whether to give up his modern existence for love and a life in the timeless village. In the end, love triumphs over reason.
Cultural significance
Brigadoon launched one of the most successful partnerships in Broadway history, which later produced My Fair Lady and Camelot. With songs such as Almost Like Being in Love it became a standard and was filmed in 1954 with Gene Kelly. Its wistful fusion of Celtic folklore and romantic longing for a place beyond time made it a timeless classic.