OPERA BOOK FILM PRODUCTION CHARITY WORK A STAR FOR DARIUS TRIBUTES
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
In 2013 Darius returned to the West End stage in a new musical version of 'From Here To Eternity' by Stuart Brayson and Sir Tim Rice. He became the first actor to bring the role of Milt Warden to the stage.
Darius' casting was announced in July 2013 and the musical began previews in the West End on 30th September 2013. It had its opening night and world premiere on 23rd October 2013, at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. The production closed on 29 March 2014, after a run of six and a half months. The musical developed somewhat of a cult following and shortly after it closed, it was ranked at number 17 in the What’s On Stage Top 100 Musicals of All Time.
The basis of the musical is the 1951 novel From Here to Eternity by James Jones. In 1941, Jones was serving with the US Army in Hawaii, at the time of Pearl Harbor, and the novel was loosely based on his experience in the 27th Infantry Regiment. It focuses on the lives of a group of soldiers in the months leading up to the attack, in particular Private Prewitt, a boxer who no longer wants to fight having blinded an opponent, and Sergeant Milt Warden, who has an affair with the wife of his commanding officer.
Talking about his character, Warden, Darius told What's On Stage:
"Warden is like an oak tree. He's solid and he's unshakeable in the face of whatever weather befalls him. He's very rooted in strong principles, he's a noble leader of men. And he's been hurt in the past so has not allowed himself to fall in love. But then he meets Karen, the wife of his Captain, and they engage in an illicit affair. It's a big risk because if it's uncovered Warden faces 20 years in prison."
He also explained how he prepared for the role saying :"I spoke to my great uncle who fought in the Second World War, and I was also lucky enough to meet some veterans of the Battle of Britain. There was a sense that these incredible events that they saw and took part in were ordinary to them. Their acts of courage and bravery seem extraordinary to us now, but these were just everyday men with incredible principles who were willing to lay down their lives for their comrades."
As the show is based on the uncensored novel released in 2011, rather than the 1953 film adaptation,it contains references to prostitution and homosexuality, as well as the Army's investigation into them, that the film did not feature. The right to create the musical adaptation came with the condition that it had to be based on the original book. Darius explained "The novel was Jones' masterpiece, giving a real insight into the hearts and minds of the people who died during what, prior to 9/11, was the most shocking attack on US soil. Certain issues it contains, such as homosexuality and prostitution, were skirted over in the film version and are explored in much more detail in our stage version."
During its preview period some people walked out of the performance, having been unprepared for the nudity and swearing in the production.
Talking at the time Darius said "It's got some of the raciest scenes I think a West End audience will ever have seen. But they're not there purely for shock value, they're just part of the reality of the story. For example the movie is probably most famous for a beach scene, where the lovers clinch on the sand. But it's not made explicit that what they're actually doing is making love."
He also told BBC's Front Row show "James Jones novel really portrayed homosexuality and prostitution in the way that it existed in those days and we've dived in head first. Maybe some of the nudity, swearing and explicitness have been too much for them, but a younger audience and an audience who have loved the film – and wanted to see more – have been giving us standing ovations and for that we are all grateful."
The show features a dramatisation of the attack on Pearl Harbor and to mark the 72nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor on 7th December 2013, the cast joined with The Military Wives choir for a special post curtain rendition of the song "The Boys of '41". Talking about the dramatic scenes of the attack in the show Darius said "When the attack comes it's done in a very powerful way. There was not a dry eye in the house when we did our first tech run. Staff in the theatre came up to us afterwards in tears and said "I was not at all prepared for that".
Darius performed several songs in the show including the solos 'Sure' and 'Marking Time'. He also sang 'More Than America', 'Ain't Where I Wanna Be Blues', 'Something In Return' and 'From Here To Eternity' alongside Rebecca Thornhill, Robert Lonsdale and Siubhan Harrison.
Talking about the music in the show Darius said "The composer Stuart Brayson, using some of Tim Rice's best lyrics, has achieved something that's very hard to crack. And that's songs that are instantly catchy and popular, yet at the same time feel classic. It's no mean feat – as a song writer myself I've been really encouraged by the fact the music is so strong. It's a big part of why I wanted to take this role on."
Towards the end of its original West End run, two nights of From Here to Eternity were filmed in front of a live audience at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London.
The Overture was re-mixed for the filming, and according to composer Stuart Brayson “a few” songs and scenes were cut from the final film.
The live film of the musical was released across the UK on 3rd July 2014, which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the 1954 Academy Awards when the film version won its 8 Oscars. The musical was also broadcast on Sky Arts on 27th December 2014.
A live double album featuring the original cast of the show was released on CD to coincide with the cinema screenings. The soundtrack can be streamed on iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify etc.
From Here to Eternity was released in cinemas across the United States in early October 2016, playing in 460 cinemas over three days.
A DVD was released in December 2014 and the show can currently be streamed on the Broadway HD and StagePlayerPlus platforms.
You can watch Darius performing in some scenes from the show below:
Watch and listen to some of Darius' TV and Radio appearances to promote the show below:
Listen to Darius singing some songs from the show below:
Take a look behind the scenes: