Costa Rica News – A local resident of Jaco is hoping that a rock & roll musical that he penned will one day soon be on the stage in Costa Rica or Los Angeles bring James (Jim) Douglas Morrison to life.
Britt Nelson is a retired journalist/photographer who worked 18 years with The New York Times Company. Several months ago he dusted off
an old rock & roll musical production he first wrote in 1980 which was copyrighted with the US Library of Congress. The musical is entitled “James Douglas Morrison,” and is a serious effort to capture this explosive personality, life and times of Jim Morrison and the Doors.
The below are reviews of the full-length, 3-act theatrical live-stage musical and it’s ready to go into production.
If you are interested in reading the script yourself or in producing this theatrical production contact Britt Nelson.
Stacey Dunahay (Costa Rican Times Writer) Review
While recently reviewing a script for a screenplay about The Doors, more particularly about Jim Morrison, I recalled past movies and biographies that I have seen or read about. It also brought to mind how young he was when he finally passed away. It seemed that he was a very interesting person and a dark poet at heart.
The play takes place when The Doors were at their pinnacle of fame. In the opening, It portrays a couple of small snippets in the days before Jim Morrison’s death. There is a scene that indicates the audience is backstage at a concert, then a party in a hotel room after which Jim Morrison had incited a riot during a concert. Next, it takes place in the home that Jim Morrison and Pamela share in Paris. This is the end of the road as Jim Morrison dies shortly thereafter in the play.
The writer of this screenplay seems to have captured Jim Morrison’s essence and tried to walk the fine balance between historical fiction and reality of Morrison’s personality and end of life. While the screenplay was interesting to read, and gave a clear indication of the set, scenes, music and costuming, I am not sure that this play will be a full length Broadway or Off Broadway musical. I am not sure that there is enough length of screenplay, and I am not sure there is enough depth or substance. It gives a clear indication of the personality and strangeness (according to normal society) of the personality of the elusive and romanticized lead singer, but I am not sure what the author’s purpose is.
I couldn’t figure out if it is to show that Jim Morrison and Pamela were huge druggies, if there was question surrounding his death (which was extremely briefly laid out in the screenplay), or if it was just to bring forth a small moment of Morrison’s life for avid die-hard Doors fans.
Is there a market to bring this play to? I am sure that there are many younger adults who continue to romanticize the band, and would be interested to watch a snippet of time from his life. The background knowledge most people these days have of The Doors is based on a movie from the 90’s starring Meg Ryan as Pamela and Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison and that portrayed the couple in much the same way as this screenplay appears to.
Are there enough fans of The Doors and Jim Morrison to continue a biographical trend of famous dead singers? While 50’s legends musicals have seen a small light of success, most recently with The Jersey Boys, is this screenplay entertaining enough and is the music enjoyed by enough of an audience as to see the author’s dream come to fruition? One can only know if they decide to take a gamble on this screenplay.
Other Reviews
“This is a good read. This musical play is well thought out and it flows with non-stop action from beginning to end with a sense of compassion and respect for Morrison, and this music by the Doors. The 1960s were a turbulent time and that era is well represented in this work. I hope to see this play in production someday soon,” from Beverly Black, Graduate of University of San Francisco, California; Masters degree 1986, now living in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica.
“Great script — all that you’ve ever heard about Jim Morrison wrapped up neatly in one night at the theater. An easy read. This should be a full-performance musical. Don’t miss it if you ever get a chance to see the full production,” Tim Callahan, retired computer specialist from San Jose, Ca., a resident of Jaco Beach, Costa Rica.
“I love the music….the death scene was moving and well crafted.” Mel Damski, American TV and film director. “I’m guessing you could do it as a live show in Costa Rica and stay beneath the radar.”
