This blog post is part of a series presented in partnership with the Guthrie Theater, connecting the latest stage productions with the library's collections.
Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac made its stage debut in 1897 and has since made appearances on film, television, and stages across the world. On stage now at the Guthrie is an adaptation written and helmed by Artistic Director Joseph Haj, filled with wit, wordplay, and epic battle scenes. Read on to learn more about how this story has touched culture over the last century and why Cyrano remains a heroic tale for the ages.
Following the timeline, check out our staff-recommended reading list inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac.
By Guest Blogger Kaitlin Schlick, Guthrie Theater
1897: Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac debuts in Paris to immediate acclaim. Within a year, a production is staged on Broadway in English.
1950: United Artists releases a film version starring José Ferrer, who also played the title role onstage. He wins a Tony and an Oscar for playing the swashbuckling Cyrano.
1964: The cartoon character Mr. Magoo stars as Cyrano in his own version of the tale, which is released as part of “The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo” television series.
1973: The stage musical Cyrano, written by Anthony Burgess and Michael J. Lewis and starring Christopher Plummer, plays at the Guthrie before a short Broadway run for which Plummer wins a Tony.
1987: Steve Martin adapts and stars in the film Roxanne, an updated retelling of the story with Martin as C.D. Bales and Daryl Hannah as the leading lady.
1990: A faithful film adaptation in French stars Gérard Depardieu as Cyrano.
1996: The Truth About Cats & Dogs, starring Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo, takes inspiration from Cyrano but switches the genders of the principals.
2006: Inspired by Cyrano, Michael Golamco’s play Cowboy Versus Samurai is set in Wyoming where the only two Asian-American men in town vie for the affection of new arrival Veronica Lee.
2018: Netflix releases the film Sierra Burgess is a Loser— a riff on Cyrano that takes place in a high school and swaps letters for text messages.
Romance, comedy, swashbuckling adventure, and crippling self-loathing: Cyrano de Bergerac has it all. Cyrano is on stage at the Guthrie Theater March 16 - May 5, 2019. Adapted and directed by JOSEPH HAJ
Jay O. Sanders, who plays Cyrano, lends his profile to create the iconic nose. Performances begin March 16 ➙ bit.ly/2Bu7XHi
D'artagnan and Cyrano unite! The first in a series of novels bringing together the two swashbuckling heroes, written by Paul Feval, fils.
