Someone Like You (musical)

Someone Like You, with music by Petula Clark and lyrics by Dee Shipman, is a musical based on a concept developed by Clark and Ferdie Pacheco over a period of several years. Set in West Virginia immediately after the Civil War, it was originally conceived as a dark view of the difficulties Southerners faced dealing with carpetbaggers during the Reconstruction period, but in the hands of Robin Midgley and Fay Weldon, many of the book's serious overtones were dropped. In their effort to lighten the tone, the plot become convoluted and often bordered on the ridiculous. The story centered on Abigail Kane, who journeys to America from her native England with her son Jake in search of her preacher husband, who allegedly had gone to the States to participate in the skirmish between North and South. She comes to the aid of the Major, a doctor struggling to care for a multitude of injured soldiers without benefit of medical supplies, and soon discovers her missing husband is involved in shady dealings not usually associated with a man of the cloth. Drawn together out of both necessity and desire, Abigail and the Major forsake their marital vows and become involved in a passionate romance.

The musical premiered on October 25, 1989 at the Cambridge Arts Theatre in Cambridge, and in his review in the Cambridge Evening News, Alan Kersey wrote, "Petula Clark proved last night at the world premiere of Someone Like You that she can still work wonders both on stage and in the tough real world of show business." The production toured the UK through December 9.

On March 22, 1990, Someone Like You opened at the Strand Theatre in London's West End. In addition to Clark, it starred Dave Willets (Phantom of the Opera) as the Major and Clive Carter as Kane. Reviews were mixed, although most critics praised Clark's performance and her contribution to the score. Due to a weak box office and financial difficulties the producer was facing from a previous effort, the show closed on April 26, 1990. Although an original cast album was never released, Clark's recordings of several of the tunes have been issued on various CDs.