3 Musketiers

The musical premiered on 30 March 2003 in the Nieuwe Luxor Theater in Rotterdam starring Bastiaan Ragas as d'Artagnan and Pia Douwes as Milady de Winter.

The original Dutch production featured minimalist sets and abstract costumes by Yan Tax, which were not true to the period of the piece, but gave a feeling of the character and an impression of the era.

For example, Milady De Winter's costumes were based mainly in leather and lace, whereas Anna wore spectacularly jeweled gowns, including a dress made entirely from real peacock feathers.

The sets for the German productions were realistic and true to the period of the piece and gave an interesting contrast with the modern costume styles.

Rochefort instructs Milady that she must remain in the inn and not continue to Paris since she was exiled from France some 25 years previously and cannot travel without documentation from the Cardinal.

Three of the King's Musketeers (Athos, Porthos and Aramis) reflect on their shared love and hate for Paris, just as d'Artagnan arrives in the city.

Queen Anne of Austria arrives and is advised by Richelieu to use her influence on Louis XIII to instigate a holy war against the Protestant church.

She was so pure that she insisted they always make love in the dark, until one evening in the moonlight, he found a brand on her shoulder, revealing her to be a whore and thief and had her exiled from the country and never saw her again.

The first act ends with great uncertainty but with d'Artagnan swearing to go to England and fetch the necklace from Buckingham for the Queen (Fight).

Milady goes to the docks and waits for d'Artagnan to return to France, at which point she attempts to seduce him and take the necklace, but she fails.

As Milady leaves to attempt to find d'Artagnan, Richelieu is overwhelmed by desires of the flesh and their conflict with his faith (Not Made Of Stone).

As Constance lies dying, Milady reveals how years of heartache have turned her heart to stone and have destroyed her faith.

At the Palace, the Ball has begun and d'Artagnan arrives just in time to give the Queen her jewels, reveal the murder of Constance and the plottings of Richelieu.