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Blondel, a rock opera musical by Tim Rice (book and lyrics) and Stephen Oliver (music), was...

Blondel, a rock opera musical by Tim Rice (book and lyrics) and Stephen Oliver (music), was inspired by, and very loosely based on, the life of the eponymous French troubadour. The play is set during the period of the Third Crusade. Originally conceived by Tim Rice during his collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber, the project was originally titled "Come Back, Richard, Your Country Needs You" and a single of the same title was recorded in 1969. The project was shelved until Rice met Stephen Oliver in the 1970s, and the pair began working on a musical centering around King Richard I of England; as it developed, the project shifted its focus to a minstrel in the King's court, vying for pop-stardom, and his 'progressive' girlfriend. Though the musical is largely a comic romp, it does tackle some pretty serious issues. Historically, Blondel lays out the basic goings-on of the Third Crusade as told through the eyes of the English political environment. Although the musical frequently mentions the Crusade, it is never actually shown, excepting Richard's imprisonment in Austria upon his return trip. The play also deals with one of the many assassination attempts made on Richard, and an