1634 shows
Clear filtersHazel Flagg is a 1953 musical, book by Ben Hecht, based on a story by James H. Street. The lyrics are by Bob Hilliard, and music by Jule Styne. The musical is based on the 1937 screwball comedy film Nothing Sacred, the primary screenwriter of which was Ben Hecht.
He Wanted Adventure is a 1933 musical by R. P. Weston and Bert Lee. Music was written by Jack Waller and Joseph Tunbridge, with additional lyrics provided by Clifford Grey. It is based on Walter Hackett's 1921 hit play Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure. Premiering at the Palace Theatre, Manchester it transferred to the West End for a 152 performances at the Saville Theatre which lasted between 28 March and 19 August 1933. The original London cast included Bobby Howes, Wylie Watson, Abraham Sofaer, Judy Gunn, Lena Halliday and Marie Burke.
Head Over Heels is a jukebox musical comedy with music and lyrics from the catalog of The Go-Go's and its lead singer and most successful solo artist, Belinda Carlisle. Jeff Whitty conceived the show and wrote the original book, which was then adapted by James Magruder after Whitty left the show due to conflict with incoming director Michael Mayer. The plot of the show is adapted from The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia written by Sir Philip Sidney in the 16th century. Head Over Heels opened at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in June 2015, running for five months in their outdoor theater. Three years later, after Whitty's departure, Head Over Heels opened on Broadway on July 26, 2018, at the Hudson Theatre; its final Broadway performance was January 6, 2019. Licensing rights for future productions were acquired by Broadway Licensing in 2018. A cast album was released on October 12, 2018.
In 1989, seventeen-year-old Veronica Sawyer despairs at Westerberg High School's hellish social hierarchy, where students like the heavyset Martha Dunnstock, Veronica's best friend, are tormented by jocks Ram Sweeney and Kurt Kelly, and the school is ruled by a clique called "the Heathers"; weak-willed cheerleader Heather McNamara, bulimic and petty Heather Duke, and "mythic bitch" Heather Chandler. When Veronica's talent for forgery gets the Heathers out of detention, they give her a makeover and elevate her to their inner circle ("Beautiful"). Three weeks later, Chandler orders Veronica to forge a love letter from Ram to Martha, threatening to return her to being a nobody when she hesitates ("Candy Store"). The mysterious, poetry-quoting new kid, Jason "J.D." Dean, criticizes Veronica for betraying her friend. After J.D. wins a fight against Ram and Kurt, Veronica finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him ("Fight for Me"). Veronica's parents express their disapproval over her friendship with the Heathers, but Veronica insists on staying with them so she can survive high school ("Candy Store (Reprise)"). Veronica flirts with J.D. at a 7-Eleven, leading J.D. to open up about his struggles and explain how he intentionally gives himself brain freezes to numb his grief ("Freeze Your Brain"). At Ram's homecoming party, Veronica gets increasingly drunk ("Big Fun"). When the Heathers cruelly prank Martha, Veronica angrily resigns from the group and vomits on Chandler's shoes. Chandler then vows to destroy her reputation. With nothing left to live for, Veronica breaks into J.D.'s bedroom and has sex with him ("Dead Girl Walking"). After being tormented by Chandler in a nightmare, Veronica, with J.D. in tow, heads to her house to apologize. While mixing a hangover cure for her, J.D. adds toxic drain cleaner to a mug and tries to convince Veronica to serve it to Chandler instead. Veronica refuses, but accidentally grabs J.D.'s mug anyway, with him noticing this and only wishing Veronica "good luck." Chandler refuses to accept Veronica's apology and drinks the drain cleaner, only to drop dead. Veronica panics, but J.D. convinces her to forge a suicide note, which paints Chandler as more complex and misunderstood. This fictionalized version of her wins everyone's sympathy and she becomes even more revered in death than she was in life ("The Me Inside of Me"). McNamara summons Veronica to a cow pasture, where she and Duke are stranded with a drunk Kurt and Ram. Upon Veronica's arrival, Duke reveals Kurt and Ram would only leave them alone if they brought Veronica, and the Heathers abandon her. Kurt and Ram unsuccessfully try to rape Veronica, though she manages to embarrass them and escape ("You’re Welcome"). The next day, Chandler's ghost appears to Veronica, warning she kept Kurt, Ram, and the other Heathers in check, and that with her gone, things would only get worse. Duke assumes Chandler's status and symbolic red scrunchie, becoming even more of a tyrant than Chandler was, while Ram and Kurt tell everyone they had a threesome with Veronica ("Never Shut Up Again"). Veronica is branded as a slut, and when J.D. attacks the jocks to defend her, they savagely beat him. J.D. and Veronica comfort each other and plan a vengeful prank: she will lure the jocks to the cemetery with the promise of a real threesome, then together they will shoot them with ich lüge (German for I lie) tranquilizer bullets to knock them out. Then Veronica and J.D. will leave another forged suicide note confessing Ram and Kurt were gay lovers and humiliate them in front of the school. When they arrive, J.D. shoots Ram but Veronica misses Kurt. As Veronica realizes that Ram is dead and the bullets are actually real, J.D. shoots Kurt dead and proclaims his undying love to a horrified Veronica ("Our Love Is God"). At Ram and Kurt's double funeral, a distraught Veronica reflects that they could have outgrown their immaturity ("Prom or Hell?"). Grief-stricken, Ram's Dad chastises Kurt's Dad for remaining homophobic, until the latter suddenly kisses the former, revealing their own secret love affair. Ram and Kurt are turned into martyrs to homophobia ("My Dead Gay Son"). Convinced that the murders are for the greater good, J.D. urges Veronica to target Duke next. When she refuses, he complains about doing nothing in the face of injustice. J.D. reveals he witnessed his mother's own suicide as a young boy, straining his relationship with his father and causing their constant moving around. Veronica gives him an ultimatum: give up violence and live a normal life with her or lose her forever ("Seventeen"). J.D. agrees and they reconcile. Martha tells Veronica she suspects J.D. of murdering the jocks, believing Ram's "love note" to her is proof. Veronica, urged by Chandler's ghost, confesses that she was actually the one who wrote it. Martha is heartbroken and runs off in tears. Ms. Fleming, one of the teachers, holds a televised therapy assembly, where she publicly breaks up with Steve, cutting off their affair ("Shine a Light"). She urges everyone to reveal their fears and insecurities, but only McNamara comes forward; admitting to experiencing grief and suicidal thoughts after losing Kurt and Chandler ("Lifeboat"). Duke mocks her and whips the students into a frenzy, and McNamara runs off crying. Veronica lashes out and blurts out a confession to the murders, but everyone believes she is only desperate for attention. Shortly after, McNamara tries to kill herself by overdosing in the bathroom, while Duke taunts her in her subconscious ("Shine a Light (Reprise)"), but Veronica stops her. J.D., carrying a gun, tries to persuade Veronica to kill Duke once more. Realizing how unstable he is, Veronica breaks up with him ("I Say No"). Furious, J.D. blackmails Duke into making the student body sign a petition to support a school holiday to honor the "suicide victims". Martha, mourning Ram, tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge ("Kindergarten Boyfriend"), but survives. Distraught, Veronica rushes home, only to find that J.D. has told her parents she is suicidal. She hides herself in her room as she is taunted by the ghosts of Kurt, Ram, and Chandler, while J.D. breaks in through the window ("Yo Girl"). Veronica barricades herself in her closet as J.D. reveals the petition was actually a mass suicide note, and explains his plans to stage the pep rally as such—using his demolition expertise. He breaks open the closet to find Veronica dangling from a noose. Grief-stricken, J.D flees to the school to enact his plan ("Meant to Be Yours"). Veronica, having faked her death, races to stop him. While the school pep rally is going on, Veronica confronts J.D in the boiler room, but in their struggle, he is shot ("Dead Girl Walking (Reprise)"). Unable to disarm the detonator, Veronica carries it to the empty football field to detonate the bombs out of range of the school. J.D. convinces her to let him take the detonator instead; it explodes, killing him ("I Am Damaged"). Returning to school, Veronica takes Chandler's scrunchie away from Duke, ending the era of social ridicule. Veronica then invites Martha and McNamara to hang out, rent a movie, and "be kids" before childhood is over ("Seventeen (Reprise)").
The concept of the stage production is that the audience is watching genderqueer rock singer Hedwig Robinson's musical act as she follows rockstar Tommy Gnosis' (much more successful) tour around the country. Occasionally Hedwig opens a door onstage to listen to Gnosis's concert, which is playing in an adjoining venue. Gnosis is recovering from an incident that nearly ruined his career, having crashed his car into a school bus while high and receiving oral sex from none other than Hedwig. Capitalizing on her notoriety from the incident, Hedwig determines to tell the audience her story ("Tear Me Down"). She is aided and hindered by her assistant, back-up singer and husband, Yitzhak. A Jewish drag queen from Zagreb, Yitzhak has an unhealthy, codependent relationship with Hedwig. Hedwig verbally abuses him throughout the evening, and it becomes clear that she is threatened by his natural talent, which eclipses her own. She describes how she agreed to marry him only after extracting a promise from him to never perform as a woman again, and he bitterly resents her treatment of him. (To further the musical's theme of blurred gender lines, Yitzhak is often played by a female actor.) Hedwig tells her life story, which began when she was Hansel Schmidt, a "slip of a girlyboy" growing up in East Berlin. Raised by an emotionally distant single mother after her father, an American soldier, abandoned the family, Hansel takes solace in her love of western rock music. She becomes fascinated with a story called "The Origin of Love", based on Aristophanes speech in Plato's Symposium. It explains that three sexes of human beings once existed: "children of the Sun" (man and man attached), "children of the Earth" (woman and woman attached), and "children of the Moon" (man and woman attached). Each were once round, two-headed, four-armed, and four-legged beings. Angry gods split these early humans in two, leaving the separated people with a lifelong yearning for their other half. Hansel is determined to search for her other half, but is convinced she will have to travel to the West to do so. This becomes possible when, in her 20s, she meets Luther Robinson, an American soldier ("Sugar Daddy") who convinces her to begin dressing in drag. Luther falls in love with Hansel and the two decide to marry. This plan will allow Hansel to leave communist East Germany for the capitalist West. Hansel's mother, Hedwig, gives Hansel her name and passport and finds a doctor to perform a genital reassignment surgery. However, the operation is botched, and Hansel's surgically constructed vagina heals closed, leaving Hedwig with a dysfunctional one-inch mound of flesh between her legs, "with a scar running down it like a sideways grimace on an eyeless face" ("Angry Inch"). Hedwig goes to live in Junction City, Kansas, as Luther's wife. On their first wedding anniversary, Luther leaves Hedwig for a man. That same day, it is announced that the Berlin Wall has fallen and Germany will reunite, meaning Hedwig's sacrifice was for nothing. Hedwig recovers from the separation by creating a more glamorous, feminine identity for herself ("Wig in a Box") and forming a rock band she calls The Angry Inch. Hedwig befriends the brother of a child she babysits, shy and misunderstood Christian teenager Tommy Speck, who is fascinated by a song she writes with him in mind ("Wicked Little Town"). They collaborate on songs and begin a relationship. Their songs are a success, and Hedwig gives him the stage name Tommy Gnosis. Hedwig believes that Tommy is her soulmate and that she cannot be whole without him, but he is disgusted when he discovers her "inch" and abandons her ("The Long Grift"). He goes on to become a wildly successful rock star with the songs Hedwig wrote alone and with him. The "internationally ignored" Hedwig and her band the Angry Inch are forced to support themselves by playing coffee bars and dives. Hedwig grows more erratic and unstable as the evening progresses, until she finally breaks down, stripping off her wig, dress, and make-up, forcing Yitzhak to step forward and sing ("Hedwig's Lament"/"Exquisite Corpse"). At the height of her breakdown, she seems to transform into Tommy Gnosis, who both begs for and offers forgiveness in a reprise of the song she wrote for him ("Wicked Little Town (Reprise)"). Hedwig, out of costume, finds acceptance within herself, giving her wig to Yitzhak. At peace, Hedwig departs the stage as Yitzhak takes over her final song, dressed fabulously in drag ("Midnight Radio").
Ali, a 17-year-old girl, welcomes the audience to Manhattan Plaza in the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, and introduces the people in her life: the musicians who make up the artist housing in Manhattan Plaza; her friends, Tiny and Jessica; and her mother Jersey. Jersey, a singer and working woman who supports Rudy Giuliani's rhetoric and policies on increased policing, notices Ali talking to Knuck, a bucket drummer who is part of a group that hangs out in the building, and forces them to break off their interaction ("The Gospel"). Ali expresses frustration over her mother's protective efforts and yearns for independence ("The River"). Jersey defends her protectiveness to the other residents, pointing out that Ali is only seventeen years old and is still naïve and impulsive ("Seventeen"). While the drummers practice in the building's courtyard, Tiny and Jessica urge Ali to make a move on Knuck ("You Don't Know My Name"). Ali's awkward attempt proves unsuccessful, with Knuck turning her down; shortly after, he and the other drummers are kicked out of the building due to Jersey calling the police. Ali throws a tantrum and storms out of the apartment, but is prevented from leaving the building due to a sudden rainstorm. Hiding in the building's Ellington Room (a music practice room) she notices one of the building's residents Miss Liza Jane practicing piano, and becomes enamored with what she hears; Liza Jane notices her and offers to teach her to play ("Kaleidoscope"). Ali tracks Knuck down at work, where he hesitantly agrees to see her again ("Gramercy Park"). Jersey warns Ali against dating a musician: she recalls falling for Ali's father, Davis, a piano player ("Not Even the King" / "Teenage Love Affair") but laments his continued broken promises and inability to keep plans. Ali continues to pursue Knuck, eventually sleeping with him at his apartment ("Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"). She stumbles into the Ellington Room by accident, where Miss Liza Jane makes her sit down for a piano lesson, teaching her some basic music theory. Ali rides the high of her relationship and her newfound love of music with the encouragement of Jessica, despite Tiny warning her of the danger ("Girl on Fire"). She invites Knuck over while Jersey is at work; Jersey returns home to find them asleep on the couch and angrily ejects Knuck from the apartment. While leaving, Knuck is shocked to learn that Ali is only seventeen. Jersey chases Ali as she follows Knuck down to the lobby, where he gets into a brief scuffle with the doorman Ray. Ali accuses Jersey of ruining her relationship because Jersey could not keep her own; Jersey slaps her in response. They are interrupted by the arrival of the police, whom Jersey called: however, seeing the scuffle they draw their weapons. Luckily, no one gets hurt, but Ali refuses to speak to her mother and retreats to the Ellington Room, where Liza Jane consoles her by pointing out the situation could have been much worse; she reflects on the racism she herself has experienced and urges Ali to continue learning to play so that she may continue a legacy of music ("Perfect Way to Die"). Ali continues to refuse to speak with Jersey ("Heartburn"). When Jersey fails again to get through to Ali and not wanting to be cut out, she calls up Davis as a last resort ("Love Looks Better"). Ali tracks down Knuck at his paint job ("Work on It"), but is rebuffed: Knuck tells her the police continued to harass him after the arrest, forcing him to escape to Atlanta to stay with family for several weeks. Liza Jane privately reveals to Jersey she is terminally ill and likely does not have much longer to live, something she is keeping from Ali. When Ali admits sometimes she wishes Liza Jane was her mother instead, Liza Jane elects to end the lesson, urging Ali to appreciate the time she has with her mother ("Authors of Forever"). Davis arrives at the apartment, where Jersey unloads her guilt over what she put Knuck, Ali, and the other residents through. Davis tries to offer his support, but mainly flirts with Jersey ("Fallin"). A tempted Jersey turns him down, and criticizes him for his absence. Ali falls asleep in the Ellington Room while looking for Liza Jane; when she wakes up she discovers Davis, who tries to bond with her by playing a song together ("If I Ain't Got You"). Ali is cheered up by spending time with her father, but soon realizes his unreliability when he hedges on when they can meet again. Jersey consoles Ali afterwards, and encourages her to talk to Knuck. She then tracks down Davis at his audition and warns him to stay away from Ali, refusing to let him hurt their daughter as he has hurt her ("Pawn It All"). Knuck reveals to Ali he is planning to move in with his family in Atlanta, due to having found community there ("Like You'll Never See Me Again"). The two part on amicable terms; though Ali is saddened that they have no chance of a relationship due to her youth and his moving, she finds solace in realizing she has made an adult decision for the first time. When she returns home, however, she discovers the normally music-laden building silent; she encounters Jersey who tearfully informs her of Miss Liza Jane's passing. They attend the service held in the Ellington Room, where Ali refuses to engage with the other mourners. Davis arrives and offers a eulogy expressing gratitude for Liza Jane for helping his daughter, and plays a tune on the piano. Ali eventually joins in, leading the mourners in a song ("Hallelujah/Like Water"). Jersey takes a chance and invites Davis to have dinner with her and Ali the following Friday, but he fails to show up. Though disappointed, Ali commends her mother for trying her hardest, and the two resolve that they still have each other ("No One"). Ali tells the audience their relationship continues to be rocky, but they are on steadier ground. She admits sorrow over Knuck's departure and Miss Liza Jane's passing, but continues to pursue music and expresses fondness for her community in Hell's Kitchen ("Empire State of Mind").
Hello Again is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Michael John LaChiusa. It is based on the 1897 play La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler (also titled Reigen). It focuses on a series of love affairs among ten characters during the ten different decades of the 20th century. The musical premiered Off-Broadway in 1993, directed and choreographed by Graciela Daniele. Since then it has been performed in London, Sweden, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands and New York.
Sources: Tams-Witmark Guide to Musical Theatre Masterworks Broadway As the 19th becomes the 20th century, all of New York City is excited because brassy widow Dolly Gallagher Levi is in town ("Call on Dolly"). Dolly makes a living through what she calls "meddling" – matchmaking and numerous sidelines, including dance instruction and mandolin lessons ("I Put My Hand In"). She is currently seeking a wife for grumpy Horace Vandergelder, the well-known half-a-millionaire, but it becomes clear that Dolly intends to marry Horace herself. Ambrose Kemper, a young artist, wants to marry Horace's weepy niece Ermengarde, but Horace opposes this because Ambrose's vocation does not guarantee a steady living. Ambrose enlists Dolly's help, and they travel to Yonkers to visit Horace, who is a prominent citizen there and owns Vandergelder's Hay and Feed. Horace explains to his two clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, that he is going to get married because he needs a wife to cheerfully do all the household chores ("It Takes a Woman"). He plans to travel with Dolly to New York City to march in the Fourteenth Street Association Parade and propose to the widow Irene Molloy, who owns a hat shop there. Dolly arrives in Yonkers and "accidentally" mentions that Irene's first husband might not have died of natural causes, and also mentions that she knows an heiress, Ernestina Money, who may be interested in Horace. Horace departs for New York and leaves Cornelius and Barnaby to mind the store in his absence. Cornelius decides that he and Barnaby need to get out of Yonkers and have an adventure in New York. They blow up some tomato cans to create a terrible stench as a pretext to close the store. Dolly mentions that she knows two ladies in New York they should call on: Irene Molloy and her shop assistant, Minnie Fay. She tells Ermengarde and Ambrose that she will enter them in the polka competition at the upscale Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in New York City so Ambrose can demonstrate to Horace his ability to be a breadwinner. Cornelius, Barnaby, Ambrose, Ermengarde and Dolly all take the train to New York ("Put on Your Sunday Clothes"). Irene and Minnie open their hat shop for the afternoon. Irene wants a husband, but does not love Horace Vandergelder. She declares that she will wear an elaborate hat to impress a gentleman ("Ribbons Down My Back"). Cornelius and Barnaby arrive at the shop and pretend to be rich. Horace and Dolly arrive at the shop, and Cornelius and Barnaby hide from him. Irene inadvertently mentions that she knows Cornelius, and Dolly tells her and Horace that even though Cornelius is Horace's clerk by day, he is a notorious New York playboy by night. Minnie screams when she finds Cornelius hiding in the armoire. Horace is about to open the armoire himself, but Dolly, Irene and Minnie distract him with patriotic sentiments related to subjects like Betsy Ross and Battle of the Alamo shown in the famous lyrics "Alamo, remember the Alamo!" ("Motherhood March"). Cornelius sneezes, and Horace storms out, realizing there are men hiding in the shop, but not knowing they are his clerks. Dolly arranges for Cornelius and Barnaby, who are still pretending to be rich, to take the ladies out to dinner to the Harmonia Gardens restaurant to make up for their humiliation. She teaches Cornelius and Barnaby how to dance since they always have dancing at such establishments ("Dancing"). Soon, Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby, and Minnie are happily dancing. They go to watch the great 14th Street Association Parade together. Alone, Dolly decides to put her dear departed husband Ephraim behind her and to move on with life ("Before the Parade Passes By"). She asks Ephraim's permission to marry Horace, requesting a sign from him. Dolly catches up with the annoyed Vandergelder, who has missed the whole parade, and she convinces him to give her matchmaking one more chance. She tells him that Ernestina Money would be perfect for him and asks him to meet her at the swanky Harmonia Gardens that evening. Cornelius is determined to get a kiss before the night is over, but Barnaby isn't so sure. As the clerks have no money for a carriage, they tell the girls that walking to the restaurant shows that they've got "Elegance". At the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, Rudolph, the head waiter, prepares his service crew for Dolly Gallagher Levi's return: their usual lightning service, he tells them, must be "twice as lightning" ("The Waiters' Gallop"). Horace arrives with his date, but she proves neither as rich nor as elegant as Dolly had implied; furthermore she is soon bored by Horace and leaves, as Dolly had planned she would. Cornelius, Barnaby, and their dates arrive, unaware that Horace is also dining at the restaurant. Irene and Minnie, inspired by the restaurant's opulence, order the menu's most expensive items. Cornelius and Barnaby grow increasingly anxious as they discover they have little more than a dollar left. Dolly makes her triumphant return to the Harmonia Gardens and is greeted in style by the staff ("Hello, Dolly!") She sits in the now-empty seat at Horace's table and proceeds to eat a large, expensive dinner, telling the exasperated Horace that no matter what he says, she will not marry him. Barnaby and Horace hail waiters at the same time, and in the ensuing confusion each drops his wallet and inadvertently picks up the other's. Barnaby is delighted that he can now pay the restaurant bill, while Horace finds only a little spare change. Barnabay and Cornelius realize that the wallet must belong to Horace. Cornelius, Irene, Barnaby and Minnie try to sneak out during "The Polka Contest", but Horace recognizes them and spots Ermengarde and Ambrose as well. The ensuing free-for-all culminates in a trip to night court. Cornelius and Barnaby confess that they have no money and have never been to New York before. Cornelius declares that even if he has to dig ditches the rest of his life, he'll never forget the day because he had met Irene. Cornelius, Barnaby, and Ambrose then each profess their love for their companion ("It Only Takes A Moment"). Dolly convinces the judge that their only crime was being in love. The judge finds everyone innocent and cleared of all charges, but Horace is declared guilty and forced to pay damages. Dolly mentions marriage again, and Horace declares that he wouldn't marry her if she were the last woman in the world. Dolly angrily bids him goodbye ("So Long, Dearie"), telling him that while he's bored and lonely, she'll be living the high life. The next morning, back at the hay and feed store, Cornelius and Irene, Barnaby and Minnie, and Ambrose and Ermengarde each set out on new life's paths. A chastened Horace Vandergelder finally admits that he needs Dolly in his life, but Dolly is unsure about the marriage until her late husband sends her a sign. Vandergelder spontaneously repeats a saying of Ephraim's: "Money is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread about, encouraging young things to grow." Horace tells Dolly life would be dull without her, and she promises in return that she'll "never go away again" ("Hello, Dolly" (reprise)).
Henry, Sweet Henry is a musical with a book by Nunnally Johnson and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. Based on the 1964 novel The World of Henry Orient by Johnson's daughter Nora and the subsequent film of the same name, the plot focuses on Valerie and Marian, two wealthy, love-struck teenagers who stalk an avant-garde composer and aging philanderer.
Her First Roman is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Ervin Drake, based on the 1898 George Bernard Shaw play Caesar and Cleopatra.
Hercules is a musical based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios 1997 film of the same name, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and David Zippel, and a book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah. The production is also loosely based on the legendary hero of the same name, the son of Zeus, in Greek mythology. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the musical had a tryout at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park in August 2019. It opened in the summer of 2025 at the West End's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
As clubbers enter Club Millennium, the DJ sets up the party with music and the Imelda Marcos motif. The DJ instructs the clubbers to enjoy the party as they watch the club's staff reenact the life of Imelda Marcos. The club ensemble enters, singing about the excess of wealth demonstrated by Americans, and conversely how some may find that display desirable ("American Troglodyte"). Imelda Romualdez is shown as a poor girl in stormy Leyte with best friend Estrella Cumpas and expresses her dreams of joining the upper class ("Here Lies Love"). Ninoy Aquino appears and describes his life as a son of a rich Filipino family, his pride in his country, and his endearment to Imelda ("Child of the Philippines"). However, their relationship is short-lived: while Ninoy wishes to pursue politics and give voice to the people, Imelda is only interested in "love and beauty," and they break up ("Opposite Attraction"). Imelda, brushing off the breakup as Ninoy deciding she was "too tall", joins and wins a beauty pageant ("Rose of Tacloban"). Estrella suggests she move to Manila to try to climb the social ladder. She arrives around the same time that Ferdinand Marcos is becoming even more famous ("A Perfect Hand"). Ferdinand and Imelda meet each other and engage in a whirlwind courtship that quickly leads to marriage ("Eleven Days"). Estrella, having been left behind in Imelda's rise in status, admires from afar and reminisces ("When She Passed By"). Ferdinand and Imelda honeymoon and become a power couple among the Philippines' upper class ("Sugartime Baby"). As the years pass, Imelda reflects on her more innocent childhood days in poverty but decides she will become the perfect wife to the Senator, all while self-medicating to suppress the stress of life in the public sphere ("Walk Like a Woman"). Maria Luisa, an expression of Imelda's inner self, encourages her to become a figure for the country at large. Imelda and Ferdinand campaign as part of Ferdinand's presidential bid, promising various construction projects to improve the country's image, and end up winning ("Don't You Agree? / Pretty Face"). In Malacañang, Imelda spearheads lavish parties and travels overseas to party with celebrities in New York at Studio 54 and other society haunts ("Dancing Together"). However, unrest begins to stir in the Philippines due to the Marcoses spending the peoples' money on parties and construction projects over infrastructure and public health; in the wake of these events, including the Manila Film Center disaster, an opposition movement forms under the now-Senator Ninoy Aquino, who puts aside his past with Imelda and the potential risk against his life to become one of the Marcoses' most outspoken critics ("Fabulous One"). Around the same time, Ferdinand engages in an affair with Dovie Beams: Maria Luisa sings to a grief-stricken Imelda that this could only be expected from a man like Ferdinand ("Men Will Do Anything"). As Imelda reflects on her life, she decides her new purpose is in service of the Philippines, choosing to symbolically rid herself of her past ("Star and Slave"). When Ferdinand becomes sick, he begs for forgiveness. Fed up with him, Imelda declares that she will run the country as he is too weak to effectively govern; she becomes the de facto leader of the Philippines, though the regime maintains that Ferdinand is still in charge ("Poor Me"). Unrest only escalates under Imelda's leadership, with Ninoy calling attention to the regime's crackdown on dissenters, but Imelda distracts the clubgoers and international leaders with parties and diplomacy ("Please Don't"). Estrella does a tell-all interview revealing Imelda's poor background, undermining the narrative Imelda tries to push that she was born into a wealthy family. Imelda, increasingly delusional with power, confronts Estrella and offers her money to retract her statements. When Estrella refuses, Imelda has her imprisoned ("Solano Avenue"). Due to the growing numbers of protests in Manila ("Riots and Bombs"), Ferdinand declares martial law, and the ensemble sings of their experiences and suffering, mocking the façade of safety the Marcoses claim to provide ("Order 1081"). Among the dissenters is Ninoy, who criticizes the Marcoses for events like the Plaza Miranda bombing, and he is eventually imprisoned for seven years. Imelda visits Ninoy in his cell and, citing their past relationship and her claimed sympathy to his plight, frees him on the condition he goes to the United States and never comes back, offering a veiled threat that he will be killed if he remains ("Seven Years"). Ninoy flees to the United States with his wife Cory and son Benny but returns in 1983, only to be assassinated on the tarmac, implied to be at Imelda's orders ("Gate 37"). At his funeral, Ninoy's mother Aurora calls for the people to revolt as the attendees don yellow armbands, raise their hands in the Laban sign, and burn Imelda and Ferdinand in effigy ("Just Ask the Flowers"). As the Marcoses' popularity and support crumbles, Imelda pathetically asks the people why they have turned against her after all she believes she did for them, while specters of Estrella, Ferdinand, and Maria Luisa similarly accuse her of abandoning them after they helped her get where she is ("Why Don't You Love Me?"). In the wake of the People Power Revolution, Imelda and Ferdinand are evacuated from the palace by a U.S. Air Force helicopter, bringing their regime to an end. As they leave, a still-delusional Imelda continues to insist she did everything "for love". In the silence that follows, the DJ comes down from his booth. He sings the story of the People Power Revolution while playing his guitar, gradually joined by the rest of the ensemble as they collectively marvel at the peaceful end to an otherwise violent regime ("God Draws Straight").
The first act is based on The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, and the second act on The Exterminating Angel. One Saturday morning, in the fabulous apartment of Leo and Marianne Brink, the couple is surprised by the arrival of their friends, Paul Zimmer and his wife Claudia Bursik-Zimmer. They are joined by Raffael Santello Di Santicci, the ambassador of (the fictional country) Moranda, and Marianne's younger sister Fritz, an anti-capitalist political hothead. The Brinks, who don't recall inviting their guests, are unprepared to host. Leo offers to take everyone out to brunch, and they all head out. On the way to the restaurant ("The Road 1"), Marianne celebrates the glorious day. Raffael flirts with her via "an old Morandan proverb," although he's already having an affair with Claudia. Leo, Raffael, and Paul discuss the drug cartel that they secretly run. Fritz warns the group of approaching global catastrophe. They arrive at their brunch destination, a café with seemingly everything in creation on the menu ("Café Everything — Toast 1"). A waiter regretfully informs the group that the restaurant has no food or beverages and eventually shoots himself (“Waiter’s Song”). As the group seeks food again ("The Road 2"), it is revealed through a phone call that Fritz, under the code name "Apocalypse," is covertly working for the anarchist group PRADA (People's Revolutionary Anti-Domination Army) and must raise $50 million to start a world revolution to overthrow capitalism. Raffael attempts to flirt with Fritz, then serenades Claudia. Fritz overhears Leo, Paul, and Raffael discussing drugs and sees her chance to get the money. At the next restaurant, specializing in French deconstructivist cuisine ("Bistro à la Mode — Toast 2"), the group encounters a weeping waitress ("It Is What It Is") and discovers the restaurant staff is holding a funeral for the restaurant's dead chef in the back room. With no food to be had, they hit the road again ("The Road 3") and Fritz blackmails the men into giving her $50 million to start the revolution. At the next restaurant, an Italian brasserie ("Osteria Zeno — Toast 3"), their attempt to eat is interrupted by a colonel from Homeland Security and a poetic lieutenant, with whom Fritz instantly falls in love. The Soldier shares a surreal dream of his that mimics reality ("The Soldier's Dream"). When the restaurant's food turns out to be fake, Raffael suggests supper at his Embassy. Colonel Martin and the Soldier join the group. Finding themselves on the road once more in search of a meal ("The Road 4"), Raffael serenades Marianne. When they reach their destination ("Oh, Look, Here's the Embassy!"), a Bishop reconsidering his chosen vocation comes to the door looking for a job ("Bishop's Song"). As the group is seated for dinner, gunfire erupts in the distance – the result of Fritz's fundraising. On her cellphone, Fritz attempts to call off "the end of the world" only to discover that the embassy butler, Windsor, is in fact Inferno, her PRADA chief. Dinner is served at last ("End of Act One"). In the Morandan Embassy salon after dinner, the group relaxes ("Digestion") while Marianne savors the luxurious room ("Shine"). When it's time to go, everyone balks at leaving for some reason and remains inside the room ("Hesitation"). They decide to stay the night, bedding down right where they are. Fritz and the Soldier express their feelings ("Double Duet"), then retire to the room's closet to make love. In the middle of the night, Marianne has a surreal encounter with what appears to be a bear ("Interlude 1: Marianne and The Bear"). The next morning, the Colonel concludes that they're trapped and unable to leave the room – even though the door before them is wide open. In the ensuing panic, Leo has a heart attack, Windsor reveals himself to the group as Inferno, and explosions are heard. They realize it may be the actual end of the world outside. Days and nights pass inside the room as the hungry, thirsty group becomes more desperate. When water is discovered inside a wall, they dance in the downpour ("Interlude 2: Wandering"). Late one night, Marianne and the Bishop snack on book pages and have a quiet philosophical exchange ("Interlude 3: Snow") after which they enjoy a light indoor snowfall. With the group desperate to get out, Raffael is about to sacrifice himself to free them when Marianne realizes they can get out if they just reenact their steps on the evening they decided to stay ("Hesitation — Reprise"). When they've all been released from the room, the Colonel, the Soldier and the Bishop take their leave. The original group of friends returns to the road and their eternal search for food – but now they find themselves running, amidst what seems to be the end of the world.
Here's Howe! is a musical in two acts with music by Roger Wolfe Kahn and Joseph Meyer and lyrics by Irving Caesar. The swing music standard "Crazy Rhythm" was written for this show. The work's musical book was written by Fred Thompson and Paul Gerard Smith.
Here's Love is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson. An adaptation of the film Miracle on 34th Street, the show is currently licensed under the film's name as Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical. The musical, much like the film that inspired it, tells the tale of a skeptical young girl who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. When the real Kris Kringle is hired inadvertently to represent jolly St. Nick in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, he must convince the child and her cynical divorced mother (the department store's special events director) that he is the genuine article.
Here's Where I Belong is a musical with a book by Alex Gordon (a nom de plume of the novelist ) and Terrence McNally, lyrics by Alfred Uhry, and music by Robert Waldman. The musical closed after one performance on Broadway.
Higgledy-Piggledy is a musical in two acts with music by Maurice Levi and both book and lyrics by Edgar Smith. It was produced by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. and Joseph M. Weber, and written as a starring vehicle for Ziegfeld's longtime romantic companion, the actress Anna Held, and for vaudevillian comedian Joe Weber who had recently split from his comedic partnership with Lew Fields. While critical responses to the production overwhelmingly cited the felt absence of Lew Fields and the difficulty of Weber's persona coping with that loss, the work was still a popular success and well received largely due to the actress Marie Dressler who gave a highly lauded star making performance in the role of Philopena Schnitz that propelled the show through a relatively long run on Broadway and on tour.
High Button Shoes is a 1947 musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by George Abbott and Stephen Longstreet. It was based on the semi-autobiographical 1946 novel The Sisters Liked Them Handsome by Stephen Longstreet.
High Fidelity is a musical with music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Amanda Green, and a book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Based primarily on the 1995 Nick Hornby novel of the same name, the plot focuses on Rob Gordon, a Brooklyn record shop owner in his thirties obsessed with making top five lists for everything, always observing rather than participating in life. When his girlfriend Laura leaves him, he goes through a painful re-evaluation of his life and lost loves (with a little help from his music) and he slowly learns that he has to grow up and let go of his self-centered view of the world before he can find real happiness. Premiering in Boston in 2006, the musical eventually moved to Broadway, opening on December 7, 2006, at the Imperial Theatre. The show received mixed reviews, and closed on December 17, 2006, after 18 previews and 13 performances. Upon closing, Broadway Licensing acquired the rights for stock and amateur performance rights.
High Jinks is a musical farce with music by Rudolf Friml and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Leo Ditrichstein, based on the farce Before and After by Leo Ditrichstein which was adapted from a French farce, Les Dragees d'Hercule, by Maurice Hennequin and Paul Bilhaud. The musical is set in France and concerns several patients of Dr Thorne who take High Jinks, an elixir found in Tibet, which causes them to laugh and fall in love. "Something Seems Tingle-Ingleing" and "Love's Own Kiss" are two of the best known songs. Directed by Frank Smithson, High Jinks opened at the Casino Theatre on Broadway on December 10, 1913, and ran for 213 performances.
Glamorous but pretentious Long Island socialite Tracy Samantha Lord is planning a lavish June 1938 wedding to an equally pretentious executive, George Kittredge. Guests include her mother, grumpy little sister Dinah, and absent-minded Uncle Willy, who lives in a house near the Lord estate. Willy is hosting a party for the wedding guests that evening, the night before the wedding. Tracy's unwelcome ex-husband and neighbor, C.K. Dexter Haven, sails up to the estate in his yacht. Dexter informs Tracy and her family that tabloid reporters Mike Connor and Liz Imbrie will be covering the wedding for Spy while pretending to be guests. Dexter invited them to stop Spy from publishing an exposé of Tracy's father Seth, who is estranged from Tracy's mother because he is having an affair with a dancer, Tina Mara. Dexter tries to convince the suspicious Dinah of his good intentions. When Mike and Liz arrive, Tracy and Dinah do not let on that they know of the reporters' charade. Tracy pretends that Uncle Willie is her father, but when her father arrives, she pretends that he is Uncle Willie. Dexter confronts Tracy about their relationship, leaving her confused; suddenly George seems so pompous. She also is finding Mike to be sweet and remembers some good times with Dexter on his yacht. She starts drinking champagne before the party at Uncle Willie's even begins. After the party, Tracy is still drinking champagne, and she misbehaves, dancing with the staff and Mike. George is angry and embarrassed. Dinah hurries to Dexter's house, finding him packing for a trip. She calls him a coward and informs him that Tracy is drinking champagne, which he knows makes her wild. After many farcical comings and goings back at the estate, George reminds Tracy of their wedding the next day, warns her about her behavior and stomps away. Mike tells Tracy that George is not good enough for her. He kisses her, and she tipsily invites him to go skinny dipping in the pool. Dexter and Dinah return to witness other romantic entanglements unfolding between Seth and his wife and Uncle Willy and Liz, who really loves Mike. As soon as Tracy gets in the water, the champagne catches up with her, and Mike puts her innocently in her bed. In the morning, Tracy realizes that she was in the pool with Mike and, her memory hazy, fears that she had sex with him, ruining her wedding and social standing. All works out in the end, however, with Tracy's parents reuniting, the blackmail threat quashed, Mike realizing that he is really in love with Liz, and Tracy reuniting with Dexter. Since the wedding is already scheduled and paid for, Dexter steps up and all ends happily.
High Spirits is a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray, based on the play Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward, about a man coping with the ghost of his dead wife. Martin and Gray adhered closely to Coward's original text, while expanding the medium's character to the star role, initially calling the show Faster Than Sound. The playwright was delighted with their adaptation and agreed to direct it himself.
Higher and Higher is a musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and book by Gladys Hurlbut and Joshua Logan and produced by Dwight Deere Wiman. It ran on Broadway for 84 performances in 1940.
Hip! Hip! Hooray! is a musical in two acts with music by Gus Edwards and both lyrics and book by Edgar Smith. It was written as a starring vehicle for the comedian Joe Weber, premiering on Broadway at Weber's Music Hall on October 10, 1907. It ran at that theatre for 64 performances, closing on December 7, 1907. The story takes place at the fictional Doolittle College, where two German professors attempt to popularize a new breakfast cereal, "Excited Oats", while simultaneously becoming entangled in romance, one with a widow and the other with a beautiful young woman.
Hit the Deck is a musical with music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Clifford Grey and Leo Robin and book by Herbert Fields. It was based on the 1922 play Shore Leave by Hubert Osborne. The title refers to a nautical slang term that means to prepare for action (general) or to drop to a prone position on the ground (as a defensive response to hostile fire). The musical is set in China and Newport, Rhode Island, and on a ship traveling between the two locations. The original production was staged at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway, opening on April 25, 1927, and running for 352 performances. The first London production opened at the Hippodrome on July 3, 1927 and ran for 277 performances. It starred Stanley Holloway. In The Manchester Guardian, Ivor Brown praised Holloway for a singing style "which coaxes the ear rather than clubbing the head."
Lisi loves the poor Aloisius, but her father hopes she will marry the wealthy innkeeper Plunderer. Peperl Geschwandtner lends the young couple money to open an inn, though Plunderer schemes to ruin their business. Princess Marie, tired of court life, visits their inn incognito. Geschwandtner mistakes her for a domestic and falls in love with her. The Princess secretly brings in the orchestra from Plunderer’s rival inn, making the Silver Pretzel a success. When the court carriage reveals her identity, her patronage secures the inn’s future. Marie must marry Prince Victor according to court protocol, but she supports Geschwandtner by appointing him music teacher to her younger siblings and Hofkapellmeister. Lisi and Aloisius marry.
Hold Everything! is a musical comedy with lyrics by Lew Brown and B. G. de Sylva, music by Ray Henderson, and has an accompanying book by John McGowan and B. G. de Sylva. A musical about professional boxing, the work's central character is welterweight Sonny Jim Brooks.
Hold On To Your Hats is a musical comedy in two acts by Guy Bolton, Matt Brooks, and Eddie Davis, with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and music by Burton Lane. The show was lavishly staged by Edgar MacGregor, with dances by Catherine Littlefield, musical direction by Al Goodman, and colorful It ran for 158 performances, closing on February 1, 1941. The cast included Jolson, Martha Raye, Jinx Falkenburg, Arnold Moss, Jack Whiting, Russ Brown, and John Randolph. It was the last show in which Jolson appeared.
In August 1946, song-and-dance trio Jim Hardy, Ted Hanover, and Lila Dixon perform at a club in New York City ("Steppin' Out With My Baby/I'll Capture Her Heart"). Afterwards, Jim proposes to Lila. She accepts, and he tells her that he bought Mason Farm in Midville, Connecticut, intending for them to leave show business to raise a family ("The Little Things in Life"). Lila is reluctant to give up performing. When Ted and his manager Danny announce that the trio has booked a six-week tour, Jim rejects the offer, but Lila agrees to tour with Ted as a duo, promising to join Jim in Connecticut after the tour. Eager to settle down, Jim moves to Midville ("Blue Skies"). Jim finds the old farmhouse falling apart, and local boy Charlie Winslow, on behalf of the local bank, presents Jim with a bill for back taxes. Jim is visited by the spirited Linda Mason, an aspiring performer-turned-schoolteacher who had lived on the farm. Linda and Jim are attracted to each other and awkwardly express their shared loneliness and longing to move forward with their lives ("Marching Along With Time"). Linda introduces Jim to Louise Badger, an overly enthusiastic farmhand who has worked at Mason Farm since Linda was a child. Jim and Louise tend to the farm with little success. Jim misses Lila; meanwhile, Ted and Lila have a successful tour ("Heat Wave"). Lila finally visits Jim ("It's A Lovely Day Today"), but she breaks off their engagement; she will continue performing with Ted. By Thanksgiving, Ted and Lila are in Las Vegas ("Plenty to Be Thankful For"); although Louise tries to push Linda and Jim closer together, the two fail to connect, and Linda laments her loneliness ("Nothing More to Say"). On Christmas Eve, Jim and Louise decorate the farmhouse; he notes the irony of decorating a house for only themselves, but Louise has invited Jim's old performing friends to visit, so they all throw a party ("Shakin' the Blues Away"). Linda arrives and is impressed by the festivities. Jim realizes how much he misses performing. He and Louise decide to turn the farm into an inn – only open on holidays – as a way to satisfy his desire to perform while still living a quiet life most of the year, and to bring in money. Jim will write songs for each holiday, to be performed by him, Linda, and his friends. He plays Linda a Christmas song he wrote as an example of the type of song he might perform at the Inn ("White Christmas"), and he decides to stage the first performance on New Year's Eve. A week later, "Holiday Inn" is having its inaugural performance, and it proves popular ("Happy Holiday"). To ring in both the new year and Jim's new business, Linda performs publicly for the first time in many years ("Let's Start the New Year Right"). Ted drunkenly wanders into the inn, interrupts the song and begins dancing with her. Jim jealously punches Ted in the face, and Linda storms out. Ted wakes up in Louise's bed, hung over; Lila has left their act to marry a millionaire in Texas; he cannot remember who he danced with before passing out, but he decides she must be his new dance partner. Jim, worried that Ted will steal Linda from him, pretends not to have seen Ted's new partner. Ted sets out to dance with every woman he sees, trying to track down the right one ("You're Easy to Dance With"). Linda is humiliated by Jim and Ted's behavior; Jim apologizes and offers to start over ("Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk"). She agrees to give him another chance, and in time they begin a relationship. By the Valentine's Day show, Jim loves Linda, and he writes a song about her for the Inn ("Be Careful, It's My Heart"). While he sings it to her, Ted walks in and realizes Linda is the girl he seeks. Jim objects that he does not want Ted to steal Linda from him, but Ted and Linda reassure him and perform together for the first time, headlining the performance. Jim jealously tries to prevent Ted and Linda from getting too close to each other, by cuing the band to change style and tempo several times ("Cheek to Cheek"). Jim apologizes for sabotaging the number, but he does so again in the Easter show by entering at the end of the song and singing with Linda and Ted ("Easter Parade"). Ted asks Danny to put an end to Jim's meddling. Danny reveals to Ted that two Hollywood producers are interested in putting Ted and Lila in a movie, and they will attend the next Holiday Inn performance. Louise hears this and calls Lila, asking her to come to the Inn. As Linda prepares for the Independence Day performance ("Song of Freedom"), Louise locks her in the barn to prevent the producers from seeing her. With Linda missing, Ted improvises a solo tap number with fireworks ("Let's Say It With Firecrackers"). Lila arrives but mistakenly enters the barn where Linda is trapped, and reveals that the man she left Ted for owed millions rather than owning them; not knowing that Linda is Ted's new dance partner, she mentions the producers. Linda assumes Jim has sabotaged her again and leaves Lila locked in the barn, returning to the stage to join Ted for the end of his number. After the performance, Linda confronts Jim, but he has no knowledge of the producers nor of Lila's presence, and Louise admits she orchestrated the sabotage. As Linda forgives Jim, Danny reveals that the producers want to make a movie about Holiday Inn, starring Ted and Linda with Jim as a songwriter and consultant, but Jim wants to stay at the Inn. Linda is hurt by Jim's stoicism and leaves with Ted to make the movie ("Nothing More to Say" (reprise)). Jim and Louise spend another Thanksgiving alone; with no headliners, they cancel the Holiday Inn shows. Louise motivates the despondent Jim and sends him to win back Linda in Hollywood. On the set of the movie, Linda is having a tough time with the fictionalization of the story, interrupting shots and proving difficult for the director and producers to work with. As she sings "White Christmas," Jim enters the studio and sings with her, halting the production. Jim proposes to Linda and she accepts, quitting the film to be with him. Danny objects, but Ted lets her go. It is early in production, and Linda is replaced by Lila. An excerpt of the finished film is shown. (As an alternative scene, instead of the film excerpt, Lila talks with a reporter at the red-carpet movie premiere.) Later in Midville, Ted and Lila reunite at the wedding of Linda and Jim, who vow to continue performing at the Inn ("Finale").
Audience suggestions shape a new holiday musical at each performance. An ensemble improvises connected scenes and songs about relationships, work and the festive season, with music created live. Inspired by the structure of Stephen Sondheim's Company, the show changes its characters, story and songs from night to night.
"Holler If Ya Hear Me is a jukebox musical written by Todd Kreidler featuring the hip-hop music of Tupac Shakur. According to Playbill, the musical is "a non-biographical story about friendship, family, revenge, change and hope. Inner city lives struggle for peace against the daily challenges they face in this entertaining and original musical".
Starlet Brenda Blossom, pining for a lowly writer, Ralph, is promised in marriage by her father (a director looking to advance his own career) to the studio head, Joseph Porter. If she marries Ralph, she'll be tossed out of Hollywood and forced to make a living on the stage. Everything turns out for the best when it is discovered that a mix-up in Louhedda Hopsons' gossip column was responsible for Ralph's fall from grace. In reality, it was Ralph who was meant to head the studio instead of Porter.
Home Sweet Homer is a 1976 musical with a book by Roland Kibbee and Albert Marre, lyrics by Charles Burr and Forman Brown, and music by Mitch Leigh. Loosely based on Homeric legend, the plot centers on Odysseus and Penelope, awaiting his return to Ithaca. It is one of the most notorious flops in Broadway theatre history, with only a single performance before closing. It toured as Odyssey beginning in 1974 before being retitled for Broadway.
Jack Singer and his girlfriend of five years, Betsy Nolan, are in love ("I Love Betsy"). But when he tries to buy her an engagement ring, he suffers a panic attack as he remembers his mother's dying wish from ten years earlier—that he never marry, because no woman could love him as she did ("Never Get Married"). Betsy tells Jack that she can't wait indefinitely for him to deal with his issues ("Anywhere But Here"). He proposes that they elope to Las Vegas, and she accepts. They check into the Milano hotel ("When You Say Vegas"), and Betsy immediately catches the attention of Tommy Korman, a wealthy gambler; she bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife Donna, an avid sunbather who died of skin cancer ("Out of the Sun"). He decides to steal Betsy from Jack ("The Invitation/Forever Starts Tonight"). Tommy invites Jack to a private poker game, so Betsy shops for a wedding dress ("Betsy's Getting Married/The Game"). Tommy beats Jack's straight flush with a royal flush, leaving Jack owing Tommy $58,000. Tommy proposes that Jack can be spared physical violence if he agrees to let Betsy spend the rest of the weekend with Tommy ("Come to an Agreement"). Betsy is incensed, but agrees to meet Tommy. Tommy charms Betsy with recollections of Donna and with his pride in their son who now has a wife and baby. Tommy shocks Jack by informing Betsy that he wants to spend their weekend together in Hawaii; Betsy is so angry at Jack that she agrees to leave with Tommy. Jack decides he must take action ("Do Something"), but is too late to stop them from boarding a plane; he buys a ticket to follow them. The travelers arrive in Hawaii ("Hawaii/Waiting for You"). Jack is approached by Teihutu and Mahi, who offer to guide him ("Every Day Is Happy in Hawaii") but are secretly employed by Tommy to distract him; Mahi attempts to seduce Jack ("Friki-Friki"), but fails. Betsy gets along well with Tommy and his son's family, unaware that they are hired actors. She shares a tender moment with Tommy as they sing an old standard together ("You Made the Wait Worthwhile"). Betsy refrains from being intimate with him, but Tommy confides in his henchman Johnny Sandwich that he still thinks his plan will be successful ("A Little Luck"). Meanwhile, Mahi is moved by Jack's plight and takes him to a sacred grove where a mother's curse can be broken ("The Garden of Disappointed Mothers"). Jack confronts his mother ("Isn't That Enough?"), who relents and agrees to let him and Betsy be happy—but only if Jack proves himself as a man. Tommy plies Betsy with drinks and tells her that Jack only owed him $800; she is so outraged (and drunk) that she kisses Tommy and demands that he immediately marry her in Las Vegas. Mahi informs Jack that Tommy and Betsy are leaving Hawaii, but he is unable to catch them. No reasonable travel options are available ("Airport Song"), but Jack manages to join a troupe of Elvis impersonators making a "pilgrimage" to Las Vegas. However, when the plane approaches Las Vegas, he learns that he must skydive into the city ("Higher Love"). He panics, but ultimately makes the jump, thus proving himself ("Elvii In Flight"). Betsy, having sobered up, rethinks her decision ("I've Been Thinking"), and finally rejects Tommy after Johnny accidentally confirms the true amount of Jack's debt. Jack parachutes into Betsy's arms and they marry on the spot ("Honeymoon in Vegas (Finale)")
Honk! is a musical adaptation of the 1843 Hans Christian Andersen story The Ugly Duckling, incorporating a message of tolerance. The book and lyrics are by Anthony Drewe and music is by George Stiles (of the British songwriting duo Stiles and Drewe). The musical is set in the countryside and features Ugly – a cygnet who is mistaken as an ugly duckling upon falling into his mother's nest and is rejected by everyone but Ida (his mother), a sly tomcat who only befriends him out of hunger, and several other barnyard characters. The musical opened at the Watermill Theatre in England in 1993. The West End production opened in 1999 and won the 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical The show is frequently produced by schools, as well as regional and community theatre groups in Britain, the U.S. and Canada.
Hooray for What! is an anti-war musical with music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It introduced the song "Down With Love".
Hot Feet is a jukebox musical featuring the music of Earth, Wind & Fire, a book by Heru Ptah and was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Maurice Hines. The musical opened on Broadway at the Lyric Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) on April 30, 2006 and closed on July 23, 2006.
Hot Shoe Shuffle is a 1992 Australian musical produced by David Atkins. A jukebox musical, the score mostly includes American big band and popular songs of the 1920s to 1940s. While set in the United States, the show has a decidedly Australian sense of humor.
Peace Corps volunteer, hygiene teacher "Sally Hopwinder", is stationed in a fictional nation, "D'hum" with decent living conditions. She concocts a plan to obtain U.S. aid for D'hum by convincing the Pentagon that Russia is about to invade it.
Houp La! is an Edwardian musical comedy extravaganza, with music by Nat D. Ayer and Howard Talbot, lyrics by Percy Greenbank and Hugh E. Wright, and a book by Fred Thompson and Hugh E. Wright. The story combines the comic financial troubles of a circus owner with a love triangle. The original production of the show was mounted by Charles B. Cochran at London's new St Martin's Theatre, opening on 23 November 1916 and starring Gertie Millar, George Graves, Nat Ayer and Ida Adams. It was the first production at the St Martin's, which was leased by Cochran. Although the critics found the music innovative, and the cast included stars of the day, the show ran for only three months in London. A Manchester production followed.
House of Flowers is a musical by Harold Arlen (music and lyrics) and Truman Capote (lyrics and book). A short story of the same name was published in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958).
How Now, Dow Jones is a musical comedy by Academy Award winner Elmer Bernstein, Tony Award nominee Carolyn Leigh and Max Shulman. The original Broadway production opened in December 1967. A critically acclaimed revised version premiered off-Broadway in August 2009. How Now, Dow Jones, set in Wall Street, follows Kate who announces the Dow Jones numbers. Her fiancé will not marry her until the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits 1,000.
We meet Caroline, Remy, Drew, Tommy, Mel, Jessica and Marideth, autistic young adults as they go through their daily routine. We also meet Dr. Amigo, who runs a social skills group for autistic people, and his daughter Ashley Amigo, who is on medical leave from college due to an ankle injury, where she is studying dance ("Today Is"). It's Marideth's first time attending the group. Marideth feels hesitant to speak, even though they are each expected to share something with the group. Marideth finally opens her mouth to speak, when Jessica bursts in, apologizing for being late. In the end, Marideth doesn't share and leaves the group early, but she surprises and pleases her dad by telling him she wants to return. Drew, an academically high achieving senior in high school who got into the University of Michigan for Electrical Engineering, shares that he only wants to attend to make his parents happy and expresses that he wants to attend The Ohio State University instead ("Under Control"). Later on, Drew's parents inform Dr. Amigo that they are unsure if he can handle living away from home, and are upset because they believe Dr. Amigo should have received more support for having taught Drew those skills. Dr. Amigo begins to question his ability to lead the social skills group as a result ("The How-Tos"). He comes up with the idea to have a formal dance to help everyone build their social skills ("How To Dance In Ohio"). He plans to crown two people as the formal king and queen, which makes Mel and Remy uncomfortable, as Mel is non-binary and Remy is questioning their gender. At a diner, Marideth talks about the animals of Australia while her father tries to talk to her about the formal dance ("Unlikely Animals"). The group is nervous but excited at the idea of the dance. Drew has a crush on Marideth but is afraid to ask her out. Jessica has a crush on Tommy but doesn't know when to ask him out ("Butterflies"). Caroline daydreams about attending the dance with her boyfriend Jay on her way to a Japanese exam ("Slow Dancing"). A blogger talks to Dr. Amigo about possibly doing a piece on the dance, but he declines, saying he doesn't want reporters ("Hello, How Are You?"), but then a reporter that Dr. Amigo admires contacts him. Ashley says he just told the other person he wasn't having reporters, so Dr. Amigo agrees to both the blogger and the reporter. He tells them not to release any articles until after the dance. He has a crush on the reporter, but later learns she is married. Ashley then expresses that she isn't so sure she wants to return to Juilliard after her ankle heals ("Come Home, Recover"). Marideth tells her dad that Jessica and Caroline are going shopping for dresses at Macy's, and her dad suggests going to a discount store. Marideth does not like any of the dresses at the discount store, so her dad asks her which one is the least bad. Jessica and Caroline's moms are happy their daughters are buying dresses because it makes them nostalgic for their own proms, and are glad that their children have an opportunity to attend an accessible dance ("Getting Ready For The Dance"). Meanwhile, Mel has a misunderstanding at work with their manager and becomes overwhelmed, and Drew struggles with the social aspects of asking Marideth to the dance ("Waves and Wires"). He ends up chickening out and instead offers her a book. Marideth reads Drew's book and confronts her newfound romantic feelings towards him ("Drift"). Ashley finally gathers up the courage to tell Dr. Amigo that she does not want to return to dance school after her ankle injury heals and instead to work at the center. However, he fires her from Amigo Family Counseling, fearing that he is holding her back by letting her use the center as a place to hide instead of fighting for her dreams ("Terminally Human"). Meanwhile, Caroline encourages Jessica to ask Tommy to the dance ("So Much in Common"), but when she finally asks him, he turns her down as he is already going with Mel. The blogger decides to release the article before the dance despite Dr. Amigo's request, and presents it through an ableist lens even though Dr. Amigo had tried to correct those assumptions in their interview, with the article centering around Amigo and completely objectifying and infantilizing the group members. One-by-one, things begin to fall apart. Jessica and Caroline get into a fight over Caroline's toxic boyfriend ruining their friendship. Tommy scheduled his road test for the day before the dance. He passes, but then drives his brother's truck without his brother's permission, and crashes it. He isn't hurt, but gets grounded. Mel gets the promotion at work but has to cover their co-worker's shift, Marideth refuses to go, and Amigo believes Drew will not come because of a call he made to the University of Michigan lying about Drew wanting to attend there instead of Ohio State ("So Much in Common (Reprise)"/"Chevy Silverado"/"Admissions"). Having overheard the fight between her and her father, Mel comes to comfort Ashley and offer her words of wisdom ("Reincarnation"). The group find out the ableist article and are hurt, with some deciding to not attend the dance in protest ("Two Steps Backward"). Remy turns this into an opportunity to do his first livestream on his channel to improve conversations about disability and educate his audience about ableism ("Nothing At All"). All the parents call Dr. Amigo to tell him all the reasons why their children will be unable to attend the spring formal ("The Amigo Spring Formal"). At the night of the spring formal, believing no one will show up, he is surprised to see Drew, disappointed to see that no one came. However, he does not want to miss the opportunity to dance with Marideth, so he gets the idea to throw another dance the following day at the therapy center ("Building Momentum"). Dr. Amigo apologizes to the group about the article and tells the blogger to take it down. Caroline and Jessica make up, and Caroline reveals that she has broken up with Jay. Marideth's father convinces her to attend the spring formal, and she agrees. Ashley unexpectedly shows up at the dance and announces that she has retired as a dancer and sets clear boundaries with her father. And Mel encourages Dr. Amigo to hire Ashley back with a raise ("The Second Chance Dance"). The second dance is a success, and Drew finally asks Marideth to dance. ("Finale")
J. Pierrepont Finch, a young window cleaner in New York City, reads the book How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as he works. The "Book Voice" tells him that he will succeed if he follows the book's advice. He enters the World Wide Wicket Company searching for a job ("How To Succeed"). Finch bumps into J. B. Biggley, the president of the company, who dismisses him to the personnel manager, Mr. Bratt. Rosemary Pilkington, an ambitious young secretary, helps Finch meet Mr. Bratt. Finch tells Bratt that Biggley sent him, and Bratt gives him a job in the mailroom, where he works with Mr. Biggley's lazy, arrogant, and nepotism-minded nephew Bud Frump. Rosemary dreams of a life with Finch in the suburbs ("Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm"). The fatigued workers rush to get their coffee break ("Coffee Break"). In the mailroom, Finch earns favor with the long-time head of the mailroom, Mr. Twimble, who tells him the secret to longevity at the company ("The Company Way"). Twimble is promoted to head of the shipping department and has to choose his replacement as head of the mailroom. The book warns not to stay in the mailroom too long, so Finch recommends Frump instead of himself. Twimble is reluctant to promote the lazy Frump, but Frump promises to be a good employee ("The Company Way (Reprise)"). Twimble and Bratt are impressed by Finch's apparent selflessness, and Bratt offers him a job as a junior executive in the Plans and Systems department, headed by Mr. Gatch. An extremely attractive but air-headed woman named Hedy LaRue, who is Mr. Biggley's secret mistress, is hired as a secretary. On her first day of work, the male employees are instantly attracted to her, but Mr. Bratt warns them against taking advantage of their employees ("A Secretary Is Not a Toy"). Finch learns from Mr. Biggley's secretary, Miss Jones, that Biggley is a proud alumnus of Old Ivy College. In the elevator at the end of the workday, Rosemary's fellow secretary Smitty helps her and Finch set up a date ("Been a Long Day"). Frump runs into Biggley and Hedy and realizes their relationship, and he blackmails Biggley into giving him a promotion ("Been a Long Day (Reprise)"). Finch arrives early Saturday morning and sets up the office so it looks like he has been working all night. Biggley believes Finch's ruse, and Finch convinces Biggley that he, too, is a proud alumnus of Old Ivy (a "Groundhog"), and they sing the Old Ivy fight song ("Grand Old Ivy"). Biggley insists that Finch be given his own office and secretary, Hedy. With the book's help, Finch realizes that Biggley must be Hedy's advocate and sends her on an errand to Gatch, knowing that Gatch will make a pass at her. Gatch falls for the trap and is dispatched to Venezuela, and Finch is promoted to his position as head of Plans and Systems. At a reception for the new Advertising Department head, Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington, Rosemary hopes to impress Finch with her new "Paris original" dress, but all the other women arrive at the reception wearing the same dress ("Paris Original"). Frump schemes for Biggley to catch Finch kissing LaRue in his office, but after LaRue blackmails Finch into kissing her, he realizes he's actually in love with Rosemary ("Rosemary"). After some farcical complications, Frump and Biggley walk into the office just as Finch embraces Rosemary. Ovington is forced to resign when Biggley learns that he is a graduate from Northern State, Old Ivy's bitterest rival (a "Chipmunk"). Biggley names Finch vice-president in charge of advertising. Biggley leaves as Finch and Rosemary declare their love for each other, and Bud Frump vows revenge ("Act I Finale"). Two days later, Rosemary has been neglected by Finch. She decides to quit, but her fellow secretaries convince her to stay because she's living their dream of marrying an executive ("Cinderella, Darling"). (In the 1995 revival, this song was replaced with a reprise of "How to Succeed", with the lyrics suggesting ways in which a woman can get hold of a man's financial assets). The book warns Finch that because vice-president of advertising is a bad position, he needs a brilliant idea. Bud Frump slyly tells Finch his idea for a treasure hunt, which Finch loves, unaware that Biggley has already heard the idea and rejected it. Finch shares the idea with Rosemary, who tells him that she'll stay with him no matter what happens ("Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm (Reprise)"). Hedy tells Biggley that she is unhappy as a secretary and is leaving for California. He begs her to stay and tells her he loves her, and she agrees to stay ("Love From a Heart of Gold"). In the executive washroom, Finch gives himself a pep talk while, behind his back, the other executives and Frump plot against him ("I Believe In You"). Finch presents "his" idea to Biggley: he will hide five thousand shares of company stock in each of the ten offices around the country and give a television audience weekly clues as to their whereabouts. Biggley accepts this idea when Finch explains that each clue will be given by the scantily-dressed World Wide Wicket Treasure Girl: Miss Hedy LaRue. During the first television show, Hedy is asked to swear on a Bible that she doesn't know the location of the prizes. Hedy panics and reveals the locations to the entire television audience, which prompts all the Wicket employees to tear apart the offices looking for them. The book tells Finch, "How To Handle a Disaster....We suggest that your best bet if you are the cause of the Disaster is to review the first chapter of this book: 'How to Apply for a Job'." The executives, including Chairman of the Board Wally Womper, are waiting in Biggley's office for Finch's resignation. Rosemary again tells Finch that she'll stand by him no matter what ("I Believe in You (Reprise)"). About to sign his letter of resignation, Finch mentions that he'll probably go back to washing windows. Womper is drawn to Finch as he, too, was a window washer and they both "had a book": Wally's book was a book of betting records. Finch blames the treasure hunt on Frump, also mentioning that Frump is Biggley's nephew. Womper is about to "clean house from top to bottom", when Finch steps in on everyone's behalf. Finch tells the executives that even though the business world is a place filled with betrayal and competitiveness, the World Wide Wicket staff is like a family to him ("Brotherhood of Man"). Everyone is spared except Frump, who is fired because he is Biggley's nephew. Biggley remains president, Womper retires to travel the world with his new wife, Hedy, and Finch becomes chairman of the board. Rosemary stands by his side and inadvertently inspires him to aspire for the Presidency of the United States. Frump gets a job washing windows, swearing revenge against Finch ("Company Way (Finale)").
A musical comedy about family and everyday life, addressing oppression within the family and Azerbaijani women’s place in society.
Harry Bogen is an ambitious, unscrupulous young businessman in the 1930s New York City garment industry. He will stop at nothing to get to the top; he lies to his mother and his long-suffering girlfriend, Ruthie Rivkin. They try to help him become a better person, but Harry embezzles company funds and betrays his friends and partners. Harry leaves Ruthie for Martha Mills, a gold-digging dancer as tough and hard as the diamonds Harry rewards her with. But Harry goes bankrupt and loses his fair-weather friends. Only his mother and Ruthie stand by him, but a surprising ally re-emerges from the past.
I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical was a musical comedy written by Harry Hill, and Steve Brown. Based on the TV series The X Factor, the musical made its West End and world premiere in March 2014, at the London Palladium. Due to low ticket sales, it closed just 6 weeks and 3 days later on 10 May 2014, reportedly losing £4 million.
I Do! I Do!
Near the end of his life, Ralph Abernathy revisits his past and his relationship with Martin Luther King Jr. in the company of Bria, a young modern-day civil rights activist.
I Had a Ball is a musical with a book by Jerome Chodorov and music and lyrics by Jack Lawrence and Stan Freeman. It starred Buddy Hackett, and featured Richard Kiley and Karen Morrow.
In Trenton, New Jersey, old high school buddies Wally (now an executive in public relations) and Alvin (a furniture mover) discuss the possibility of adding some spice to their lives by having a foursome. Alvin suggests to his wife Cleo that they share their bed with Monica, Wally's wife. Cleo thinks that she would enjoy Wally. They agree that whoever enters first becomes the evening's partner, but the couple walks in together. After Monica leaves, the three discuss the situation and decide on a foursome on Christmas Eve. Alvin and Cleo arrive for dinner on Christmas Eve, and while Monica is initially unhappy with the arrangement, she ultimately agrees. Too excited to eat: they undress, get into bed, and have some pot to relax. As Wally suggests ideas from a sex manual, the group discards all the options.
I Love You Because is a musical set in modern-day New York. It is based on Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. It features lyrics by Ryan Cunningham, set to music by Joshua Salzman.
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is presented in the form of a series of vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. The play's tagline is "Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit." With few exceptions, the scenes stand independent of the others but progress in a fashion designed to suggest an overall arc to relationships throughout one's life. A first date, for example, comes before scenes dealing with marriage, and scenes dealing with marriage come before those dealing with childbearing. Despite the large number of characters, the show is typically done with a comparatively small cast: the original Off-Broadway production uses a cast of four.
A wealthy Budapest banker, Count Willie Palaffi, is love-weary. He ends his engagement to Anna Murphy, swearing that the only girl he could marry would be an angel. A real angel soon flies into his life, and he marries her. It turns out, however, that she is free of the human failings that permit people to tolerate each other. In particular, she is unable to fib. Her honesty alienates Willie's high society acquaintances and his biggest customer and causes a run on his bank. His sister, Countess Palaffi, saves the day by teaching the angel about the real world. She also bribes taxi drivers to make Willie's creditors late, so that he has time to save his bank. Willie and his now Earthier angel live happily ever after.
I Remember Mama is a musical with a book by Thomas Meehan, lyrics by Martin Charnin and Raymond Jessel, and music by Richard Rodgers. The musical ran on Broadway in 1979.
I Spy a Spy is an original musical with music by Sohee Youn, lyrics by Jamie Jackson, and book by Youn & Jackson. The original Off-Broadway production began previews on July 6 and had an official opening night on July 18 Off-Broadway at the St Clements Theatre. The original production ended its limited engagement early on August 10 after 10 previews and 26 regular performances.
I and Albert is a 1972 musical by composer Charles Strouse, and lyricist Lee Adams, with a book by Jay Presson Allen. The plot is based on the lives and love story of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
The cast includes Nini, Dorotea, Beatrice, Odoardo, Bernardo, Marchese Emilio, Giorgio and John.
I'd Rather Be Right is a 1937 musical with a book by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and music by Richard Rodgers. The story is a Depression-era political satire set in New York City about Washington politics and political figures such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The plot centers on Peggy Jones (Joy Hodges) and her boyfriend Phil (Austin Marshall), who needs a raise in order for them to get married. The President steps in and solves their dilemma.
Manager Joe Epstein returns from a trip and finds his star Heather Jones on stage at a nightclub, singing her own songs about the emancipation of women, together with the two singers Alice and Cheryl and the band. She tells Joe Epstein that this would be her new show. Joe, who has been Heather's friend for a long time, reacts angrily to Heather's change, but he is not able to persuade Heather to go back to her usual role. Almost 40 years old, she feels that the time has come for a change. Joe finds the songs she is singing now unpleasant, because they remind him of the way he treats his own wife. Heather is determined to support women's liberation; she splits up with her manager and goes on to perform her own show.
I'm Solomon is a 1968 musical with music by Ernest Gold, lyrics by Anne Croswell, and book by Croswell and Dan Almagor. It opened 23 April 1968 and closed 27 April after seven performances. The play was profiled in the William Goldman book The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway. Goldman wrote, "The show advertised itself as 'A New Musical with a Cast of 60.' That's got to tell you something.; I mean, when movies have made "a cast of thousands" a cliché, what's "a cast of 60" supposed to do to your pulse? One peek at the program indicated more trouble: the set designer had a box around his name, and when the outstanding billing for a show goes to the set designer, you just know you're in for a bumpy crossing." Goldman estimated the musical lost between $700,000 and $800,000.
Idol: The Musical is an American off-Broadway musical based on the popular TV show American Idol. The story is about a group of "dork-like" characters who dream of winning a spot as the opening act in Clay Aiken's new tour. The music was written by Jon Balcourt, lyrics co-written by Balcourt and Todd Ellis, and directed by Dan Tursi. The original story was conceived and outlined, including plot, songs, and characters, by Ellis. The show began previews at the 45th Street Theatre on July 5, 2007. The show closed on its official opening night of August 12, 2007, due to poor ticket sales and bad word of mouth.
38-year-old divorcee Elizabeth moves back to her hometown of New York City to start her life anew. Her kindergarten teacher friend Kate suggests she adopt the nickname Liz and attend a concert, while her activist friend Lucas suggests she return to her college nickname of Beth and join him at a rally. The work switches back and forth between the two possible timelines. Liz meets an army doctor named Josh, and after a brief hesitation, falls in love with him. Josh introduces Lucas to his friend David, and they too begin a relationship. Liz and Josh have two children, but Josh, having delayed his third tour of duty as long as possible, is deployed and killed in action. Meanwhile, Kate's marriage ends in divorce, and David encourages Liz to confront her loss. Beth, having brushed off Josh, receives a call from her former classmate Stephen, who offers her a job as a city planner. After an awkward kiss with Stephen, Beth invites Lucas over, and they have sex. Lucas is in love with Beth, but she is not interested in him. Beth learns she is pregnant with Lucas's child, but opts to get an abortion, ruining their friendship. Years pass, and Beth throws herself into work while remaining lonely. After a harrowing near-death experience, Beth urges Kate and Anne to make up and love each other while they can. Five years after the opening scene, Liz and Beth both meet their friends in the park. Liz reconnects with Stephen, who has a job opportunity for her, while Beth meets Josh, back from his originally scheduled third tour of duty. Both women take the new opportunity and face the future.
The Duchess is attracted to Hans, who loves the Spanish dancer Marietta, and disguises herself as Marietta to learn his true feelings. During her performance, Hans admits that he really loves the Duchess. Meanwhile, Bolko courts Helma, who has been posing as the Duchess's maid. Once Helma's identity is revealed, the Duchess rewards the couple with a country estate and makes Hans a lieutenant before revealing her own disguise.
A young man named Henry leaves his bed and partner in the middle of the night ("Prologue (or, A Conjunction of Drones...)") and hikes into the woods. He thinks about three of the most important people in his life ("Three Stars (or, Concerning the UFO Sighting near Highland, Illinois)"). Henry reaches a clearing in an Illinois cornfield ("The Long Hike") where a group of friends are sitting around a campfire telling stories about their childhoods and lives. He is given a notebook like the others' and encouraged to "write from the heart" ("Come on! Feel the Illinoise!"). The storytelling begins: Morgan reminisces about growing up in Jackson, Illinois, and her attempts to understand her lineage and the lessons left by those who came before ("A Story About Jackson"). Jo Daviess relates her worries about the hold the Founding Fathers have on the American imagination, and the dangers of racism and conservatism ("a story about Zombies"). Wayne has been dealing with feelings of self-loathing about their sexuality and reflects how, as an outcast, they hide the truth about themselves, fearing that they are no better than Illinois serial killer John Wayne Gacy ("a story about John Wayne Gacy, Jr"). Wayne eventually breaks down in tears and is comforted by the other members of the group. To lighten the mood, Clark talks about how he is a vulnerable Superman ("a story about The Man of Metropolis"). At first, Henry resists telling his story but is emboldened by the willingness of his new friends to share their feelings of vulnerability. His story comes alive as he relates that his childhood best friend and first love, Carl, had a lover named Shelby, and the three were close friends ("Decatur"). He and Carl embark on a road trip, passing through Chicago and ending abruptly in New York, when Carl receives news that Shelby is ill ("Chicago"). Carl returns to Decatur to be with her, but Henry meets and falls in love with Douglas, an artist ("To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament"). Shelby soon dies of cancer, with Carl at her side ("Casimir Pulaski Day"). Meanwhile, Henry is still together with Douglas, and while the two are very much in love, Henry is tormented by the idea that he has done something terrible by leaving Carl ("The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!"). Douglas is able to calm Henry, and the two fall back to sleep. Carl struggles with having lost the love of his life ("In This Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth") and, feeling he is unable to confide in Henry, commits suicide ("The Seer's Tower"). Henry is devastated by the loss of Carl, and, returning to the near-present, Henry leaves Douglas in bed and finds these new friends ("A Conjunction of Drones, again"). Henry realizes that he cannot spend the rest of his life dwelling on the end of his friendship with Carl but must celebrate the good things about it as well. Henry is overjoyed when Douglas arrives at the campfire having hiked there to find him ("Chicago" (reprise)). Henry's new friends and Douglas celebrate his bravery for telling his story and accepting his emotions ("The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders"). Henry and Douglas embrace as the celebration of storytelling continues ("Epilogue").
Illya Darling is a musical with a book by Jules Dassin, music by Manos Hadjidakis, and lyrics by Joe Darion, based on Dassin's 1960 film Never on Sunday.
Imagine This is a musical with music by Shuki Levy, lyrics by David Goldsmith and a book by Glenn Berenbeim. Set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, it focuses on a family of actors trying to stage a play about the siege at ancient Masada to inspire hope and optimism within the Jewish community.
Imminent, Indeed (or Polly Peachum's Peculiar Penchant for Plosives) is a gothic adaptation of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera. Written and directed by Bryn Manion with the assistance of Wendy Remington. Produced by the Creatives and the founding board members of the company of Aisling Arts.
The program provided a setting: "The time and the place: the present." There was no plot. Cousins (He has an army in his room) - Theo Barnes Dole (He plays the piano. They do not have a mechanical piano) - Al Carmines Mildred (As round as around as an apple) - Jacque Lynn Colton Mable (She serves tea and circles) - Lee Crespi George (He can think of kissing her) - George McGrath Sylvia (and flags) - Arlene Rothlein Jessie (Cut wood) - Elaine Summers Ollie (An Englishman from the United Kingdom) - David Vaughan The Citizen (An innocent abroad) - Arthur Williams Lucy Armitage (A lady of culture and understanding) - Nancy Zala During its run David Tice replaced Al Carmines in the role of Dole. Lee Guilliatt replaced Elaine Summers in the role of Jessie.
Country-rock singer Kenna brings her former bandmates together for a party at a family-run Mexican restaurant, concealing the reason for the reunion. As old friendships and unfinished relationships resurface, songs associated with Roy Orbison frame a story about love, loss, and the choices people make with the time they have.
In Gay New York is a musical revue with a script and lyrics by C. M. S. McLellan, under his pseudonym Hugh Morton, and music by Gustave Kerker. The story revolves around two newlyweds from Maine who come to New York City, do some sightseeing, and see bits from the 1895–96 season at the Casino satirized in vaudevillian action. The revue premiered on Broadway at the Casino Theatre on May 25, 1896 and closed in mid-August.
In Hayti is a musical in three acts with music by Jean Schwartz, lyrics by William Jerome, and a book by John J. McNally. It premiered at Broadway's Circle Theatre on August 30, 1909. It closed after 56 performances on October 16, 1909. Produced by Klaw and Erlanger, the show was directed by A. H. Holbrook and choreographed by Julian Alfred. The work was created as a starring vehicle for vaudeville and minstrel show stars James McIntyre and Thomas Heath who were known for their work as blackface performers. It was the second musical created by the songwriting team of Schwartz and Jerome for McIntyre and Heatth; the first being the tremendously popular 1905 musical The Ham Tree.The plot of the show revolves around Colonel Scott's attempt to control the chicken market in Haiti in the midst of a revolution.
In My Life was a 2005 Broadway musical with music, lyrics, and book by Joseph Brooks. Described by Playbill as being "generally regarded" to be "one of the strangest shows ever to have graced a Broadway stage", it told the story of a romance between a journalist with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and a singer-songwriter with Tourette's syndrome and later a brain tumor; as they fall in love, they are observed by an angel in Heaven who decides that their story would make a great "reality opera". Also involved in the tale are the songwriter's dead mother and sister, as well as God himself. Written entirely by Brooks, the show opened on Broadway on October 20, 2005, in a production also directed by Brooks; after receiving uniformly negative reviews, it closed on December 11, 2005, after 61 performances and 23 previews. No cast recording was made of the show's songs, and the libretto has never been published.
Captain Coddington, a penniless lad-about-town, gives a young aristocrat friend, Lord Clanside, a tour of the slightly naughty lifestyles both high and low, to be found in London. Coddington invites all the ladies of the Ambiguity Theatre to lunch; Clanside agrees to pay the bill if he is invited to the party. Afterwards, with several uninvited guests, they visit the theatre to see a rehearsal. Coddington romances the prima donna of the theatre and wins her.
In Transit is a one-act musical with book, music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth. The musical, performed entirely a cappella, ran Off-Broadway in 2010, and on Broadway in 2016.
In Trousers is a one-act musical that began off-Broadway in 1978 with book, music and lyrics by William Finn. It is the first in a trilogy of musicals, followed by March of the Falsettos and then Falsettoland.
In the Green starts with a hymnal song ("O Virga ac Diadema"). The actual storyline begins with Jutta in her cell reading her last rites, choosing to live the rest of her life as a dead person and receiving only food and water left at a small window and preparing for Hildegard's arrival; at 8 years old, a young Hildegard (portrayed by a puppet) is left with Jutta ("Death Ceremony"). Originally, Hildegard (now portrayed by Rachael Duddy as "Eye," Hannah Whitney as "Hand," and Ashley Pérez Flanagan as "Mouth," with each actress holding a puppet of the sense they respectively represent) expresses her resistance to staying in Jutta's cell and desire to go home, before describing how she has too many desires but ultimately wants to be "whole" ("If I Had a Knee"). Jutta then says she too was once "broken like [Hildegard]" and says she will guide Hildegard into becoming whole and "free," with Hildegard agreeing ("The Rule"). Time passes, and Mouth expresses her hunger and her feelings of being inside the cell for so long, before experiencing her first period ("I Am Hungry"). In response, Jutta explains that because of Eve's actions all women must pay and "carry her curse in [their] blood," while also telling Mouth to repress her hunger to gain control over herself and become whole as she aims ("Eve"). A year passes, with Hildegard becoming more frustrated that she is still broken ("Ritual"). Jutta continues to teach Hildegard lessons to become whole, this time saying that they will spend more time dead than alive and advising her to stop wanting things, to stop sleeping, and continue digging since life is painful anyway ("Little Life"). The two women take a break, and seeing a ray of sunlight coming through the cell window, Hand describes her time outside with a woman named Agatha while Jutta remembers her past betrothal and subsequent running away, before Hand asks about being "free" and going outside ("Sun Song"). This conversation with Hand brings back suppressed memories where Shadow (Jutta's repressed trauma personified) and Jutta sing about her would-be husband finding her after running away, and Jutta's sexual assault in a garden; Jutta refuses to think on this, forcing Shadow to leave and covering the sunlight, before arguing with Hildegard ("In the Green"). All three aspects of Hildegard get angry at Jutta, and Jutta decides she will no longer help Hildegard become whole. Eye, Hand, and Mouth all turn on each other and blame each other for Agatha's death, falling apart and choosing to "dig" because Hildegard believes she will never become whole and digging is the only thing she can control ("Burial"). While digging, Shadow is found in the Underground (a place full of darkness) hiding since she is unwanted, and tells Hildegard that she can join Shadow in the Underground ("Underground"). While in the Underground, Hildegard and Eye, Hand, and Mouth piece together the memories that make Hildegard broken; she remembers Agatha (who the audience now understands to be Hildegard's elder sister) sneaking out at night and having sex with a man, telling her mother about what Agatha is doing, describing Agatha's pregnancy and their nighttime outing to pick pennyroyal so Agatha can abort her baby, which leads to Agatha bleeding to death ("Confession"). Hildegard pauses before describing the last thing Agatha told her as she was dying, to which Shadow tells her she doesn't have to, but once Hildegard does, she feels better, even if she's still broken ("Sun Song (Reprise)"). Shadow is in awe of Hildegard, Eye, Hand, and Mouth for working with their trauma and wants them to stay with her in the Underground; realizing that Shadow is Underground because she too was broken by her trauma, they try to encourage her to share her memories so Shadow can become whole, to which Shadow refuses ("Light Undercover"). Through these conversations, Hildegard has a realization about becoming whole and understands that everything Jutta has been trying to teach her has always been inside of her, and with the help of each other Shadow and Hildegard feel they'll be "alright" ("The First Verb"). Shadow and Hildegard move from the Underground back into Jutta's cell ("O Viridissima Virga"). Hildegard, Eye, Hand, and Mouth tell Shadow that she too contains light like them, and that's what they've been digging for this whole time; they've been hiding themselves and while those hidden parts make them broken, that is how they have the light they've been searching. Emboldened by Hildegard, Eye, Hand, and Mouth, Shadow divulges some of her feelings and the sensations she remembers from her sexual assault ("Light Undercover/In the Green (Reprise)"). Meanwhile, Jutta steadfastly refuses to acknowledge anything Hildegard or Shadow say. Jutta reflects on her own life, saying she's "done all the things [she's] supposed to" and yet cannot see the light like Hildegard or Shadow, but is grateful for her life all the same. She expresses maternal love for Hildegard, before dying ("The Ripening"). Hildegard, Eye, Hand, and Mouth reflect on Jutta's teachings while grieving their mentor's death ("Forgiveness"). Hildegard leaves the cell to experience what she's "never known before." She then explains her thoughts on Catholicism through her life and the growing corruption and tensions within the Church ("Integration"). The show ends with Hildegard meeting Sigewize, a young Cathar girl who expresses similar sentiments to Hildegard at the beginning of the show of being "'too much,'" trying to be understood, and asks Hildegard to "see [her]" and think about the impact of her speeches when people kill in Hildegard's name ("Exorcism").
In the Heights is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. It is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Hispanic and Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, New York City. The score blends hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul. After a 2005 tryout in Waterford, Connecticut and a 2007 Off-Broadway run, the show opened on Broadway in March 2008. It was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards and won four, including Best Musical. A film adaptation of the musical was released in June 2021.
After an argument, Mr. Liverby refuses to speak to his wife. She plants a fake love letter to make him jealous, but another letter from a young man appears. He turns out to be Liverby’s nephew, seeking his aunt’s help to regain a job; Liverby reinstates him and forgives his wife.
The operetta adapts the tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from One Thousand and One Nights.
Inside Out, earlier known as Roleplay, was an American musical which tells a story of a six-person support group. It was co-written by Adryan Russ and Doug Haverty.
Instant Marriage is a musical with music by Laurie Holloway and words by Bob Grant. It premiered at the Piccadilly Theatre in London on 1 August 1964, playing for 366 performances. The cast featured Joan Sims, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Bob Grant, Stephanie Voss, Rex Garner, Harold Goodwin and Wallas Eaton. There was an Australian production in 1965, playing at the Tivoli Theatre in each of Melbourne and Sydney.
A physicist from Los Alamos, James Prescott is attempting to prove (or disprove) the truth about the Shroud of Turin. James' obsession with this task strains his relationship with his wife (Kate) and his young son (Matthew). To compensate for his absent father, Matthew instead begins to trust his imaginary friend.
Ipi Tombi (also produced as Ipi N'tombi, both corrupted transliterations of the Zulu iphi ntombi, or "where is the girl?"), is a 1974 musical by South African writers Bertha Egnos Godfrey and her daughter Gail Lakier, telling the story of a young black man leaving his village and young wife to work in the mines of Johannesburg. The show, originally called The Warrior, uses pastiches of a variety of South African indigenous musical styles.
Irene is a musical with a book by James Montgomery, lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, and music by Harry Tierney. Based on Montgomery's play Irene O'Dare, it is set in New York City's Upper West Side and focuses on immigrant shop assistant Irene O'Dare, who is introduced to Long Island's high society when she is hired to tune a piano for a society gentleman. The musical opened on Broadway in 1919 and ran for 675 performances, at the time the record for the longest-running musical in Broadway history, which it maintained for nearly two decades. It starred Edith Day in the title role, who repeated the role in the London production. It was revived on Broadway in 1923, filmed twice, and had a major Broadway revival in 1973, starring Debbie Reynolds, that ran for 594 performances, followed by a 1976 London run that lasted 974 performances.
Irma La Douce is a successful prostitute in Paris. A poor law student, Nestor le Fripé, falls in love with her and is jealous of her clients. In order to keep her for himself, he assumes the disguise of a rich older man, "Oscar", and takes many jobs. Finally no longer able to sustain his exhausting life, he "kills" Oscar, is convicted of murder, and is transported to the Devil's Island penal colony. He escapes and returns to Paris, and proves that he is innocent. He and Irma reunite.
Iron Curtain is a comedy musical about the Soviet Union, with music by Stephen Weiner, lyrics by Peter Mills, and a book by Susan DiLallo.
Is There Life After High School? is a musical with a book by Jeffrey Kindley and music and lyrics by Craig Carnelia. It is loosely inspired by Ralph Keyes' best-selling book of the same name. The show uses songs and monologues to recall the joys, terrors, envies, hates, and loves that most teenagers experience throughout their four years of high school. The world premiere was mounted by the Hartford Stage Company in Hartford, Connecticut. The Broadway production was staged by Robert Nigro and choreographed by Larry Fuller. It had a long preview period of 48 performances before opening on May 7, 1982, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. It closed after 17 performances. The cast included Sandy Faison, Harry Groener, David Patrick Kelly, Alma Cuervo, and James Widdoes, who won the Theatre World Award for his performance. Scott Bakula was one of the understudies. An original cast album was released on the Original Cast label, and was re-issued on CD by the same company in 1995, with bonus tracks sung by the composer/lyricist. Producer and director Robert Neal Marshall produced the critically acclaimed London West End debut at the Donmar Warehouse in the Summer of 1986 as a special limited engagement. This production starred Caroline O'Connor, Mark Michael Hutchinson, Geoff Steer, Rosemarie Ford, Lynne Kieran, Steven Mann, Nelly Morrison & Nigel Garton early in their careers who did this late night engagement while several were also appearing in West End hit shows Me and My Girl, 42nd Street and The Hired Man. The musical director was Tony Castro. The show has been staged at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., and at regional theatres throughout the country. The Birmingham Repertory theatre staged a youth theatre production in 2009 at the Old REP in the UK. The song "The Kid Inside" was covered by Barry Manilow on his 1991 musical album Showstoppers and John Barrowman on his 2010 self-titled studio album.
Isabel's a Jezebel is a British musical with music by Galt MacDermot and book and lyrics by William Dumaresq, based loosely on one of the Grimm's Fairy Tales, centers around Isabel and her deep-sea lover, who spend their time copulating and arguing about bringing children into a world committed to death. After out-of-town tryouts, the musical premiered on 15 December 1970 on the West End at the Duchess Theatre, running for only 61 performances. The cast included Frank Aiello, Sharon Campbell, Helen Chappelle, Peter Farrell, Carole Hayman, Michele Mowbray, Maria Popkiewitz, Miguel Sergides, Howard Wakeling. The production was co-directed by Michael Wearing and Julie Arenal, who also choreographed. After his spectacular success with the musical Hair, expectations for MacDermot's next work, Isabel's a Jezebel, were high. The musical underwent several last minute cast changes, including Hayman's joining the show just before opening night. The New York Times praised the score but called the book "irretrievably inert." A cast album was released in 1972 (Item 377673) Kilmarnock.
Islander is a musical conceived by Amy Draper with music and lyrics by Finn Anderson and a book by Stewart Melton. It follows the story of a young girl called Eilidh, who is the last child on a remote and increasingly depopulated Scottish island called Kinnan. It includes elements of Scottish folklore and has no band, instead using live looping technology to create music and sound cues. The musical features only two performers, who each play multiple roles.
At the St. George Hotel, it is the morning of Rebecca Steinberg and Brian Howard's wedding. Jenny, Rebecca's sister, talks of her nerves before the wedding and how glad she is that she isn't the one having to have all the problems of a bride ("I Never Wanted This"). Judy and Murray are Jenny and Rebecca's parents. Judy, an overbearing, talkative Jewish mother, barks commands at Jenny to make sure things are organized. While trying to keep things together, Jenny accidentally calls Rebecca's ex, Marty, and lets it slip the wedding is taking place that day. Marty is convinced that it is a sign that he needs to stop the wedding and talk Rebecca out of it. He rushes to the hotel. The bride and groom share their mutual excitement and fears ("This Day (Opening)"). Things go well with a few comedic missteps, including the visible impact of the wedding on the groom's mother, Georgette, who doesn't want to lose her son to another woman. When things seem to settle, the best man, Greg, comes in and announces that Rebecca wants to stop the wedding. Jenny rushes to her side, and Rebecca says that there's a smudge on her wedding dress—it must be a sign. Annie, the co-maid of honor, tries to talk to her along with Brian and Greg, until Brian insinuates that Annie has been too controlling over the wedding. That triggers something in Annie, and she runs off with Greg and Brian immediately rushing after her to apologize. Jenny once again smoothes over the situation by getting the stain out of the dress. Rebecca and Jenny sing about how much they admire each other, both seeing qualities in the other that they respect ("Perfect"). On the other side of the hotel, Marty arrives and is instantly spotted by Murray, who expresses his joy over seeing him before. Murray admits that he wishes it were Marty marrying Rebecca instead of Brian. He is joined by Judy, the drunken Uncle Morty, and flirtatious Aunt Sheila, who all echo this sentiment ("It Shoulda Been You"). When Jenny sees Marty, she tries to get him to leave. However, Marty appeals to their longtime friendship and all the times that he has been there for her. Jenny reminisces with him, and it's revealed they did get together, but for some reason Marty stopped calling her and she never knew why ("Who"). She reluctantly agrees to give him only a few short minutes with Rebecca. Meanwhile, Brian is having a few moments with George, his father. George says that now that Brian is getting married, he wants to try to have a closer relationship with him—something he and his own father never had ("Back in the Day"). He also gives Brian a pre-nuptial agreement and tells him to consider signing it before the wedding, completely unaware that Marty is hiding behind a plant and has heard their conversation. The bridal party gets their hair and makeup done, and tensions between Georgette and Judy are running high. Rebecca and Jenny beg Judy to be polite. After Georgette, assuming a cheerful tone, takes a few back-handed jabs at her, Judy emulates her demeanor to hurl shots back at her, including pointing out Georgette's latest face lift ("Nice"). Marty arrives and throws everything into disarray when he announces the plans for the pre-nuptial agreement. Rebecca is shocked and runs off. Everyone goes to find her. Jenny starts panicking that the wedding will be over before it has begun. She is reassured by Albert, the wedding planner, that all will be well. He shares stories of all the weddings he's been involved in, pointing out that nothing has ever shocked him or prevented the ceremony from taking place, including that a wedding day pre-nuptial agreement is not legally binding ("Albert's Turn"). Brian tries to confide in Georgette and tells her that he owes everything he has achieved in life to her. As he leaves, Georgette laments losing her son to another woman and wishes he had turned out gay, or at least waited until after she died to find someone ("Where Did I Go Wrong?"). Everyone is still searching for Rebecca; they think she has left, but Albert appears with Rebecca dressed, made up, and ready to walk down the aisle. Judy and Murray admire her, and Judy tells Jenny to go get dressed. As she goes into the bathroom, Judy compliments Rebecca on how stunning she looks before saying she wishes Jenny had found someone. Judy suggests that it would be easier for Jenny to find someone if she lost weight. Rebecca retorts that this isn't fair, as Jenny has had a wonderful life and has done great things. Jenny hears this conversation as she exits the bathroom and is embarrassed. Everyone else leaves, and Jenny finishes dressing. As she does this, she expresses her frustration that even though she views herself as a truly beautiful and valuable person, she struggles to find people that view her as more than 'sort of pretty,' 'kind of sexy,' or just 'nice' ("Beautiful"). Outside the cathedral, Marty shows up one more time to try to convince Rebecca to call off the wedding. Rebecca considers it, but Jenny steps in and tells him to let Rebecca go and be happy. Marty reluctantly agrees, and the wedding goes ahead. After the wedding, everyone gets ready for the reception. Murray and Judy rejoice that their daughter is finally married. Georgette is in despair and grabs George to head for the bar. Jenny is happy for her sister, but sad for herself. Rebecca and Brian, now in a private room, are just glad things went ahead ("A Perfect Ending"). Greg and Annie interrupt the newlyweds' alone time with champagne in hand to celebrate. They drink, and it is revealed that Greg and Brian are lovers as well as Annie and Rebecca. Jenny and Albert walk in and catch the two couples in the act. Rebecca tries to explain things to Jenny, but she is interrupted by Judy telling them the reception is about to start. At the reception, Greg and Annie perform a garish song to their secret lovers declaring their undying devotion under the pretense of having written it for the wedding ("Love you Till the Day"). Rebecca tries to talk to Jenny again, but she is interrupted by Judy, who says it's time for the father-daughter dance. Rebecca tries to resist, but Judy says Jenny can use the dance to search for a husband. That finally sets Jenny off, and she storms away. Judy follows her and tries to see what's the matter while still giving her orders about details of the wedding, but Jenny has none of it. She decides that she's tired of being pushed around and mocked; she's going to have a quick fling and throw caution to the wind ("Jenny's Blues"). Marty comes in and she impulsively kisses him. Jenny runs off after she kisses him, but Marty follows her into the bathroom and presses her to explain why she kissed him. She denies it as anything serious, but Marty continues pushing before letting it slip that he knew Rebecca was gay and that's why he couldn't call Jenny back. He didn't trust himself not to tell her after he promised Rebecca he wouldn't. He then says that he never loved Rebecca, but he always loved Jenny. He continues, saying that if she wants him, he wants to start a romantic relationship or whatever she wants ("Whatever"). The two declare their feelings for each other and kiss. Albert comes in and says that Rebecca is about to tell Judy and Murray that she's gay. They run off to find her. However, what they don't realize is that Aunt Sheila was also in the bathroom (hooking up with a busboy) and has heard the whole thing. Brian and George try to talk Rebecca out of revealing her sexuality on the day of the wedding. Jenny and Marty concur, but Rebecca says she's tired of living a lie. She wants to be who she is and wants to be with whom she loves ("A Little Bit Less Than"). Jenny hugs Rebecca and tells her she is strong. Judy and Murray come in to tell them the speeches are about to begin. Rebecca tries to get up the nerve to tell them but ultimately chickens out. As the rest of the family comes in, Aunt Sheila drunkenly announces that Rebecca is gay and, to the delight of Georgette, Brian also confesses his sexuality. Judy and Marty are shocked and demand an explanation for why they went through with the wedding. Brian and Rebecca explain that they both met in college, and when they found out that each other was gay, they became close friends. As they, along with Annie and Greg, hit 30 they realized they were broke. Brian remembered that he had a trust fund in his name from his grandfather's will. However, the stipulation was that he had to be married to a woman, so he convinced Rebecca to marry him. Rebecca also reveals that she is pregnant with Brian's child as during a period of time when she struggled with her sexuality, she and Brian had a drunken fling. After they got over the shock, Annie and Greg accept it, and they all decided to raise the child together. To the delight of Rebecca and Brian, both of their parents are accepting of their sexuality. Judy and Murray are overjoyed that they will have a grandchild, and Georgette and George take glee in the fact that Brian's grandfather—a racist homophobe—would have hated it. However, the wedding isn't over. Marty proposes to Jenny, saying he has been in love with her his whole life. Jenny says it is too soon, being that they never even dated. Judy convinces her, saying that she should go for it if she truly loves Marty. She says that love isn't about fairy tales—it takes time, and it involves taking risks and having the little moments that make a relationship come together ("What They Never Tell You"). Jenny and Marty both admit they have flaws, but they love each other, so it doesn't matter ("Perfect/Whatever" Reprise). Jenny says she doesn't have a dress, but Albert has it covered and hurries her off to get ready. Spurred by this quick wedding, Brian proposes to Greg and Rebecca to Annie, and they hurry off to make it a triple ceremony.
It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman is a 1966 musical composed by Charles Strouse, with lyrics by Lee Adams and book by David Newman and Robert Benton. It is based on the comic book character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. While the show's original Broadway run was well-reviewed, it did not catch on with audiences. Closing after three and a half months and costing an unprecedented $600,000, the show was Broadway's biggest flop at the time. These numbers have been disputed, with Hal Prince reporting that the show was capitalized at $400,000; other shows had proven to be bigger flops.
Jack O'Diamonds is a musical play with music by Noel Gay and book and lyrics by Clifford Grey and H.F. Maltby. It opened at London's Gaiety Theatre on 25 February 1935. The New York Times reported that it opened to good notices and that its American star, Zelma O'Neal "scored a triumph". One critic said of her pairing with co-star Reginald Purdell: "The spirit with which these two combine lends life and a touch of originality to the whole production".
Jack O'Lantern is a musical in two acts and 8 scenes with music by Ivan Caryll and both lyrics and book co-authored by Anne Caldwell and R. H. Burnside. The work also included some additional songs with music by Irving Berlin, Shelton Brooks and Gus King; and lyrics by Louis Harrison and Benjamin Hapgood Burt. Jack O'Lantern was written as a starring vehicle for Fred Stone who portrayed John Obadiah Lantern, a.k.a. "Jack O'Lantern". A modest success, it ran for a total of 265 performances; closing on June 1, 1918. The work was directed by Burnside, produced by Charles Dillingham, and included sets designed by Ernest Albert, Homer Emens and Joseph Urban. Helen Dryden, Robert MacQuinn, and Gladys Monkhouse designed the costumes.
Jackpot is an American musical with music by Vernon Duke, lyrics by Howard Dietz, and a musical book by Guy Bolton, Sidney Sheldon, and Ben Roberts. The musical premiered on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on January 13, 1944. It closed on March 11, 1944 after a total of 69 performances. Directed by Roy Hargrave, the production starred Nanette Fabray as Sally Madison, Betty Garrett as Sgt. Maguire, Allan Jones as Hank Trimble, and, in the small role of Edna, future novelist Jacqueline Susann (Valley of the Dolls). Choreographer Flower Hujer danced in the production. A wartime musical designed to boost morale in the U.S. during World War II, Jackpot failed to garner a following among critics and audiences. A few songs from the show were published: I've Got A One Track Mind, Sugarfoot, There Are Yanks (From the Banks of the Wabash), and What Happened?.
Setting: Connecticut This musical tells the story of how the Healys, a seemingly perfect white Connecticut family with an adopted Black daughter, begins to unravel when faced with issues of repressed gender identity, sexual assault, and substance abuse. Mary Jane (MJ) Healy is a mother writing the yearly family Christmas letter. She writes about her husband Steve's job promotion, her daughter Frankie's art, and her son Nick's early admission to Harvard University. MJ writes that she got into a car crash, but is healing with the help of natural remedies. What she doesn't write is that Steve is addicted to pornography, Frankie is making out with her best friend, Jo, as the letter is being written, and MJ is addicted to the painkillers from the car accident ("Right Through You"). MJ pressures Nick and Frankie to be perfect to keep up the family's image ("All I Really Want"). At school, Frankie and Jo discuss how their mothers don't understand or accept them: Frankie's mom because of her disapproval of her self-expression, and Jo's mom not accepting them being gay or their gender expression. Jo is thankful for how Frankie understands them, and is sure that everything will turn out alright in the end ("Hand in My Pocket"). MJ tries to get drugs from the pharmacy, but she is out of refills. Desperate, she meets with a familiar dealer, who provides her with opioids. She moves through her day backward, starting with unpacking groceries at home, getting her painkillers in the alley, keeping up appearances with other school moms, and ending with her running out of pills at the beginning of the day ("Smiling"). On the last day of Frankie's English class before winter break, she reads a short story she wrote aloud. The students in the class criticize her since things she claims to be ironic in her piece are not technically ironic, just bad things that happened to someone. A new student, Phoenix, defends Frankie and encourages her to finish ("Ironic"). A romantic attraction begins between the two. After class, Phoenix and Frankie decide to go to a party that night. At home, MJ and Steve get into an argument. Steve says he wants to see a marriage counselor, but MJ refuses ("So Unsexy"). Nick comforts MJ after the fight, to which she responds that he is the only thing she has ever done right. Nick reflects on the pressures on him from his mother to be perfect ("Perfect"). Frankie and Nick go to the party ("Lancer's Party (So Pure)"). Frankie and Phoenix find each other and leave the crowded party to talk alone, and they discuss their imperfect family lives. Meanwhile, Jo doesn't attend the party because their mom forced them to go to a church function. Jo's mom scolds them for not dressing femininely enough ("That I Would Be Good"). The following day, Jo shows Frankie pictures that are circulating throughout the school of Bella, Nick's friend, who was drunk, passed out, and had her shirt pulled up at the party. Other students quickly mock Bella, calling her a slut. Despite barely knowing her, Frankie and Jo go to Bella's house to check on her. Bella reveals that Andrew, Nick's best friend, was the one who took the pictures and raped her. Frankie goes home and wakes Nick up to reprimand him about not going to the police, since he was the only one who saw how drunk Bella was. Nick brushes off Bella's claim, accusing her of being dramatic. MJ overhears the conversation and insists that Nick not come forward as it might ruin his reputation. MJ blames Bella for what happened since she chose to drink, but she is visibly upset by the story ("Wake Up"). MJ walks to the church for the first time in a while to pray about her failing marriage, struggling relationship with Frankie, and for help with her addiction. She then reflects on her memory of being raped in college, but blames herself and feels it was God's plan for her ("Forgiven"). Steve and MJ go to their first marriage counseling session, despite MJ's reluctance ("Not the Doctor"). Meanwhile, Frankie and Phoenix hang out at a playground and end up sleeping together ("Head over Feet"). Jo enters the Healys' house uninvited ("Your House") and walks in on Frankie and Phoenix. Jo gets mad and storms out of Frankie's room. MJ and Steve come home early, and Jo tells them that Frankie and Phoenix had sex. Phoenix flees quickly, leaving Frankie alone with her parents. MJ and Steve reprimand her for having sex so young. Frankie comes out to her parents as bisexual, and she gets mad at her parents for disapproving of her consensual sex but not caring about Bella's rape. She subsequently runs away from the house. Steve and MJ fight about the former not being present during Frankie's childhood, while Frankie takes a train alone to New York ("Unprodigal Daughter"). When she gets lost in the city, Frankie calls Phoenix. She tells him that she loves him and that he should come pick her up. However, when Phoenix doesn't say "I love you" back and says he needs to stay at home to help his sister with a medical condition, Frankie gets angry, feeling that Phoenix used her for her body. Students gossip about Bella and her accusations against Andrew. Bella comes to the Healys' house to talk to Nick, but MJ is the only person at home. MJ tries to comfort Bella by telling her she was also raped in college. Bella asks MJ when she started to feel better after her rape, but MJ doesn't answer. Bella leaves, realizing that it may never get better. Nick comes clean to MJ, telling her he walked in on Andrew raping an unconscious Bella but did nothing and left ("Predator"). Nick says he wants to go to the police, but MJ protests, stating it would only ruin his life. When Nick accuses her of selfishness, MJ slaps him. Jo comes to New York to pick up Frankie after she calls them out of desperation, lost, and out of money. Frankie shows little remorse for sleeping with Phoenix since she didn't think her relationship with Jo was exclusive. She tells Jo that she is in love with Phoenix. Jo, enraged that the one person they felt understood them doesn't love them, ends the relationship ("You Oughta Know"). At home, MJ overdoses on pills. Steve and Nick find her unconscious ("Uninvited"). When Steve gets to the hospital, he is devastated that he didn't know MJ had an addiction and promises her he will be there for her and the family from now on ("Mary Jane"). When Nick gets to the hospital, MJ tells him he should report to the police, but Nick reveals he already told them about what happened to Bella. Meanwhile, several students attend the rally that Frankie organized to get justice for Bella. Nick apologizes to Bella, who is angered that people only believed her once Nick came forward ("No"). A year has passed, and MJ is writing the Christmas letter again. She writes about the progress being made in their relationships and lives. MJ tells Frankie that she wanted her to feel like every other kid and not be treated differently because of her race, but Frankie tells her that she wouldn't have wanted to fit in with the people in their town ("Thank U"). Frankie dares MJ to email the Christmas letter to everyone, despite its frankness about her overdose and her dislike of the culture in their town. MJ sends it, deciding that this will be her last Christmas letter. Jo and Frankie rekindle their friendship, and Jo has a new girlfriend. Frankie and Phoenix are now just friends. Frankie and MJ, Bella and Nick, and Steve and MJ all now appear to have mended their relationships. Everyone acknowledges that their bad decisions all help them learn and become better people ("You Learn").
Jamaica is a musical with a book by Yip Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Harold Arlen. It is set on a small island off the coast of Jamaica, and tells about a simple island community fighting to avoid being overrun by American commercialism. Arlen's music parodies the popular form of Calypso, which was in vogue in the 1950s, largely as a result of the popularity of Harry Belafonte, for whom the musical originally was written. Belafonte withdrew from the production due to illness, and the musical was tailored around the talents of Lena Horne. and the satire is unusually pointed. Many of the topics raised in the songs, including evolution, nuclear energy, and consumerism, remain topical today.
James Joyce's The Dead is a Broadway musical by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey based upon James Joyce's short story "The Dead".
Act 1 Jane Eyre, a young orphan, is living at Gateshead but is ill-treated by her Aunt Mrs. Reed and cousin John Reed. Jane is sent to a boarding school. Over the years, Jane becomes a teacher at the boarding school but longs to see other sights. She becomes a tutor of Adèle Varens, a young French girl who lives at Thornfield Hall as the ward of the owner, Edward Rochester. When a fire breaks out, Jane puts it out and saves Edward's life, and the two become close. Edward, however, cannot accept his affection for Jane, and so invites wealthy guests as a distraction. It appears that Blanche Ingram and Edward may be getting married, and Jane is unhappy over this. Mason, an old friend, arrives, and Edward is disturbed. He asks Jane whether she would leave if he had a terrible secret, and she vows her faithfulness. Act 2 When Mason is attacked in the attic, he is helped by Jane and Edward and leaves. Edward, pretending to be a gypsy, tells Blanche Ingram that he is not rich, and she hastily departs Thornfield. Edward at last tells Jane that he loves her and proposes marriage, and Jane happily accepts. However, on the day of the wedding, Mason tells the secret. Edward is already married to Bertha (who is Mason's sister) and his mad wife lives in the attic of Thornfield. Jane, unwilling to live with Edward without being married, leaves. Bertha meanwhile sets fire to Thornfield, and dies in the flames. Jane, hungry and exhausted after wandering the moors, has returned to Gateshead Hall, and discovers that her aged aunt is near death. Mrs. Reed has tried to steal her inheritance, but Jane forgives this last evil treatment. St. John Rivers, a clergyman, proposes marriage and Jane almost accepts. But, she hears Edward calling out to her. She returns to Thornfield to see that it has been destroyed. Jane and Edward, blind and crippled in the attempt to save his wife, are married. Edward's sight is partially restored as Jane shows him their new-born son.
Jean Seberg is a musical biography with a book by Julian Barry, lyrics by Christopher Adler, and music by Marvin Hamlisch. It is based on the life of the late American actress and premiered at the National Theatre in London on 1 December 1983.
The majority of the show's story has not changed from production to production, but many of the songs have been altered, cut or replaced since the show debuted. The audience is introduced to John Utterson and Sir Danvers Carew, both having been associated with Doctor Henry Jekyll. Utterson was Jekyll's lawyer and best friend while Sir Danvers was Jekyll's future father-in-law. The two gentlemen take the audience back some time to find Jekyll in an insane asylum singing of his comatose father ("Lost in the Darkness"). It is Jekyll's belief that the evil in his father's soul has caused his illness. Jekyll tells the audience about his passion to find out why man is both good and evil and his attempts to separate the good from the evil ("I Need to Know"). Some time later, the rich and poor of 19th century London describe how people act – how they want others to see them, no matter who they really are inside ("Façade"). Afterward, Jekyll presents a research proposal to the Board of Governors of St. Jude's Hospital. Sir Danvers, the chairman of the board, is in attendance along with His Grace Rupert the 14th Bishop of Basingstoke, the Right Honorable Sir Archibald "Archie" Proops, Lord Theodore "Teddy" Savage, Lady Elizabeth "Bessie" Beaconsfield, General Lord Glossop and Simon Stride, the secretary. All, with the exception of Sir Danvers, already deem the proposal an inconvenience. When Jekyll proposes to test his theory and his formula on a human subject (presumably his father), they scorn the proposal with cries of "sacrilege, lunacy, blasphemy, heresy", voting five to none with Sir Danvers' one abstention ("Board of Governors"). Utterson tries to calm Jekyll down, knowing that he is obsessed over his father's condition. Jekyll feels that he could "save" those who have fallen in the same darkness. Utterson urges his friend, if he feels he is right about his theory, that he should continue ("Pursue the Truth"). Later that night, a group of high society Londoners turns up at Sir Danvers' residence at Regent's Park, which has a well-maintained façade. Sir Danvers throws a showy party for his daughter Emma, for her engagement to Dr. Jekyll, to which Jekyll is late. ("Façade" (reprise #1). During the party, the guests – which include the Governors and Stride, deride Danvers and Emma for her engagement to a "madman", but Utterson, Sir Danvers and Emma back up Jekyll. Stride, who has feelings for Emma, speaks to Emma in private and tries to reason her out of her engagement, but she quickly turns him down, saying she feels she can be who she wants to be with Jekyll ("Emma's Reasons"). Jekyll arrives late as usual – just before the party leaves to go see the fireworks – and shares a moment with Emma. Though he warns her he may always be busy with his work, Emma swears she will be beside him through it all ("I Must Go On/Take Me as I Am"). Sir Danvers returns as Jekyll leaves and expresses to Emma that he considers Jekyll like a son to him but finds it difficult to tolerate his behavior at the cost of losing his daughter. Emma assures him that he will never lose her, and they should not be afraid to let go ("Letting Go"). Jekyll and Utterson later go to the dregs of Camden Town known as "The Red Rat" for Jekyll's bachelor party ("Façade (reprise #2)"). Prostitute Lucy Harris arrives late and is in for some trouble with the boss, known as 'Spider', but she dismisses it for now. Despite her position in life, she is seen to be kind-hearted and well-liked by her co-workers but has moments of contemplation about her life ("No One Knows Who I Am"). Guinevere, the German manager of "The Red Rat", then breaks Lucy's reverie and then sends her out onstage to do her number ("Bring on the Men" or "Good 'N' Evil" depending on the production), which captivates Jekyll. After the number, Lucy begins to circulate among the clientele. Spider approaches Lucy and after striking her hard across the face, threatens to kill her if she is late again. Jekyll approaches Lucy after witnessing the Spider's actions and intends to help her as Utterson is led away by another bar girl. Jekyll and Lucy are drawn to each other in a way that promises each of them a great friendship. Jekyll admits Lucy's song has helped him find the answer to his experiment. Utterson reemerges, and Jekyll tells Lucy that he must be on his way. Before he goes, he gives Lucy his visiting card and asks her to see him should she ever need a friend ("Lucy meets Jekyll"). As Utterson and Jekyll arrive at the latter's residence, Utterson notices that Jekyll is in a better mood. Jekyll informs him that he has found a subject for his experiments. Utterson recommends that Jekyll go straight to bed and departs. Jekyll dismisses his butler, Poole, for the night and proceeds to his laboratory, excited that the moment has come to conduct his experiment ("This Is the Moment"). Keeping tabs on the experiment in his journal, Jekyll mixes his chemicals to create his formula, HJ7, and injects it into the subject: himself (in some versions, he drinks the formula, as he did in the book). After a minute of the potion's side effects, he writhes in pain, and is taken over by an alternate, aggressive personality ("First Transformation"). With grim humor he notes in his journal "4:00 AM -A few slight changes" (the exact line varies, depending on the production). He gleefully goes out and roams the streets, taking in the sights and sounds of London while tormenting innocent bystanders, which includes a sexually abusive encounter with Lucy (“Lucy meets Hyde”). Jekyll's alternate personality gives himself a name: Edward Hyde ("Alive"). A week later, no one has heard anything from Jekyll. Emma, Sir Danvers and Utterson ask Poole where he is, but Emma decides to leave and believes Jekyll will come for her after his work is finished. After Emma and Sir Danvers leave, Poole tells Utterson that Jekyll has been locked in his lab all this time and that he has heard strange sounds from the lab. Jekyll, who seems distraught, emerges and impatiently sends Poole to fetch some chemicals for him. Utterson confronts Jekyll about his bizarre behavior, but Jekyll brushes this off. He instead gives Utterson three letters: one for Emma, another for her father, and one for Utterson himself should Jekyll become ill or disappear. Suspicious and concerned, Utterson warns Jekyll to not let his work take over his life. Meanwhile, Emma and Sir Danvers argue about the prudence of Emma's marriage to a man who seems to be falling into an ever-deepening abyss. Emma again tells her father that she understands that Jekyll's work is important ("His Work and Nothing More"). After Utterson departs, Lucy arrives at Jekyll's residence with an aggressive bruise on her back. As Jekyll treats her wound, she tells him a man named Hyde inflicted it. Jekyll is stunned by this revelation but hides it. Feeling compassion for Jekyll for being kind to her, Lucy kisses him ("Sympathy, Tenderness"). Disturbed by his own actions, Jekyll leaves Lucy, who wonders about her love for him ("Someone Like You"). Later, the Bishop of Basingstoke is seen with Guinevere after having a "meeting" with one of her underage attendants. He pays Guinevere and arranges to see the attendant next Wednesday. When Guinevere and the attendant leave, Hyde appears holding a swordstick with a heavy pewter knob. After insulting the Bishop, Hyde proceeds to beat and stab him to death with the swordstick before gleefully setting the body aflame ("Alive (reprise)"). Utterson and Sir Danvers speak to the audience once again of past events with Jekyll: Utterson begins to feel he was not able to help his poor client and friend, while Danvers senses that something was horribly wrong with his work, as he had not been seen or heard from for weeks. The citizens of London gossip about the bishop's murder as Hyde hunts down and kills General Glossop, Sir Proops, Lady Beaconsfield, and Lord Savage. By now, all five Governors who rejected Jekyll's proposal are dead ("Murder, Murder"). Later one night, Emma lets herself into Jekyll's laboratory. She finds his journal open and reads one of his entries. Jekyll enters and immediately closes the journal, preventing her from learning what he has become. Emma can see he is distraught. She professes her love for him and begs him to confide in her ("Once Upon a Dream"). He tells her nothing of his work, but says he still loves her. After Emma leaves, Jekyll writes in his journal that Hyde has taken a heavy toll on him and those around him, and that the transformations are occurring of their own accord. His entry is interrupted when Utterson arrives at the lab, seeking to find out who Jekyll's sole heir is, Edward Hyde, as referred to in Jekyll's letter. Jekyll only tells him that Hyde is a "colleague" involved in the experiment. Utterson can see that his friend is desperately ill and agrees to obtain the rest of the chemicals Jekyll requires. Jekyll, once again alone, begins to face the fact that Hyde is a part of him ("Obsession"). At the same time, both Lucy and Emma wonder about their love for the same man ("In His Eyes"). At "The Red Rat", Nellie and Lucy consider their profession and why they keep doing it ("Girls of the Night"). Lucy is then visited by Hyde, who tells her that he is going away for a while. He then warns her to never leave him. Lucy is terrified, but seems to be held under a sexual, animalistic control by Hyde ("Dangerous Game"). As they leave together, Spider addresses the "Red Rat" attendants, warning them to always be aware of what dangers lie ahead in the East End ("Façade (reprise #3)"). Utterson comes to Jekyll's lab with the rest of the chemicals and a secret envelope and discovers Hyde, who informs him that the doctor is "not available" tonight. Utterson refuses to leave the package with anyone but his friend and demands to know where he is. Hyde replies that even if he told him, Utterson would not believe him.
The musical opens with the recently deceased Morton in a state of limbo, looking back on his life. He is reluctantly guided by the mysterious 'Chimney Man,' who forces him to recall the more painful moments of his life when he attempts to ignore or embellish them. Born into an old and wealthy mixed-race Creole family in New Orleans, the young Morton rebels against his upbringing by going into the streets and absorbing the rhythms of the vendors and poor blacks, meeting blues musician Buddy Bolden. When his Creole grandmother discovers his new lifestyle, she disowns him. Forced to go on the road, Morton becomes a prominent composer and musician, and the self-proclaimed creator of jazz. His sadness over his family's rejection causes him to stress his Creole ancestry and claim that there are 'no black notes in my song.' Eventually his pride and racism cause him to betray his best friend and the woman he loves. In his later years, as the Jazz culture continues to grow, Morton is largely forgotten and reduced to dealing with crooked music publishers and gangsters, eventually dying of a knife wound in the colored wing of a Los Angeles hospital. At the moment of his death, Morton at last admits to his heritage - "Ain't no black notes in my song/I was wrong/ I was wrong." At this moment, the shadows of the people in his life surround him to congratulate him, and Morton takes his place in history among the other Jazz legends.
Jennie is a musical with a book by Arnold Schulman, music by Arthur Schwartz, and lyrics by Howard Dietz, and starred Mary Martin. The plot focuses on actors and married couple Jennie Malone and James O'Connor, who tour the country in popular melodramas. Much of the action consists of elaborate spoofs of the type of entertainment offered to audiences in the early 20th century.
Jerico-Jim Crow is a 1964 musical, with a book written by Langston Hughes and William Hairston. It was a pioneering work in the urban contemporary gospel musical style, based on the themes of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. According to Hughes scholar and biographer Arnold Rampersad, Hughes "virtually pioneered" the black gospel musical, first with Black Nativity (1961) and then with Jericho-Jim Crow. Jerico-Jim Crow premiered on Sunday, January 5, 1964, at the Sanctuary Theatre, New York City. It was co-directed by Alvin Ailey and William Hairston and conducted by Hugh Porter, with Marion Joseph Franklin, Jr as associate musical director and musical accompanist, the musical was favorably reviewed in The New York Times by Richard F. Shepard, who said: "This rousing production is an unabashedly sentimental and tuneful history of the Negro struggle up from slavery." A cast recording was released in 1964 by Folkways Records.
Jerome Robbins' Broadway is an anthology comprising musical numbers from shows that were either directed or choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The shows represented include, for example, The King and I, On the Town and West Side Story. Robbins won his fifth Tony Award for direction.
Jerry Springer: The Opera is a British musical written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, based on the talk show Jerry Springer. It contains irreverent treatment of Christian themes, extensive profanity, and surreal images, such as a troupe of tap-dancing Ku Klux Klan members.
The musical follows Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons from their beginnings in New Jersey through musical success and conflicts within the group.
Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Apostles, worries that the followers of Jesus are getting out of control and may be seen as a threat by the Roman Empire, who might harshly suppress them ("Heaven on Their Minds"). The other apostles anticipate entering Jerusalem alongside Jesus and ask him about his plans, but Jesus tells them not to worry about the future. Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene tries to help Jesus relax. Judas warns Jesus to avoid Mary because a relationship with a prostitute could be seen as inconsistent with his teachings and be used against him. Jesus scolds Judas, saying he should not judge others unless he is free of sin. Jesus then reproaches the apostles and complains that none of them truly care for him ("What's the Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying"). Mary reassures Jesus while anointing him. Judas fumes that the money spent on fine oil should have been used to help the poor. Jesus reasons they do not have the resources to end poverty, and that they should treasure what comforts they possess ("Everything's Alright"). Meanwhile, Caiaphas, the High Priest of Israel, assembles the Pharisees and priests. Like Judas, they fear that Jesus's followers will be seen as a threat by the Romans, and that many innocent Jews might suffer the consequences. Thus, Caiaphas concludes that for the greater good, Jesus must be executed ("This Jesus Must Die"). As Jesus and his followers arrive exultantly in Jerusalem, they are confronted by Caiaphas, who demands that Jesus disperse the crowd. Jesus instead greets them ("Hosanna"). Simon the Zealot suggests that Jesus lead his mob in a war against Rome and gain absolute power ("Simon Zealotes"). Jesus rejects this, stating that none of his followers understand what true power is ("Poor Jerusalem"). Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, has a dream in which he meets a Galilean and then receives the blame for the man's violent death at the hands of a mob ("Pilate's Dream"). Jesus arrives at the Temple and finds that it is being used as a marketplace; angered by this, he drives everyone out. A group of lepers ask Jesus to heal them. Their number increases, and overwhelmed, Jesus rejects them ("The Temple"). Mary Magdalene sings Jesus to sleep ("Everything's Alright (Reprise)"). While he sleeps, Mary acknowledges that she is in love with him, and it frightens her ("I Don't Know How to Love Him"). Conflicted, Judas seeks out the Pharisees and proposes helping them arrest Jesus, believing that Jesus is out of control and that Jesus himself would approve of this action. In exchange for his help, Judas is offered thirty pieces of silver. Judas adamantly refuses, but then accepts upon Caiaphas's suggestion that he could use the money to help the poor ("Damned for All Time/Blood Money"). Judas tells the priests, on Thursday night, they will be finding him at the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus shares a Passover meal with his disciples, where they get drunk and pay little attention to him. He remarks that "for all you care" the wine they are drinking could be his blood and the bread his body. He asks them to remember him, and then, frustrated by their lack of understanding, he predicts that Peter will deny him three times that night, and that another one of them will betray him. Judas admits that he is the one who will betray Jesus and, saying that he does not understand why Jesus had no plan, leaves ("The Last Supper"). The remaining apostles fall asleep as Jesus retreats to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He tells God his doubts about whether his mission has had any success and pleads to find a way to avoid the horrible death that awaits him. Receiving no answer, he realises that there is no other way to complete his mission, and resigns himself to God's will ("Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"). Judas arrives with Roman soldiers and identifies Jesus by kissing him on the cheek. When Jesus is brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas and the priests send him to Pilate ("The Arrest"). Meanwhile, Peter is confronted by three witnesses of Jesus's arrest, to each of whom he denies that he knows Jesus. Mary observes that Jesus had predicted this ("Peter's Denial"). Pilate asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews. Jesus answers: "That's what you say." Since Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate says that he is not under his jurisdiction and sends him to King Herod ("Pilate and Christ"). The flamboyant King Herod pressures Jesus to prove his divinity by performing miracles, but Jesus ignores him. Herod angrily sends him back to Pilate ("King Herod's Song"). Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the apostles remember when they first began following Jesus, and wish that they could return to a time of hope and peace ("Could We Start Again, Please?"). Judas is horrified at Jesus's harsh treatment. He expresses regret to the Pharisees, correctly dreading that he will forever be remembered as a traitor. Caiaphas and Annas assure him that he has done the right thing. Judas throws the money he was given to the floor and storms out. He curses God for manipulating him, and commits suicide ("Judas' Death"). At Jesus's trial, Pilate attempts to interrogate Jesus, but is cut off by a bloodthirsty mob which demands that Jesus be crucified. Unnerved, he tells the mob that Jesus has committed no crime and does not deserve to die, but to satisfy the mob, he will have Jesus flogged. Pilate pleads with Jesus to defend himself, but Jesus says weakly that everything has been determined by God. The crowd still calls for Jesus's death, and finally, Pilate reluctantly agrees to crucify Jesus ("Trial Before Pilate (Including The 39 Lashes)"). As Jesus awaits crucifixion, the spirit of Judas returns and questions why Jesus chose to arrive in the manner and time that he did, and if it was all part of a divine plan after all ("Superstar"). Jesus is crucified, recites his final words, and dies ("The Crucifixion"). Jesus' body is taken down from the cross and buried ("John 19:41").
Jimmy is a musical with a score by Bill Jacob, lyrics by Patti Jacob, dance arrangements by John Berkman, and a book by Melville Shavelson and Morrie Ryskind. The musical describes the rise and fall of New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker, whose career was marred by corruption. It was a romanticized version of Walker's tenure as mayor, as presented in the 1957 film Beau James, starring Bob Hope. The film came from a biography of Walker, also titled Beau James, written by Gene Fowler. Jimmy had a brief Broadway run from October 1969 to January 1970, starring Frank Gorshin as Walker, Anita Gillette as Betty Compton, and Julie Wilson. Jack L. Warner and Don Saxon produced the original Broadway production under the direction of Joseph Anthony. It closed after 8 previews and 84 performances.
Act I (1952–1972) Six-year-old Jen Tracy welcomes her newborn brother John into the world, with a warning about the way things work and a promise to protect him from Dad. ("Welcome to the World") As they grow, Jen does her best to shield John from life's disappointments, including a painful Christmas Eve fight between their parents. Not long after John's seventh birthday, Jen discovers a bruise on his face. "It was my fault," he tells her, "I broke a glass." Jen vows that Dad will never hurt John again, and she and John make a deal to always be there for each other. ("Think Big") As the pair grows older, sibling rivalry crops up when John is forced to attend Jen's high school basketball finals. ("Dear God") But when it's time for Jen to go off to college, John begs her not to leave him alone. ("Hold Down the Fort") Jen is determined to break free, however, deal or no deal. "I can't hold your hand forever," she tells John. "Grow up". Jen embraces the world of the '60s in groovy New York City, where she blossoms into a drug-experimenting hippie while John's life goes in the opposite direction. ("Timeline") Without Jen there to protect him, John falls under his father's influence and decides to join the Navy. ("It Took Me A While") When Jen returns home from New York, she and John see how much they've changed and how far apart they've grown. ("Out of My Sight") Learning of Jen's plans to move to Canada with her draft-dodging boyfriend, John accuses her of rejecting everything he and Dad stand for, and they part in anger. ("Run and Hide") After John leaves, Jen unfurls an American flag, drapes it over a coffin, and we learn that John has been killed in Vietnam. "I'm sorry, little brother," she whispers as Act I ends. ("Epilogue") Act II (1972–1990) Now living in Canada, 26-year-old Jen is the mother of a newborn baby boy, whom she names John. ("Old Clothes") But this John is not the naïve child of the '50s his mother expects him to be. When Jen moves back to the United States, leaving her failed marriage behind, she prepares to spend Christmas alone with seven-year-old John. Her gift to her son is an old baseball glove, which she proudly tells him belonged to his uncle. But John rejects the gift, complaining, "I'll be the only kid in school with a crappy old glove!" Jen gets her son to play his uncle's favourite sport, but her obnoxious behavior at games only succeeds in mortifying him. ("Little League") Visiting her brother's grave on what would have been his 32nd birthday, Jen remarks on the similarities between the two Johns and vows that she won't fail her son. ("Just Like You") But when it's time for the 12-year-old to go off to camp, Jen finds herself barely able to say goodbye. ("Bye Room") In a montage spanning John's high school years, John and Jen take turns as mock talk show hosts covering topics that reveal Jen's growing dependence on her son and John's struggle for freedom. ("Talk Show") Later, when John discovers that his mother has hidden his acceptance packet from Columbia University, it becomes clear that Jen is terrified that she'll lose John "again," and she is no longer able to differentiate between her brother and her son. ("Smile of Your Dreams") Finally realizing how desperately his mother needs him, John decides to forgo Columbia in favour of a local community college. Disturbed to see him throwing away his future on her account, Jen ridicules his decision. John is deeply hurt by his mother's reaction, and he bitterly mocks her influence on his life. ("Graduation") As their argument escalates, Jen slaps her son. Shaken by the parallels to her abusive father, Jen retreats to her brother's grave, where she finally accepts that it's time to move on. ("The Road Ends Here") John joins his mother at the cemetery, where Jen asks his forgiveness. ("That Was My Way") Jen is finally able to let her son go, and they take their first steps into the world on their own. ("Every Goodbye is Hello")
John Henry was a 1940 original Broadway musical based on the 1931 novel John Henry by Roark Bradford. The libretto was written by Bradford with music composed by Jacques Wolfe. Paul Robeson starred in the title role with Ruby Elzy as Julie Anne. Other prominent members of the cast included Joseph Attles, Maude Simmons, Josh White, Musa Williams, and Bayard Rustin. The show played at the 44th Street Theatre in New York City from January 10, 1940, to January 15, 1940.
John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean is an Off Broadway musical about fish. It was written by and stars John Tartaglia, whose previous theatre acting credits include Avenue Q and Beauty and the Beast.
The musical is set in a small town in the New Mexico mountains circa 1885. The story centers on Vienna, a sultry saloonkeeper who built a booming business on her back. Though Vienna is the ultimate ‘bad girl gone good,’ her nemesis, the pent-up Emma, sees things differently. A domineering cattle baroness, Emma controls the town with an iron fist but loses her grip when she falls for the dangerously hot-headed Dancin’ Kid. By the time Johnny Guitar, a tall manly stranger with a secret past rides into town, the stage is set for an epic showdown, unlike anything the Old West or Off-Broadway has ever seen.
Johnny Johnson is a musical with a book and lyrics by Paul Green and music by Kurt Weill. It premiered in 1936 on Broadway. Based on Jaroslav Hašek's 1921–1923 satiric novel The Good Soldier Švejk, the musical focuses on a naive and idealistic young man who, despite his pacifist views, leaves his sweetheart Minny Belle Tompkins to fight in Europe in World War I. He first tries to stop the war after meeting a young German sniper of the same name, who believes that the soldiers must unite. However, the commanders of the allied forces intend to use the discontent with the war among the German soldiers as a perfect time to advance in the war. Johnny then manages to bring the skirmish to a temporary halt by incapacitating a meeting of the generals with laughing gas, but once they recover they promptly reinstate the war, resulting in hundreds of thousands of fatalities. Meanwhile, Johnny finds himself committed to an asylum for ten years. He returns home to discover Minny Belle has married a capitalist, and he settles down as a toymaker who will create anything except tin soldiers, his personal gesture of peace in an increasingly warlike society. The musical was written and composed by Green and Weill during the summer of 1936 in a rented old house located in Nichols, Connecticut near the summer rehearsal headquarters of the Group Theatre at Pine Brook Country Club. Its title was inspired by the fact the name appeared on United States casualty rolls more often than any other.
Johnny Pye and the Fool-Killer was an Off-Broadway musical with music by Randy Courts, the book by Mark St. Germain, and lyrics by Randy Courts and Mark St. Germain based on the story of the same name by Stephen Vincent Benét. It was originally performed at Seattle's La Pensee Discovery! Theatre in 1993 and ran at Lamb's Theatre from October 21, 1993, and closed on December 12, 1993, after 54 performances.
Jolson is a musical with a book by Francis Essex and Rob Bettinson and a score composed of tunes by some of the all-time greatest songwriters of Tin Pan Alley.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is based on the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis. A Narrator opens the show by introducing Joseph, the dreamer ("Prologue"). Joseph sings an inspiring song to the audience ("Any Dream Will Do"). The Narrator then draws the audience's attention to Joseph's father Jacob and his 12 sons ("Jacob and Sons"). Jacob favours Joseph over his other sons, and he gives Joseph a multicoloured coat to show his affection for him. Joseph is ecstatic about this gift ("Joseph's Coat"), while his brothers look on with jealousy. The brothers’ jealousy is compounded by Joseph's dreams, which suggest that he is destined to rule over them ("Joseph's Dreams"). To stop this from happening, they try to kill him by throwing him down a pit, before changing their minds and selling him as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites. The Narrator comments on how powerless Joseph was to stop this ("Poor, Poor Joseph"). To hide what they have done, Joseph's brothers and their wives tell Jacob that his beloved son has been killed. As proof, they show him Joseph's coat, which they have torn to pieces and covered in goat's blood ("One More Angel in Heaven"). When the devastated Jacob exits, the brothers and wives cheerfully celebrate Joseph's departure ("Hoedown"). Meanwhile, Joseph is taken to Egypt, where he is bought as a slave by the wealthy Potiphar. He works hard and is promoted, eventually running the household. Joseph catches the eye of Mrs Potiphar and, although he turns down her advances, Potiphar sees them together and jumps to the wrong conclusion ("Potiphar"). Enraged, he throws Joseph in jail. A heartbroken Joseph laments his situation ("Close Every Door"). Two prisoners, both former servants of the Pharaoh, are put in his cell. Joseph interprets their strange dreams and predicts the butler will return to Pharaoh's service, while the baker will be executed. As Joseph questions his predictions, the other prisoners encourage Joseph to follow his own dreams ("Go, Go, Go Joseph"). The Narrator opens the second act with news that the Egyptian populace has been plagued by dreams that no one can interpret ("Pharaoh Story"). The butler, now freed and again serving Pharaoh, tells him of Joseph's skill at deciphering dreams ("Poor, Poor Pharaoh"). Pharaoh has Joseph brought to him and describes his dreams, one involving seven fat cows, being devoured by seven skinny cows, and another about seven healthy ears of corn, similarly being devoured by seven withered ears of corn ("Song of the King"). Joseph declares that Egypt will see seven years of plentiful harvests, followed by an equal period of severe famine, and that Pharaoh must select a man to help Egypt prepare for the famine ("Pharaoh's Dreams Explained"). Impressed with what he hears, Pharaoh pardons and frees Joseph, makes him his second-in-command, and puts him in charge of famine preparations. As the seven plentiful years end, and the seven years of famine begins, Egypt, under Joseph's leadership, manages to persevere ("Stone the Crows"). Meanwhile, Joseph's family back home is now starving and poor, having lost their farm and living off scraps in a brothel. Joseph's brothers regret what they did to him and how they lied to their father, thinking that things might have turned out differently if Joseph was still with them ("Those Canaan Days"). Hearing that Egypt still has food, they travel there to beg for supplies ("The Brothers Come to Egypt"). In Egypt, the brothers beg for food from Joseph, not recognizing him, and Joseph realizes that as the brothers bow before him this is the dream he had years ago coming true. He initially suggests the brothers might be spies, but they sincerely insist they're struggling ("Grovel, Grovel"). Joseph gives them sacks of food, but in an act of revenge for their attempted fratricide, plants a golden cup in the one belonging to Benjamin, his youngest brother. When the brothers attempt to depart, Joseph stops them, accusing them of theft. Each brother empties his sack ("Who's the Thief?"), and when the cup is found in Benjamin's sack Joseph accuses him of stealing. The other brothers beg Joseph to take them prisoner instead and let Benjamin go free ("Benjamin Calypso"). Joseph sees that his brothers have changed and reveals who he really is ("Joseph All the Time"), then sends for Jacob ("Jacob in Egypt"). Upon meeting Jacob for the first time in years, Joseph sings "Any Dream Will Do" again, and the lyrics are revealed to be a vague overview of the story. Jacob returns Joseph's coat to him, now fully repaired ("Give Me My Coloured Coat") In some productions, the cast perform a medley of songs from the show as they take their bows ("Joseph Megamix").
The true story is about one woman's triumphant climb, from divorce to single motherhood and bankruptcy, to becoming a wildly successful dynamo that all started with the invention of a mop—her Miracle Mop! Based on the life of Joy Mangano—the entrepreneur, inventor, best-selling author, and self-made millionaire whose journey epitomizes the real American Dream.
Time: 1935 Place: In and Around London, England and Rockwell-On-Sea When the curtain rises a ball is being hosted at the Royal Palace by the Royal Family ("Our Crown"). The King (Henry) and the Queen (Katherine) are sitting in the throne room, ignoring the guests, as the Prime Minister attempts to convince them to come to the Ball. The Queen is reading a movie magazine and suggests that the picture "Mowgli and the White Goddess", which features swimmer Charles Rausmiller as the scantily-clad Mowgli, be shown at the Jubilee. The King then suggests that he could perform his string trick and Prince James and the Princess (Diana) come in with their own requests. Prince James would like to have American Dancer Karen O'Kane come to the Jubilee, and the Princess would like songwriter/actor/playwright Eric Dare to receive Jubilee honors. The Prime Minister denies their requests and the Royal Family is finally summoned to the ball after the guests begin to steal ashtrays, and the tassels off the curtains. Meanwhile, the young Prince Peter and his cousin Prince Rudolph scheme to be able to visit Radio City Music Hall so while the Cabinet is meeting, they throw a rock through the window, with a message attached to it. It reads: "If the Royal Family is not out of the Palace by midnight, we will come and take them out. This is our first and last warning". The Prime Minister alerts the Royal Family that they will be evacuated to the dreary Feathermore Castle, but they decide "to Hell with Feathermore!" and that they will do something they've always wanted to do ("We're off to Feathermore"). The Princess decides to visit Eric Dare ("Why Shouldn't I?") who is currently being greeted by a crowd of admirers ("Entrance of Eric") after returning from exotic travels ("The Kling-Kling Bird on the Top of the Divi-Divi Tree"). The Princess requests an autograph from Eric, who becomes intrigued with Diana after she proves herself more thoughtful than the rest of his crowd of admirers ("When Love Comes Your Way"). Meanwhile, in a Municipal Park ("What a Nice Municipal Park"), the King is practicing his string trick, which is seen by socialite and party planner Eva Standing, who drags him off to be an attraction at her next party. The Queen, with the help of a man dressed as an ape, finds the theater where "Mowgli and the White Goddess" is playing ("When Me Mowgli Love") and meets Charles Rausmiller at the stage door, asking him to help her with her breaststroke, to which he agrees ("Gather Ye Autographs While Ye May"). At the Cafe Martinque, ("My Loulou"), Prince James is watching Karen O'Kane perform ("Begin the Beguine"). He meets her and together they win a cash prize for the best-danced Beguine. Meanwhile, the King has been staying at Eva's place preparing his party trick, while Eva attends to her schedule of social appearances ("Good Morning Miss Standing/My Most Intimate Friend"). The prime minister has been searching with all the means at his disposal for the Royal Family, but has had no luck. He just misses the King and Queen at the pool where Mowgli and the Queen have been doing their swimming lessons. The King believes that they are now running a risk of being caught, as he was photographed outside a news office. Meanwhile, Karen and Prince James have been comfortably living with each other for the past few days ("A Picture of Me Without You"). At a grand, Greek-themed party thrown by Eva (Ev'rybod-ee Who's Anybod-ee"), the Royal Family meet again. Two classical dances are performed, one of them featuring Karen ("The Judgment of Paris" and "Aphrodite's Dance"). News breaks out that the Royal Family is missing, and to calm the crowd Eva says that the Royal Family is in this very room and there is no need to worry ("Swing that Swing"). The Prime Minister demands the Royal Family step forward; they do, and they are dragged off to Feathermore, "that very nasty castle in the North" ("Finale Act One"). It is a rainy Sunday morning at Feathermore ("Sunday Morning Breakfast Time"). The Royal Family has invited all of their friends from the past week to the Castle, as they couldn't stand the dull routine practiced at Feathermore. When their friends arrive, they decide to abdicate the throne and run off to Rockwell-on-Sea before going to America ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith"). At Rockwell-on-Sea ("Six Little Wives"), both the Queen and the Princess win "Miss Rockwell 1935." The Prime Minister comes to them, dragging along Prince Peter and Prince Rudolph, revealing that there was no threat; they will return to the Palace for the Jubilee. Everyone bids their friends goodbye ("A Picture of Me Without You" (Reprise)). The King and Queen cheer up by listening to a favorite old song of theirs ("Me and Marie") before being arrested for bathing nude. As the prison burnt down, they are put in lion cages. With James' help, they knock out the zookeeper with a version of the King's string trick and escape. Meanwhile, Eric Dare and the Princess tearfully say goodbye ("When Love Comes Your Way" (Reprise)), and Karen and Prince James share their last dance ("It Was Just One of Those Things"). At the Jubilee, Eric, Karen, Eva, and Charles are awarded Jubilee honors and the two young Princes are allowed to go to Radio City ("Our Crown" (Reprise)). The King attempts to perform his string trick, but resorts to singing "Me and Marie" instead, as the curtain falls on the joyful scene ("Finale Ultimo").
Jumbo is a musical produced by Billy Rose, with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and book by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.
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