A Very Brady Musical | |
---|---|
Music | Hope Juber Laurence Juber |
Book | Lloyd J. Schwartz Hope Juber |
Basis | The Brady Bunch |
Premiere | June 6, 2008: Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
A Very Brady Musical is an American stage musical that debuted in Los Angeles in 2008. The show was written by Lloyd J. Schwartz and his sister Hope Juber. The music was written by Hope Juber and her husband Laurence Juber. [1]
Lloyd J. Schwartz directed the production, which starred his wife, Barbara Mallory and his son Elliot Schwartz as Carol and Greg Brady. A Very Brady Musical swept the Valley Theatre League Awards as best production, best musical, best director for Schwartz, best writing for Schwartz and Hope Juber, among other awards. [2]
Variety wrote "Following the trend that every old film or TV show apparently must be made into a musical, “A Very Brady Musical” makes a reasonably successful transition, considering the kids on the original program used to sing occasionally, anyway. The music and lyrics by Hope Juber and Laurence Juber are generally tuneful and clever, Lloyd J. Schwartz and Hope Juber’s book is witty, and Schwartz’s direction of an able cast is resourceful. This world premiere at Theater West should entertain those who grew up watching the titular tots, though the risque nature of the humor makes it surprisingly inappropriate for young children now." [3]
BroadwayWorld called A Very Brady Musical "A fresh, charming, nostalgic piece featuring the beloved Brady Bunch characters in a delightful ninety minutes of family fun." [4]
The Sound of Music is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Set in Austria on the eve of the Anschluss in 1938, the musical tells the story of Maria, who takes a job as governess to a large family while she decides whether to become a nun. She falls in love with the children, and eventually their widowed father, Captain von Trapp. He is ordered to accept a commission in the German Navy, but he opposes the Nazis. He and Maria decide on a plan to flee Austria with the children. Many songs from the musical have become standards, including "Do-Re-Mi", "My Favorite Things", "Edelweiss", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", and the title song "The Sound of Music".
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three girls. After its cancellation in 1974, the series debuted in syndication in September 1975. Though it was never a ratings hit or a critical success during its original run, the program has since become a popular syndicated staple, especially among children and teenage viewers.
Harold Smith Prince, commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre.
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written hit musicals such as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972), and Wicked (2003). He has contributed lyrics to a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt, Enchanted (2007), and Disenchanted (2022).
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular cast member on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? He was the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show, the original host of Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics!, and he has hosted Let's Make a Deal since its 2009 revival.
Sherwood Charles Schwartz was an American television screenwriter and producer. He worked on radio shows in the 1940s, but he now is best known for creating the 1960s television series Gilligan's Island on CBS and The Brady Bunch on ABC. On March 7, 2008, Schwartz, at the time still active in his 90s, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, Schwartz was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn is based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation. The musical is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, before and after Dorothy's arrival in Oz. The story explores the complex friendship between Elphaba and Galinda. Their relationship is tested by their contrasting personalities, conflicting viewpoints, shared love interest, reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wizard of Oz, and ultimately, Elphaba's tragic fate at the accidental hands of Dorothy Gale.
David Joel Zippel is an American musical theatre lyricist, director, and producer.
Joyce Collins Bulifant is an American actress and author. In addition to recurring roles on television, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Marie Slaughter, Bulifant is recognized for film roles in The Happiest Millionaire and Airplane! and as a frequent panelist on game shows, including Chain Reaction, Match Game, and Password Plus.
Laurence Ivor Juber is an English musician, fingerstyle guitarist and studio musician. He played guitar in the rock band Wings from 1978 to 1981.
Robert Reed was an American actor. He played Kenneth Preston on the legal drama The Defenders from 1961 to 1965 alongside E. G. Marshall, and is best known for his role as patriarch Mike Brady, opposite Florence Henderson's role as Carol Brady, on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch, which aired from 1969 to 1974. He later reprised his role of Mike Brady on several of the reunion programs. In 1976, he earned two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his guest-starring role in a two-part episode of Medical Center and for his work on the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. The following year, Reed earned a third Emmy nomination for his role in the miniseries Roots.
Ann Bradford Davis was an American actress. She achieved prominence for her role in the NBC situation comedy The Bob Cummings Show (1955–1959), for which she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, but she was best known for playing the part of Alice Nelson, the housekeeper in ABC's The Brady Bunch (1969–1974).
Barry William Blenkhorn, better known by his stage name Barry Williams, is an American actor. He is known for his role as the eldest of the Brady sons, Greg Brady, on the ABC television series The Brady Bunch (1969–1974), a role he reprised in several sequels and spin-offs including the animated series The Brady Kids (1972–1973), the variety series The Brady Bunch Hour (1976–1977) and the television films The Brady Girls Get Married (1981) and A Very Brady Christmas (1988) and the reality television series A Very Brady Renovation (2019).
Michael Paul Lookinland is an American actor and cameraman. He is best known for his role as the youngest brother, Bobby Brady, on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974, and all of its sequels and spinoffs.
The Brady Bunch Hour is an American variety show featuring skits and songs produced by Sid & Marty Krofft Productions in association with Paramount Television. It ran on ABC from November 28, 1976, to May 25, 1977.
The Brady Bunch in the White House is a 2002 American comedy television film and the second sequel to The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), following A Very Brady Sequel (1996). It was directed by Neal Israel and written by Lloyd J. Schwartz and Hope Juber, based upon characters originally developed by Sherwood Schwartz for the television sitcom The Brady Bunch (1969–1974). Although Shelley Long and Gary Cole reprise their roles from the previous films, the children and Alice were all recast in this film.
Lloyd Jeffry Schwartz is an American television producer and writer.
Rachel Kelly Tucker is a Northern Irish stage actress, best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the musical Wicked. She also starred in Come from Away on Broadway, having originated the role in the West End. Rachel has starred in various other musicals and plays, including The Last Ship.
Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour is a 2009 coffee table book written by The Brady Bunch actress Susan Olsen with co-authors Ted Nichelson and Lisa Sutton, about the 1976–77 spin-off TV variety show The Brady Bunch Hour. The book's release also coincided with the 40th anniversary of the debut of The Brady Bunch.
Ilsey Anna Juber is a British American singer and professional songwriter from Los Angeles, California. Before releasing her debut album From the Valley in 2023, Juber co-wrote songs for popular artists such as Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus. She also co-wrote Panic! at the Disco's hit song "High Hopes".