| Emojiland | |
|---|---|
| A textistential new musical | |
 Logo for the 2022 Garrick Theatre Production | |
| Music | Keith Harrison Dworkin |
| Lyrics |
|
| Book |
|
| Productions | |
Emojiland is a pop musical written by Keith Harrison Dworkin and Laura Schein. It premiered off-Broadway on January 19, 2020, at the Duke on 42nd Street. It centers around a group of emojis living in the world of a smartphone on the eve of a software update.
"Emojiland is an electric ensemble piece about a diverse community of archetypes who take one another at face value: [1] a smiling face dealing with depression; a princess who doesn’t want a prince; a skull dying for deletion; a nerd face too smart for his own good; a face with sunglasses who can’t see past his own reflection; and a police officer and construction worker who just want to work together. When a software update threatens to destroy life as they know it, Emojiland faces the most fundamental questions a society – and a heart – can face: Who are we? And who matters?"
Emojiland was first performed live in concert in Los Angeles. [2] [3]
Emojiland was first presented in New York City on July 22, 2018, as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. [4] It was staged at the Acorn Theater at Theater Row. [5]
After its success as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, the show premiered Off-Broadway on January 19, 2020, at The Duke on 42nd Street. [6]
It starred Lesli Margherita as Princess, Josh Lamon as Prince, George Abud as Nerd Face, Laura Schein as Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes aka Smize, Lucas Steele as Skull, and Ann Harada as Pile of Poo.
The production was directed by Thomas Caruso and choreographed by Kenny Ingram, with musical direction by Lena Gabrielle. It featured scenic design by David Goldstein, costume and make-up design by Vanessa Leuck, lighting design by Jamie Roderick, sound design by Ken Goodwin, hair and wig design by Bobbie Zlotnik, and projection design by Lisa Renkel and Possible Productions.
The musical was a Critic's Pick from The New York Times [7] and played a total of 11 Previews and 59 Performances before the COVID-19 shutdown.
In May 2022, the show announced a non-union national tour beginning in June 2022, but was subsequently cancelled after its first stop in Columbus, Ohio. [8] [9] Though it ended early, the tour production was captured live in Columbus with plans for it to be released, though no more news has been heard as of August 2024. [10]
In October 2022 a one-off concert version of the show was held at the Garrick Theatre in heart of London’s West End. It featured a star-studded British cast including Olly Dobson as Skull, Louise Dearman as Princess, Hannah Lowther as Kissyface and Natalie Paris as Construction Worker. [11]
In October 2024, a new condensed version of the show will run from October 17th - November 24th, 2024 at the 3Below Theater in San Jose. The condensed version cut the two ensemble roles of People Dancing, introduced one new role ("Angry Face") and doubled characters to trim the cast from fourteen to eight people. [12]
|
|
| Character [14] | New York Musical Festival (2018) [15] | Off-Broadway Premiere (2020) The Duke on 42nd Street | US Tour (2022) [16] | West End Concert (2022) [17] | 3Below Theaters (2024) [12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smize (Smiling Face) | Laura Schein | Sarah Isola | Laura Baldwin | Emily Anne Goes | |
| Nerd Face | Keith Harrison | George Abud | Sheridan Mirador | Blake Patrick Anderson | Tuânminh Albert Đỗ |
| Princess | Lesli Margherita | Gina Morgigno | Louise Dearman | Aeriol Ascher | |
| Pile of Poo | Jessie Alagna | Ann Harada | Maeghin Mueller | Hiba Elchikhe | |
| Prince | Josh Lamon | Steven Klenk | Oliver Savile | James Creer | |
| Skull | Jordon Bolden | Lucas Steele | Michael C. Brown | Olly Dobson | Alan Palmer |
| Person in Business Suit Levitating* | Alex Kunz | Max Crumm | Dahlya Glick | Jonny Weldon | |
| Sunny (Sunglasses) | Cooper Howell | Jacob Dickey | Christopher Hobson | Dean John-Wilson | Frankie Mulcahy |
| Guard | Brandon L. Armstrong | Dwelvan David | Keith Mankowski | Tim Mahendran | |
| Construction Worker | Megan Kane | Natalie Weiss | Jaden Dominique Lewis | Natalie Paris | Brie Anne Martin |
| Angry Face | |||||
| Information Desk Person | Chloe Fox | Heather Makalani | Oshie Mellon | Hannah Lowther | |
| Kissy Face | Osher Fine | ||||
| Police Officer | Angela Wildflower | Felicia Boswell | Zachary A. Myers | Renee Lamb | |
| Person Dancing #1° | Tanisha Moore | Alana Walker | |||
| Person Dancing #2° | Jordan Fife Hunt | Andrew Tufano | |||
*The role was originally "Man In Business Suit Levitating," but was changed to "Person In Business Suit Levitating" in the US Tour and onward.
°Person Dancing #1 and #2 both were named Woman Dancing and Man Dancing, respectively, prior to the US Tour.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Lucille Lortel Awards [18] | Outstanding Projection Design | Lisa Renkel and Possible | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Awards [19] | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | George Abud | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical | Vanessa Leuck | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Projection Design | Lisa Renkel and Possible Productions | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Wig and Hair Design | Bobbie Zlotnik | Nominated | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards [20] | Outstanding Costume Design | Vanessa Leuck | Won | |
| Outstanding Projection Design | Lisa Renkel and Possible Productions | Won | ||
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Following the 1964 renaming as the Drama Desk Awards, Broadway productions were included beginning with the 1968–69 award season. The awards are considered a significant American theater distinction.
Broadway theatre, or Broadway, is a theatre genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats, in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Broadway and London's West End together represent the highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world.
Shoshana E. Bean is a Tony-nominated American singer, songwriter, and stage actress. She has appeared in numerous musicals, performing in major Off-Broadway and Broadway theatres, including in the original production of Hairspray.
Alex Timbers is an American writer and director best known for his work on stage and television. He has received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Drama Desk Award, as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Grammy Award. Timbers received the Drama League Founder's Award for Excellence in Directing and the Jerome Robbins Award for Directing.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask and a book by John Cameron Mitchell. The musical follows Hedwig Robinson, a genderqueer East German singer of a fictional rock and roll band. The story draws on Mitchell's life as the child of a U.S. Army major general who once commanded the U.S. sector of occupied West Berlin. The character of Hedwig was inspired by a German divorced U.S. Army wife who was Mitchell's family babysitter and moonlighted as a prostitute at her trailer park home in Junction City, Kansas. The music is steeped in the androgynous 1970s glam rock style of David Bowie, as well as the work of John Lennon and early punk performers Lou Reed and Iggy Pop.
Peter Kellogg is a musical theater book writer and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics and the book for the 1992 production of the Broadway musical Anna Karenina, for which he received two 1993 Tony Award nominations, one for Best Book of a musical and one for the Best Original Score. He also wrote the lyrics and book for the musicals Chasing Nicolette, Desperate Measures, Lincoln In Love, Stunt Girl, Money Talks, and The Rivals which have been read and produced regionally. Kellogg also received the New York Musical Theatre Festival 2006 award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing (Book) for Desperate Measures. On June 3, 2018, Kellogg won the 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for Desperate Measures.
<ref</ref>
Dear Evan Hansen is a coming-of-age stage musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn".
Waitress is a musical with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson. Based on the 2007 film of the same name, written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, it tells the story of Jenna Hunterson, a baker and waitress in an abusive relationship with her husband, Earl. After Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she begins an affair with her doctor, Dr. James "Jim" Pomatter. Looking for ways out of her troubles, she sees a pie baking contest and its grand prize as her chance.
The Humans is a one-act play written by Stephen Karam. The play opened on Broadway in 2016 after an engagement Off-Broadway in 2015. The Humans was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play.
Pretty Woman is a musical with music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and a book by Garry Marshall and J. F. Lawton. The musical is based on the 1990 film of the same name written by Lawton and directed by Marshall. It centers on the relationship that develops between Vivian Ward, a free spirited Hollywood prostitute, and Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman who hires her for a week to be his escort for several business and social functions.
Jagged Little Pill is a jukebox musical with music by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and book by Diablo Cody, with additional music by Michael Farrell and Guy Sigsworth. The musical is inspired by the 1995 album of the same name by Morissette and deals with pain, healing, and empowerment. It premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 5, 2018, directed by Diane Paulus.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is a jukebox musical featuring the music of Tina Turner and depicting her life from her humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her transformation into a rock 'n roll superstar. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd with a book by Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, and Kees Prins, the musical had its world premiere on 17 April 2018 at the Aldwych Theatre in London. The Broadway production opened on 7 November 2019.
The Cher Show is a jukebox musical with a book by Rick Elice that tells the story of the life and career of Cher, using songs that she performed throughout her career. The part of Cher is played by three actresses: one portraying her in the 1950s and 60s, one for the 1970s, and one for the 1980s and 90s. The three interact with each other and help each other out at various points.
The Lehman Trilogy is a three-act play by Italian novelist and playwright Stefano Massini. It follows the lives of three immigrant brothers from when they arrived in America and founded an investment firm through the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. It has been translated into 24 languages, staged by such directors as Luca Ronconi and Sam Mendes, and was later published as a novel in English. An English translation of the play by Mirella Cheeseman was produced at the National Theatre in 2018. The production, featuring three actors and one pianist, was directed by Sam Mendes and included the cast of Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles. It earned five Laurence Olivier Award nominations.
MJ the Musical is a jukebox musical based on the life of the American entertainer Michael Jackson, focusing on his creative process prior to the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. It features Jackson's music, with a book by Lynn Nottage, and choreography by Christopher Wheeldon.
Mrs. Doubtfire is a musical based on the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire, which in turn is based on the 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine, with music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell. As with the film, the musical is set in the city of San Francisco, California. However, the timeframe has been updated to the 21st century. The stage musical has references to both technology and pop culture that did not exist in 1993 when the film was released.
Sing Street is a musical with music and lyrics by Gary Clark and John Carney and a book by Enda Walsh. The musical is based on Carney's 2016 film of the same name. The stage adaptation was originally presented at New York Theatre Workshop. Directed by Rebecca Taichman and produced by Barbara Broccoli, Brian Carmody, Patrick Milling-Smith, Michael Wilson, Orin Wolf, and Frederick Zollo, the musical was initially set to premiere on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre in previews on March 26, 2020 and officially on April 19 with the same cast, but was ultimately delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, a cast recording featuring the original Broadway cast was released on April 22, 2020. The show was presented by the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston in the fall of 2022, with plans to move to Broadway.
Samantha Megan Pauly is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Katherine Howard in the musical Six at the Lena Horne Theatre on Broadway, as well as for portraying Eva Perón in the West End revival of Evita at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
George Abud is a Lebanese-American actor, playwright, and musician. He is known for playing Camal in the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of The Band's Visit, receiving a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the show's NBC Today Show performance.