| Jolson Tonight | |
|---|---|
 Program for New Orleans tryout | |
| Music | Various |
| Lyrics | Various |
| Book | Nicholas Dante |
| Basis | Al Jolson |
| Productions | 1980 U.S. tour |
Jolson Tonight is a musical with a book by Nicholas Dante. The musical is based on the life of Al Jolson.
| Jolson Tonight | |
|---|---|
| Program for New Orleans tryout | |
| Music | Various |
| Lyrics | Various |
| Book | Nicholas Dante |
| Basis | Al Jolson |
| Productions | 1980 U.S. tour |
Jolson Tonight is a musical with a book by Nicholas Dante. The musical is based on the life of Al Jolson.
Nicholas Dante was hired by producer Jeff Britton to write Jolson Tonight after his previous Al Jolson musical, Joley, failed in spring 1979. The show was written in a similar fashion to A Chorus Line , Dante's previous musical, by having a series of recorded conversations with star Larry Kert about the public and private life of Al Jolson. [1] [2]
The show was doing a pre-Broadway trial in five cities in the 1980 in preparation for a run on Broadway. The backers' audition was held in July 1979 to about 200 spectators. [1] [2] Rehearsals started in June 1980, and the cost was $1.4 million with a cast of 30. The show opened on July 21, 1980 in Indianapolis. The tryout was supposed to play there for a week followed by week-long runs in Kansas City, New Orleans, St. Louis [3] and Tulsa. [1] The set was designed by Michael Bottari and Ronald Case, who along with director Michael Shawn created many of the visual concepts. The costumes were designed by Donna Granata.
The creative team included Pierre Cardin, a fashion designer, who was trying to get the show to Broadway, produced by Salvatore Pirrone, directed and choreographed by Michael Shawn, and starring Larry Kert. [4]
The show is said to have closed because no Broadway theatres were available at the time. [1]
The cast featured Larry Kert as Al Jolson, Alan Kass as Eppy, Elliot Levine as Moses Yoelson, Al's father, Stuart Zagnit as "Fingers", Matthew Kwiat as Harry, Maureen Moore as Ruby, Roxann Parker as Henrietta, Hal Maxwell as Lee Shubert, Michon Peacock as Ethel, Michael McCarty as Jake Shubert and Lawrence Raiken as Eddie Cantor. The ensemble included Paula Grider, Richard Haskin, Nancy Hess, Brenda Holmes, Suzie Jary, Robert Kellett, Chrissy Kellogg, Michael Lang, Kitty Laub, Paige Massman, Annette Michel, Brad Miskell, Gina Paglia, D'Arcy Phifer, Freda Soiffer, Christina Stolberg, Gary Sullivan, Carla Farnsworth-Webb, David Westphal and Barrie Wood.
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi. A secondary romance concerns Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who runs afoul of some gangsters. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.
Company is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth. The original 1970 production was nominated for a record-setting 14 Tony Awards, winning six. Company was among the first book musicals to deal with contemporary dating, marriage, and divorce, and is a notable example of a concept musical lacking a linear plot. In a series of vignettes, Company follows bachelor Bobby interacting with his married friends, who throw a party for his 35th birthday.
The Jolson Story is a 1946 American biographical musical film, a fictionalized account of the life of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as Julie Benson, William Demarest as his manager, Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne as his parents, and Scotty Beckett as the young Jolson. Many of the film's episodes are based on fact but the story is simplified, with some people disguised or combined into single characters.
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when it was completely remodeled by Herbert J. Krapp. Due to the size of its auditorium, stage, and backstage facilities, it is favored for large musical productions. It has 1,600 seats and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The auditorium interior is a New York City landmark.
Panama Hattie is a 1940 American musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields and B. G. DeSylva. The musical is about a nightclub owner, Hattie Maloney, who lives in the Panama Canal Zone and ends up dealing with both romantic and military intrigue. The title is a play on words, referring to the popular Panama hat.
Lawrence Frederick Kert was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for his role of Tony in the original Broadway production of the musical West Side Story.
Plain and Fancy is a musical comedy with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Arnold Horwitt, and music by Albert Hague. One of the first depictions of an Amish community in American pop culture, it includes a traditional barn raising and an old-fashioned country wedding. The musical ran on Broadway in 1955–56, and has been produced yearly at the Round Barn Theatre in Nappanee, Indiana since 1986.
The Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theater at 225 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance style and was built for the Shubert brothers. Lee and J. J. Shubert had named the theater in memory of their brother Sam S. Shubert, who died in an accident several years before the theater's opening. It has 1,502 seats across three levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The facade and interior are New York City landmarks.
CIBC Theatre is a performing arts theater located at 18 West Monroe Street in the Loop area of downtown Chicago. It is operated by Broadway In Chicago, part of the Nederlander Organization. Opened in 1906 as the Majestic Theatre, it currently seats 1,800 and for many years has presented Broadway shows. In its early years, the theater presented vaudeville celebrity acts.
Can-Can is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and a book by Abe Burrows. The story concerns the showgirls of the Montmartre dance halls during the 1890s.
Nicholas Dante was an American dancer and writer, best known for having co-written the book of the musical A Chorus Line. He was the first Latino to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Side by Side by Sondheim is a musical revue featuring the songs of Broadway and film composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from Company.
Oh, Captain! is a musical comedy based on the 1953 film The Captain's Paradise with music and lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and the book by Al Morgan and José Ferrer. The basis of the musical was the 1953 film The Captain's Paradise, which had been written by Alec Coppel and Nicholas Phipps.
Bombo is a Broadway musical with a book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge and music by Sigmund Romberg.
Robinson Crusoe, Jr. is a musical with a book by Edgar Smith, lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge, and music by Sigmund Romberg and James Hanley.
Sinbad is a Broadway musical with a book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge and music by Sigmund Romberg, Al Jolson and others. Jolson plays a porter in old Bagdad where he meets a series of characters from the Arabian Nights, including Sinbad. He is transported to various exotic settings.
Al Jolson was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." Jolson was known for his "shamelessly sentimental, melodramatic approach" towards performing, as well as for popularizing many of the songs he sang. Jolson has been referred to by modern critics as "the king of blackface performers."
The Passing Show was a musical revue in three acts, billed as a "topical extravaganza", with a book and lyrics by Sydney Rosenfeld and music by Ludwig Engländer and various other composers. It featured spoofs of theatrical productions of the past season. The show was presented in 1894 by George Lederer at the Casino Theatre. It was one of the first musical revues on Broadway and led the fashion for such productions. The Casino Theatre produced a revue each summer thereafter for several seasons.
La Belle Paree was a musical revue that launched the legitimate theatre career of Al Jolson. The book was by Edgar Smith, music by Jerome Kern and Frank Tours and lyrics by Edward Madden. Billee Taylor provided additional music and lyrics, and M. E. Rourke and Frederick Day provided additional lyrics. It premiered on Broadway in 1911. The musical is set in Paris, France.