| Joy | |
|---|---|
| Music | AnnMarie Milazzo |
| Lyrics | AnnMarie Milazzo |
| Book | Ken Davenport |
| Basis | Inventing Joy |
| Premiere | December 16, 2022: Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theatre |
| Productions | 2022 New Jersey |
Joy is a 2022 stage musical with music and lyrics by AnnMarie Milazzo, and a book by Ken Davenport. It is based on the life story of entrepreneur and inventor Joy Mangano, using her autobiography Inventing Joy and the 2015 film Joy as a basis for the story. [1] [2]
The show debuted in New Jersey at the George Street Playhouse in 2022, with previews beginning on December 9 and a premiere date on December 16. [3] [4]
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. [5]
The world premiere production was directed by Casey Hushion, with choreography by Joshua Bergasse, music direction by Rick Edinger, scene design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Tina McCartney, light design by Jen Schriever, and sound design by Dan Moses Schreier. [6] Mangano attended the opening night performance with her family. In an interview with the Delaware County Daily Times, she stated "In the musical, Ken Davenport and AnnMarie Milazzo show how much family dynamics drove me to conquer obstacles, fight to get my product seen, and work hard to get it into people’s homes." [7]
The musical premiered Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre, with previews beginning June 21, 2025 and an opening date of July 20. The show was directed by Lorin Latarro with choreography by Joshua Bergasse. Betsy Wolfe led the production as Joy Mangano. The musical closed on August 17, 2025. [8] [9]
| Character | George Street Playhouse (2022) | Off-Broadway (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Joy Mangano | Erika Henningsen | Betsy Wolfe |
| Rudy Mangano, Joy's father | Stephen DeRosa | Adam Grupper |
| Christie Miranne, Joy's daughter | Sami Bray | Honor Blue Savage |
| Toots Mangano, Joy's mother | Vicki Lewis | Jill Abramovitz |
| Tony Miranne, Joy's ex-husband | Trent Saunders | Brandon Espinoza |
| Dan | Pomme Koch | Charl Brown |
| Ronni, Joy's father's girlfriend | Badia Farha | Gabriela Carrillo |
| Cowboy Eddie | John Hickok | Paul Whitty |
| Lorraine | x | Jaygee Macapugay |