Leader of the Pack (musical)

Last updated
Leader of the Pack
LeaderOfThePack.jpg
Original Cast Album
Music Ellie Greenwich
Lyrics Ellie Greenwich
Jeff Barry
Phil Spector
Shadow Morton
Jeff Kent
Ellen Foley
Book Anne Beatts
BasisThe life of Ellie Greenwich
Productions1984 Off-Broadway
1985 Broadway

Leader of the Pack is a 1984 American jukebox musical based on the life and music of singer/songwriter Ellie Greenwich. [1] The musical tells the story of Greenwich's career and personal life from the 1950s to the 1980s, using songs written or co-written by Greenwich, along with Jeff Barry, Phil Spector, George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Kent, and Ellen Foley. The musical was based on an original concept by Melanie Mintz, and the book (referred to as the "liner notes") was written by Anne Beatts, with additional material by Jack Heifner. [1]

Contents

The musical had a brief Off-Broadway run in 1984, followed by a 120-performance Broadway run in 1985. The Broadway production had a lengthy preview period, during which the musical was retooled and much of the spoken dialogue was cut, turning Leader of the Pack into more of a revue. [1] In both productions, the young Ellie was played by Dinah Manoff, while Greenwich herself appeared as the older Ellie. Annie Golden and Darlene Love, both of them Greenwich's real-life friends and collaborators, also appeared as themselves; Love was the original 1960s recording artist of some of the songs heard in the musical. [1]

Background

Leader of the Pack celebrates the life and times of the Brooklyn-born Greenwich, whose doo-wop sounds skyrocketed to the top of the pop charts in the early to mid-1960s. Beatts' "liner notes" serve as the book that link the songs and provide a look into the songwriter's professional triumphs and personal misfortunes.

Production history

The initial presentation of Leader of the Pack: The Songs of Ellie Greenwich (as it originally was titled), with a cast of six, had a brief run at Greenwich Village's The Bottom Line in the winter of 1984. After 53 previews, the much-expanded production, boasting a cast of nineteen directed and choreographed by Michael Peters, opened on April 8, 1985 at the Ambassador Theatre, where it ran for 120 performances. Frank Rich, reviewing the show in The New York Times, called it an "embarrassment" and later wrote that upon closing, the show's producers engaged each other in litigation that "entertained Broadway for far longer than their show had." The production was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical, but lost to Big River .

Leader of the Pack was unlike other shows on Broadway at the time. Though it ran in two acts, it was without an intermission and had a duration of 90 minutes.

Leader of the Pack is a popular choice for high school and amateur productions, which Ellie Greenwich frequently managed and oversaw until her death in August 2009.

2000 U.S. Tour

A major U.S. tour was produced in 2000–2001, with new arrangements, orchestrations and musical direction by Nathan Hurwitz, directed by Kurt Stamm, choreography by Scott Wise. The cast included: Shoshana Bean, Brenda Braxton, Dianna Bush, Todd DuBail, Duane Martin Foster, Angela Garrison, Amy Goldberger, David Josefsberg, Joe Machuta, Ric Ryder, Denise Summerford, Jewel Tompkins, Ashley Howard Wilkinson.

One reviewer wrote, "Brenda Braxton shows her stuff in "The Sunshine After the Rain," and Angela Garrison does well with her numbers, including, notably, "The First Time." When they finally throw a bone to the men, the guys make the most of it. Ric Ryder and Todd DuBail carry their songs effortlessly. They do have a fine orchestra to work with, and the band, led by Nathan Hurwitz, gets better as the songs get richer." [2]

Synopsis

Act 1

Darlene Love, serving as a narrator, welcomes us to the 1980s and the still-present popularity of songs from the 1960s (‘’Be My Baby’’). Darlene then takes us back to a simpler time, the 1960s, and the music of that period as well (‘’Wait ‘til My Bobby Gets Home’’). Enter Ellie Greenwich, a teenage girl living in Levittown, New York. She dreams of her own musical success, but is sidelined by her mother who wishes for her to pursue a degree in education. (‘’A…My Name Is Ellie’’). In Ellie’s spare time, she formed a trio with her two best friends, Shelley and Mickey, called the Jivettes. The Jivettes are given a chance to record a single at the Brill Building, which they believe could be their big break. (‘’Jivette Boogie Beat’’) Fast forward a few years later where Ellie, now finished with school, attempts to get job writing at the Brill Building. There she meets a fellow writer, Jeff Barry, and Gus Sharkey, a music producer (in the vein of Phil Spector). Despite skepticism from Gus, Ellie writes and records her first hit single. (‘’Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts?’’) At an office party celebrating her hit single, Ellie and Jeff meet again and begin flirting with each other. (‘’Today I Met The Boy I’m Gonna Marry’’) The office party culminates into a huge dance party, with each side singing about the opposite sex (‘’I Wanna Love Him So Bad/Do Wah Diddy’’). Ellie and her friends reflect on Ellie’s first date with Jeff and what their future holds. (‘’And Then He Kissed Me’’) On their second date, Ellie believes her and Jeff are going all the way, but Jeff’s intention was only to co-write music with her. (‘’Hanky Panky’’) Jeff and Ellie get engaged despite objections, (‘’Not Too Young To Get Married’’) and they elope a few months later. (‘’Chapel Of Love’’). Jeff and Ellie are now romantically involved as well as professionally, and they are an unstoppable team of songwriters. They continue to crank out hit songs for Darlene Love, The Crystals, The Shangri-Las, and Connie Francis, with much success. (‘’Songwriting Medley’’) and produce a new song for The Ronettes that nets the pair much acclaim. (‘’Baby, I Love You’’). Jeff and Ellie are enjoying their newfound fame and wealth, but things begin to take a rocky turn when Jeff begins to venture off and working solo and not with Ellie, and tensions rise between the two. (‘’Leader Of The Pack’’)

Act 2

Jeff and Ellie are in the midst of receiving numerous awards for their work, but it has become obvious their marriage is on the rocks. Jeff wishes to settle down while they are at the top and start a family, while Ellie wishes to continue working. This culminates into Jeff breaking off the marriage since he and Ellie want different things. (‘’Look Of Love’’) Ellie, still in love with Jeff and heartbroken over the separation, refuses to let anybody know that the marriage dissolved. (‘’Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)’’). A few years have passed and Ellie is still writing music. She happens upon Jeff in the Brill Building one day when he arrives from Los Angeles on business. Ellie candidly admits how she misses him and wants to reconcile. However, Jeff is already engaged and settled in Los Angeles, much to Ellie’s shock. (‘’I Can Hear Music’’) Not being able to cope with her personal tragedies, Ellie spirals into a nervous breakdown. (‘’Rock Of Rages’’) After a brief flash-forward into the 1980s, we see a renewed adult Ellie Greenwich who is in control of her life. (‘’Keep It Confidential’’) As she teaches a master class, she reflects back on some of her most famous work. (‘’Da Doo Ron Ron’’) However, she is also reminded of her former life and husband when telling about another one of her works. (‘’What A Guy’’) Ellie realizes that she and Jeff’s issues are a thing of the past and that her life is more successful than ever before. ("Maybe I Know") Ellie reunites with her equally successful friends, Darlene Love and Annie Golden, and gives Darlene a chance to sing a song that was originally hers, but reassigned to Tina Turner. (‘’River Deep, Mountain High’’). After reflecting on the life and times of their friendship, Ellie realizes that, through triumph and turmoil, she did make it in the end. (‘’We’re Gonna Make It After All’’)

Cast

Song List

+ - Song was specifically written for the show

"Keep It Confidential" was omitted from the show after 9 regular performances on April 15, 1985 since it "didn't fit in the show well". It was re-added to the show on June 13, 1985 in a different spot that the producers decided was fitting for it.

A 2-LP original cast recording was released by Elektra Records. This record not only contained the music from the show, but also the intermittent dialogue between songs (most of which were lead-ons to the next song).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ronettes</span> American girl group

The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett, her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. They had sung together since they were teenagers, then known as "The Darling Sisters". Signed first by Colpix Records in 1961, they moved to Phil Spector's Philles Records in March 1963 and changed their name to "The Ronettes".

<i>Annie Get Your Gun</i> (musical) 1946 musical by Irving Berlin

Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music by Irving Berlin and a book by Dorothy Fields and her brother Herbert Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860–1926), a sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West, and her romance with sharpshooter Frank E. Butler (1847–1926).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darlene Love</span> American singer and actress (born 1941)

Darlene Wright, better known by the stage name Darlene Love, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist.

Annie Golden is an American actress and singer. She first came to prominence as the lead singer of the punk band the Shirts from 1975 to 1981 with whom she recorded three albums. She began her acting career as Mother in the 1977 Broadway revival of Hair; later taking on the role of Jeannie Ryan in the 1979 film version of the musical. Other notable film credits include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Baby Boom (1987), Longtime Companion (1989), Strictly Business (1991), Prelude to a Kiss (1992), 12 Monkeys (1995), The American Astronaut (2001), It Runs in the Family (2003), Adventures of Power (2008), and I Love You Phillip Morris (2009).

<i>Brooklyn</i> (musical)

Brooklyn the Musical is a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson. It was acquired for licensing by Broadway Licensing

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Weiss</span> American pop music vocalist (1948–2024)

Mary Louise Weiss was an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Shangri-Las in the 1960s. Their single "Leader of the Pack" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1964. She had little involvement in the music scene for decades, returning in 2007 to record her first and only solo album with Norton Records.

Dinah Manoff is an American stage, film, and television actress and television director. She is best known for her roles as Carol Weston on Empty Nest, Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, and Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony Award.

Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Then He Kissed Me", "Be My Baby", "Chapel of Love", and "River Deep - Mountain High" ; "Leader of the Pack" ; "Sugar, Sugar" ; "Without Us".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Deep – Mountain High</span> 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner

"River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by Ike & Tina Turner released on Philles Records as the title track to their 1966 studio album. Produced by Phil Spector and written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Rolling Stone ranked "River Deep – Mountain High" No. 33 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. NME ranked it No. 37 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added it to the list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Beatts</span> American writer (1947–2021)

Anne Beatts was an American comedy writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Greenwich</span> American singer-songwriter (1940–2009)

Eleanor Louise Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Be My Baby", "Maybe I Know", "Then He Kissed Me", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Christmas ", "Hanky Panky", "Chapel of Love", "Leader of the Pack", and "River Deep – Mountain High", among others.

"Chapel of Love" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, and made famous by The Dixie Cups in 1964, spending three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song tells of the happiness and excitement the narrator feels on her wedding day, for she and her love are going to the "chapel of love", and "[they'll] never be lonely anymore." Many other artists have recorded the song.

<i>Divine Madness</i> (Bette Midler album) 1980 live album by Bette Midler

Divine Madness is an album by American singer Bette Midler and the Harlettes, released in 1980. It is a live recording taken from Midler's Divine Madness concert film, released the same year. The album, however, does not contain any of Midler's comedy routines and features only her musical performances from the show and it in fact only provides half of the songs that appear in the film. The original live recordings were also to a large extent edited and re-recorded in the studio for the soundtrack album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Darcy Jones</span> American actress

Patricia Darcy Jones was an American rock singer, vocalist and Broadway actress.

Sarah Grace Stiles is an American singer and actress known for her work in Off-Broadway and Broadway theatre.

<i>Beautiful: The Carole King Musical</i> 2014 jukebox musical

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a jukebox musical with a book by Douglas McGrath that tells the story of the early life and career of Carole King, using songs that she wrote, often together with Gerry Goffin, and other contemporary songs by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maybe I Know</span> 1964 single by Lesley Gore

"Maybe I Know" is an early 1960s pop song written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and performed by Lesley Gore. The song was produced by Quincy Jones and arranged by Claus Ogerman. It was featured on her 1964 album, Girl Talk.

"Not Too Young to Get Married" is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. It was recorded at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles in April 1963 by Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans with the lead vocals by Bobby Sheen and Darlene Love. The song was arranged by Jack Nitzsche, Larry Levine was the engineer and Spector's Wall of Sound was played by The Wrecking Crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wait 'til My Bobby Gets Home</span> 1963 single by Darlene Love

"Wait 'til My Bobby Gets Home" is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. It was recorded at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles in May 1963 by Darlene Love with the lead vocals shared by Love and her sister Edna Wright. The song was arranged by Jack Nitzsche, Larry Levine was the engineer and Spector's Wall of Sound was played by The Wrecking Crew.

<i>Tootsie</i> (musical) 2018 musical by David Yazbek and Robert Horn

Tootsie is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Robert Horn. The musical is based on the 1982 American comedy film of the same name written by Larry Gelbart, Barry Levinson (uncredited), Elaine May (uncredited) and Murray Schisgal from the story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. The musical made its world premiere try-out at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago in September 2018. Like the film, the musical tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to adopt a new identity as a woman in order to land a job. The original movie revolved around a daytime soap opera, while the show involves a Broadway musical.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dietz, Dan (2016). The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 236. ISBN   9781442260924.
  2. ↑ "'Leader of the Pack' rocks the Playhouse". www.dailylocal.com. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  3. ↑ Jennifer Dunning (January 11, 1995). "Keith McDaniel, 38, Principal Dancer With Ailey Troupe". The New York Times . p. B8.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.