Julie Andrews Directed The Boy Friend Returns to Goodspeed and Then Tours

By: Mar. 29, 2005
JULIE ANDREWS
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Written by Maya Cantu

For those who missed the recent Julie Andrews-directed production of The Boy Friend at Long Island's Bay Street Theatre, all is not lost. After playing this summer at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT, the breezy musical will kick off a North American tour at the Du Pont Theatre in Wilmington, DE.

The Boy Friend will play at Goodspeed from July 8th to September 18th of 2005 and tour a dozen cities in January and February of 2006. The show will be produced by Goodspeed Musicals and be sponsored by none other than Target. Of course, the tuneful spoof of 20's musicals is probably more associated with Julie Andrews, who shot to stardom in 1954 as its ingenue lead, Polly.

The August 2003 Bay Street Theatre production marked Andrews' directorial debut. Meredith Patterson played the Andrews role with support from a cast that included Sean Palmer, Veanne Cox, Byron Jennings, Nancy Hess, Tony Roberts and Delphi Harrington. The Boy Friend also proved a bit of a family affair for Andrews; sets were designed by her ex-husband Tony Walton and their daughter Emma helps to run the theatre at which it played. Others on the creative team included musical director Larry Grossman, costumer Rachel Gruer (in collaboration with Walton), lighting designer Eric Schlobohm and choreographer John DeLuca. DeLuca will also choreograph the upcoming productions.

Casting for the Goodspeed and touring productions has yet to be announced.

The Boy Friend's book, music and lyrics are by Sandy Wilson (who followed up his West End and Broadway hit with a follow-up spoof of 30's musicals called Divorce Me, Darling). Goodspeed has described the plot of the show as "a jazzy, romantic spoof of 1920s musical comedy. Amidst happy flappers and perfect young ladies, romance blooms on the French Riviera as an English heiress suddenly falls for the delivery boy and professes her love at the Grand Ball. A family favorite, this joyful comedy sparkles and will leave you floating on air."

More info can be found at Goodspeed's website--http://www.goodspeed.org




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