Little-Known Alan Menken Musical KICKS May Get a Second Life

According to The New York Post's Michael Riedel, a little known Broadway musical from Alan Menken called KICKS may be getting a new life. The prolific composer and ONCE producer John Hart are reportedly "revisiting the show" which had its first reading back in 1985. The musical was conceived by DREAM GIRLS book writer and lyricist Tom Eyen.

"I never let go of anything," Menken tells Riedel. "'Kicks' was quite an experience. It was so alive, so electric, so dynamic. Everyone looks at the past through rose-colored glasses, but there is something there, something very emotional. It's a brilliant sprawl."

The musical tells the story of a girl from Oklahoma who arrives in New York City in 1945 and joins a Rockette-like dance troop. The show goes on to follow her show biz career from the 1940's through the 1970's. Explains Menken, "It was an homage to the Golden Age of Broadway up until what was current then - 'A Chorus Line'. It had elements of 'A Chorus Line,' 'Dreamgirls' and '42nd Street.'"

According to Riedel, the show was beleaguered by creative differences and ever-increasing demands from unhappy producers. The musical all but disappeared until the night of the 2014 Tony Awards, where Hart happened to be seated directly behind Menken and his family. He explains, "Alan's daughter turned to me and said, 'When are you going to do 'Kicks?' It's my favorite show my father has written." Hart went on to finance a workshop of the show to work on Act 2 flaws, and is currently in negotiations with performance artist Salty Brine to rewrite the book.

"The trick is to honor what Tom did," says Hart. "He wrote so well for women, and 'Kicks' is a show about women - women in show business. Salty understands that world. He's going away in August to try and crack the story."

Says Menken, "It's the theatrical equivalent of a Robert Altman film It's got so much wonderful stuff in it - shifting rhythms, movement, backstage stories, the energy of New York and show business of a certain era, and some wonderful songs. It's so indicative of the '70s and '80s. The challenge will be to sew all those threads into something coherent."

Below, watch the number "I Wanna Be A Rockette" from KICKS, performed by Karen Ziemba and The Rockettes - recorded live in September 1998 at New York City's Carnegie Hall:

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter-Keddy

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