MEXICAN HAYRIDE, SMILE, AMERICA'S SWEETHEART and More Set for 2013-14 Season at Musicals Tonight!
By: BWW News Desk Mar. 25, 2013
Musicals Tonight! announces its 2013-2014 season, featuring Cole Porter, Marvin Hamlisch, Will Holt, George & Ira Gershwin and Rodgers & Hart.
Cole Porter's Mexican Hayride October 8 - 20, 2013
Mexican Hayride has a book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The show opened on January 28, 1944 and ran for well over a year. Pro-duced by Michael Todd, with a cast of 99, has not been seen in New York in 70 years. Joe, a small-time American racketeer in Mexico on the run from the FBI, tries to elude the local authorities (and his wife) but runs afoul of a female bullfighter - Montana, her manager - Lombo, and Latin singer - Lolita. Songs: A Humble Hollywood Executive; He Certainly Kills the Women; There Must Be Someone for Me; Sing to Me Guitar.
Smile has music by Marvin Hamlisch (his penultimate Broadway show) and book and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The musical is based on the 1975 film of the same title, and chronicles the backstage dramas of the fictional California Young American Miss beauty pageant. It opened on Broadway on November 24, 1986 and received one Tony Award nomination and two Drama Desk Award nominations. Songs: Disneyland; Smile; In Our Hands; Very Best Week of Your Lives, Dear Mom.
Will Holt's Come Summer March 4 -16, 2014
Come Summer has a book and lyrics by Will Holt and music by David Baker, and opened on March 18, 1969 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre starring, Ray Bolger (his final Broadway production) and Margaret Hamilton. It was directed by Agnes De Mille (her final Broadway production). It's New England in 1840 when towns were visited by itinerant peddlers, painters and the like - long on charm but short on responsibility to those women they practiced their charm on. Songs: Think Spring; Skin and Bones; Wild Birds Calling; Goodbye, My Bachelor; Good Time Charlie; Fine, Thank You, Fine.
George & Ira Gershwin's For Goodness Sake March 18 - 30, 2014
For Goodness Sake, starring Fred & Adele Astaire, opened on March 21, 1922 and transferred to London a year later (then called Stop Flirting). After the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII, came to see it, the Astaires were propelled into the European artistic and social limelight. This show has not been seen in New York in 92 years. The book was by Fred Jackson with lyrics by Arthur Jackson, music by William Daly and Paul Lannin and "additional music" by George Gershwin and "additional lyrics" by Arthur Francis (Ira Gershwin's early nom de plume). Songs: I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise; Oh, Gee, Oh, Gosh; The Whichness of Whatness.
Rodgers & Hart's America's Sweetheart April 1 - 13, 2014
America's Sweetheart has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Herbert Fields. It opened on February 10, 1931 and was directed by Monty Woolley. The cast of 95 starred Jack Whiting and Ann Sothern. After a run of 135 performances, the show vanished and has not been staged in New York in 83 years. It's about Hollywood when the silent movie era ended. Two young lovers hitchhike to Tinseltown where she hits it big and he doesn't - until talkies appear and the tables are reversed. It all ends happily, however. Songs: I've Got Five Dollars; A Lady Must Live; I Want a Man; Innocent Chorus Girls of Yesterday; You Ain't Got No Savoir Faire.
All performances play The Lion Theatre at Theatre Row Studios, 410 West 42nd Street.
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