Featuring book by Neil Simon, "They're Playing Our Song" follows the on-again, off-again romance of one very despondent composer and one very ditzy lyricist, as they try to create their own unique love song. Based on the real-life love affair of the show's composer, Marvin Hamlisch, and the show's lyricist, Carole Bayer-Sager, "They're Playing Our Song," ran 1,082 performances on Broadway.
After Sager and Hamlisch scored an international hit with "Nobody Does It Better" (the theme song from "The Spy Who Loved Me"), they began to work on a new musical based on some surprising subject matter -- their own romantic life -- with the most successful and popular playwright of the era, Neil Simon. They came up with an unusual, new form for a Broadway musical: a chamber musical with two main characters supported by a three-person Greek Chorus.
"They're Playing Our Song" had its world premiere as part of the Center Theatre Group series at the Ahmanson Theatre of the Music Center. It starred comic Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz, who made her Broadway debut in the role and went on to star in Reprise's inaugural season's "Wonderful Town" in 1997.
Carole Bayer Sager has written the lyrics for "Don't Cry Out Loud," "Everything Old is New Again," "Come in From the Rain," "Heartbreaker," and "That's What Friends Are For," and has collaborated with Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Peter Allen, Michael McDonald, and Burt Bacharach. In 1977 she was romantically involved with Marvin Hamlisch. Hamlisch followed winning three Academy Awards in 1973 for "The Way We Were" and the score of "The Sting", with the score for "A Chorus Line" which won nine 1975 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score for Hamlisch and lyricist Edward Kleban.
Molly Smith directs her 30th production as Artistic Director of Arena Stage with a gritty and relevant take on the Tony Award-winning musical Oliver!, blending the chaotic worlds of 19th-century Victorian London with 2015 London. Smith's new in-the-round staging infuses a modern edge to the classic musical about an innocent orphan thrown into the dark world of double-dealing thieves and conmen, highlighting the disparity between classes and dangerous life on London's streets today. Featuring a remarkable score including 'You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two,' 'Consider Yourself,' 'Where is Love?' and 'Food, Glorious Food,' Oliver! runs October 30, 2015-January 3, 2016 in the Fichandler Stage at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.
Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, August 2, 2015 - Sunday, August 2, 2015.
On July 12-13 (9:30 & 7:30PM) Cristin Milioti will return to Joe's Pub after numerous sold out concerts, including the prestigious Lincoln Center's American Songbook. Cristin is known for her dramatic, comedic, and musical work on stage, television and in film, but best known for starring as 'Girl' in the Broadway smash hit musical ONCE, for which she won a Grammy Award and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
On film, Milioti was most recently seen in Martin Scorsese's THE WOLF OF WALL STREET playing Jordan Belfort's (Leonardo DiCaprio's) wife, Teresa Petrillo. Milioti also played Tracy McConnell aka 'The Mother' on CBS's hit comedy, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, and most recently joined the cast of season two on FX's Golden Globe-winning drama, FARGO. Last fall she starred in the NBC comedy, A TO Z.
She's busy preparing for her new concert, but she checked in with BroadwayWorld earlier this week to update us on her life on the big screen, her upcoming return to the stage, and so much more. Check out the full interview below!
Lincoln Center Out of Doors one of the country's longest-running, free, summer outdoor festivals opens its 45th season on July 22, 2015. A range of concerts, dance performances, family events, related film screenings, talks, and an exhibition will be presented across three weeks, from July 22 - August 9.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Andris Nelsons have entered into a new partnership to create Classical Live, a unique initiative that offers a new paradigm for the distribution of live recordings of classical music available only on Google Play Music. Classical Live will offer participating orchestras—the BSO, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra—an opportunity to release up to four live concert recordings each season for download exclusively on Google Play Music with the first recordings to be made available at music.google.com or classical-live.com beginning on June 15.
Gonzo Multimedia will be releasing an unreleased live DVD/CD by rock legends The Boomtown Rats featuring Bob Geldof titled “Live In Germany '78” today, June 8, 2015!
Today we are talking to a world renowned stage and screen star who has excelled in playing a dizzying array of recognizable characters onstage and onscreen over the course of his unique and diverse career - the affable Alfred Molina. Besides discussing his many upcoming endeavors, Molina points out the importance of The Actors Fund in Los Angeles and highlights his participation in the upcoming LA Actors Fund Tony Awards Viewing Party, which will be held on June 7, and reflects on some of his fellow honorees, as well. Offering news on many of his current and forthcoming projects, Additionally, Molina also looks back at some of his most memorable roles to date ranging from his work with Paul Thomas Anderson on both BOOGIE NIGHTS and MAGNOLIA to his recent rapturously reviewed indie hit LOVE IS STRANGE co-starring John Lithgow to the Joe Orton stage-to-screen adaptation PRICK UP YOUR EARS and much more. Besides of all of that, Molina also comments on his time spent on stages around the world, notably Broadway headlining the most recent revival of Golden Age classic FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, as well as outlines some future roles he would like to pursue onstage, as well. All of that and much, much more with one of Broadway and Hollywood's very best!
When an accomplished Broadway composer connects with a talented young lyricist, their professional success seems like a sure thing. But as the partnership gets personal, life gets complicated. Join Pierrot Productions for the Neil Simon classic 'They're Playing Our Song,' coming to Mercer County Community College's (MCCC's) Kelsey Theatre Fridays, tonight, May 29 and June 5, 2015.
Gonzo Multimedia will be releasing an unreleased live DVD/CD by rock legends The Boomtown Rats featuring Bob Geldof titled “Live In Germany '78” on June 8, 2015!
BNY Mellon Grand Classics: The Sound of a Modern Symphony highlights the power and range of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra this weekend, May 15-17 under the baton of British conductor Michael Francis.
When an accomplished Broadway composer connects with a talented young lyricist, their professional success seems like a sure thing. But as the partnership gets personal, life gets complicated. Join Pierrot Productions for the Neil Simon classic "They're Playing Our Song," coming to Mercer County Community College's (MCCC's) Kelsey Theatre Fridays, May 29 and June 5, 2015.
BNY Mellon Grand Classics: The Sound of a Modern Symphony highlights the power and range of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on May 15-17 under the baton of British conductor Michael Francis. This program features the Pittsburgh Symphony premiere of Mason Bates' Alternative Energy and the orchestral world premiere of Jake Heggie's The Work at Hand, a Pittsburgh Symphony co-commission for principal cellist Anne Martindale Williams.
Broadway and regional scene designer Douglas W. Schmidt will be in New York City tonight, April 30, to celebrate the release of a new book on his work, The Designs of Douglas W. Schmidt, at The Drama Book Shop, 250 W. 40th St.
Broadway and regional scene designer Douglas W. Schmidt will be in New York City on Thursday, April 30, to celebrate the release of a new book on his work, The Designs of Douglas W. Schmidt, at The Drama Book Shop, 250 W. 40th St.
ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY has just officially opened on Broadway and we're rounding up all the reviews as they come up! Check back for LIVE UPDATES!
Tony Award-winning costume designer, JESS GOLDSTEIN (currently represented on Broadway with Jersey Boys and On the Town), and scenic designer DOUGLAS W. SCHMIDT are among the 2015 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards recipients. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, May 1, at 6:30pm, at the Hudson Theatre (145 West 44th Street). Mr. Goldstein was selected to receive the 2015 TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for costume design and Mr. Schmidt will receive the Robert L.B. Tobin Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatrical Design.
The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre has announced that stage, screen, and television performers Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill will be the special guest artists at today's February 25th Luminary Luncheon at 12:00 noon.
The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre has announced that stage, screen, and television performers Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill will be the special guest artists at their February 25th Luminary Luncheon at 12:00 noon. In order to accommodate its growing patronage, this month's Luminary Luncheon will be held at the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower Medical Center.
Today in 1979, They're Plaing Our Song opened at the Imperial Theatre, where it ran for 1082 performances. With a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch, the musical is based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager- a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven. The two undergo a series of trials and overcome a number of hurdles before finding true love by the final curtain. They're Playing Our Song is essentially a two-character show. Vernon and Sonia are the sole characters on stage; each character has a three-person Greek chorus acting as their inner voices, and there are no big production numbers.
Set Designer Douglas W. Schmidt is USITT's 2015 Distinguished Achiever in Scene Design and the subject of its new book, The Designs of Douglas W. Schmidt, to be released at USITT 2015 in Cincinnati.
Today we are talking to an instantly recognizable stage stalwart who has lit up Broadway and beyond for more than three decades since her debut in William Finn's IN TROUSERS - the one and only Mary Testa. Discussing all aspects of her exemplary new album created in collaboration with acclaimed orchestrator Michael Starobin, HAVE FAITH, Testa imparts the impetus behind the concept album and outlines what motivated the wildly eclectic song choices included on the release - ranging from the Beach Boys, Prince and Aerosmith to Michael John LaChiusa, William Finn, Jill Sobule and many more. Furthermore, Testa eloquently describes the fascinating and compelling theme upon which the album is based - the journey of a soul through life; ostensibly a search for faith - and relates the sonic experience to her own spiritual pursuits. Additionally, Testa clues us in on what we can expect from her upcoming promotional concert appearances alongside Starobin in support of the album, as well, kicking off with a concert at Barnes & Noble next week along with a series of shows at the Laurie Beechman Theater. Reflecting on the various ways in which she has seen the theatre transform over the course of her career thus far, Testa also sheds some light on many of her most celebrated roles to date, including IN TROUSERS, THE RINK, XANADU, 42nd STREET, MARIE CHRISTINE, SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE, QUEEN OF THE MIST, GUYS & DOLLS, A NEW BRAIN, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, LUCKY STIFF, CHICAGO, WICKED and more. All of that, playing Barbara Bush in FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE and much, much more with one of Broadway's most reliably entertaining and endlessly inventive regulars.
Two famed Broadway designers who are also Yale School of Drama colleagues, Jane Greenwood and Wendall Harrington, will receive USITT Distinguished Achievement Awards in 2015.
Today we turn our attention to a Golden Age master who was celebrated earlier this week via PETER PAN LIVE! and rightly so given this is now his centennial year, Adolph Green.
Every year, despite a litany of warnings they come to the Big Apple with big dreams. Warnings like: “You have to pay your dues.” “It's a tough business, kid.” “How are you going to survive?” There's no such thing as an overnight success, yet still they come to be at “the top of the heap,” as Kander and Ebb so eloquently put it. The four young performers featured here haven't yet vaulted to the top of the cabaret heap, but they've certainly made their marks with excellent shows during 2014, while exhibiting the potential to get there. The spotlight is already shining on Chrysten Peddie, Angela Dirksen, Rembert Block, and Kristoffer Lowe.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents Country Rock Bands BlackHawk and the Outlaws at The Colonial Theatre on Thursday, December 4 at 8pm.
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