"Josephine" by Steve Dorff

[David10086]

In songwriter Steve Dorff's  2017 memoir "I Wrote That One, Too ...: A Life in Songwriting from Willie to Whitney" he mentions at the end that he was in the process of  finishing a musical on Josephine Baker, creatively titled "Josephine" which he says will have it's B'way premiere in 2018. The book was released last September, so I'm guessing his info was accurate as of just about a year ago. Does anyone know anything about this? Is is really coming to B'way in the next half of 2018? Any updates?

He writes extensively in his book about his last musical "Lunch" which was a flop that never made it to B'way (yet!), but the music was well received. Does anyone have any info on this musical - I'm curious what theatergoers thought if they caught this on tour a few years ago.

 

Thanks!

[Jarethan]

I saw it at the Asolo theater in Sarasota last May...starred Deborah Cox.

It was atrociously bad!  You knew from the very first number that you were in trouble.  The first number was supposed to be a typical 60's musical opening number, except that neither my wife nor I ever discerned any melody.  There was not a single decent song in the first 3/4 of the show.  I say 3/4 because, by that time, we concluded that we just couldn't take any more, and left.  We debated at intermission, but decided to see if it got any better...it did not. 

It was clear that Deborah Cox has stage presence and a good voice, but the songs did not provide any opportunity to excel.  Basically, all I remember about her performance is that she looked beautiful on stage and that her costumes were glamorous. The production values were fine for a Florida 'semi-tryout' with limited capital...they would not have made it to Broadway without being redone.  The cast was small...would have needed to be bigger on Broadway, to convey the scope needed.  There was a stereotypical gay number -- I think it was her assistant and I don't remember the other person -- that was embarrassing in its badness and datedness.

Honestly, there was not a single good think that I could say about it.  If anyone decides to invest in another production, they are idiots.  In 50 plus years of theatergoing, I have only walked out of 'Jimmy' in the mid-70s; Dr. Jazz...some time after that; Ulysses in Nighttown (interestingly, all three productions were at the Winter Garden, arguably the site of my three favorite productions ever: Follies, Mame and Gypsy (because of Lansbury's performance...the production was pretty much like every other production of Gypsy I have ever seen); No Man's Land -- I know it is critically acclaimed, but I was bored out of my mind; and How to be a Jewish Mother in Boston,  Josephine joined that group.  One last point: there is definitely the material to be a great musical...this just wasn't it.