Bullets Over Broadway (musical)
| Bullets Over Broadway the Musical | |
|---|---|
|
2014 Broadway Playbill | |
| Music | Various Artists |
| Lyrics | Various Artists |
| Book | Woody Allen |
| Basis |
1994 film Bullets Over Broadway written by Woody Allen Douglas McGrath |
| Productions |
2014 Broadway 2015 Playhouse Square |
Bullets Over Broadway the Musical is a musical written by Woody Allen, based on his and Douglas McGrath's film Bullets over Broadway about a young playwright whose first Broadway play is financed by a gangster. The score consists of jazz and popular standards of the years between World War I and about 1930 by various songwriters. It received its premiere on Broadway, in 2014, at the St. James Theatre, and closed on August 24, 2014 after over a hundred performances.[1]
Production
Bullets Over Broadway the Musical premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on March 11, 2014 in previews, officially opening on April 10, 2014. Directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, the cast features Marin Mazzie (as Helen Sinclair), Zach Braff (as David Shayne), Nick Cordero (as Cheech), Karen Ziemba (as Eden Brent), Vincent Pastore (as Nick Valenti), and Brooks Ashmanskas (as Warner Purcell). Scenic design is by Santo Loquasto, costumes by William Ivey Long, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Peter Hylenski, musical arrangements and supervision by Glen Kelly and orchestrations by Doug Besterman.[2]
The musical contains jazz and popular standards from the years between World War I and about 1930, with additional lyrics written by Glen Kelly.[3]
The musical closed on August 24, 2014, after 156 performances and 33 previews.[4]
A touring production will start in October 2015. It will begin with a two-week stop at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio from October 6–18.[5] This is a non-Equity tour, directed by Jeff Whiting.[6]
Background
The musical is based on the 1994 film Bullets over Broadway, which had a screenplay by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath.[7] Work on a musical version of Bullets started in 2000, with Marvin Hamlisch and Craig Carnelia writing the music and Allen writing the book. In 2003, Hamlisch confirmed that work on the musical was proceeding.[8]
In an interview on the opening night of the musical in April 2014, Allen said that he had resisted turning the film into a musical for years, having no interest in it as a musical. However, his sister Letty Aronson thought that it could be done as a period musical, and Allen then became interested. Marvin Hamlisch had played a few of the new songs for Allen, but Allen did not think they were right for the musical. His sister then proposed the idea of using songs of the 1920s, "and it suddenly came to life." Susan Stroman was brought into the creative team two years before the opening.[9]
Plot
In 1929, playwright David Shayne is finally getting his first play God of Our Fathers produced on Broadway. The producer, Julian Marx, has enlisted the wealthy gangster Nick Valenti to pay for the show. Valenti wants to have his dim-witted and untalented girlfriend, Olive Neal, star as one of the leads. Valenti has assigned his strong-armed gangster, Cheech, to watch over Olive. Surprisingly, Cheech comes up with great ideas for improving the play. However, aging diva Helen Sinclair, the real star of the show, romances the younger David, who already has a girlfriend, Ellen. Meanwhile, the leading man, Warner Purcell, has his eye on Olive.
Songs
|
|
Principal roles and original cast
| Character | Movie | Broadway | National Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Shayne | John Cusack | Zach Braff | Michael Williams |
| Helen Sinclair | Dianne Wiest | Marin Mazzie | Emma Stratton |
| Warner Purcell | Jim Broadbent | Brooks Ashmanskas | Bradley Allan Zarr |
| Nick Valenti | Joe Viterelli | Vincent Pastore | Michael Corvino |
| Julian Marx | Jack Warden | Lenny Wolpe | Rick Grossman |
| Cheech | Chazz Palminteri | Nick Cordero | Jeffrey Brooks |
| Ellen | Mary-Louise Parker | Betsy Wolfe | Hannah Rose Deflumeri |
| Olive Neal | Jennifer Tilly | Helene Yorke | Jemma Jane |
| Eden Brent | Tracey Ullman | Karen Ziemba | Rachel Bahler |
Critical reception
According to Stagegrade, the reviews were mixed, with some praising ("fun, beautiful musical") and some panning ("charm-free") the musical. The latter especially criticized the use of existing songs rather than having an original score. They conclude that this "may be among the most polarizing shows of the current season."[11]
Ben Brantley in his review for The New York Times, called the musical "occasionally funny but mostly just loud."[12] Elysa Gardner, in her review for USA Today, commented that the musical has "playful wit and exuberance" and wrote that "'Bullets' offers as much sheer, shameless fun as any show you'll see this season."[13]
Alexis Soloski, reviewing for The Guardian, praised the way Stroman tells the plot through her choreography and especially noted the staging for Ashmanskas ("lumbering jetés"), Yorke ("brassy thrusts') and the tap numbers for the male ensemble. However, she found that the songs were not well integrated into the story.[14]
Awards and nominations
Bullets Over Broadway received six 2014 Tony Award nominations[15] for Best Book of a Musical (Allen), Featured Actor in a Musical (Cordero), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Loquasto), Best Costume Design of a Musical (Long), Best Choreography (Stroman) and Best Orchestrations (Besterman).[16]
The musical received six 2014 Drama Desk Award nominations, for featured actor (Cordero), director and choreography (Stroman) and set (Loquasto), costume (Long) and sound (Hylenski) design.[17] It won the award for Outstanding Costume Design.[18]
The musical received four Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, and won three: Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Featured Actor In A Musical (Nick Cordero), and Outstanding Featured Actress In A Musical (Marin Mazzie).[19]
References
- ↑ Bullets Over Broadway website
- ↑ "Woody Allen Musical Bullets Over Broadway, With Zach Braff and Marin Mazzie, Begins March 11" Archived April 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, March 11, 2014
- ↑ Gordon, David. "Reviews. Bullets Over Broadway ", theatermania.com, April 10, 2014
- ↑ Gans, Andrew and Hetrick, Adam. "Curtain Comes Down on Woody Allen Musical Bullets Over Broadway " playbill.com, August 24, 2014
- ↑ Bullets Over Broadway Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. broadway.playhousesquare.org
- ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Stops Announced for 'Bullets Over Broadway' Tour" playbill.com, April 1, 2015
- ↑ "The backstage dramas behind Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway musical". theguardian.com. The Guardian. April 6, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
- ↑ Simonson, Robert. Work Continues of Musical Version of Bullets Over Broadway " Archived December 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine., playbill.com, July 17, 2003
- ↑ Haun, Harry. "Playbill On Opening Night: Bullets Over Broadway – Guys and Dorks" Archived May 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., playbill.com, April 11, 2014
- 1 2 "Bullets Over Broadway Playbill Opening Night at St. James Theatre". playbillvault.com. Playbill Vault. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
- ↑ Chaffa, M. "Critical Snapshot" Archived May 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., stagegrade.com, accessed May 2, 2014
- ↑ Brantley, Ben. "Woody Allen Transforms His 'Bullets Over Broadway'", The New York Times, April 10, 2014
- ↑ Gardner, Elysa. " 'Bullets Over Broadway' a sheer, shameless good time", USA Today, April 10, 2014
- ↑ "Woody Allen musical opens with a bang". theguardian.com. The Guardian. April 11, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Tony Awards 2014: 'Bullets over Broadway' has lackluster showing". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew. 68th Annual Tony Awards Nominations Announced; Gentleman's Guide Leads the Pack" Archived May 30, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., playbill.com, April 29, 2014
- ↑ Gans, Andrew. "2014 Annual Drama Desk Awards Nominations Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide' Earns 12 Nominations", playbill.com, April 25, 2014
- ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Winners of 59th Annual Drama Desk Awards Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide' and 'All the Way' Win Top Prizes" Archived June 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, June 1, 2014
- ↑ Gans, Andrew."64th Annual Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide' Wins Four Awards" Archived May 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, May 12, 2014