Broadway Watch - October 2005

One New Musical opened this month
In My Life
Music, Book & Lyrics by Joe Brooks
Original 2005 Broadway Production
Opened 20/10/2005
No Cast Recording

Eighteen other Musicals currently running:
Sweet Charity
Music by Cy Coleman; Lyrics by Dorothy Fields; Book by Neil Simon
2005 Broadway Revival (Original production ran 1966-67; previous revival 1986-87)
Featuring Christina Applegate and Wayne Knight
Cast Recording Available

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music & Lyrics by William Finn; Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Transferred from Off-Broadway in 2005
Featuring Dan Fogler
2005 Tony Awards – Book & Featured Actor (Dan Fogler)
Cast Recording Available

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Music & Lyrics by the Sherman Brothers, Book by Jeremy Sams
2005 Broadway Version of Original 2002 London Production, Based on 1968 Film Musical
No Cast Recording – Original London Cast Available

The Light in the Piazza
Music & Lyrics by Adam Guettel, Book by Craig Lucas
Original 2005 Broadway Production
Closes 26/03/2006 – Limited Run (extended – again!!)
Featuring Victoria Clark
2005 Tony Awards – Score, Lead Actress (Victoria Clark), Orchestrations, Lighting Design, Costume Design & Scenic Design
Cast Recording Available

Monty PythonÂ’s Spamalot
Music by Eric Idle and John Du Prez; Book & Lyrics by Eric Idle
Original 2005 Broadway Production
Featuring Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce & Sara Ramirez
2005 Tony Awards – Musical, Director & Featured Actress (Sara Ramirez)
Cast Recording Available

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek; Book by Jeffrey Lane
Original 2005 Broadway Production
Featuring John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz, Gregory Jbara, Joanna Gleason & Sherie Rene Scott
2005 Tony Award – Lead Actor (Norbert Leo Butz)
Cast Recording Available

Fiddler on the Roof
Music by Jerry Bock; Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick; Book by Joseph Stein
2004 Broadway Revival (Original production ran 1964-72; previous revivals 1976-77; 1981 & 1990-91)
Closes 08/01/2006
Featuring Harvey Fierstein, Rosie OÂ’Donnell and Nancy Opel
10th Most Performed Musical in Broadway History
Cast Recording available

Wicked
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Book by Winnie Holzmann
Original 2003 Broadway Production
Featuring Ben Vereen & Rue McClanahan
2004 Tony Awards – Actress (Idina Menzel); Scenic Design & Costume Design
Cast Recording available

Avenue Q
Music & Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; Book by Jeff Whitty
Transferred from Off-Broadway in 2003
2004 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score & Book of a Musical
Cast Recording Available

MovinÂ’ Out
Music & Lyrics by Billy Joel; Conceived & Choreographed by Twyla Tharp
Original 2002 Broadway Production
Closes 11/12/2005
2003 Tony Awards – Choreography & Orchestrations
Cast Recording available

Hairspray
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Scott Wittman; Book by Mark OÂ’Donnell and Thomas Meehan
Original 2002 Broadway Production
Featuring Darlene Love
2003 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score; Book of a Musical; Actor (Harvey Fierstein); Actress (Marissa Janet Winokur); Featured Actor (Dick Latessa); Direction & Costume Design
Cast Recording available

Mamma Mia!
Music and Lyrics by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson; Book by Catherine Johnson
2001 Broadway version of Original 1999 London Production
No Cast Recording – Original London Cast available

The Producers
Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks; Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Original 2001 Broadway Production
Featuring Hunter Foster & Gary Beach
2001 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score; Book of a Musical; Actor (Nathan Lane); Featured Actor (Gary Beach); Featured Actress (Cady Huffman); Direction; Orchestrations; Scenic Design; Costume Design; Lighting Design & Choreography
Cast Recording available

The Lion King
Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice; Book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi
Original 1997 Broadway Production, Based on 1994 Film Musical
1998 Tony Awards – Musical; Direction; Scenic Design; Costume Design; Lighting Design; Choreography
Cast Recording available

Chicago
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse
1996 Broadway Revival (Original production ran 1975-77)
Currently featuring Brooke Shields
1997 Tony Awards – Revival of a Musical; Actor (James Naughton); Actress (Bebe Neuwirth); Direction; Lighting Design & Choreography
9th Longest Run in Broadway History (9th Most Performed Musical)
Cast Recording available

Rent
Music Lyrics & Book by Jonathan Larson
Transferred from Off-Broadway in 1996
1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
1996 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score; Book of a Musical & Featured Actor (Wilson Jermaine Heredia)
8th Longest Run in Broadway History
Cast Recording available

Beauty and the Beast
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice; Book by Linda Woolverton
Original 1994 Broadway Production, Based on 1991 Film Musical
1994 Tony Award – Costume Design
6th Longest Run in Broadway History (8th Most Performed Musical)
Cast Recording available

The Phantom of the Opera
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe
1988 Broadway version of London Production
Currently featuring Howard McGillin
1988 Tony Awards – Musical; Actor (Michael Crawford); Featured Actress (Judy Kuhn); Direction; Scenic Design; Costume Design & Lighting Design
2nd Longest Run in Broadway History (2nd Most Performed Musical)
No Cast Recording – Original London Cast available


Attendance figures for last four weeks (to 23 Oct 05)

Top Three Shows by Attendance
Wicked – 57888
The Lion King – 55493
Mamma Mia! – 47871

Top Three Shows by Capacity
Spamalot – 100.2%
Mamma Mia – 100.1%
Wicked – 100%

Bottom Three Shows by Attendance
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – 18872
Avenue Q – 23138
Rent – 23624

Bottom Three Shows by Capacity
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – 68%
Fiddler on the Roof – 69.2%
Rent – 80%


Now In Previews
Sweeney Todd
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by Hugh Wheeler
Broadway Version of 2004 English Revival (Original Broadway Production ran 1979-1980; Revival 1989-1990)
Featuring Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris
Opens 03/11/2005
Cast Recording Announced

Jersey Boys
Music by Bob Gaudio; Lyrics by Bob Crewe; Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice
Original 2005 Broadway Production
Opens 06/11/2005
Cast Recording released 01/11/2005

The Woman in White
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by David Zippel; Book by Charlotte Jones
Broadway version of Original 2004 London Production
Featuring Michael Ball & Maria Friedman
Opens 17/11/2005
No Cast Recording – Original London Cast Recording Available

Coming Soon
The Color Purple – New Musical – Previews Begin 01/11/2005; Opens 01/12/2005
Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life – New Musical – Previews begin 23/11/2005; Opens 11/12/2005
The Pajama Game – New Revival – Previews Begin 19/01/2006; Opens 23/02/2006; Closes 11/06/2006 (Limited Run!)
Lestat – New Musical – Previews begin 11/03/2006; Opens 13/04/2006
Tarzan – New Musical, based on the 1999 Disney film – Previews begin 24/03/2005; Opens 10/05/2005

In the Pipeline
A Chorus Line – New Revival
Jerry Springer: The Opera – Broadway version of Original English Production
Princesses – New Musical
Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Musical Show – New Musical
A Tale of Two Cities – New Musical
The Threepenny Opera – New Revival
The Wedding Singer – New Musical
The Wiz – New Revival
Zanna – Broadway version of Original 2003 Off-Broadway Production


Longest Runs (as at 23 Oct 2005)
7485 Cats
7395 Phantom of the Opera (still running)
6680 Les Miserables
6137 A Chorus Line
5959 Oh! Calcutta
4724 Beauty and the Beast (still running)
4092 Miss Saigon
3945 Rent (still running)
3723 Chicago (still running)
3486 42nd Street

Most Performed (as at 23 Oct 2005)
7485 Cats
7395 Phantom of the Opera (still running)
7273 Oh! Calcutta (2 runs)
6680 Les Miserables
6137 A Chorus Line
5010 42nd Street (2 runs)
4893 Grease (2 runs)
4724 Beauty and the Beast (still running)
4659 Chicago (2nd run still running)
4396 Fiddler on the Roof (5th run still running)


Cast Recordings
Jersey Boys – to be released 01/11/2005
Sweeney Todd – announced