Now on with the shows: If you find yourself in New York City this April - you can see both of these on stage with names like Sutton Foster, Donna Murphy, and Kristin Chenoweth. But if you don't have any plans to be in the Big Apple, then consider joining us to read PROMISES, PROMISES (April 26) and ANYONE CAN WHISTLE (June 21). (NOTE: our June date was originally announced as June 14, but a scheduling conflict at the venue required that we move to June 21.)
Based on Billy Wilder's film, "The Apartment," this 1968 musical was written by Neil Simon, Burt Bacharach, and Hal David. The story revolves around Chuck, a young, ambitious, likeable, charming bachelor, loans his apartment to his company's executives for their "extra curricular amatory pursuits" and Fran, a waitress in the company restaurant whom Chuck has admired from a distance (but who is involved with one of the company executives).
The show originally starred Jerry Orbach and Jill O'Hara (who was later replaced by her sister, Jenny). Two popular hits came from the show: "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "Promises, Promises." It was produced at New York City Center's Encores! featuring Martin Short and Christine Baranski, and is now being revived on Broadway with Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes (who did a workshop reading of the show with Anne Hathaway back in 2008).
This legendary 1964 musical is a wacky, intelligent, highly unconventional musical satire. An absurdist fantasy by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim (who had worked together on both WEST SIDE STORY and GYPSY), ANYONE CAN WHISTLE tells the story of a corrupt mayoress who fakes a miracle to revitalize her bankrupt town and the ill-fated romance between the rational nurse out to expose the fraud and the easy-going doctor determined to enjoy the chaos it brings.
The original production, which starred Angela Landsbury, Lee Remick, and Harry Guardino, struggled to overcome criticism about its structure and message, and closed shortly after opening on Broadway. Since then it has established a cult status and several concert revivals (and full productions) have been mounted around the country (Carnegie Hall w/ Madeline Kahn, Bernadette Peters, and Scott Bakula; Ravinia Festival w/ Audra McDonald, Michael Cerveris, and Patti LuPone) with various script revisions. The upcoming Encores! concert will feature Donna Murphy and Sutton Foster (no other casting has been announced yet).
The original production, which starred Angela Landsbury, Lee Remick, and Harry Guardino, struggled to overcome criticism about its structure and message, and closed shortly after opening on Broadway. Since then it has established a cult status and several concert revivals (and full productions) have been mounted around the country (Carnegie Hall w/ Madeline Kahn, Bernadette Peters, and Scott Bakula; Ravinia Festival w/ Audra McDonald, Michael Cerveris, and Patti LuPone) with various script revisions. The upcoming Encores! concert will feature Donna Murphy and Sutton Foster (no other casting has been announced yet).
Cast sign-ups for both shows will be posted soon.
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