OFFICIAL PROGRAM FOR BROADWAY IN DETROIT AT THE FISHER THEATRE THE STORY OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella Publication: GLASS SLIPPERS Publication: Broadway in Detroit playbill program v 54, n 2 for Jersey Boys ARE SO BACK. Run dates: 11/7/15–12/6/15 Size: full-page with bleed trim size: 5-3/8 in. w. x 8-3/8 in. h. bleed: 1/8 in. inside margin: 1/4 in. Proof: 10/29/15; 3:17PM For: Nederlander Detroit (Fisher Theatre & others) Agency: SMZ advertising Design: Frank Bach, Bach & Associates; Phone 313-822-4303, [email protected] Artful RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S Sophistication Hagopian offers Michigan’s largest selection of rugs, carpet and quality flooring. Our expert sales consultants will work with you or your designer to find the perfect choice for your home. Shop today to discover the finest pieces THE TONY AWARD®-WINNING MUSICAL to create captivating, sophisticated spaces. FROM THE CREATORS OF SOUTH PACIFIC & THE SOUND OF MUSIC Detroit Opera House • February 16–28 Floor Fashions for Your Well-Dressed Home ticketmaster.com, 800-982-2787 and Fisher & Detroit Opera House box offices. 1-800-HAGOPIAN (424-6742) • www.originalhagopian.com Info: BroadwayInDetroit.com, 313-872-1000. Groups (12+): Groups@ BroadwayInDetroit.com or 313-871-1132. 3 A SQUARE DEAL & A FAIR SHAKE: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND NEWSIES OYSTER PERPETUAL GMT-MASTER II BY MICHAEL LASSELL Original company, North American tour of Newsies. ©Disney. Photo: Deen van Meer. n July of 1899, when Joseph Pulitzer Newsies, it turns out, has a massive fan and his cronies decided to up the price base among twenty- and thirty-somethings they charged the New York City paper- who know the movie and who grew up with “I boys called newsies for their ‘papes,’ Disney’s animated musicals. “We suddenly a boy named Kid Blink threw down his had a whole new generation who seemed stack of The World and called for a strike,” not to find it remotely unusual that someone recounts Thomas Schumacher, president of should just break into song,” Schumacher ex- Disney Theatrical Productions and the man plains. “So without really intending it, Dis- behind all of Disney’s Broadway hits. “This ney’s animated films were creating theatre- was a time of widespread child labor, and the goers of the future.” rights of those boys and girls were seriously But it wasn’t until larger-than-life Harvey abused. Kid Blink, who is the basis of News- Fierstein joined the Newsies creative team ies’ Jack Kelly, didn’t want much. He just that the story was ready for the stage. “He not wanted a square deal and a fair shake.” only came up with a new love story,” remem- And miraculously, after just two weeks, bers Schumacher, “he fixed a lot of problems the paperboys won. Pulitzer capitulated. A and structured it like a musical, which was compromise was reached, and a step was very important.” Disney coproduced a short taken on the road to protecting children in run at the venerated Paper Mill Playhouse in the workforce. Milburn, New Jersey which soon moved to Almost a hundred years later the husband Broadway for a limited run. “We were go- and wife duo of Bob Tzudiker and Noni ing to do it for 10 weeks,” Schumacher re- White concocted an original screenplay, in- members. “Then due to overwhelming fan spired by the real-life newsboys strike, as a support, we extended it through the summer, David and Goliath tale of plucky street kids and then just let it run open-ended.” taking on the giants of newsprint. “I think the success of Newsies is also the At the time Disney was reinventing anima- times we live in,” says Schumacher. “When tion under the leadership of Michael Eisner this show opened on Broadway, I realized and Jeffrey Katzenberg, fusing animation how much more appropriate it was for our with the showbiz pizzazz of Broadway musi- times than for 1992. These desperately poor cal. Thanks to the creative genius of Howard working kids were just asking for a square Ashman and Alan Menken, Katzenberg de- deal and a fair shake. And, today, people all cided to recast Tzudiker & White’s Newsies over the world are coming together in their script as a musical, much to the shock and towns and cities and demanding a fair shake. awe of its writers. It’s an interesting alchemy, the success of this The film, starring a teenaged Christian show, but I think it has a lot to do with basic Bale, was made at a cost of $15 million and American notions of fairness. That’s what earned less than $3 million in its initial re- makes people feel so good about Newsies.” lease which came at a low point of moviegoer interest in musicals. The all-singing, all- Newsies is at the Detroit Opera House Dec. 15–27. dancing story faded into history. Or did it? For tickets, please see our ad on PAGE 6. rolex oyster perpetual and gmt-master ii are ® trade- 4 marks. THEY DELIVERED THE PAPERS, Newsies Publication: Dodger Theatricals Joseph J. Grano Tamara and Kevin Kinsella Pelican Group with Latitude Link and Rick Steiner UNTIL THEY MADE THE HEADLINES... Broadway In Detroit playbill present program for Dirty Dancing, Fisher Theatre Run dates: Oct. 20–Nov. 1 Size: full page bleed The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons trim size: 5-3/8 in. w. x 8-3/8Book by in. h. Music by Lyrics by bleed:Marshall 1/8 in. Brickman & Rick Elice Bob Gaudio Bob Crewe inside margin: 1/4 in. with Proof: 9/30/15;Matthew 3:05PM Dailey Aaron De Jesus Keith Hines Drew Seeley For: Nederlander DetroitTommaso Antico Jaycie Dotin De’Lon Grant Wes Hart Bryan Hindle Miguel Jarquin-Moreland Austin Owen Leslie Rochette (FisherJenna Theatre Nicole & others) Schoen Dru Serkes Lauren Tartaglia Jonny Wexler Keith White Agency: SMZ advertising with Barry Anderson and Thomas Fiscella ® 2012 Design: FrankScenic Bach, Design Costume Design Lighting Design Sound Design Bach & Associates;Klara Zieglerova Phone 313-822-4303,Jess Goldstein Howell Binkley Steve Canyon Kennedy TONY AWARD [email protected] Projection Design Wig and Hair Design Fight Director Production Supervisor Michael Clark Charles LaPointe Steve Rankin Richard Hester WINNER! Orchestrations Music Coordinator Music Director BEST SCORE Steve Orich John Miller Jonathan Smith BEST CHOREOGRAPHY Technical Supervisor Casting Company Manager Production Stage Manager Peter Fulbright Tara Rubin Casting Michael Camp Lynda A. Lavin Merri Sugarman, CSA Associate Producer Executive Producer Tour Booking & Marketing Lauren Mitchell Sally Campbell Morse Broadway Booking Office NYC Music Supervision, Vocal/Dance Arrangements and Incidental Music by Ron Melrose Choreography Sergio Trujillo Directed by Des McAnuff © Disney World Premiere Produced by La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, CA Detroit Opera House Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director & Michael S. Rosenberg, Managing Director December 15–27 ticketmaster.com, 800-982-2787; Fisher Theatre & Opera House box offices. Info: BroadwayInDetroit.com, 313-872-1000. Groups (20+): [email protected] or 313-871-1132. Open-captioned performance 6:30PM Dec. 20. 7 CAST CAST (in alphabetical order) Bob Crewe..................................................................................................... BARRY ANDERSON Officer Petrillo, Hank Majewski, Crewe’s PA, Accountant, Joe Long (and others) ...........................................................TOMMASO ANTICO Tommy DeVito ...............................................................................................MATTHEW DAILEY Frankie Valli ..................................................................................................... AARON DE JESUS Frankie Valli (Thu Mat, Sat Mats, & Sun Mats 11/22, 11/29) ..................MIGUEL JARQUIN-MORELAND Church Lady, Angel, Lorraine, Miss Frankie Nolan, Bob’s Party Girl (and others) .............................................................................. JAYCIE DOTIN Gyp DeCarlo (and others) ............................................................................. THOMAS FISCELLA Matthew Dailey Aaron De Jesus Keith Hines Drew Seeley French Rap Star, Detective One, Hal Miller, Barry Belson, Police Officer, Davis (and others) ................................................................... DE’LON GRANT Nick Massi ................................................................................................................KEITH HINES Frankie’s Mother, Nick’s Date, Angel, Francine (and others) ...................... LESLIE ROCHETTE Bob Gaudio .............................................................................................................DREW SEELEY Nick DeVito, Stosh, Norman Waxman, Charlie Calello (and others) �����������������������DRU SERKES Mary Delgado, Angel (and others) .............................................................LAUREN TARTAGLIA Joey, Recording Studio Engineer (and others) ...................................................JONNY WEXLER Detective Two, Donnie, Billy Dixon (and others) .................................................. KEITH WHITE UNDERSTUDIES Barry Anderson Thomas Fiscella Tommaso Antico Jaycie Dotin Understudies never substitute for listed performers unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance. For Frankie Valli: BRYAN HINDLE, JONNY WEXLER; for Tommy DeVito: WES HART, DRU SERKES; for Bob Gaudio: TOMMASO ANTICO, AUSTIN OWEN; for Nick Massi: DRU SERKES, KEITH WHITE; for Gyp DeCarlo: WES HART, KEITH WHITE; for Bob Crewe: TOMMASO ANTICO, AUSTIN OWEN SWINGS WES HART, BRYAN HINDLE, AUSTIN OWEN, JENNA NICOLE SCHOEN Dance Captain: BRYAN HINDLE; Assistant Dance Captain: