Showtune (musical)

Showtune was originally titled Tune the Grand Up, and premiered May 1, 1985 at The 1177 Club in the Gramercy Towers on Nob Hill in San Francisco.[5] The cabaret-style show was directed by Paul Gilger and Barbara Valente, with choreography by Valente. The show ran for 2 years. The cast was:

• John Nockels (Man 1)
• Darlene Popovic (Woman 1)
• James Followell (Man 2 and the pianist)
• Alma Sayles (Woman 2)
• David Broussal (Man 3)
• Lise-Marie Thomas (Woman 3)

Cindy Herron joined the cast in the second year as Woman 3.

In March 1987, a production of Tune the Grand Up opened at the Lyceum Space Theatre in San Diego, California.[6] The show was directed and choreographed by Barbara Valente, with the cast that included Cindy Herron, John Nockels, Tim Connell, Mimi Unser, Darlene Popovic and James Followell.[6]

In September 1987, a third production of Tune the Grand Up was financed by actor Richard Smart at the 490 seat Kahilu Theatre in the town of Kamuela, Hawaii.[5] The production was directed and supervised by Gilger. The cast again starred Nockels and Herron, who were joined by A.J. Holmes.

In 1996, producer Jennifer Strome optioned the rights to Tune the Grand Up and produced the subsequent productions of the revue from the 1996 production in the Delta King Riverboat Theatre in Sacramento, California, until the 2003 Off-Broadway production.[5][7] The Sacramento cast included Nockels and Barry Lloyd.

In November 1996, Tune the Grand Up returned to San Francisco at the Alcazar Theatre. The production was supervised by Jerry Herman, directed by Jay Manley and choreographed by Barbara Valente, with musical direction by Barry Lloyd. The cast was Pierce Brandt, Dan Johnson, Michelle E. Jordan, Barry Lloyd, Marsha Mercant and Jan Wasser.[8] Every member of the cast won a Hollywood Drama-Logue Award.[5][3]

In 1998, the revue was produced twice in London, by Strome in association with Sharleen Cooper Cohen,[9] with a new title, The Best of Times.[5] It was directed and choreographed by Bill Starr. It was produced at the Bridewell Theatre, with the cast that featured Lindsay Hamilton, and Karen Evans.[10]

The Bridewell production transferred, in November 1998, to the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End.[11] The cast was Garth Bardsley, Kathryn Evans, James Followell (pianist), Sarah Payne, Jamie Golding and Lindsay Hamilton.[11]

In October 2002, the revue, now retitled Showtune, had an out-of-town tryout at the Helen Hayes Theatre in Nyack, New York. The production was directed and choreographed by Joey McKneely, with musical direction by James Followell. The cast was expanded from six to seven, with the addition of a fourth man.[12][13]

• Martin Vidnovic (Man 1)
• Donna McKechnie (Woman 1)
• Paul Harman (Man 2)
• Sandy Binion (Woman 2)
• Tom Korbee (Man 3)
• Russell Arden Koplin (Woman 3)
• Bobby Peaco (Man 4 and the Pianist)[12]

Showtune opened Off-Broadway at the York Theatre at St. Peter's, running from February 18, 2003 to April 13, 2003.[14][15] The revue was produced by Jenny Strome and David Brown.[3] The Off-Broadway production was also directed and choreographed by McKneely, with music direction by Followell and the same cast as the tryout, except that Karen Murphy replaced McKechnie.[1][16][2]

In June 2003, Showtune played at the Pasadena Playhouse in Los Angeles. The production was directed by Bill Starr and Sheldon Epps, with choreography by Starr. The cast included Vidnovic, Peaco and Merle Dandridge.[17][4]

In November 2003, the musical was presented at the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton, Florida. The production was directed by Michael Hall, with choreography by Barbara Flaten and musical direction by Bobby Peaco. The cast included Vidnovic and Peaco.[18]

Since 2003, Showtune has been licensed for hundreds of productions in the United States, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and Japan.

Showtune has been produced at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It has also been seen in 2008 at the Galaxy Theatre in Tokyo and at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Nishinomiya, Hyogo. The Japanese-language production was directed by Akio Miki with the all-female Takarazuka Revue Company.