| The Act | |
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| 215px Original Cast Recording |
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| Music | John Kander |
| Lyrics | Fred Ebb |
| Book | George Furth |
| Productions | 1977 Broadway |
The Act is a musical with a book by George Furth, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander.
It was written to showcase the talents of Kander and Ebb favorite Liza Minnelli, who portrayed Michelle Craig, a fading film star attempting a comeback as a Las Vegas singer. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1977.
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Production [link]
The Act played out-of-town tryouts for fifteen weeks in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.[1] The musical opened on Broadway on October 29, 1977 at the Majestic Theatre, where it ran for 233 performances and six previews. Directed by Martin Scorsese, choreographed by Ron Lewis, with costumes by Halston, the cast included Barry Nelson and Wayne Cilento.[2] The New York Times reviewer wrote that "'The Act' is precisely what its name implies: It is an act, and a splendid one. On the other hand, it is a little less than its pretensions imply. Theatrical though it is as a performance, it is indifferent musical theater."[3] Another New York Times writer noted that "If there's a point 'The Act' underscores most, it's that Miss Minelli on Broadway has incomparable star power."[1]
With an all-time ticket-price high of $25 for Saturday night orchestra seats, The Act had $2 million in advance sales,[1]then the highest in Broadway history. But the production was doomed from the start, with its star in erratic behavior and frequently-missed performances, more than 10% of the entire run. During out-of-town tryouts, Gower Champion was called in to help with the staging (but took no directorial credit).[1] Additionally, the original costumes were replaced.[1] With the additional costs and with refund demands running high, it was impossible for the show to recoup its costs. [4]
Song list [link]
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Awards and nominations [link]
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Minnelli, winner)
- Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Nelson, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Original Score (Kander and Ebb, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design (Halston, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Lighting Design (Tharon Musser, nominee)
- Tony Award for Best Choreography (Lewis, nominee)
References [link]
- ^ a b c d e Jahr, Cliff. "In 'The Act,' The Drama Backstage Is Not An Act: Behind the Scenes Of 'The Act'", The New York Times, October 23, 1977, p.D1
- ^ Furth, George, Kander, John, and Ebb, Fred."Script, 'The Act'"The act: a musical play (1987), Samuel French, Inc., ISBN 0-573-68155-4, pp.3-4
- ^ Eder, Richard."Liza Minnelli's 'Act' Is Fine as Cabaret"The New York Times (abstract), October 31, 1977, p.39
- ^ Suskin, Steven. Second Act Trouble: Behind the Scenes at Broadway's Big Musical Bombs (2006), pp. 19-27, Hal Leonard Publishing, ISBN 1-55783-631-0
External links [link]
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https://wn.com/The_Act_(musical)
The Act
The Act may refer to:
See also
The Act (video game)
The Act is an interactive movie arcade video game originally produced by Cecropia in the United States in 2007. The game is a unique interactive cartoon featuring the hand-drawn art of a number of former Disney animators. It was test marketed in selected locations throughout North America in 2006, and it received generally favorable press coverage. The game was cancelled in late 2007, and Cecropia shut its doors in early 2008. The game was later ported to iOS and OSX by React Entertainment and published by Chillingo in June 2012.
Plot
The Act tells the story of Edgar, who works as a window washer at a large hospital. He sees Sylvia, a nurse, through a window and quickly falls in love, but is forced to get back to work when his boss comes out to check up on him. His lazy brother, Wally, climbs through a window into a patient's room and falls asleep in his bed, and is mistakenly taken to an operating room for a brain transplant. In an effort to save his brother, Edgar sneaks into the hospital disguised as a doctor, runs into Sylvia and tries to impress her while taking care of a number of patients.
The Act (band)
The Act was a popular and critically acclaimed Norwegian rock band in the mid-1980s. They toured extensively and released the album September Field.
Band members
Associated members
History
The Act formed under the name Wham Bam! in February 1983, after Bjørn Kulseth (b. 1962) had moved to the capital Oslo and advertised in the music paper Nye Takter for other players into late 1970s new wave and classic 1960s pop and rock.
Kulseth and Rune Krogseth (b. 1963) both sang lead and backing vocals, played guitars and wrote songs. Bass player Trond Ihlen (b. 1956) and drummer Dag Bøgeberg (b. 1957) had been kicking around the Oslo music scene since the mid-1970s. Both had been in the band Jydske Rev (one album; Nyt det in 1981) though not at the same time.
