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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Theater Composer Posts Two Scrapped Songs from Upcoming Betty Boop Musical

Posted by Benjamin Sutton on Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 9:38 AM

Big names in Broadway theater have been working on a stage musical version of the vintage 30s cartoon Betty Boop for at least seven years already, and the composer who was initially hired to write music and lyrics recently posted a couple of songs he wrote for the musical to his blog, revealing in the process that a whole different version of the production almost came into being back in 2003. On his blog, Jason Robert Brown (who wrote music and lyrics for Parade and Songs for a New World among others) discusses the original treatment for the musical by Pulitzer-winner David Lindsay-Abaire, how he came up with two songs based on that book that got him the job and how the whole thing fell apart overnight and the entire creative team was eventually replaced. For legal reasons he doesn't name the musical, but it's pretty hard to miss when you listen to his treatment for the main theme.

Now the Boop musical is slated for a late 2010-early 2011 Broadway opening, with Canadian pop composer David Foster writing the music and lyrics, and a book by Oscar Williams and Sally Robinson. Hopefully they're keeping the original scenario, which had Betty running for mayor of New York City (she's got my vote). (Playblog)

Tags: nyc theater, Broadway, Betty Boop, musicals, David Lindsay-Abaire, Jason Robert Brown, Audio

        
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The Original Broadway Cast of BETTY BOOP are Christina DeCicco as Betty Boop, Martin Vidnovic as Grampy, Ashley Parker Angel as Popeye, Brandi Burkhardt as Sally Swing, Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Mischa, Jason Danieley as Benny Boop, Max Von Essen as Wiffle Piffle, Tim Martin Gleason as Freddy, Megan Hilty as Lola Daville, Leah Hocking as Fritzi Ritz, Jacob Levine as Junior, Devynn Pedell as Buzzy Boop, Alexander Scheitinger as Little Jimmy, James Snyder as Henry & Aaron Tveit as Bimbo.

The ensemble comprises Gretchen Bieber, Felicity Claire, Lauren DeCierdo, Hillary Elk, Kelly Felthous, Robert Hager, Michelle Kittrell, Colby Q. Lindeman, Jason Luks, Kyle Dean Massey, Andrew Roubal, George Salazar, Matthew Simpkins, Erica Sweany, Billy Harrigan Tighe, Cortney Wolfson.

Swings: Casey Garvin, Jason Gotay, Kelly O'Sullivan, Diane Terrusa.