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Show Boat (Hal Prince Version)

This epic musical spans 40 years in the lives of three generations of show folk, following theirs loves and heartbreaks, their ambitions and disappointments along the Mississippi River and in Chicago.

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Description

  • Full Length Musical
  • Drama, Comedy

  • Time Period: 1920s, 19th Century
  • Target Audience: Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18), Adult, Appropriate for all audiences
  • Set Requirements: Unit Set/Multiple Settings

  • Performance Group:
  • Community Theatre, High School/Secondary, Professional Theatre, College Theatre / Student, Church / Religious Groups

  • Accolades:
  • Winner! 5 Tony Awards including Best Direction and Best Revival of a Musical (1995)
    Winner! 4 Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Musical Revival (1995)
    Winner! 5 Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical Production (1995)
Since its premiere in 1927, SHOW BOAT has never stopped moving. For over seven decades this seminal musical has continued to evolve on a journey that has reflected the ongoing development of the lyric theater, confirming its status as the pivotal work bridging operetta and contemporary musical theater. 

After three film versions, numerous Broadway and London revivals, countless tours and recordings, legendary director Harold Prince took the helm for a new Broadway production in 1994 that instantly became the blockbuster hit of the season. 

With Oscar Hammerstein's eldest son William serving as advisor, Prince studied all previous versions of SHOW BOAT and, with the celebrated choreographer Susan Stroman, developed a version of the classic that was hailed as a triumph by critics and audiences alike. 

This epic musical spans 40 years in the lives of three generations of show folk, following theirs loves and heartbreaks, their ambitions and disappointments along the Mississippi River and in Chicago.
REVIEWS:

"A superb revision."

New Yorker Magazine

"Bliss . . .this SHOW BOAT is a dreamboat!"

New York Magazine

"Masterful storytelling . . .How often does anybody anywhere see anything done so right?"

USA Today
Premiere Production: In 1994, the Hal Prince-directed revival of Show Boat premiered at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway. The revival ran for 947 performances, making it the most successful production of the show to date.

Characters

  • Casting: 5M, 4F
  • Casting Attributes: Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle), Minority casting, Roles for Children
  • Casting Notes: The ensemble for Show Boat features a Black singing and dancing ensemble and a non-Black singing and dancing ensemble consisting of Stevedores (African American), their Gals (African American), Children, Townspeople along the Mississippi, and City Folk in Chicago
  • Chorus Size: Large

  • Based on the 1926 novel by Edna Ferber and spanning the years from 1880 to 1927, Show Boat chronicles the lives of three generations of performers on the Cotton Blossom. The roles and ensembles indicated as African American should be cast accordingly. One pivotal plot point involves the character of Julie, who is mixed race. This should always be taken into consideration when casting that particular role. The use of make-up or prosthetics to alter an actor's ethnicity is prohibited.

    STEVE BAKER - the leading man in the Show Boat Troupe
    QUEENIE - the African-American cook on the Show Boat
    PETE - the engineer on the Show Boat
    PARTHY ANN HAWKES - Cap'n Andy's wife
    WINDY - the pilot on the Show Boat
    CAP'N ANDY - the captain of the Show Boat
    ELLIE MAY CHIPLEY - the soubrette in the Show Boat Troupe
    FRANK SCHULTZ - Ellie's boyfriend, the villain in the Show Boat Troupe
    JULIE LaVERNE - Steve's mulatto wife, the leading lady in the Show Boat Troupe
    GAYLORD RAVENAL - a handsome gambler
    SHERIFF VALLON - of Natchez
    MAGNOLIA HAWKES - Parthy and Andy's daughter
    JOE - Queenie's husband, an African-American stevedore
    CARD DEALER
    JEB - a backwoodsman
    ANOTHER BACKWOODSMAN
    YOUNG KIM - Magnolia and Ravenal's 10 year old daughter
    ETHEL - a boardinghouse cleaning woman
    MRS. O'BRIEN - a boardinghouse landlady
    MOTHER SUPERIOR - at St. Agatha's Convent
    JIM GREENE - the director of the floor show at the Trocadero Nightclub
    JAKE - the pianist at the Trocadero
    CHARLIE - the doorman at the Trocadero
    LOTTIE - an elegant lady of the evening
    DOTTIE - her friend
    A DRUNK
    A RADIO ANNOUNCER
    KIM
    OLD LADY ON THE LEVEE
    STEVEDORES, THEIR GALS, CHILDREN, TOWSNPEOPLE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI, AND CITY FOLK IN CHICAGO

    • Available Material

    Name Price
    Perusal Material Shipped immediately. This is optional. Order Now

    1 x Libretto-Vocal Book
    1 x Piano Vocal Score

    		$24.00
    Pre-Production Pack Shipped upon receipt of a signed License Agreement and full payment of all invoices. This is optional. Order Now

    1 x Libretto-Vocal Book
    1 x Piano Vocal Score

    		$75.00
    Rehearsal Material Shipped a minimum of 3 months before the last performance. This must be hired as a condition of the License to produce this show.

    40 x Libretto-Vocal Books
    20 x Piano Vocal Scores

    		$550.00 +$135.00/pm
    Orchestral Material Shipped a minimum of 1 month before the last performance. This is optional.

    1 x Piano Vocal Score
    1 x Reed I (Flute, Piccolo)
    1 x Reed II (Flute, Clarinet)
    1 x Reed III (Oboe, English Horn)
    1 x Reed IV (Clarinet)
    1 x Reed V (Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)
    1 x Reed VI (Bassoon, Tenor Sax)
    2 x Horn I-II
    2 x Trumpet I-II
    1 x Trombone
    1 x Trombone/Tuba
    2 x Drums/Percussion (Trap Set, Suspended Cymbal, Crash Cymbal, Wood Blocks, Temple Blocks, 2 Timpani, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Chimes)
    1 x Piano/Synthesizer
    1 x Harp
    1 x Guitar/Banjo
    3 x Violin A-B-C
    2 x Viola A-B
    1 x Cello
    1 x Bass

    		$350.00 +$135.00/pm
    Partitur Shipped with (or after) Rehearsal Material. This is optional.

    1 x Full Score - Act I
    1 x Full Score - Act II

    		$120.00 +$120.00/pm
    Lib/Vocal Book 10 Pack Shipped with (or after) Rehearsal Material. This is optional.

    10 x Libretto-Vocal Books

    		$50.00 +$50.00/pm

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