Shine!: The Horatio Alger Musical
- Full Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy, 19th Century, 18th Century
- 13M, 6F
- ISBN: 9780573629280
A charming, feel-good musical. The work's tremendous heart and unabashed celebration of Alger's popular stories are in ample evidence in this appealing musical about the rise from rags to riches.
Meredith Lee Theatermania
Description
- Full Length Musical
- Dramatic Comedy
- 120 minutes
- Time Period: 19th Century, 18th Century
- Target Audience: Appropriate for all audiences
- Set Requirements: Unit Set/Multiple Settings
- Cautions: No Special Cautions
- Performance Group:
- Large Stage, Dinner Theatre, Community Theatre, High School/Secondary, Professional Theatre, College Theatre / Student
- Accolades:
- Winner! 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival Award for Excellence
Winner! National Music Theatre Network Award!
REVIEWS:
A charming, feel-good musical. The work's tremendous heart and unabashed celebration of Alger's popular stories are in ample evidence in this appealing musical about the rise from rags to riches.
Meredith Lee Theatermania
Shine! is one of those wonderful musicals where an audience cares deeply for the hero. Richard Seff's book and Lee Goldsmith's lyrics perfectly capture the Horatio Alger spirit ...Composer Roger Anderson's ballads are strikingly beautiful. As for his up-tempo songs, to call each a toe-tapper would only be 10% accurate ...
Peter Filichia The Star-Ledger
Awfully close to the sort of musical that made the form nationally beloved in the Rodgers and Hammerstein era.
Marc Miller Backstage
Highly tuneful...A friendly show of considerable good humor.
Playbill
Characters
- Casting: 13M, 6F
- Casting Attributes: Local Celebrity Cameo, Ensemble cast, Minority casting, Room for Extras, Parts for Senior Actors, Features Teens, Features Children, Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle), Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle), Roles for Children
- Chorus Size: Medium
A STREET VENDOR - (ensemble role)
OFFICER FOY - a Policeman (ensemble role)
RICHARD HUNTER - "Ragged Dick," age 16-18. Brash and confident with much charm. Must be an exceptional singer-actor.
MICKEY McGUIRE - Age 15-19. A street kid, tough. Clever, selfish, a wise-guy.
HENRY FOSWELL - Age 15-17. Hunter's friend and opposite. Bookish and intelligent, but with no street smarts.
GIDEON CHAPIN - 40s. Uptight and mean-spirited clerk in charge at Snobden's store. Conniving and unpleasant. A comic villain.
ALLEN CARLISLE - Earl 40s. Handsome, likable. A diamond in the rough; very wealthy now, was once poor.
HERBERT HIGGINS - 20s-30s. Ambitious but weak underling to Chapin. Slightly hysterical at times. Actor should be up to low comedy.
SILAS SNOBDEN - 50s-60s. Proprietor of Snobden, Inc. a haberdashery. Precise and demanding, but fair and not unkind. Could be plump, bald or both. Needs goo character singing voice.
LUKE GERRISH - Late 30s, early 40s. Amoral, cynical, cunning and dangerous. Attractive to women and knows it. Baritone.
TWO CRONIES - Male acquaintances of Luke Gerrish, ensemble roles.
STACIA-JANE HAUSER - Late 20s-early 30s. Attractive, but not necessarily beautiful. Working class background. Intelligent though not well educated. Soprano or chest.
MARY McHUGH - 50s. Irish landlady. Addled, disheveled, ditzy. We like her. Sings in a beery way. Ensemble.
FINOLA MAY MOONEY - Late 40s or 50s. Hearty, good-natured, shrewd. And very Irish.
ROB CARLISLE - Age 8, Carlisle's son. Bright and self-confident, not a brat.
MRS. O'MALLEY, MRS. CASSIDY, MRS. O'LEARY - Neighbourhood women, friends of Mrs. Mooney. Ensemble roles.
MRS. HALLIWELL - Stylish woman of 40, oozes charm, is a bit of a snob. Ensemble role.
MALE ENSEMBLE - Man #1, Man #2, Man #3, Man #4
FEMALE ENSEMBLE - Woman #1, Woman #2, Woman #3, Woman #4
