Choreography by An announcement will be made prior to the performance, if any casting substitutions will occur. New York, NY 10003. Michael Korie That they don’t stay with you has to do with the lack of chemistry between them. Generous support was provided by The Laurents / Hatcher Foundation, the Stacey & Eric Mindich Fund for New Musicals at Playwrights Horizons, and Joanne & Daniel C. Smith. There hasn’t been a score like this since The Light in the Piazza. Since “Far From Heaven” stars Ms. O’Hara, whose radiant interpretations have rejuvenated the heroines of Broadway classics like “The Pajama Game“ and “South Pacific,” there will be other such moments in this production. This geometry is echoed in Allen Moyer’s skeletal modular set, which relies on Peter Nigrini’s projections of mid-20th-century Better Homes and Gardens-style imagery to create atmosphere. (In one scene, set at an art exhibition, he opens Cathy’s eyes to the wonders of Miró.) The sense of hope that pulses in her voice breaks your heart.”, “A smart, sophisticated, perfect vehicle for Kelli O'Hara's soaring voice and endearing stage presence, with an elegant diversity of music by Scott Frankel. Start planning your production with a cost estimate you can save and share with your team. It exposes the social injustices that lurk just beneath the surface of the American dream.”— Paul Babin, Cape Cod Times. Additional support provided by the National Fund for New Musicals, a program of National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Cathy & Stephen Weinroth and other generous contributors. Such a look may be appropriate to an analysis of lives ironed by rules and ritual into crisp uniformity. The cost and license availability quoted are estimates only and may differ when you apply for a license. The ravishingly beautifu score evokes Leonard Bernstein. As the gardener for whom Cathy feels a forbidden affinity, Mr. Johnson also registers as slighter than he needs to. Mary Stout, Alma Cuervo, J.B. Adams, Nancy Anderson, and James Moye. Justin Scott Brown, J.B. Adams, Kelli O'Hara, and Isaiah Johnson, Justin Scott Brown, Steven Pasquale, and Kelli O'Hara, Nancy Anderson, Kelli O'Hara, Tess Soltau, and Sarah Jane Shanks. 9f, 7m, 1girl(s), 1boy(s), Book by Richard Greenberg / Music by Scott Frankel / Lyrics by Michael Korie / Based on the Focus Features/Vulcan Productions motion picture written & directed by Todd Haynes, by An announcement will be made prior to the performance, if any casting substitutions will occur. Instead of finding the quiet center of a bizarre and exhibitionistic heroine, Little Edie (Ms. Ebersole, in the second act), “Far From Heaven” seeks to elucidate the big and disturbing emotions beneath Cathy’s shiny, conformist surface. Michael Greif's direction of the actors is faultless. This estimator is only for non-equity/amateur productions. “The most important part of any musical is the score. The actresses playing them, Mary Louise Wilson and Christine Ebersole, both walked off with Tonys that season. These were clichés when Mr. Haynes made his movie 10 years ago, but his skewed angle made us see them freshly. Mr. Frankel has scored Frank’s parallel life as a gay man with jazzy film-noir dissonance, and Mr. Pasquale hits the jagged notes of self-loathing required. A must-see for any musical theater buff. And all your senses come to attention, the way they do on one of those days when an early, full-blown spring seems to have broken through winter without warning. Cathy Whitaker seems to be the picture-perfect wife and mother in 1957 suburban Connecticut. Playing layers has never been Ms. O’Hara’s strength. In contrast, the musical “Far From Heaven” is at its least interesting as a picture of a society. Richard Greenberg's book accurately depicts the artificial tenor of the times. This is only an estimate. Todd Haynes, Full Length Musical, Drama Scott Frankel But roiling beneath the surface, secret longings and forbidden desires cause her world to unravel, with incendiary consequences. Important: So does the portrayal of gossiping stay-at-home wives and their hard-drinking executive husbands. A must-see for any musical … Michael Korie Concord Theatricals And on that one word, “garden,” her hitherto clipped soprano expands into a voice that stretches and shimmers. As conceived by Mr. Haynes, “Far From Heaven“ is … Scott Frankel and Michael Korie easily top their Tony-nominated work from Grey Gardens. But there’s the nagging sense throughout that Ms. O’Hara, like the character she plays, is not being allowed to express her vast potential. If the film gave the impression of swirling in enclosing circles, Mr. Greif’s production mostly follows a straight line. A gorgeously lush and evocative score. With a book by Richard Greenberg, lyrics by Michael Korie and a lush score by Scott Frankel that is both jazz-inflected and hauntingly lyrical. Based on the Focus Features/Vulcan Productions motion picture written & directed by "— Jennifer Farrar, AP, “The most important part of any musical is the score. Michael Korie, But as Raymond explains the care and feeding of plants in a song called “Sun and Shade,” Cathy joins in with a hesitant confession: “You see, one day, I too would like to garden.”. Scott Frankel, But as a visual concept, it comes across as too-obvious satire. But even in anger, he projects an attenuated, almost ghostly presence, and when he finally walks out on Cathy, it doesn’t leave much of a vacuum. Steven Pasquale, Kelli O'Hara, and company. Music Material Rental Packages With a lush score that is both jazz-inflected and hauntingly lyrical, Far From Heaven is a powerful story of romance, betrayal, and intolerance, as a woman grapples with her identity in a society on the verge of upheaval. It’s one of those lovely moments that happens only in musicals or operas, when a single note lets you peek into the heart of a previously concealed self. So, for that matter, does the show as a whole. Scott Frankel Lyrics by Please try again later. (I did like Nancy Anderson, as Cathy’s sly best friend, for whom Mr. Frankel has written songs that give gorgeously insinuating form to the rhythms of everyday hypocrisy.). Up to that point in this earnest musical adaptation of Todd Haynes’s 2002 film about Eisenhower-era repression, Ms. O’Hara has been giving a polished, efficient performance as Cathy Whitaker, a polished, efficient housewife in the Hartford of 1957. Equity/professional customers should contact the Licensing department directly at [email protected] to inquire about a title's availability. The superb film that inspired this musical accomplished this through principally cinematic means. Richard Greenberg What makes her one of the best performers in musicals today is her direct, unconditionally sincere way with a song. In more recent years, the television series “Mad Men“ could be said to have achieved the same thing, if by different means. Kelli O’Hara and Isaiah Johnson sing the number “Miro” from the new musical at Playwrights Horizons. Todd Haynes Other works include GREY GARDENS (Tony nomination), FAR FROM HEAVEN (Playwrights Hori ... Michael Korie is the lyricist of the Broadway musical War Paint, starring Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole, and is the recipient of this year's Marc Blitzstein Award, given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.Writing for musical theater, he created the lyrics to c ... You'll have to sign in before you share your experience. Kelli O’Hara’s character catches her husband, played by Steven Pasquale, embracing a man in “Far From Heaven.”.