- Dear Edwina
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Dear Edwina Music Zina Goldrich Lyrics Marcy Heisler Book Marcy Heisler Productions 2008 Off-Broadway Dear Edwina is a musical by Zina Goldrich (music) and Marcy Heisler (book and lyrics). A children's one-hour musical, it concerns a young girl who gives her neighborhood friends and family advice through singing in a musical show. It is set in the town of Paw Paw, Michigan, although the setting is more like Deerfield, Illinois, where Marcy Heisler was born.
There is also a 'Dear Edwina Junior' which cuts the songs Seamus and RSVP, and adds the song "Paw Paw, Michigan".
Contents
Production history
The musical was written over a decade ago during a BMI Workshop. With no productions, it was finally licensed in 1998 to amateur groups, and has since been performed in schools.[1]
In July 2006, the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, New York City, produced Dear Edwina as a special benefit for three performances, directed by Jen Bender and featuring Kate Wetherhead as Edwina.[2]
Dear Edwina premiered Off-Broadway at the DR2 Theatre in New York City, opening November 14, 2008 through April 19, 2009. Directed by Timothy McDonald with choreography by Steven G. Kennedy, the cast features Janice Mays as Edwina.[3]
This production received two 2009 Drama Desk Award nominations, for Outstanding Music (Zina Goldrich) and Outstanding Lyrics (Marcy Heisler).
A return engagement ran at the DR2 Theatre from December 11, 2009 to February 15, 2010. Directed by Timothy McDonald with choreography by Steven Kennedy, the cast featured Ephie Aardema as Edwina.[4]
A third holiday season run is currently up at the DR2 Theatre. It opened December 17, 2010 and will run until February 25, 2011. Again directed by Timothy McDonald and with Steven G. Kennedy's choreography, this cast features Beth Cheryl Tarnow as Edwina.[5]
Synopsis
13-year old Edwina Spoonapple has very talented siblings. But because of this, she thinks that she isn't special or talented. Yet Edwina has many talents including leadership, singing and advising, and she combines all of them by directing musicals out of her garage. The topic of these musicals is letters written to her by neighborhood kids who need advice. She gives them advice through songs and dances that she orchestrates with her friends. One of the main themes of Dear Edwina is Edwina's desire to be in the "Advice-a-palooza" festival because she feels it will prove that she is as talented as her siblings. This is all going on while Edwina's love interest, Scott, is trying to win her over. But, since Edwina is so concerned about her show, she doesn't care about Scott. Scott wins her heart by singing her a song as an impromptu performance on the show. The talent scout calls, and asks for Scott to perform at the festival, not Edwina. She is heartbroken when she runs into Katie Spoonapple, who has just run away from the Summer Math Olympics because she was getting made fun of by the other girls. She tells Katie not to listen to those kids, and to do what you love to do. Katie hugs her, and Edwina realizes that love is far more important than getting a prize.
Characters
- Edwina Spoonapple - A 13-year-old girl who wants proof of her accomplishments, just like her siblings.
- Becky - An enthusiastic cheerleader and friend of Edwina's.
- Scott - A neighbor of Edwina, is in love with her.
- Kelli - A ballerina and Edwina's neighbor.
- Bobby - Edwina's friendly new next-door-neighbor.
- Lars, Billy, & Cordell - The Vanderplook triplets who live in Edwina's neighborhood.
- Annie - A Girl Scout & Edwina's friend.
- Vladimir - The scary, Dracula-like uncle of Edwina.
- Frank - A rude & sarcastic kid in Frankenguest.
- Lola - A shy immigrant from Peru, new to America.
- Harry - Lola's cousin & the reason she left Peru.
- Aphrodite - a young girl who writes to Edwina about her picky brother.
- Katie Spoonapple - Edwina's youngest sister, a math whiz.
- Myra - Edwina's older sister.
- Jo - Edwina's older brother.
- Forks, knifes, spoons, & plates - dancers.
- Fairy Forkmother- singer in "Fork, knife, spoon."
- Chef Ludmilla- singer in "Fork, knife, spoon."
- Susie and the Napkins-a singing group.
- Abigail - Letter writer with a pressing problem about her brother's etiquette.
- Ziggy- A lover of reggae music who writes to Edwina.
- Periwinkle- A young girl whose parents have bought a ski school in Sweden and doesn't know how to speak German.
Songs
- Paw Paw Michigan (Dear Edwina Jr. only)
- Up on the Fridge
- Dear Edwina
- Aphrodite
- Say No Thank You
- Abigail
- Frankenguest
- Carrie
- Fork Knife Spoon
- Periwinkle
- Hola, Lola
- Seamus (Dear Edwina only)
- R.S.V.P. (Dear Edwina only)
- Ziggy
- Put It in the Piggy
- Edwina
- Sing Your Own Song
- Up on the Fridge
Recording
A Dear Edwina recording, starring Kerry Butler, Andrea Burns, Terrence Mann and many other Broadway voices was released on November 11, 2008 by P.S. Classics.[6][7]
Junior Version
Music Theatre International's Broadway Junior Collection released a junior version of this show in 1998. Helen Hayes Youth Theatre in Nyack, NY premiered it.
The SouthCoast Children's Theatre in New Bedford, MA performed an acclaimed run in May 2010.
Recently The Davis Academy in Atlanta, GA completed a two week run of sold out shows.
References
- ^ Suskin, Steven.Variety review, variety.com, November 18, 2008
- ^ Dear Edwina www.rattlestick.org
- ^ Fuge, Tristan.Dear Edwina cast and production team theatermania.com, October 30, 2008
- ^ "Casting Complete for 'Dear Edwina' " Broadwayworld.com, November 4, 2009
- ^ "'Dear Edwina' Will Play Holiday Engagement at the DR2 Theatre; Casting Announced" playbill.com, November 15, 2010
- ^ Dear Edwina listing amazon.com, accessed February 22, 2009
- ^ Suskin, Steven."Goldrich & Heisler's Dear Edwina, and Douglas J. Cohen's The Gig", playbill.com, January 18, 2009
External links
Categories:- 2008 musicals
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