Glory Days (musical)

Infobox Musical
name = Glory Days
subtitle =


image_size = 130x173
caption = Original poster
music = Nick Blaemire
lyrics = Nick Blaemire
book = James Gardiner
basis =
productions = 2008 Virginia
2008 Broadway
awards =

Glory Days is a musical with music and lyrics by Nick Blaemire and a book by James Gardiner about four high school friends reuniting a year after graduation.

The musical premiered at the Signature Theatre, a professional regional theatre in Arlington, Virginia, from January 15 through February 17, 2008, where it was directed by Eric Schaeffer, the Artistic Director of the theatre, with musical staging by assistant director Matthew Gardiner. Musical accompaniment consisted of a four-piece band. [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/114432.html playbill.com article, January 22, 2008] ] The show earned generally good notices at the Signature Theatre, including a rave review from "The Washington Post". [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116211.html playbill article, March 26, 2008, Broadway Will Welcome Glory Days Musical] ]

"Glory Days" began previews on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre on April 22, 2008, with an official opening on May 6, 2008. Schaeffer again directed, and the Broadway production featured the same actors who starred in the Signature Theatre production. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/theater/27arts-GLORYDAYSISB_BRF.html?scp=8&sq=%22Glory+Days%22&st=nyt "New York Times" article, March 27, 2008, "Glory Days" Is Bound for Broadway"] ] The Broadway engagement was produced by John O'Boyle, Ricky Stevens, Richard E. Leopold and Lizzie Leopold, and Max Productions in association with Signature Theatre. The production featured sets by James Kronzer, costumes by Sasha Ludwig-Siegel and lighting by Mark Lanks.

The musical closed on May 6, 2008, after only 17 previews and one official performance on Broadway. [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/117525.html playbill article, May 7, 2008, "New Broadway Musical Glory Days Has Closed After One Performance"] Retrieved 5-7-2008] The producers, cited "the overnight reviews and low advance sales" in announcing the show's closing. [ [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a.q0AIWLnWD0&refer=home Gerard, Jeremy. "Glory Days' Routed by Critics, Closes After One Performance" (Bloomberg.com)] ]

Background

The summer after their freshmen year of college, actor-songwriter Blaemire (who is recently appeared on Broadway in "Cry-Baby") approached his high school friend, Gardiner (both grew up near Washington, D.C.), also an actor, with an idea for an original new musical, who joined in the project after hearing Blaemire's song "Open Road". After working on the show for about two years, the two brought the show to Eric Schaeffer, the Artistic Director of the Signature Theatre, who agreed to produce the musical. [ [http://www.sig-online.org/glorydays.htm Signature Theatre notes] ] Like several recent Broadway musicals, the show is performed in one act of 90 minutes.

Peter Marks, in his "Washington Post" review of the Signature Theatre production, wrote that it is a "fresh and vivacious one-act musical... real and surprisingly moving.... The buoyant product of the talented young team..., "Glory Days" swiftly, tunefully and yes, authentically latches onto the rhythms of late adolescence and plays them back to us as the music of wrenching transitions." [Marks, Peter. "Signature's "Glory Days" Gives Voice to Bittersweet Youth", "Washington Post", January 25, 2008, p. C1] On the other hand, "Talkin Broadway" felt that the musical "is a noble effort with a lot of good qualities, but on the whole it's not quite ready for a full production." [ [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/dc/dc339.html Berlin, Susan. "Glory Days", "Talkin Broadway", Washington D.C., January 2008] ]

Synopsis

Four high school friends meet one night, a year after graduation, on the high school football field's bleachers. During that year, they have each pursued separate avenues as they move into a new generation. They try to catch up with each other's new lives at college and reminisce about the simpler, more optimistic times, during the "glory days" of high school. Led by Will, the friends plan to play a practical joke the next afternoon on their former jock classmates at a charity football game using the sprinkler system. One of the friends, Jack, reveals that he is gay, and Andy feels hurt that Jack never told him the truth about his sexuality. Other complications arise as Jack has feelings for Will, and Will breached a confidence of Andy's. Eventually, Will realizes that he must put his desire for revenge in the past and go forward with his life as the others have done.

Roles and original cast

*Will — Steven Booth
*Andy — Andrew C. Call
*Jack — Jesse JP Johnson
*Skip — Adam Halpin

Musical numbers

*My Three Best Friends – Will
*Are You Ready for Tonight? – All
*We've Got Girls – Will and Andy
*Right Here – All
*Open Road – Jack
*Thinks Are Different – Will and Andy
*Generation Apathy – Skip
*After All – Will
*The Good Old Glory Type Days – All
*The Thing About Andy - Will and Jack
*Forget About It - All
*Other Human Beings - Jack and Andy
*My Turn - Andy
*Boys - Will and Skip
*My Next Story - Will

References

External links

* [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/dc/dc339.html Review of regional production from Talkin' Broadway]
* [http://dctheatrescene.com/2008/01/17/glory-days-for-nick-and-james/ Interview with Gardiner and Blaemire]
* [http://www.curtainup.com/glorydaysdc.html "Curtain Up" review, regional production, Jan. 20, 2008]
* [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117935895.html?categoryid=33&cs=1 "Variety" review, Jan. 22, 2008]