Baby It's You!
Encyclopedia
Baby It's You! is a jukebox musical
written by Floyd Mutrux
and Colin Escott, featuring the music of the 1960s pop group
The Shirelles
. The show "tells the story of Florence Greenberg
and Scepter Records
, the label Florence started when she signed The Shirelles." After several tryouts and premieres, the show debuted in a Broadway theatre
production in April 2011, directed by Sheldon Epps
.
were an American
girl group
in the early 1960s, and the first to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100
. The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens
(the main lead singer), Doris Coley
, Beverly Lee
, and Addie "Micki" Harris.
Florence Greenberg
(September 16, 1913 - November 2, 1995) originally created Tiara Records
. The first song recorded and released on the label was "I Met Him On a Sunday", by The Shirelles. Just as the record started to break locally, Greenberg sold the company with The Shirelles' conract to Decca Records
for US$4000. With that money, she started a new label in 1959, called Scepter Records
, which became one of the leading record labels in the 60's.
, which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical
and Best Book of a Musical. Mutrux, who knew about Florence Greenberg, conceived Baby It's You!. Baby It's You! The Musical is part of Mutrux's planned "American Pop Anthology" series, which focuses on American
music
from the 1950s to the 1980s
. Million Dollar Quartet was also part of this series.
. In late 2009, one of the shows scheduled to play there suddenly closed:
This is not the first jukebox musical Epps had worked on: he directed Play On!, with Duke Ellington
songs, and Blues in the Night
.
is an "average New Jersey
housewife
." A talent show is held at her daughter's school, and a group of African-American girls are preparing to perform. Florence's daughter is surprised at their talent, quickly notifying her mother, and Florence decides to make the group recording artists. To accommodate them, she founds Scepter Records
. After the success of The Shirelles
, the new name of the group, Florence and Scepter Records go on to "discover recording artists like The Kingsmen
, The Isley Brothers
and Dionne Warwick
."
Act II
±Denotes that character is a member of the Shirelles.
on July 18, 2009, playing until August 30, 2009, choreographed by Birgitte Mutrux, directed by Floyd Mutrux, and starring Meeghan Holaway. Other cast members included Erica Ash
and Barry Pearl
. Another production with the same cast played at the Pasadena Playhouse
from November 13, 2009, to December 13, 2009.
at the Broadhurst Theatre
, directed by Sheldon Epps
and starring Beth Leavel
as Florence. Baby It's You! began previews on March 26, 2011, and officially opened on April 27, with choreography by Brigitte Mutrux, orchestrations by Don Sebesky
, scenic design by Anna Louizos
, costume design by Lizz Wolf, lighting design by Howell Binkley
, and projection design by Jason H. Thompson. Joining Leavel as the Shirelles are Christina Sajous, Erica Ash
, Kyra DaCosta, and Crystal Starr Knighton. The production closed on September 4, 2011.
s Clark Collis gave the musical a "B-" rating, calling it "a night out that is easy on the ear ... 'Baby It's You' gives Leavel, [a Tony Award
]-winner for The Drowsy Chaperone
, a platform for both her vocal and her dramatic talents ... [T]he quartet playing the Shirelles are given little to do but capably sing and dance their way through the group's repertoire while breaking a succession of costume change land speed records. But there is never any doubt that the main attractions here ARE the hits — this is a jukebox musical so unashamed about its nature that it starts with the projected image of an actual jukebox."
"Mama said there'll be shows like this," said Charles Isherwood in The New York Times
. "But she didn't tell me there would be quite so many, or that any one of them could be this dismal. Invitations to sing along are flung at the audience regularly, as if they were life preservers. Further inducements to wallow in visions of happy yesterdays are provided by the slide shows of drive-ins and diners and other cultural markers of the period, accompanied by the silky narration of Geno Henderson, playing a sort of cosmic D.J. who registers the passing years with material cut and pasted from Wikipedia
."
Steven Suskin in Variety
unfavorably compared the show to Jersey Boys
: "Imagine [the latter] without the carefully integrated character development of Frankie Valli
and Bob Gaudio
, and with a tunestack only one quarter as imperishable. You needn't imagine it; just wander to the Broadhurst for "Baby It's You!," the new jukeboxer outlining the rise and demise of the Shirelles ... Leavel does all she can [in] the leading role, but the authors make impossible demands."
In The Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones wrote, "The Shirelles, one of the greatest girl groups of all time, get a show of such total ineptitude and cynical profiteering that your mouth pretty much dangles open in disbelief for the duration of the entire tawdry proceedings." Linda Winer (Newsday
) said of the show: "[I]t's just another jukebox musical."
was released by Universal Music Group
on June 14, 2011. The album, recorded from April 17 to 25, 2011, is produced by Richard Perry
and associate-produced by Rahn Coleman.
The living plaintiffs in the case are Beverly Lee, an original member of the Shirelles who owns the rights and trademarks to the group's name, and also Dionne Warwick
and Chuck Jackson
. The other surviving original member of the Shirelles: Shirley Alston Reeves
, has not been named as a plaintiff. The lawsuit became public on April 27, 2011, on Baby It's You!s official opening night on Broadway.
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...
written by Floyd Mutrux
Floyd Mutrux
Floyd Mutrux is an American stage and film director, writer, producer, and screenwriter.- Career :He began his work in Hollywood as an uncredited writer for Two-Lane Blacktop...
and Colin Escott, featuring the music of the 1960s pop group
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
. The show "tells the story of Florence Greenberg
Florence Greenberg
Florence Greenberg was an American record label owner, music executive and a record producer.- Life and career :...
and Scepter Records
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
, the label Florence started when she signed The Shirelles." After several tryouts and premieres, the show debuted in a Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production in April 2011, directed by Sheldon Epps
Sheldon Epps
Sheldon Epps is an American television and theatre director.-Career:Sheldon Epps was born in Los Angeles, California. He moved to Teaneck, New Jersey when he was 11 years old, where he attended the local public schools, and was first drawn to the stage while at Teaneck High School...
.
Greenberg and The Shirelles
The ShirellesThe Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
were an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
in the early 1960s, and the first to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens
Shirley Owens
Shirley Alston Reeves was the lead member of the hit singing group, The Shirelles. As well as Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from Passaic High School, New Jersey: Addie "Micki" Harris, Doris Kenner Jackson, and Beverly Lee. Through marriages, she became Shirley Alston and...
(the main lead singer), Doris Coley
Doris Coley
Doris Coley was a member of the Shirelles. She initially left the group in 1968, but returned in 1975....
, Beverly Lee
Beverly Lee
Beverly Lee was a member of the all girl vocal pop group, The Shirelles. She was born on August 3, 1941, in Passaic, New Jersey.Today, she holds the trademark for the Shirelles' name.-External links:*...
, and Addie "Micki" Harris.
Florence Greenberg
Florence Greenberg
Florence Greenberg was an American record label owner, music executive and a record producer.- Life and career :...
(September 16, 1913 - November 2, 1995) originally created Tiara Records
Tiara Records
Tiara Records was a record label, started in 1958 by Florence Greenberg. When she had a local hit with I Met Him on a Sunday by The Shirelles, she sold the group with the label to Decca Records for $4000. With that money she started Scepter Records in 1959....
. The first song recorded and released on the label was "I Met Him On a Sunday", by The Shirelles. Just as the record started to break locally, Greenberg sold the company with The Shirelles' conract to Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
for US$4000. With that money, she started a new label in 1959, called Scepter Records
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
, which became one of the leading record labels in the 60's.
Mutrux and Escott's collaborations
Mutrux and Escott had collaborated on the book for the Broadway musical Million Dollar QuartetMillion Dollar Quartet (musical)
Million Dollar Quartet is a jukebox musical written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott. It dramatizes the Million Dollar Quartet recording session of December 4, 1956, among early Rock and roll stars Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, and newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis...
, which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
and Best Book of a Musical. Mutrux, who knew about Florence Greenberg, conceived Baby It's You!. Baby It's You! The Musical is part of Mutrux's planned "American Pop Anthology" series, which focuses on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
from the 1950s to the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. Million Dollar Quartet was also part of this series.
Involvement of Epps
Epps is director of the Pasadena PlayhousePasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
. In late 2009, one of the shows scheduled to play there suddenly closed:
- ". . . I'd heard several good things about a smaller workshop production of this show that was at the Coast Playhouse in West Hollywood. I did a little reading about the subject matter — about The Shirelles and Florence Greenberg and all of that — and went over to see it. I was very taken with it and very taken with the idea of developing it for a larger venue, so we were able to make an arrangement to make it the last show of our season."
This is not the first jukebox musical Epps had worked on: he directed Play On!, with Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
songs, and Blues in the Night
Blues in the Night (musical)
Blues in the Night is a musical revue conceived by Sheldon Epps. It was produced by Mitchell Maxwell, Alan J. Schuster, Fred H. Krones and M Squared Entertainment, Inc., and Joshua Silver ....
.
Synopsis
Florence GreenbergFlorence Greenberg
Florence Greenberg was an American record label owner, music executive and a record producer.- Life and career :...
is an "average New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
housewife
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
." A talent show is held at her daughter's school, and a group of African-American girls are preparing to perform. Florence's daughter is surprised at their talent, quickly notifying her mother, and Florence decides to make the group recording artists. To accommodate them, she founds Scepter Records
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
. After the success of The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
, the new name of the group, Florence and Scepter Records go on to "discover recording artists like The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
, The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
and Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
."
Musical numbers
Act I- Mr. Lee - Company
- Book of LoveThe Book of Love (song)"The Book of Love" is a rock and roll song, originally by The Monotones. It was written by three members of the group, Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick, and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.Lead singer Charles Patrick heard a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial with the line...
- Company - Rockin' RobinRockin' Robin (song)This article is about the song. For the wrestler, see Rockin' Robin ."Rockin' Robin" is a song written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas and recorded by Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day's only hit single, becoming a number-two hit on the Billboard Hot 100...
- Company - Dance With Me - Company
- Mama SaidMama Said (The Shirelles song)"Mama Said" is a song performed by The Shirelles, written by Luther Dixon and Willie Denson. It became a top ten hit, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released as a single in 1961. It has been covered by American Spring, Dusty Springfield, and The Stereos as well as a...
- Florence - Yakety YakYakety Yak"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
- Bernie - Get a JobGet a Job (song)"Get a Job" is one of the best known doo-wop songs of the 1950s. Recorded by The Silhouettes in October 1957, the song reached the number one spot on the Billboard pop and R&B singles charts in February 1958....
- Stanley - The StrollThe StrollThe Stroll was both a slow Rock 'n' Roll dance and a song that was popular in late 1950s. The dance called the Stroll began in black communities to the song "C. C. Rider" by Chuck Willis prior to the song by the same name....
- Orchestra - I Met Him on a Sunday - Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki
- Dedicated to the One I LoveDedicated to the One I Love"Dedicated to the One I Love" is the name of a song written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass. Pauling was the guitarist of The "5" Royales, the group that recorded the original version of this song, Bass was the producer. A version by The Shirelles was a minor hit for them in 1959. The "5" Royales...
- Florence, Stan, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki - Sixteen CandlesSixteen CandlesSixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
- Florence - Tonight's the NightTonight's the Night (song)"Tonight's the Night" is the title and lead track from The Shirelles' 1961 album Tonight's the Night. Written by Luther Dixon and Shirley Owens, the song dealt with a woman's feelings before losing her virginity and was released as the pre-album's second single in 1960...
- Luther, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki - Dedicated to the One I Love (Reprise) - Florence and Stanley
- Since I Don't Have YouSince I Don't Have You"Since I Don't Have You" is a song by the doo-wop group The Skyliners. Released in 1958, the single reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also the top five of the R&B chart...
- Chuck JacksonChuck JacksonChuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961... - Big John - Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki
- He's So FineHe's So Fine"He's So Fine" is a recording by The Chiffons which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in the spring of 1963. One of the most instantly recognizable Golden Oldies with its doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang background vocal, "He's So Fine" is also renowned as the plaintiff song in the now-infamous...
- Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki - Soldier BoySoldier Boy (song)"Soldier Boy" is the name of a song written by Luther Dixon and Florence Green. The song was released as a single by The Shirelles in 1962 and met with great success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100...
- Florence, Luther, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki - Dedicated to the One I Love (Reprise) - Shirley, Beverly, Doris, Micki, and Company
Act II
- Shout - Ron Isley, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki
- Twist And ShoutTwist and Shout"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album...
- Ron Isley, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki - Mama Said (Reprise) - Shirley, Beverly, Doris, Micki, Luther and Florence
- Mr. Bassman - Johnny CymbalJohnny CymbalJohnny Cymbal was a Scottish born American songwriter, singer, and record producer who had numerous hit records, including his signature song, "Mr...
and Bass Men - Duke of EarlDuke of Earl"Duke of Earl" is a 1962 number-one song, originally by Gene Chandler. It is the best known of Chandler's songs, and he subsequently dubbed himself 'The Duke of Earl'. The song was penned by Bernice Williams, Eugene Dixon, and Earl Edwards....
- Gene ChandlerGene ChandlerGene Chandler also known as "The Duke of Earl" or simply "The Duke", is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, producer and record executive. He is one of the leading exponents of the 1960s Chicago soul scene...
, Shirley, Micki, Beverly and Doris - Foolish Little GirlFoolish Little GirlFoolish Little Girl is a 1963 album by The Shirelles. The title track turned out to be the last of the group's big hits, stopping at number four on the U.S. pop charts. The album's other single, "Don't Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye," was The Shirelles' last top forty US hit. Despite their...
- Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki - It's My PartyIt's My Party (song)"It's My Party" is a song most famously sung by American singer Lesley Gore in 1963. This song hit #1 on the pop and rhythm and blues charts in the United States. "It's My Party", peaked at #9 in the United Kingdom, becoming Gore's only major hit there...
- Lesley GoreLesley GoreLesley Gore is an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of the 1960s.- Biography :Gore was born in New York City, New York. She was raised in... - Our Day Will ComeOur Day Will Come"Our Day Will Come" is a popular song composed by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson which was a #1 hit in 1963 for Ruby & The Romantics.-Ruby & the Romantics:...
- Ruby and The RomanticsThe RomanticsThe Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S... - The Dark End of the StreetThe Dark End of the Street"The Dark End of the Street" is a 1967 soul song written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Dan Penn and Chips Moman and first performed by James Carr...
- Luther, Florence, Chuck Jackson and Shirley - Rhythm of the RainRhythm of the Rain"Rhythm of the Rain" is a song performed by The Cascades, released in November 1962. It was written by Cascades band member John Claude Gummoe. It rose to number three on the US pop chart on March 9, 1963, and spent two weeks at number one on the US Easy Listening chart. The song was also a top 5...
- Stanley, Mary Jane and Florence - You're So FineYou're So Fine"You're So Fine" is the title of a popular song performed by The Falcons. The song was released as a single in 1959 and reached number seventeen on the Pop Singles Chart....
- Chuck Jackson, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki - Hey Paula - Chuck Jackson, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki
- Louie, Louie - Kingsmen, Chuck Jackson, Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki
- You Really Got a Hold on Me - Chuck Jackson, Beverly, Shirley, Micki, Doris, Mary Jane and Florence
- Baby It's YouBaby It's You"Baby It's You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach , and Luther Dixon and Mack David . It was recorded by The Shirelles and The Beatles, and became hits for both...
- Shirley, Beverly, Doris, Micki, Florence and Luther - Any Day NowAny Day Now (1962 song)"Any Day Now" is the title of a popular song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard in 1962. The song has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including notable versions by Chuck Jackson in 1962, Alan Price in 1965, Elvis Presley in 1969, and Ronnie Milsap in...
- Chuck Jackson - A Thing of the Past - Beverly, Micki and Shirley
- Don't Make Me OverDon't Make Me Over (song)"Don't Make Me Over" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which marked the recording debut of Dionne Warwick in 1962.-Dionne Warwick version:...
- Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
and Florence - Walk on By - Dionne Warwick, Florence and Luther
- Baby It's You (Reprise) - Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki
- Tonight's the Night (Reprise) - Shirley, Beverly, Doris and Micki
- Dedicated to the One I Love (Reprise) - Shirley, Beverly, Doris, Micki and Florence
- I Say a Little PrayerI Say a Little Prayer"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967.-Background:...
- Company
Original Broadway cast
| Character | Original Cast |
|---|---|
| Florence Greenberg Florence Greenberg was an American record label owner, music executive and a record producer.- Life and career :... |
Beth Leavel -Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello,... |
| Luther Dixon Luther Dixon was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 60s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield, and others... |
|
| Shirley Owens Shirley Alston Reeves was the lead member of the hit singing group, The Shirelles. As well as Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from Passaic High School, New Jersey: Addie "Micki" Harris, Doris Kenner Jackson, and Beverly Lee. Through marriages, she became Shirley Alston and... ± |
|
| Doris Coley Doris Coley was a member of the Shirelles. She initially left the group in 1968, but returned in 1975.... ± |
|
| |
Erica Ash Erica Ash is an American actress, comedienne, singer and model. She was a cast member on the sketch comedy programs MadTV and The Big Gay Sketch Show.-Early years:... |
| Beverly Lee Beverly Lee was a member of the all girl vocal pop group, The Shirelles. She was born on August 3, 1941, in Passaic, New Jersey.Today, she holds the trademark for the Shirelles' name.-External links:*... ± |
|
| |
Barry Pearl Barry Pearl is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Doody, one of the three supporting T-Birds, in the 1978 film version of Grease. He never starred in movies again, but found some fame as a children's theatre/TV actor... |
| |
|
| |
|
| Chuck Jackson Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961... |
|
±Denotes that character is a member of the Shirelles.
California (2009)
The show premiered at the Coast Playhouse in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on July 18, 2009, playing until August 30, 2009, choreographed by Birgitte Mutrux, directed by Floyd Mutrux, and starring Meeghan Holaway. Other cast members included Erica Ash
Erica Ash
Erica Ash is an American actress, comedienne, singer and model. She was a cast member on the sketch comedy programs MadTV and The Big Gay Sketch Show.-Early years:...
and Barry Pearl
Barry Pearl
Barry Pearl is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Doody, one of the three supporting T-Birds, in the 1978 film version of Grease. He never starred in movies again, but found some fame as a children's theatre/TV actor...
. Another production with the same cast played at the Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
from November 13, 2009, to December 13, 2009.
Broadway (2011)
The show opened on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Broadhurst Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
, directed by Sheldon Epps
Sheldon Epps
Sheldon Epps is an American television and theatre director.-Career:Sheldon Epps was born in Los Angeles, California. He moved to Teaneck, New Jersey when he was 11 years old, where he attended the local public schools, and was first drawn to the stage while at Teaneck High School...
and starring Beth Leavel
Beth Leavel
-Biography:Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello,...
as Florence. Baby It's You! began previews on March 26, 2011, and officially opened on April 27, with choreography by Brigitte Mutrux, orchestrations by Don Sebesky
Don Sebesky
Don Sebesky is an American jazz trombonist and arranger.-Biography:Sebesky trained in trombone at the Manhattan School of Music; in his early career, he played with Kai Winding, Claude Thornhill, Tommy Dorsey, Warren Covington, Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton...
, scenic design by Anna Louizos
Anna Louizos
Anna Louizos is an American scenic designer and art director. She is best known for her Tony Award-nominated sets for the musicals In the Heights and High Fidelity, as well as the London, Broadway, Las Vegas, and touring productions of Avenue Q...
, costume design by Lizz Wolf, lighting design by Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley is a professional lighting designer in New York City. He received the 2006 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a musical for Jersey Boys....
, and projection design by Jason H. Thompson. Joining Leavel as the Shirelles are Christina Sajous, Erica Ash
Erica Ash
Erica Ash is an American actress, comedienne, singer and model. She was a cast member on the sketch comedy programs MadTV and The Big Gay Sketch Show.-Early years:...
, Kyra DaCosta, and Crystal Starr Knighton. The production closed on September 4, 2011.
Response
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Clark Collis gave the musical a "B-" rating, calling it "a night out that is easy on the ear ... 'Baby It's You' gives Leavel, [a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
]-winner for The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It debuted in 1998 at The Rivoli in Toronto and opened on Broadway on 1 May 2006. The show won the Tony Award for Best Book and Best Score. It started as a spoof of old...
, a platform for both her vocal and her dramatic talents ... [T]he quartet playing the Shirelles are given little to do but capably sing and dance their way through the group's repertoire while breaking a succession of costume change land speed records. But there is never any doubt that the main attractions here ARE the hits — this is a jukebox musical so unashamed about its nature that it starts with the projected image of an actual jukebox."
"Mama said there'll be shows like this," said Charles Isherwood in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. "But she didn't tell me there would be quite so many, or that any one of them could be this dismal. Invitations to sing along are flung at the audience regularly, as if they were life preservers. Further inducements to wallow in visions of happy yesterdays are provided by the slide shows of drive-ins and diners and other cultural markers of the period, accompanied by the silky narration of Geno Henderson, playing a sort of cosmic D.J. who registers the passing years with material cut and pasted from Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
."
Steven Suskin in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
unfavorably compared the show to Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
: "Imagine [the latter] without the carefully integrated character development of Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
and Bob Gaudio
Bob Gaudio
Robert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
, and with a tunestack only one quarter as imperishable. You needn't imagine it; just wander to the Broadhurst for "Baby It's You!," the new jukeboxer outlining the rise and demise of the Shirelles ... Leavel does all she can [in] the leading role, but the authors make impossible demands."
In The Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones wrote, "The Shirelles, one of the greatest girl groups of all time, get a show of such total ineptitude and cynical profiteering that your mouth pretty much dangles open in disbelief for the duration of the entire tawdry proceedings." Linda Winer (Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
) said of the show: "[I]t's just another jukebox musical."
Awards and nominations
| Award | Outcome | |
| 2009—2010 Stage Scene LA Awards | ||
| Projection Design of the Year: Jason H. Thompson | ||
| Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress (Musical): Meeghan Holoway | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design: Lizz Wolf | ||
| 2011 Outer Critics Circle Awards | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design: Lizz Wolf | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Beth Leavel | ||
| 2011 Drama Desk Awards | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Beth Leavel | ||
| 2011 Tony Awards | ||
| Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Beth Leavel | ||
Recordings
An original Broadway cast recordingCast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast...
was released by Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
on June 14, 2011. The album, recorded from April 17 to 25, 2011, is produced by Richard Perry
Richard Perry
Richard Perry is an American music producer. Perry began as a performer in his adolescence, but shifted gears after graduating college and rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a highly successful and popular record producer with over a dozen gold records to his credit by 1982...
and associate-produced by Rahn Coleman.
2011 lawsuit
A complaint filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York seeks "damages on behalf of world-famous performers [portrayed in the show] ... as well as the Estates of [original Shirelles] Doris Coley Jackson and Addie Harris Jackson." The complaint, filed by Oren Warshavsky, sued the producers of the show for "for the unauthorized use of [the latter's] names and likenesses in connection with the new Broadway show." Warshavsky said in a statement, "The Plaintiffs, having been cheated out of their royalties once already when they were young, are being victimized again, as they are forced to see their names, likenesses and biographical information being used without their consent." He continued:- "We believe that the producers of Baby It's You!, the Defendants, should not receive financial gain or other benefits from the use of these great artists' lives and success without having consent to do so. …It is disappointing that the producers of the play would simply piggy-back on the careers of these original artists without asking permission at all, let alone without sufficiently compensating the people without whom there would be no Broadway story, original music or iconic styling."
The living plaintiffs in the case are Beverly Lee, an original member of the Shirelles who owns the rights and trademarks to the group's name, and also Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
and Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
. The other surviving original member of the Shirelles: Shirley Alston Reeves
Shirley Owens
Shirley Alston Reeves was the lead member of the hit singing group, The Shirelles. As well as Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from Passaic High School, New Jersey: Addie "Micki" Harris, Doris Kenner Jackson, and Beverly Lee. Through marriages, she became Shirley Alston and...
, has not been named as a plaintiff. The lawsuit became public on April 27, 2011, on Baby It's You!s official opening night on Broadway.