Dear Edwina
Encyclopedia
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
, Andrea Burns
, Terrence Mann
and many other Broadway voices was released on November 11, 2008 by P.S. Classics.
SouthCoast Children's Theatre, Inc. presented a highly acclaimed run in May of 2010 starring Megan Sylvia as "Edwina" and Joshua Boucher as "Scott". Both as well as the production received rave reviews. The production was directed by Denis Lawrence, Jr.
Recently The Davis Academy in Atlanta, GA completed a two week run of sold out shows.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
by Zina Goldrich
Zina Goldrich
Zina Goldrich is a musical theater composer. She is most known for her work with lyricist Marcy Heisler.Goldrich and Heisler are currently working on the musical adaptation of Ever After, which was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco in November 2009, but...
(music) and Marcy Heisler
Marcy Heisler
Marcy Heisler is a musical theater writer and performer. As a performer, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, Birdland, and numerous other venues throughout the United States and Canada. Heisler was nominated for the 2009 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for Dear Edwina.-Biography: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
Paw Paw, Michigan
Paw Paw is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 3,363. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-Overview:...
, although the setting is more like Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and is located approximately 25 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the village is in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
, 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".
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.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.
Dear Edwina premiered Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
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.
This production received two 2009 Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
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.
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.
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, knives, 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 ButlerKerry Butler
Kerry Marie Butler is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre.-Early life and career:...
, Andrea Burns
Andrea Burns
Andréa Burns in Miami Beach, Florida, She is an American actress, singer and songwriter, primarily featured in theatre, recordings and television. She is married to Director Performer Peter Flynn, whom she met while touring in West Side Story...
, Terrence Mann
Terrence Mann
Terrence Vaughan Mann is an American actor, director, singer, songwriter and dancer who has been prominent on the Broadway stage for the past three decades...
and many other Broadway voices was released on November 11, 2008 by P.S. Classics.
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.SouthCoast Children's Theatre, Inc. presented a highly acclaimed run in May of 2010 starring Megan Sylvia as "Edwina" and Joshua Boucher as "Scott". Both as well as the production received rave reviews. The production was directed by Denis Lawrence, Jr.
Recently The Davis Academy in Atlanta, GA completed a two week run of sold out shows.