I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road is an Off Broadway musical, with music by Nancy Ford and book and lyrics by Gretchen Cryer

Gretchen Cryer

Gretchen Cryer is an American playwright, lyricist and actress.-Early life:Cryer was born Gretchen Kiger in Dunreith, Indiana, the daughter of Louise and Earl William Kiger...

. It was produced by Joseph Papp

Joseph Papp

Joseph Papp was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in downtown New York . "The Public," as it is known, has many small theatres within it...

 and the New York Shakespeare Festival

New York Shakespeare Festival

New York Shakespeare Festival is the previous name of the New York City theatrical producing organization now known as the Public Theater. The Festival produced shows at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, as part of its free Shakespeare in the Park series, at the Public Theatre near Astor Place...

 at The Public Theater, opening on June 14, 1978 and running for 1165 performances. The lead, played by Cryer, is a 39-year-old divorceé attempting a comeback as a pop star. Generally considered a feminist vehicle, the plot centers around her displaying new material for her manager without relying on showbiz clichés. The show also enjoyed a 1981 West End

West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...

 production.

Synopsis

Manager Joe Epstein returns from a trip and finds his star Heather Jones on stage at a nightclub, singing her own songs about the emancipation of women, together with the two singers Alice and Cheryl and the band. She told Joe Epstein that this would be her new show. Joe, who had been Heather's friend for a long time, reacted angrily to Heather's change, but he was not able to persuade Heather to go back to her usual role. Almost 40 years old, she feels that the time has come for a change. The songs she is singing now are touching Joe in an unpleasant way, because they remind him of the way he treats his own wife. Heather is determined to support women's liberation; she splits up with her manager and goes on to perform her own show.

New York production

• Heather Jones - Gretchen Cryer
• Joe Epstein, Manager - Joel Fabiani
• Alice - Margot Rose
  Margot Rose
  Margot Rose is an American thespian, television and film actress, television director, composer, and lyricist.-Background:She attended Interlochen Arts Academy, the Yale School of Drama and the North Carolina School of the Arts...
  
  
• Cheryl - Betty Aberlin
• Jake - Don Scardino

• • The Band
• Piano - Scott Berry
• Guitar - Lee Grayson
• Drums - Bob George
• Bass/Flute - Dean Swenson

London production

• Heather Jones - Diane Langton
  Diane Langton
  Diane Langton is an English actress and singer.She has appeared in numerous TV shows like Only Fools and Horses, where she played Junie, an old girlfriend of Del Boy's, in the 1980s....
  
  
• Joe Epstein, Manager - Ben Cross
  Ben Cross
  Ben Cross is a British actor of the stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
  
  
• Alice - Megg Nicol
• Cheryl - Nicky Croydon
• Jake - Greg Martyn

• • The Band
• Musical Director - Stuart Pedlar
• Guitar - John Murphy
• Drums - Tony Layzell
• Bass - Bernard Shaw

Songs

• Natural High
• Smile
• Miss America
• Strong Woman Number
• Dear Tom
• Old Friend
• In a Simple Way I Love You
• Put in a Package and Sold
• Feel the Love
• Lonely Lady
• Happy Birthday