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Urban Cowboy (musical)
Encyclopedia
Urban Cowboy is a musical
with a book by Aaron Latham
and Phillip Oesterman and a score composed of numbers by Broadway
composer
-lyricist
s Jeff Blumenkrantz
and Jason Robert Brown
and a variety of country music
tunesmiths, including Clint Black
and Charles Daniels
.
Based on the 1980
screenplay
by Latham and James Bridges
, which had been adapted from a magazine article about Texas
nightlife written by Latham, the plot focuses on Bud Davis, a country boy who moves to the big city for an oil refinery
job and begins spending his nights at Gilley's
, the local honky tonk
, where he soon meets cowgirl
Sissy. The trials they face and hurdles they need to overcome throughout their courtship and marriage are played out against a background of country-western music.
Following a run at Miami's Coconut Grove Playhouse
, the show transferred to Broadway
. After 26 previews, it opened on March 27, 2003 at the Broadhurst Theatre
, where it ran for only 60 performances, the victim of reviews that described it as "vulgar and bland" and "assembled according to a low and specific assessment of audience expectations" http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9C06E3D71E30F93BA15750C0A9659C8B63 and "a musical whose creators weren't quite ready to get on the horse" filled with songs "used haphazardly and devoid of dramatic value" http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/UrbanCowboy.html.
Directed by Lonny Price
, the cast of mostly newcomers included Matt Cavenaugh
and Jenn Colella
, both making their Broadway debuts. Also in the cast was Broadway veteran Sally Mayes
who garnered a Drama Desk Award
nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Corene.
The show was Tony Award
-nominated for Best Choreography and Best Original Score, with an unprecedented total of thirty composers and lyricists cited in the latter category. An original cast album never was released.
Act II
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...
with a book by Aaron Latham
Aaron Latham
Aaron Latham is a journalist who wrote the article that inspired the movie Urban Cowboy and co-wrote its script with director James Bridges. He also co-wrote the book for the short-lived 2003 Broadway musical version....
and Phillip Oesterman and a score composed of numbers by Broadway
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...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
-lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
s Jeff Blumenkrantz
Jeff Blumenkrantz
Jeff Blumenkrantz is an American actor and musical theatre composer/lyricist.Born and raised in New Jersey, Blumenkrantz is a graduate of Northwestern University...
and Jason Robert Brown
Jason Robert Brown
Jason Robert Brown is an American musical theater composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics...
and a variety of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
tunesmiths, including Clint Black
Clint Black
Clint Patrick Black is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and occasional actor. Signed to RCA Records in 1989, Black made his debut with his Killin' Time album, which produced four straight Number One singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country...
and Charles Daniels
Charlie Daniels
Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
.
Based on the 1980
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
screenplay
Urban Cowboy
Released as a 2× vinyl record album, re-released on CD in 1995.Side A:#Hello Texas – Jimmy Buffett #All Night Long – Joe Walsh #Times Like These – Dan Fogelberg #Nine Tonight – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band...
by Latham and James Bridges
James Bridges
James Bridges was an American screenwriter and film director.Bridges was born in Paris, Arkansas. He got his start as a writer for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and one of his episodes, "An Unlocked Window", earned him a 1966 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Episode in a TV...
, which had been adapted from a magazine article about Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
nightlife written by Latham, the plot focuses on Bud Davis, a country boy who moves to the big city for an oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
job and begins spending his nights at Gilley's
Gilley's Club
Gilley's is a bar/honky tonk founded in 1971 by country singer Mickey Gilley in Pasadena, Texas. It was the central location in the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy.It was a huge building with a corrugated steel roof that housed multiple bars and mechanical bulls...
, the local honky tonk
Honky tonk
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
, where he soon meets cowgirl
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
Sissy. The trials they face and hurdles they need to overcome throughout their courtship and marriage are played out against a background of country-western music.
Following a run at Miami's Coconut Grove Playhouse
Coconut Grove Playhouse
The Coconut Grove Playhouse was a legitimate theater in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States.The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It first opened on January 3, 1927 as a part of the Paramount chain. The movie house...
, the show transferred to Broadway
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...
. After 26 previews, it opened on March 27, 2003 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...
, where it ran for only 60 performances, the victim of reviews that described it as "vulgar and bland" and "assembled according to a low and specific assessment of audience expectations" http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9C06E3D71E30F93BA15750C0A9659C8B63 and "a musical whose creators weren't quite ready to get on the horse" filled with songs "used haphazardly and devoid of dramatic value" http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/UrbanCowboy.html.
Directed by Lonny Price
Lonny Price
Lonny Price is an American actor, writer, and director, primarily in theatre. He is known for making statements on current events in versions of his musicals. His acclaimed May 2008 New York Philharmonic production of Camelot was making a statement about the current war including having different...
, the cast of mostly newcomers included Matt Cavenaugh
Matt Cavenaugh
Matt Cavenaugh is an American stage, film, and television actor. He graduated from Ithaca College with a BFA in 2001. Cavenaugh's film debut was in Little Monsters as a child actor, and has more recently played starring roles on Broadway and Off Broadway...
and Jenn Colella
Jenn Colella
Jennifer Lin Colella is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in Broadway musicals.Jenn Colella has been a familiar face in the New York theatre scene since starring as Sissy in Urban Cowboy on Broadway, for which she received an Outer Critic's Circle Award Nomination.Since then,...
, both making their Broadway debuts. Also in the cast was Broadway veteran Sally Mayes
Sally Mayes
-Biography:Born in Livingston, Texas, Mayes began her career as a rock and jazz singer in Houston. She made her Broadway debut in April 1989 as Winona Shook in Cy Coleman's Welcome to the Club. For her performance she won a Theatre World Award. This was followed by her appearance in the original...
who garnered a 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...
nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Corene.
The show was 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...
-nominated for Best Choreography and Best Original Score, with an unprecedented total of thirty composers and lyricists cited in the latter category. An original cast album never was released.
Songs
Act I- Leavin' Home (Music and lyrics by Jeff Blumenkrantz)
- Long Hard Day (Music and lyrics by Bob StillmanBob StillmanBob Stillman is an American actor, singer, and songwriter.He studied piano at Juilliard, and made his broadway debut in Grand Hotel as Erik; was a replacement cast member in Kiss of the Spider Woman; gave a Tony nominated performance as a pianist and actor in Broadway's Dirty Blonde, played a...
) - All Because of You (Music and lyrics by Jeff Blumenkrantz)
- Another Guy (Music and lyrics by Jeff Blumenkrantz)
- Boot Scootin' BoogieBoot Scootin' Boogie"Boot Scootin' Boogie" is the title of a song written and recorded by the American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. Before its release, the band Asleep at the Wheel recorded it on their 1990 album Keepin' Me Up Nights...
(Music and lyrics by Ronnie DunnRonnie DunnRonnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...
) - It Don't Get Better Than This (Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown)
- Dancin' the Slow Ones With You (Music and lyrics by Danny Arena and Sara Light)
- Cowboy Take Me AwayCowboy Take Me Away"Cowboy Take Me Away" is the title of a song recorded by American country group the Dixie Chicks. It was released in November 1999 as a single from their album, Fly. The song's title is derived from a famous slogan used in commercials for Calgon bath and beauty products. It reached Number One on...
(Music and lyrics by Marcus HummonMarcus HummonMarcus Spencer Hummon is an American country music artist. After several years of playing in various bands, he eventually found his way to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was signed to a songwriting contract, and subsequently a record deal with Columbia Records, which released his debut album All...
and Martie Maguire) - Could I Have This Dance? (Music and lyrics by Wayland D. HolyfieldWayland HolyfieldWayland D. Holyfield, , is a prominent American songwriter and leader in the songwriting community.-Early life:Wayland Holyfield was born in Mallettown, Arkansas. He was educated in Arkansas public schools and attended Hendrix College at Conway, Arkansas before graduating from the University of...
) - My Back's Up Against the Wall (Music and lyrics by James B. Cobb, Jr. and Buddy BuieBuddy BuieBuddy Buie is a songwriter, producer, and publisher. He is most commonly associated with Roy Orbison, The Classics IV and The Atlanta Rhythm Section.-Biography:...
) - If You Mess With the Bull (Music and lyrics by Luke Reed and Roger Brown)
- That's How She Rides (Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown)
- I Wish I Didn't Love You (Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown)
Act II
- That's How Texas Was Born (Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown)
- Take You for a Ride (Music and lyrics by Danny Arena, Sara Light and Lauren LucasLauren LucasLauren Lucas is an American country music artist. In her career, she has been signed to a development deal at the age of sixteen by RCA Records and a recording contract in 2003 with Warner Bros. Records. A single was released in 2005, but no album...
) - Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak (Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown)
- T-R-O-U-B-L-ET-R-O-U-B-L-E (song)"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" is the title of a song written by Jerry Chesnut and Steve Tyrell, and recorded by Elvis Presley in 1975. It is a different song than "Trouble", a song Presley first recorded in 1958.-Background and writing:...
(Music and lyrics by Jerry ChesnutJerry ChesnutJerry Donald Chesnut is an American country music songwriter. His hits include "A Good Year for the Roses" and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" ....
) - Dances Turn Into Dreams (Music and lyrics by Jerry Silverstein)
- The Hard Way (Music and lyrics by Clint BlackClint BlackClint Patrick Black is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and occasional actor. Signed to RCA Records in 1989, Black made his debut with his Killin' Time album, which produced four straight Number One singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country...
and James Hayden NicholasHayden NicholasJames Hayden Nicholas is a country guitarist and songwriter.Nicholas grew up in the Houston, Texas area, where he taught himself to play guitar at age nine. In the early 1980s, he was briefly member of the band Revolver, headlined by Tim McCrary, which played extensively in Texas...
) - Git It (Music and lyrics by Tommy Conners and Roger Brown)
- Something That We DoSomething That We Do"Something That We Do" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Clint Black. It was released in August 1997 as the second single from his 1997 album Nothin' but the Taillights. It peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and...
(Music and lyrics by Clint Black and Skip EwingSkip EwingDonald Ralph "Skip" Ewing is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1988, Ewing has recorded nine studio albums, and has charted fifteen singles on the Billboard country charts.-Career:...
) - The Devil Went Down to GeorgiaThe Devil Went Down to Georgia"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album Million Mile Reflections....
(Music and lyrics by Charles DanielsCharlie DanielsCharles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
, Tom Crain, Fred Edwards, Taz DiGregorio, Jim Marshall and Charlie HaywardCharlie HaywardCharles F. "Charlie" Hayward is a bass guitarist from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, now residing near Nashville, Tennessee. For over 30 years, Charlie has been a member of the Charlie Daniels Band....
) - Lookin' for LoveLookin' for Love"Lookin' for Love" is the title of a song written by Wanda Mallette, Bob Morrison, and Patti Ryan. It was recorded by American country music singer Johnny Lee...
(Music and lyrics by Wanda Mallette, Patti Ryan and Bob Morrison)