Broadway is getting what can only be called a treat.
Tony Goldwyn will direct and Savion Glover will direct a newish version of “Pal Joey,” the famed musical from Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with a book by the also late, great John O’Hara.
They’ve gotten permission to change one of the characters to make her an aspiring singer, and they’re adding a bunch of famous R&H songs that weren’t in this show including “Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered” and “I Could Write a Book” include “Where or When”, “The Lady is a Tramp”, “It Never Entered My Mind”, “My Heart Stood Still”, “Falling in Love With Love” and “There’s A Small Hotel” among others.
Richard LaGravenese is adapting O’Hara’s book so that the primary setting of the plot is a South Side Chicago nightclub in the 1940’s. Newly minted Tony winner Derek McLane is doing the sets, so we know they’ll be terrific. Jeffrey Richards and his team is producing.
So who will play Joey? Linda? Gladys? Back in 2008, for the most recent revival, they were Christian Hoff, Stockard Channing, and Martha Plimpton. They all garnered rave reviews, with the ladies getting Tony nominations.
Welcome back, Joey! We always knew you’d come back, but we still don’t know “Where” or “when.” (More details to come.)
