Happy Days (musical)
| Happy Days | |
|---|---|
| A New Musical | |
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| Music | Paul Williams |
| Lyrics | Paul Williams |
| Book | Garry Marshall |
| Basis | Sitcom Happy Days |
| Productions | 2007, 2008 Goodspeed Opera House 2007 Paper Mill Playhouse 2009-2010 1st National US Tour |
Happy Days is a musical with a book by Garry Marshall and music and lyrics by Paul Williams, based on the ABC TV series of the same name. Given the show's 1959 setting, it would have taken place around Season 4 of the TV show. The story concerns the kids' plans to save Arnold’s from demolition by hosting a dance contest and a wrestling match.
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[edit] Productions
The musical debuted at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, California, directed by Marshall, and was produced by Marshall, his sister Ronny Hallin, and his daughter, Kathleen Marshall.[1]
Happy Days was produced at the Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut, where the musical ran from August 9, 2007 to September 2, 2007 at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut.[2] After being "expanded and refined" the musical then ran from April 11, 2008 to July 4, 2008 at the Goodspeed Opera House,[3] directed by Gordon Greenberg and choreographed by Michele Lynch.[2] It also played at the Papermill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey from September 26, 2007 to October 28, 2007, directed by Gordon Greenberg, and choreographed by Michele Lynch.[4][5]
The musical skipped Broadway and went directly into a First National Tour, starring Joey Sorge (Saturday Night) as The Fonz, Felicia Finley as Pinky Tuscadero (The Wedding Singer), Steven Booth as Richie Cunningham, and Cynthia Ferrer as Marion Cunningham.
[edit] Synopsis
- Act One
It is 1959 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Richie Cunningham, on the precipice of a new decade, is about to graduate high school and go off to college. His friends and family meet at Arnold's malt shop, and, together, bid the audience welcome (Welcome to Wisconsin) Arnold breaks the bad news that a construction company has plans to turn his eponymous restaurant into a parking lot and something called a "mall". Arthur Fonzerelli AKA "Fonzie" vows to save the day, and that it will be a "Snap" (Snap).
The next morning, Laurie Beth comes over to Richie's house and tells how all the other girls are getting engaged before going to college, and she wants to know why she isn't. Richie brushes it off as he has girl talk #213 with Fonzie. This is interrupted when Ralph, Potsie, and Chachi come over. Chachi then informs everyone about Pinky Tuscadero coming into town to host the dance contest proposed to save Arnold's. After Fonzie leaves, the boys start there "dial tones" rehearsal, but talk about how much they don't know about girls (The Thing About Girls) hut rehearse anyways (Romeo Midnight). Fonzie informs them that girls like "regular guys singing, not screaming like girls" (Ooh Bop)
Across town at the Leopard Lodge meeting (Leopards Are We), Howard suggests a wrestling match between the tough Malachi brothers, Fonzie's nemesis, and Fonzie. The Leopards promise Howard a plaque if he is able to talk Fonzie into the scheme, expecting it to bring a great deal of media coverage (The Plaque).
Back at Arnold's, the "dial tones" welcome Miss Tuscadero and she makes her grand entrance (The Pink is in Town). As Arnold takes Pinky and her Pinkettes into the kitchen to go over their schedule, the Malachi's make their entrance (Malachi's), only to Have their bike crashed into by Fonzie. Arnold closes up before the trouble ensues. At this moment, Fonzie and Pinky see each other for the first time in years, rekindling some old feelings. As Chachi and Fonzie talk about girls, we hear about Fonzie and Pinky's history, and Chachi asked Fonzie when to know when something is over and how to get to know a girl. Fonzie says "you've just gotta learn to listen with your heart" (heartbeat).
At the Cunningham home, Marion, after being rebuffed by Howard, ponders the plight of the 50s housewife, joined by Joanie who laments the curse of being a lovelorn 50s teen, for Joanie is in love with Chachi (What I Dreamed Last Night).
We then go back to Arnold's for the Dance contest. Fonzie enters and is greeted by Richie. Richie tries to talk Fonzie out of wrestling at the match, due to his "weak" knee, but he will have none of it, as he goes back in to Arnold's, where Pinky is giving Joanie boy advice and tells her that all she has to do to dance with Chachi is listen to the music (Message in the Music). Pinky then asks Fonzie to slow it down on the jukebox, when she asks him to compete in the wrestling match. Everyone rejoices when he says yes.
After Richie finds out that Fonzie promised Pinky he would wrestle anyways, he promises the Fonz that he would tell everyone about his weakness, and Fonzie laments about how he is torn whether he will be embarrassed, or risk serious injury (Maybe it's Time to Move On).
- Act Two
A week later, Fonzie is still missing and everyone realizes how much he means to them. With Fonzie gone, there can be no media frenzy surrounding a nonexistent wrestling match, and Arnold's is doomed. Richie tells the gang that he will wrestle the Malachis in Fonzie's place, with Ralph in his corner. Ralph doesn't want to do it, but the guys insist they can't run, but must face the challenge and get the job done (Run).
At Arnold's, Pinky tells everyone of Fonzie's nomadic nature and that he may never return, which makes Joanie wonder if Chachi could do the same. Pinky, missing her guy advises Joanie to remain strong (Legend in Leather).
Fonzie is on the outskirts of town, his efforts to leave unsuccessful. Joined by some car hop girls, Fonzie admits that his reign of cool could be over and that he is feeling lost(Aaay'mless).
Back at Arnold's the Malachi brothers discover that they won't be wrestling Fonzie so they humiliate Richie and Ralph by giving them huge wedgies just in time for pictures for the local paper.
In the Cunningham kitchen, Marion and Joanie are preparing for the picnic when Pinky stops in to give Marion a shotglass from Cincinatti. Pinky is in awe of the domestic lifestyle of Marion, while Marion is envious of the adventurous lifestyle of Pinky, while Joanie sits at home wondering how Chachi is going to feel at prom(What I Dreamed Last Night reprise).
Later, Marion finds Fonzie hiding under the stairs. She reminds him that true cool, like James Dean and Elvis Presley means not caring what others think. She leaves him in thought, and, miraculously, Fonzie's two heroes appear, convincing Fonzie that guys like them change direction for a worthy cause and the higher road is the only road (Guys Like Us).
At Phister Park, the wrestling match is getting underway. Everyone gets in the ring, and Ralph runs away, yet again, when suddenly, Fonzie rolls in on his motorcycle. He offers to fight for Arnold's if the brothers promise not to touch his bad knee. The Malachis cheat, of course, but with Richie's help, the good guys prevail.
Everyone celebrates while Fonzie and Pinky resolve to forget old issues and go Dancing (Dancing on the Moon). The Leopards present their plaque to Fonzie, but he focuses everyone's attention to the truly cool businessman, Howard Cunningham (Ordinary Hero), when everyone goes into a true Plunger Dance, where they all dance with their plungers they are buying from the hardware store, decorated with bright colors and fantastic designs, all thanks to Marion and a few jars of Mayonaise and food coloring. Fonzie announces to a joyous crowd that enough money has been raised to save Arnold's.
The Class of 1959 Graduation Dance begins. Ralph is accompanied by two of the pinkettes and Potsie by his mother, Joanie and Chachi sneak in together, Marion and Howard are called in as chaperones, and Pinky and Fonzie come together. Everyone celebrates the happy days they've spent together as an iconic decade draws to a close and the gang gets ready for the 60s (Finale)
[edit] Musical numbers
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[edit] Reception
The New York Times reviewer wrote of the Goodspeed Opera production of 2008: "If you’re going to make a stage musical out of a television show, 'Happy Days' is not a bad choice. All that cheerful white-bread 1950s innocence. All those instant audience associations with beloved characters and the actors who played them. The show won’t ever win a Pulitzer Prize (or the musical-comedy equivalent), but the Goodspeed Opera House’s bouncy new production delivers a pleasant if not transporting evening, and – most important – the Fonz (Joey Sorge) is cool" and "Michele Lynch's choreography is one of the show's real assets".[6]
According to the show's official site, the "NY Daily News" wrote: "If you like GREASE you will LOVE Happy Days" – A powerhouse rock and roll trip down memory lane".[1] However, TheatreMania.com panned the musical in 2007, calling it bland.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Official Site, 'Happy Days'" happydaysmusical.com, accessed January 24, 2011
- ^ a b Jones, Kenneth. "A Fonz Farewell: Happy Days Ends at Goodspeed, But Tour Will Launch" playbill.com, July 4, 2008
- ^ "'Happy Days' Listing, 2008" goodspeed.org, accessed January 24, 2011
- ^ Gans, Andrew. Casting Complete for Paper Mill's 'Happy Days'". Playbill.com, September 21, 2007
- ^ a b Finkle, David. "Review-'Happy Days -- The Musical' at PaperMill". Theatermania.com, October 2, 2007
- ^ Gates, Anita. "Theater Review:Cold War? What Cold War?" The New York Times, May 18, 2008, accessed January 24, 2011
[edit] External links
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