Starmites
| Starmites | |
|---|---|
 Original logo | |
| Music | Barry Keating |
| Lyrics | Barry Keating |
| Book | Stuart Ross Barry Keating |
| Productions | 1987 Off-Broadway 1988 American Stage Festival 1989 Broadway |
Starmites is a musical with music and lyrics by Barry Keating and a book by Stuart Ross and Barry Keating. It was first presented in 1980 Off-Off-Broadway by the Ark Theatre Company.[1] It opened off-Broadway in 1987 and on-Broadway on April 27, 1989, where it ran for 60 performances. It received six Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, winning none.
The story revolves around a shy teenager, Elenor, who creates a fantasy world involving science fiction characters in her comic book collection. She escapes into her fantasy world where the Starmites are the guardian angels of Innerspace.
History
Starmites was staged by off-Broadway by Musical Theater Works at the CSC Theater in 1987, with staging by Mark Herko and featuring Liz Larsen, Gabriel Barre, and Sharon McNight.[2] It was staged in Milford, New Hampshire at the now-defunct American Stage Festival, August 10–27, 1988. That staging was directed by Larry Carpenter, and featured Liz Larsen and Sharon McNight, all of whom would remain with the show when it opened on Broadway at Criterion Center Stage Right on April 27, 1989 and closed on June 18, 1989 after 60 performances and 35 previews. Directed and staged by Larry Carpenter with choreography by Michele Assaf, it featured Liz Larsen as Eleanor and Bizarbara, Gabriel Barre as Trinkulus, Brian Lane Green as Spacepunk, and Sharon McNight as Diva and Eleanor's mother.
Currently, there are three versions of Starmites available through Samuel-French for amateur and professional performance: Starmites Lite, a junior version of Starmites indended for grade school and middle school performances; Starmites High School; and Starmites Pro, intended for professional-level performance.[3][4][5]
Songs
1.Superhero Girl - Eleanor
2. Starmites - Starmites and Spacepunk
3. Trink's Narration - Trinkulus and Starmites
4. Afraid of the Dark - Spacepunk, Starmites, Eleanor and Trinkulus
5. Little Hero - Eleanor
6. Attack of Banshees - Banshees (Replaced in some versions by Ravenous)
7. Hard to Be Diva - Diva and Banshees
8. Love Duet - Spacepunk and Eleanor
9. The Dance of Spousal Arousal - Banshees and Bizarbara
10. Finaletto - Company
11. Bizarbara's Wedding - Bizarbara and Banshees
12. Milady - Spacepunk and Starmites
13. Beauty Within - Diva and Bizarbara
14. The Cruelty Stomp - Trinkulus and Company
15. Reach Right Down - Starmites, Diva and Banshees
16. Immolation - Eleanor, Shak Graa and Spacepunk
17. Starmites/Diva (Reprise) - Diva, Starmites and Banshees
18. Finale - Company
Recording
A recording featuring members of the original Broadway cast was released on April 27, 1999 on the Original Cast Record label (ASIN: B00000GBYT).[6]
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Gabriel Barre | Nominated | ||
| Brian Lane Green | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Sharon McNight | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Larry Carpenter | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Michele Assaf | Nominated | ||
| Theatre World Award | Sharon McNight | Won | ||
References
- ^ "Opening This Week". The New York Times. October 26, 1980, p. D56
- ^ Gussgow, Mel. "The Stage: 'Starmites,' A Musical". The New York Times. April 29, 1987, p.C16
- ^ Starmites Lite information, SamuelFrench.com, accessed April 21, 2012
- ^ Starmites High School information, SamuelFrench.com, accessed April 21, 2012
- ^ http://www.starmites.com/external-link#http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/2763 Starmites Pro information, SamuelFrench.com, accessed April 21, 2012
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Starmites-1998-Original-Cast-Members/dp/B00000GBYT amazon.com recording