A Class Act

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A Class Act is a musical about the life of lyricist and composer Edward Kleban that features Kleban's own compositions.

Contents

[edit] History

A Class Act is "a musical about musicals." When Edward Kleban, lyricist to A Chorus Line, died in 1987 at the age of 48, he left behind a variety of songs that he had written for musicals that were never produced. It was decided by friends Linda Kline and Lonny Price to put these un-heard songs together into a musical about Kleban's life.

The musical was premiered at the Manhattan Theatre Club on November 9th, 2000 before moving to The Ambassador Theatre on Broadway the following year. A Class Act started previews on Feb 14th, 2001 and after 30 previews, opened on March 11, 2001 and ran for a total of 105 performances to June 10, 2001. [1]

[edit] Plot

The musical has a flashback plot which goes through the highs and lows of Kleban's life, not just a collection of songs with no narrative stuck together to make a tribute show. It explores Kelban's struggles with mental illness and cancer, and his relationships with those around him. Many scenes concern Kleban's participation in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.

The show has songs from many different projects brought together, including the song 'Better' which Stephen Sondheim himself reportedly wished he had written. Like the music of Sondheim, Kleban's music has inventive uses of conversational rhythms and a 'natural flow to the melody'. [2]. Other highlights of the show are 'Next Best Thing To Love' (about Kleban's female friend, Sophie) and 'Say Something Funny.' The show ends with Kleban's character returning as a ghost, surrounded by his friends.

[edit] Opening Night Cast (March 11, 2001)

Standbys were

  • Danny Burstein - Ed, Lehman
  • Jamie Chandler-Torns - Mona
  • Jonathan Hadley - Bobby et al., Charley et al., Lehman
  • Ann Van Cleave - Felicia, Lucy, Sophie

[edit] Other Casts

It opened in 2002 at The Pasadena Playhouse and a review can be found at Talkin' Broadway's site[3]

The cast was

  • Robert Picardo - Ed Kleban
  • Luba Mason - Sophie
  • Michelle Duffy - Mona
  • Will Jude - Charley/Marvin Hamlisch
  • Donna Bullock - Lucy
  • Lenny Wolpe - Lehman Engel
  • Andrew Palermo - Bobby/Michael Bennett
  • Nikki Crawford - Felicia

[edit] Original Cast Recording (2001)

The Original Broadway Cast recording is available on Amazon.

  1. Light On My Feet
  2. Fountain In The Garden
  3. One More Beautiful Song
  4. Friday At Four / Bobby's Song
  5. Charm Song
  6. Paris Through The Window
  7. Mona
  8. Making Up Ways
  9. Under Separate Cover
  10. Gauguin's Shoes
  11. Follow Your Star
  12. Better
  13. Scintillating Sophie
  14. Next Best Thing To Love
  15. Broadway Boogie Woogie
  16. One (Excerpt From A Chorus Line) /Better (Reprise)/I Choose You/Light On My Feet (Reprise)
  17. Say Something Funny
  18. When The Dawn Breaks
  19. Self Portrait

[edit] Song list

ACT ONE

  • Light on My Feet (Lyrics By Brian Stein and Edward Kleban) - Ed and Company
  • The Fountain in the Garden - Company
  • One More Beautiful Song - Ed and Sophie
  • Fridays at Four - Company
  • Bobby's Song -Bobby
  • Charm Song - Lehman and Company
  • Paris Through The Window (Lyrics By Glenn Slater and Edward Kleban) - Ed, Bobby and Charley
  • Mona - Mona
  • Under Separate Cover - Sophie, Lucy and Ed
  • Don't Do It Again - Felicia and Ed
  • Gauguin's Shoes - Ed and Company
  • Don't Do It Again (Reprise) - Lehman
  • Follow Your Star - Sophie and Ed

ACT TWO

  • Better - Ed and Company
  • Scintillating Sophie - Ed
  • The Next Best Thing To Love - Sophie
  • Broadway Boogie Woogie - Lucy
  • Better (Reprise) - Ed and Company
  • I Choose You - Ed and Lucy
  • The Nightmare - Ed
  • Say Something Funny - Company
  • I Won't Be There - Ed
  • Self Portrait - Ed
  • Self Portrait (Reprise) - Company

[edit] Awards/Nominations

It was nominated for, but failed to win

It had potential to win but it was destroyed by [The Producers] which one those awards and every other award it was nominated that year at the Tony's.

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