Grey Gardens (musical)
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Grey Gardens is a musical with book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, based on the 1975 documentary of the same title about the lives of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (“Big Edie”) and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale (“Little Edie”) by Albert and David Maysles. The Beales were Jacqueline Kennedy’s aunt and cousin, respectively.
While the action of the second act, in 1973, hews closely to that of the film, the first act, set in 1941, is a speculative attempt to explain some of the interpersonal dynamics that led to the Bouviers’ fall from grace. Both acts are set at Grey Gardens, the Bouvier’s mansion in East Hampton, New York.
A production at Playwrights Horizons in New York City opened to mixed reviews, but attracted particularly good reviews for its stars, Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson. It earned five Lucille Lortel Award nominations and twelve Drama Desk Award nominations. The show played from 10 February 2006 until 30 April 2006, and opened, with some revisions, on Broadway on November 2, 2006 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, where it is currently playing. A cast album was released on 22 August 2006.
Christine Ebersole received the Obie Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, a Special Citation from the New York Drama Critics, and the Drama League Award for Performance of the Year for her dual roles of Edith and Edie Beale in the Off-Broadway production of Grey Gardens.
Cast
Prologue (1973)
- Edith Bouvier Beale — Mary Louise Wilson
- "Little" Edie Beale — Christine Ebersole
Act One (1941)
- Edith Bouvier Beale — Christine Ebersole
- George Gould Strong — Bob Stillman
- Brooks, Sr. — Michael Potts
- Jacqueline Bouvier — Sarah Hyland
- Lee Bouvier — Audrey Twitchell (Kelsey Fowler on Broadway)
- "Little" Edie Beale — Sara Gettelfinger (Erin Davie on Broadway)
- Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. — Matt Cavenaugh
- J.V. "Major" Bouvier — John McMartin
Act Two (1973)
- Edith Bouvier Beale — Mary Louise Wilson
- "Little" Edie Beale — Christine Ebersole
- Brooks, Jr — Michael Potts
- Jerry — Matt Cavenaugh
- Norman Vincent Peale — John McMartin
| Off-Broadway | Broadway |
|---|---|
| Prologue (1973) | |
| "Toyland" — Edith | "The Girl Who Has Everything" — Edith |
| Act One (1941) | |
| "The Five-Fifteen" — Edith, Gould, Brooks, Jackie, Lee | "The Five-Fifteen" — Edith, Gould, Brooks, Jackie, Lee |
| "Body Beautiful Beale" — Gould, Edith, Brooks, Edie, Jackie, Lee, Joe | |
| "Mother, Darling" — Edie, Edith, Gould | "Mother, Darling" — Edie, Edith, Gould |
| "Better Fall Out of Love" — Joe & Edie | "Going Places" — Joe & Edie |
| "Being Bouvier" — Major Bouvier, Brooks, Jackie, Lee, Edie | "Marry Well" — Major Bouvier, Brooks, Jackie, Lee, Edie |
| "Hominy Grits" — Edith, Gould, Jackie, Lee | "Hominy Grits" — Edith, Gould, Jackie, Lee |
| "Peas in a Pod" — Edie & Edith | "Peas in a Pod" — Edie & Edith |
| "Drift Away" — Gould & Edith | "Drift Away" — Gould & Edith |
| "The Five-Fifteen" (reprise) — Edith | "The Five-Fifteen" (reprise) — Edith |
| "Tomorrow's Woman" — Edie, Jackie,Lee | |
| "Daddy's Girl" — Edie | "Daddy's Girl" — Edie |
| "Being Bouvier" (reprise) — Major Bouvier, Jackie, Lee | |
| "The Telegram" — Edie & Edith | "The Telegram" — Edie & Edith |
| "Will You?" — Edith | "Will You?" — Edith |
| Act Two (1973) | |
| "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" — Edie | "The Revolutionary Costume for Today" — Edie |
| "The Cake I Had" — Edith | "The Cake I Had" — Edith |
| "Entering Grey Gardens" — Company | "Entering Grey Gardens" — Company |
| "The House We Live In" — Edie & Company | "The House We Live In" — Edie & Company |
| "Jerry Likes My Corn" — Edith & Edie | "Jerry Likes My Corn" — Edith & Edie |
| "Around the World" — Edie | "Around the World" — Edie |
| "Will You ?" (reprise) — Edith & Edie | "Will You ?" (reprise) — Edith & Edie |
| "Choose to Be Happy" — Norman Vincent Peale & Company | "Choose to Be Happy" — Norman Vincent Peale & Company |
| "Around the World" (reprise) — Edie | "Around the World" (reprise) — Edie |
| "Another Winter in a Summer Town" — Edie & Edith | "Another Winter in a Summer Town" — Edie & Edith |
| "Peas in a Pod" (reprise) — Edith & Edie | "The Girl Who Has Everything" (reprise) — Edith & Edie |
