Manhattan Theatre Club and Gorgeous Entertainment have announced the Broadway premiere of Prince of Broadway, a musical celebration that highlights the legendary, six-decade career of director and producer Harold Prince. Prince of Broadway will start previews August 3, 2017, prior to an August 24 opening night at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Prince of Broadway includes songs from many of the shows that earned Prince a record 21 Tony Awards, combined with some biographical material. The show features original songs, musical supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by three-time Tony winner Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County); book by two-time Tony nominee David Thompson (The Scottsboro Boys); co-direction and choreography by five-time Tony winner Susan Stroman (The Producers); and direction by Prince himself.
“Of course I’m delighted that many of my favorite artists will be interpreting the material from a lifetime of work,” commented Prince in a statement. MTC artistic director Lynne Meadow had told Playbill.com in September that it was her intention to open the 2017-18 season with the show, but was not able to confirm the news until December 7.
“Hal Prince is an icon in the American theatre—his work has been seminal over the last six decades and he has impacted the lives and careers of thousands of artists, including me,” she said in a new statement. “Hal was one of MTC's earliest supporters. In 1973, when I had been the artistic director for only three months, Hal came and saw my first production of a musical in our 100 seat cabaret—The Little Mahagonny. Hal was instrumental in securing our first major grant from the NEA and has been a friend ever since, serving on MTC's Board for six years and directing LoveMusik for us at the Friedman. We are honored to be producing Prince of Broadway to celebrate the career of a true genius and to welcome Hal back to MTC.”
Prince of Broadway features hits from Prince’s celebrated musicals, including West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Evita, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, The Phantom of the Opera, and more. The show is billed as “an unforgettable tribute to an unmatched Broadway career.” It was originally announced for Broadway in 2012 but didn't get a full-scale production until late 2015 when it opened in Tokyo, Japan, with a cast that included Broadway favorites Emily Skinner, Tony Yazbeck, Josh Grisetti, Shuler Hensley, Ramin Karimloo, and Nancy Opel. Casting for the Broadway premiere will be announced at a later date.
The creative team for Prince of Broadway features Tony winner Beowulf Boritt (scenic and projection design), six-time Tony winner William Ivey Long (costume design), two-time Tony winner Howell Binkley (lighting design), Paul Huntley (wig design), Fred Lassen (musical direction), Tara Rubin (casting), and Jeffrey Seller (creative consultant).
Additional funding for Prince of Broadway is provided by The John Gore Organization, James L. Nederlander, The Shubert Organization, and Kumiko Yoshii. The world-premiere production in Japan was produced by Umeda Arts Theater Co., Ltd., Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc., and Amuse Inc.
Ticketing information and other listings information for Prince of Broadway will be announced at a later date. The limited engagement will be presented as part of MTC’s 2017-18 subscription season. The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is located at 261 West 47th Street, New York.
