JOY THE MUSICAL Holds Workshop Presentation Starring Betsy Wolfe

The new musical Joy recently held a presentation with a starry cast led by Betsy Wolfe in the title role. The cast also included Honor Blue Savage as Christie, Alice Ripley as Toots, Michael McCormick as Rudy, Ivan Hernandez as tony, J. Elaine Marcos as Lorraine, Jeremy Kushnier as Eddie, Daniel Maldonado as Dan, and Taylor Marie Daniel as Ronni.

Completing the cast were Aaron Alcaraz, Sherz Aletaha, Gaelen Gilliland, Jakeim Hart,
Kelsee Kimmel, Becca Kotte, Julio Rey, and Brian Shepard.

Joy the Musical features a book by Ken Davenport, who also serves as producer, with Music and Lyrics by AnnMarie Milazzo. 

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, a production is slated to open Off-Broadway next year. The show is scheduled to begin rehearsals in May 2025, with an opening night set for July 24. It will be directed by Lorin Latarro, choreographed by Josh Bergasse, with music direction by Andy Einhorn, all of whom were part of the team for this week's presentation.

Joy is based on the life of Joy Mangano and her book, Inventing Joy: Dare to Build a Brave and Creative Life. The musical premiered at George Street Playhouse in 2022, and the cast was led by Erika Henningsen.  Read the reviews here and check out photos here.

Joy is the story of a family across three generations, centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founded a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Facing betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, Joy becomes a true boss of family and enterprise. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy's inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces.

A film about the life of Joy Mangano, called Joy was released in December 2015. Directed by David O. Russell, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, the self-made millionaire who invented the Miracle Mop. The screenplay was also written by Russell, with the film featuring a supporting cast including Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper. While Joy received mixed critical reviews, Lawrence's performance was widely praised, earning her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination. At the box office, the film grossed over $101 million worldwide.