Musicals Tonight Asks YOU What Show to Revive

Last May, when Musicals Tonight announced it's lineup for their 2004-05 season of staged readings, Bock and Harnick's The Apple Tree was slotted for 16 performances in May of 2005. In September, Encores announced they too would be presenting The Apple Tree starring Kristen Chenowith at exactly the same time.

"Initially we thought we'd 'stand tall' and present an interesting alternative." says Artistic Director Mel Miller. "In fact we offered Andre DeShields the role of Adam. We explained that he would be moving up the evolutionary chain from "Primate" to "The First Human." (DeShields played a gorilla in last season's Prymate.) "He got a good laugh out of the idea but said 'no'."

So now Musicals Tonight is asking the musical theatre loving public what show they'd like to see revived as a staged reading. Send your suggestions and reasons to musicalstonight@aol.com. The most interesting suggestion of a show they can secure rights to perform will receive 2 free tickets to any performance on their 2005 schedule.

Musicals Tonight received a 2004 Obie Award for their efforts in reviving neglected musicals. Past productions, ineligible for this contest, include:

By the Beautiful Sea (Schwartz and Fields)
Cabin In the Sky (Vernon Duke)
Chee-Chee (Rodgers & Hart)
Dearest Enemy (Rodgers & Hart)
Face the Music (Irving Berlin)
Fifty Million Frenchmen (Cole Porter)
Foxy (Johnny Mercer)
Gay Divorce (Cole Porter)
Girl Crazy (George & Ira Gershwin)
The Girl Friend (Rodgers & Hart)
Goldilocks (Walter & Jean Kerr)
Have a Heart (Jerome Kern & P.G. Wodehouse)
I Married An Angel (Rodgers & Hart)
Jubilee (Cole Porter)
King of Hearts (Peter Link)
Lady, Be Good! (George & Ira Gershwin)
Leave It To Me (Cole Porter)
Let It Ride (Livingston & Evans)
Look Ma, I'm Dancin'! (Hugh Martin)
Love From Judy (Hugh Martin)
My Favorite Year (Ahrens & Flaherty)
The New Yorkers (Cole Porter)
Primrose (George & Ira Gershwin)
The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd (Anthony Newley)
So Long, 174th Street (Stan Daniels)
Stop! Look! Listen! (Irving Berlin)
That's The Ticket! (Harold Rome)
Watch Your Step! (Irving Berlin)

Scheduled for their spring season are Oscar Straus' The Chocolate Soldier and Jerome Kern and P.G. Wodehouse's The Beauty Prize.