It’s Manhattan. It’s the '60s. And the city is back in full swing, in Broadway’s first-ever revival of Promises, Promises - starring Emmy® Award winner Sean Hayes (Will and Grace) as the enterprising associate on the way up, and Tony Award® winner Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked) as the cafeteria waitress whose romantic troubles have got her down. Don’t miss this smart and sexy musical based on the Oscar®-winning Billy Wilder film, The Apartment.
The creative team is a perfect cocktail: a splashy score by the Academy Award®-winning team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, including such songs as "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and the straight-up swinging title tune… Add a book that takes turns tickling your funny bone and breaking your heart, courtesy of the legendary Neil Simon… Top it all off with a sparkling blend of direction and choreography by Tony Award® winner Rob Ashford—and you’ve got an intoxicating evening of Broadway magic.
Promises was hardly a dud in its first and only previous Broadway incarnation, running for more than three years and earning leading man Jerry Orbach a Tony Award. And its tuneful score includes such Burt Bacharach/Hal David favorites as the title number and I'll Never Fall in Love Again. But the songs strain to fit Neil Simon's messy book, which lurches from hokey comedy to movie-of-the-week melodrama. And this new production seems to have two main goals: to exploit contemporary audiences' taste for retro kitsch and, more nobly, to provide a vehicle for a few talented stars.
Hayes, Chenoweth and the excellent supporting cast -- including Dick Latessa -- benefit from Ashford's direction: The staging of pop songs has rarely been as sharp as it is in this show. On the other hand, Ashford underwhelms as choreographer, which is odd considering the bang-up dances he created for 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' and 'Cry-Baby.' The biggest letdown is 'Turkey Lurkey Time,' an ensemble number with a single purpose: to kill. Here, it delivers only a flesh wound. But this isn't enough to spoil the fun. 'Promises, Promises' is a candy-flavored ride that more than delivers on its title.
1968 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
1969 | West End |
London Production West End |
1970 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
1997 | Off-Broadway |
Encores! Concert Off-Broadway |
2010 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2017 | West End |
Off-West End Revival West End |
2018 | Off-Broadway |
Transport Group Concert Production Off-Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actress in a Musical | Kristin Chenoweth |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Katie Finneran |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Promises, Promises |
2010 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Brian Ronan |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Sean Hayes |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Rob Ashford |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Dick Latessa |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Katie Finneran |
2010 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | 0 |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Rob Ashford |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Jonathan Tunick |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Sean Hayes |
2010 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Katie Finneran |
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