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CurtainsOpening Date: Oct 8, 2019
Closing Date: Oct 12, 2019 (dates reflect Manchester Palace Theatre run only) Air date: April 14, 2020 Medium: internet Where to watch: not currently available |
Stage Production Notes
Written by musical theatre powerhouses John Kander and Fred Ebb, Curtains is a musical murder mystery comedy that tells the story of a musical theatre troupe whose terrible leading lady is murdered on opening night. Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, a musical theatre aficionado and amateur actor, is called in to investigate.
The musical began life in the mid-1980s under the title Who Killed David Merrick?, based on an idea by Peter Stone. The show was intended to be a light-hearted spoof of the American theatre scene at that time. It was first slated to open under the direction of Mike Nichols in 1987, however the production fell through. Productions were announced in 1991 and 1998, but also never came to fruition.
Curtains received a reading in New York in 2001. Under the direction of Scott Ellis, a semi-staged production was held in 2002. Peter Stone passed away shortly after, and writer Rupert Holmes was bought on to the project.
The musical continued to receive various workshops in New York City.
In September 2004, Fred Ebb passed away.
Almost twenty years after its first inception, Curtains finally premiered in 2006 at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. Directed by Scott Ellis, with choreography by Rob Ashford, the creative team included William David Brohn (orchestrations), William Ivy Long (costume design), Anna Louizos (set design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), Brian Ronan (sound design), David Loud (music director), Paul Huntley (hair and wig design), David Chase (dance arrangements), and Angelina Avallone (make-up design). The production featured David Hyde Pierce (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Debra Monk (Carmen), Karen Ziemba (Georgia), Jason Danieley (Aaron), and Edward Hibbert (Christopher Belling).
Following 26 previews, Curtains opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld on March 22, 2007 with most of the LA cast reprising their roles.
The musical received mixed reviews. Ben Brantley of The New York Times claimed it was a “talent-packed, thrill-starved production.”
Curtains was nominated for a slew of awards including 10 Drama Desk Awards, a Drama League Award for Distinguished Musical, 6 Outer Critics Circle Awards, and 8 Tony Awards. Drama Desk Awards went to Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and Debra Monk for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Karen Ziemba won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, and David Hyde Pierce won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.
After 511 performances, Curtains closed on Broadway on June 29, 2008.
With Richard Kind playing Cioffi, and Mary Callanan (Bandstand) playing Carmen, most of the original Broadway cast reunited in January 2017 for a special concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below. The event was hosted by writer Rupert Holmes.
Curtains was first performed in the UK in a critically acclaimed fringe production at the Landor Theatre in 2012. Directed by Robert McWhir, choreographed by Robbie O’Reilly, and with musical direction by Michael Webborn, the production featured Jeremy Lagat (Cioffi), Buster Skeggs (Carmen), Fiona O’Carroll (Georgia), Aarron Fox (Leo), Bronwyn Andrews (Niki), Bruan Kennedy (Christopher Belling), and Daniela Bowen (Bambi).
Curtains opened on the West End at Wyndham’s Theatre on December 13, 2019 for a limited run. The production featured Jason Manford, a well-known stand-up comedian and television host, as Lieutenant Cioffi.
The West End production received generally favorable reviews. Guardian theatre critic Mark Lawson described the musical as “a dazzling curiosity for musical theatre completists and smart, warm-hearted entertainment for all,” and Theatre Weekly’s Greg Stewart stated it was “undeniably jolly good fun, combining the best elements of a ‘whodunnit’ with the glitz and glamour of showbiz.” While praising the performances of the cast, The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish was less enthralled, summarizing that “there’s a lot of filler, not enough killer.” Mark Shenton writing for London Theatre described the production as "a pretty warm-hearted and generous slice of in-the-know musical theatre heaven nonetheless.”
Curtains closed on the West End on January 11, 2020 before embarking on a UK tour. The tour was unfortunately cut short due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Curtains is available to license from Theatrical Rights Worldwide.
Written by musical theatre powerhouses John Kander and Fred Ebb, Curtains is a musical murder mystery comedy that tells the story of a musical theatre troupe whose terrible leading lady is murdered on opening night. Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, a musical theatre aficionado and amateur actor, is called in to investigate.
The musical began life in the mid-1980s under the title Who Killed David Merrick?, based on an idea by Peter Stone. The show was intended to be a light-hearted spoof of the American theatre scene at that time. It was first slated to open under the direction of Mike Nichols in 1987, however the production fell through. Productions were announced in 1991 and 1998, but also never came to fruition.
Curtains received a reading in New York in 2001. Under the direction of Scott Ellis, a semi-staged production was held in 2002. Peter Stone passed away shortly after, and writer Rupert Holmes was bought on to the project.
The musical continued to receive various workshops in New York City.
In September 2004, Fred Ebb passed away.
Almost twenty years after its first inception, Curtains finally premiered in 2006 at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. Directed by Scott Ellis, with choreography by Rob Ashford, the creative team included William David Brohn (orchestrations), William Ivy Long (costume design), Anna Louizos (set design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), Brian Ronan (sound design), David Loud (music director), Paul Huntley (hair and wig design), David Chase (dance arrangements), and Angelina Avallone (make-up design). The production featured David Hyde Pierce (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Debra Monk (Carmen), Karen Ziemba (Georgia), Jason Danieley (Aaron), and Edward Hibbert (Christopher Belling).
Following 26 previews, Curtains opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld on March 22, 2007 with most of the LA cast reprising their roles.
The musical received mixed reviews. Ben Brantley of The New York Times claimed it was a “talent-packed, thrill-starved production.”
Curtains was nominated for a slew of awards including 10 Drama Desk Awards, a Drama League Award for Distinguished Musical, 6 Outer Critics Circle Awards, and 8 Tony Awards. Drama Desk Awards went to Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and Debra Monk for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Karen Ziemba won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, and David Hyde Pierce won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.
After 511 performances, Curtains closed on Broadway on June 29, 2008.
With Richard Kind playing Cioffi, and Mary Callanan (Bandstand) playing Carmen, most of the original Broadway cast reunited in January 2017 for a special concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below. The event was hosted by writer Rupert Holmes.
Curtains was first performed in the UK in a critically acclaimed fringe production at the Landor Theatre in 2012. Directed by Robert McWhir, choreographed by Robbie O’Reilly, and with musical direction by Michael Webborn, the production featured Jeremy Lagat (Cioffi), Buster Skeggs (Carmen), Fiona O’Carroll (Georgia), Aarron Fox (Leo), Bronwyn Andrews (Niki), Bruan Kennedy (Christopher Belling), and Daniela Bowen (Bambi).
Curtains opened on the West End at Wyndham’s Theatre on December 13, 2019 for a limited run. The production featured Jason Manford, a well-known stand-up comedian and television host, as Lieutenant Cioffi.
The West End production received generally favorable reviews. Guardian theatre critic Mark Lawson described the musical as “a dazzling curiosity for musical theatre completists and smart, warm-hearted entertainment for all,” and Theatre Weekly’s Greg Stewart stated it was “undeniably jolly good fun, combining the best elements of a ‘whodunnit’ with the glitz and glamour of showbiz.” While praising the performances of the cast, The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish was less enthralled, summarizing that “there’s a lot of filler, not enough killer.” Mark Shenton writing for London Theatre described the production as "a pretty warm-hearted and generous slice of in-the-know musical theatre heaven nonetheless.”
Curtains closed on the West End on January 11, 2020 before embarking on a UK tour. The tour was unfortunately cut short due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Curtains is available to license from Theatrical Rights Worldwide.
Filmed Production Notes
The UK production was filmed at the Manchester Palace Theatre on October 11, 2019.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the UK production of Curtains was livestreamed via digital platform inplayer on April 14 at 7:30pm GMT.
Tickets for the livestream were £7.50, with all proceeds going to Funds for Freelancers (FFF). Created by Turbine Theatre artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills, FFF is aiming to provide financial support for theatre artists without income during the COVID-19 shutdown. A JustGiving crowdfunding campaign has raised over £50,000 (as of April 10, 2020).
The livestream commenced at 7:15pm with “pre-show entertainment” on Facebook Live featuring cast members talking about the first West End musical they saw.
The UK production was filmed at the Manchester Palace Theatre on October 11, 2019.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the UK production of Curtains was livestreamed via digital platform inplayer on April 14 at 7:30pm GMT.
Tickets for the livestream were £7.50, with all proceeds going to Funds for Freelancers (FFF). Created by Turbine Theatre artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills, FFF is aiming to provide financial support for theatre artists without income during the COVID-19 shutdown. A JustGiving crowdfunding campaign has raised over £50,000 (as of April 10, 2020).
The livestream commenced at 7:15pm with “pre-show entertainment” on Facebook Live featuring cast members talking about the first West End musical they saw.
We are aware that a lot of our customers are struggling to watch this evening's stream. We are aware of the issues and will be issuing a statement shortly as to how we rectify this. Thanks for your patience.
— CurtainsTheMusicalUK (@MusicalCurtains) April 14, 2020
Technical issues briefly delayed the start of the livestream, and as a result of continued issues for some viewers throughout the livestream, the production made the stream available for 24 hours after the initial airing for viewers who had already bought tickets.
An encore screening is expected to be announced in the near future.
An encore screening is expected to be announced in the near future.
Curtains PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Manchester Palace Theatre
Producer: Dan Looney, Adam Paulden and Jason Haigh-Ellery for DLAP Entertainment, Sally Horchow and Roger Horchow.
Original Book and Concept: Peter Stone
Book: Rupert Holmes
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Additional Lyrics: John Kander and Rupert Holmes
Director: Paul Foster, Film: Martin Riley
Musical Director: Alex Beetschen
Music Arrangements: Sarah Travis
Choreography: Alistair David
Scenic Design: David Woodhead
Costume Design: Gabriella Slade
Lighting Design: Tim Mitchell
Sound Design: Tom Marshall
Stage Manager: Matt Harper
Cast:
Jason Manford (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Ore Oduba (Aaron Fox), Carley Stenson (Georgia Hendriks), Rebecca Lock (Carmen), Samuel Holmes (Christopher Belling), Leah West (Niki Harris), Alan Burkitt (Bobby), Emma Caffrey (Bambi), Adam Rhys-Charles (Daryl Grady), Martin Callaghan (Oscar Shapiro), Minal Patel (Johnny Harmon), Nia Jermin (Jessica Crenshaw), Mark Sangster (Sidney), Ensemble: J.R. Ballantyne, Kathryn Barnes, Pamela Blair, Charlie Johnson, Kate Ivory Jordan, Robin Kent, Thomas Lee-Kid, Ben Mundy, Gleanne Purcell Brown, Samuel John-Humphreys
Theatre: Manchester Palace Theatre
Producer: Dan Looney, Adam Paulden and Jason Haigh-Ellery for DLAP Entertainment, Sally Horchow and Roger Horchow.
Original Book and Concept: Peter Stone
Book: Rupert Holmes
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Additional Lyrics: John Kander and Rupert Holmes
Director: Paul Foster, Film: Martin Riley
Musical Director: Alex Beetschen
Music Arrangements: Sarah Travis
Choreography: Alistair David
Scenic Design: David Woodhead
Costume Design: Gabriella Slade
Lighting Design: Tim Mitchell
Sound Design: Tom Marshall
Stage Manager: Matt Harper
Cast:
Jason Manford (Lieutenant Frank Cioffi), Ore Oduba (Aaron Fox), Carley Stenson (Georgia Hendriks), Rebecca Lock (Carmen), Samuel Holmes (Christopher Belling), Leah West (Niki Harris), Alan Burkitt (Bobby), Emma Caffrey (Bambi), Adam Rhys-Charles (Daryl Grady), Martin Callaghan (Oscar Shapiro), Minal Patel (Johnny Harmon), Nia Jermin (Jessica Crenshaw), Mark Sangster (Sidney), Ensemble: J.R. Ballantyne, Kathryn Barnes, Pamela Blair, Charlie Johnson, Kate Ivory Jordan, Robin Kent, Thomas Lee-Kid, Ben Mundy, Gleanne Purcell Brown, Samuel John-Humphreys
Sources
Books
Articles
- James Leve, Kander and Ebb, Yale University Press (2009)
Articles
- Ben Brantley, “Stagestruck Sleuth, Crazy for Clues and Cues,” NY Times (March 23, 2007)
- Dominic Cavendish, “Curtains, Wyndham’s Theatre, review: too much filler, not enough killer,” The Telegraph (Dec 18, 2019)
- Joanna Forest, "Review of Curtains at Landor Theatre,” LondonTheatre1 (Aug 15, 2012)
- Jesse Green, “Kander Without Ebb? Start Spreading the News,” NY Times (Aug 27, 2006)
- Patrick Honoré, “Curtains – Wyndham’s Theatre,” Musical Theatre Review (Dec 22, 2019)
- Anna Jones, “Curtains,” British Theatre Guide (undated, 2012)
- Kenneth Jones, “Kander, Ebb and Stone's Curtains Gets Late April Reading in NYC,” Playbill (April 16, 2002)
- Kenneth Jones, “Curtains, the Kander & Ebb Musical, Sings Again in NYC Reading,” Playbill (Nov 1, 2005)
- Matthew Hemley, “Coronavirus: Kander and Ebb’s Curtains to be streamed online in support of Fund for Freelancers,” The Stage (April 9, 2020)
- Mark Lawson, “Curtains review – the arresting case of Kander and Ebb's musical whodunnit,” The Guardian (Dec 18, 2019)
- Mark Ludmon, “REVIEW: Curtains, Wyndham’s Theatre London ✭✭✭✭,” BritishTheatre.com (Dec 18, 2019)
- Dan Meyer, “John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Curtains Set to Rise in a West End Debut,” Playbill (Nov 1, 2019)
- Julia Rank, “Review: Curtains,” A Younger Theatre (Aug 1, 2012)
- Mark Shenton, "Review - Curtains starring Jason Manford at Wyndham's Theatre,” London Theatre (Dec 24, 2019)
- Tracey Sinclair, “Curtains,” Exeunt Magazine (July 31, 2012)
- Greg Stewart, “Review: Curtains at Wyndham’s Theatre,” Theatre Weekly (Dec 18, 2019)
- Robert Viagas, “Karen Ziemba, Richard Kind, and Michael Riedel Added to January Curtains Concert Cast,” Playbill (Dec 13, 2017)
- Curtains: A Musical Comedy, Accessed via: https://page.inplayer.com/curtainsthemusical/
- Curtains The Musical, “Creative Team,” Accessed via: http://www.curtainsthemusical.com/curtains_creativeteam.php
- Just Giving: Funds for Freelancers, Accessed via: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/fundsforfreelancers
- Playbill Vault, “Curtains,” Accessed via: https://www.playbill.com/production/curtains-al-hirschfeld-theatre-vault-0000008203
Written by Luisa Lyons (April, 2020)