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Naked Boys Singing!Opening Date: July 22, 1999
Closing Date: Jan 28, 2012 (dates reflect off-Broadway run) Air date: November 2007 Medium: cinema Where to watch: Amazon Video, DVD (as an affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases made through these links) |
Stage Production Notes
The brainchild of Robert Shrock, Naked Boys Singing opened at the Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles in March, 1998. The show was a revue-style musical, with, as the title suggests, a group of men singing in a state of undress.
The original production featured choreography by Bubba Carr, Kenny Ortega, D.A. Pawley, Travis Payne and Lavelle Smith, and Mic Thompson.
Naked Boys Singing! had its off-Broadway debut at Actor’s Playhouse on July 22, 1999, and subsequently transferred to Theatre 4, The John Houseman Theater, the 47th Street Theatre, Julia Miles Theatre, and, finally, New world Stages.
The show has been performed extensively around the world. Several productions were banned or shut down due to the full frontal nudity, but the show remained a popular draw in New York.
The show’s producers caused a stir during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York by offering discounted tickets to convention attendees.
Naked Boys Singing! played 3069 off-Broadway performances before closing on January 28, 2012.
The brainchild of Robert Shrock, Naked Boys Singing opened at the Celebration Theatre in Los Angeles in March, 1998. The show was a revue-style musical, with, as the title suggests, a group of men singing in a state of undress.
The original production featured choreography by Bubba Carr, Kenny Ortega, D.A. Pawley, Travis Payne and Lavelle Smith, and Mic Thompson.
Naked Boys Singing! had its off-Broadway debut at Actor’s Playhouse on July 22, 1999, and subsequently transferred to Theatre 4, The John Houseman Theater, the 47th Street Theatre, Julia Miles Theatre, and, finally, New world Stages.
The show has been performed extensively around the world. Several productions were banned or shut down due to the full frontal nudity, but the show remained a popular draw in New York.
The show’s producers caused a stir during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York by offering discounted tickets to convention attendees.
Naked Boys Singing! played 3069 off-Broadway performances before closing on January 28, 2012.
Filmed Production Notes
In 2006, TLA Productions announced they had secured the film rights to record the show.
Naked Boys Singing! was filmed live at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles in 2007. The film included new arrangements of the songs, and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
Although a filmed live performance, Naked Boys Singing was billed as a “film adaptation.”
The film received a limited cinema release in November 2007, and shortly after was released on DVD.
Reviews for the film release were mixed. While some enjoyed the feel-good nature of the show, critics who had seen the live stage show detested the film version. Writing for the Chicago Tribune Sid Smith wrote, “Naked Boys live are a hoot. Frozen on celluloid, they're tacky.”
Several critics lamented the fact that the songs were entirely lip-synched, and noted the amateur nature of the recording. One IMDb reviewer ultimately declared, “If you have any experience or long-standing appreciation of musical theater, avoid this — it’s just not quality.”
Naked Boys Singing! is available to view on Amazon Video, DVD (as an affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases made through these links).
In 2006, TLA Productions announced they had secured the film rights to record the show.
Naked Boys Singing! was filmed live at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles in 2007. The film included new arrangements of the songs, and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
Although a filmed live performance, Naked Boys Singing was billed as a “film adaptation.”
The film received a limited cinema release in November 2007, and shortly after was released on DVD.
Reviews for the film release were mixed. While some enjoyed the feel-good nature of the show, critics who had seen the live stage show detested the film version. Writing for the Chicago Tribune Sid Smith wrote, “Naked Boys live are a hoot. Frozen on celluloid, they're tacky.”
Several critics lamented the fact that the songs were entirely lip-synched, and noted the amateur nature of the recording. One IMDb reviewer ultimately declared, “If you have any experience or long-standing appreciation of musical theater, avoid this — it’s just not quality.”
Naked Boys Singing! is available to view on Amazon Video, DVD (as an affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases made through these links).
Naked Boys Singing! PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Hayworth Theatre, Los Angeles
Producer: Funny Boy Films, TLA Releasing
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Bates, Marie Cain, Perry Hart, Shelly Markham, Jim Morgan, David Pevsner, Rayme Sciaroni, Mark Savage, Ben Schaechter, Robert Schrock, Trance Thompson, Mark Winkler, Bruce Vilanch
Director: Robert Schrock, film: Troy Christian
Musical Director: Stephen Bates
Orchestrations: Nic. tenBroek
Choreography: Troy Christian
Costume Design: Laura Brody
Cast:
Jason Currie, Kevin Stea, Joe Souza, Joseph Keane, Phong Truong, Salvatore Vassallo, Andrew Blake James, Anthony Manough, Jaymes Hodges, and original stage cast member Vincent Zamor
Theatre: Hayworth Theatre, Los Angeles
Producer: Funny Boy Films, TLA Releasing
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Bates, Marie Cain, Perry Hart, Shelly Markham, Jim Morgan, David Pevsner, Rayme Sciaroni, Mark Savage, Ben Schaechter, Robert Schrock, Trance Thompson, Mark Winkler, Bruce Vilanch
Director: Robert Schrock, film: Troy Christian
Musical Director: Stephen Bates
Orchestrations: Nic. tenBroek
Choreography: Troy Christian
Costume Design: Laura Brody
Cast:
Jason Currie, Kevin Stea, Joe Souza, Joseph Keane, Phong Truong, Salvatore Vassallo, Andrew Blake James, Anthony Manough, Jaymes Hodges, and original stage cast member Vincent Zamor
Sources
Articles
Websites
- BWW News Desk, “NAKED BOYS SINGING! to Conclude Off-Broadway Run, 1/28,” Broadway World (Jan 3, 2012)
- Andrew Gans, “TLA Releasing Acquires Rights to "Naked Boys Singing!" Film,” Playbill (May 22, 2007)
- Anita Gates, “THE LISTINGS; 'NAKED BOYS SINGING!’,” New York Times (Jan 14, 2005)
- Gregg Goldstein, “Film will expose 'Naked Boys’,” The Hollywood Reporter (Dec 12, 2006)
- Ernio Hernandez, “Action!: Musical Revue Naked Boys Singing! Gets Film Version,” Playbill (Dec 27, 2006)
- MaryAnn Johanson, “Naked Boys Singing! (Review)” Flick Filosopher (Dec 26, 2007)
- Lou Lumenick, “Naked Boys Singing,” NY Post (Oct 12, 2007)
- Willard Manus, “Naked Boys Singing! at L.A.'s Celebration Theatre, Mar. 28,” Playbill (March 28, 1998)
- Brian Orndorf, “Naked Boys Singing!” DVDTalk (Oct 12, 2007)
- Frank Scheck, “Naked Boys Singing!” The Hollywood Reporter (Nov 8, 2007)
- Ben Sisario, “Arts Briefing,” New York Times (Aug 12, 2003)
- Neal Weaver, “Naked Boys Singing,” LA Weekly (Oct 1, 2009)
Websites
- Internet Movie Database, “Naked Boys Singing (2007)” Accessed via: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0928413/
- Online Archive of California, “Finding Aid to the Naked Boys Singing Records, 1989-2007 Coll2013-098,” Accessed via: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c80866v7/entire_text/
- Rotten Tomatoes, “Naked Boys Singing (2007)” Accessed via: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/naked_boys_singing/
Written by Luisa Lyons (April, 2017)