Best Regional Theaters for developing Broadway Shows

[CERULEAN19]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 3:54pm

Ever wonder where broadway shows come from? My friend and I are having a debate - who are the front runners in developing future broadway shows?

Input is HIGHLY appreciated...

[CERULEAN19]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 4:07pm

See, I would argue for San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse and Old Globe Theaters...but are there any major players on the east coast?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 4:25pm

The not-for-profit companies on the East Coast that have had the most success developing new works for Broadway are in New York City:

The Public
-- Hair
-- A Chorus Line
-- Pirates of Penzance
-- Caroline, or Change
-- Topdog/Underdog
-- Elaine Stritch At Liberty
-- Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk
-- Two Gentlemen of Verona
-- Angels in America
-- Well
-- Take Me Out
-- The Wild Party
-- On The Town
-- Plenty
-- The Mystery of Edwin Drood
-- For Colored Girls
-- Streamers
-- The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
-- Sticks and Bones

and several others


Playwrights Horizons
-- Grey Gardens
-- I Am My Own Wife
-- The Dead
-- Once on the is Island
-- Assassins
-- The Heidi Chronicles
-- Sunday in the Park with George

Second Stage
-- Spelling Bee
-- The Little Dog Laughed

The Vineyard
-- Avenue Q

Plus Roundabout, MTC and Lincoln Center have developed dozens of new works for Broadway that have played in their Tony-eligible Broadway spaces (American Airlines Theater, Studio 54, The Biltmore and the Vivian Beaumont).

[CERULEAN19]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 4:28pm

OMG! This is great - I had trouble finding info!

[suzycat]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 5:07pm

New York Stage & Film at Vassar - several Broadway transfers, lots of off-Bway transfers:

-Good Vibrations
-A Year With Frog & Toad
-Side Man
-Doubt
-Fran's Bed
-Nerds
-Tuesdays With Morrie
-Adrift in Macao
-Necessary Targets

[gumbo2]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 5:08pm

I know these aren't the top, but being from Seattle I shall brag about

Hairspray, The Wedding Singer, and Light in the Piazza all being in Seattle before Broadway.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 5:10pm

Duke University in Durham, NC hosted LITTLE WOMEN before it came to Broadway.

North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh is hosting the pre-Broadway engagement of Frank Wildhorn's WAITING FOR THE MOON

Doesn't Pittsburgh CLO premiere touring productions of shows before they go out on the road?

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 5:36pm

Barrington Stage in western MA developed Spelling Bee.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 5:56pm

Barrington began development of Spelling Bee as a non-musical play, but it wasn't until Second Stage that the composer William Finn and the director James Lapine were able to finish creating the full-fledged musical that then was able to move to Broadway.

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 6:57pm

Don't forget about the Atlantic Theater Company, and their two most recent Broadway offerings:

The Lieutenant of Inishmore
and
Spring Awakening

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 7:36pm

Couldn't resist putting in a plug for Actors Theatre of Louisville. "The Gin Game," "Crimes of the Heart," and "Agnes of God" started their road to Broadway there. As for Off-Broadway, "After Ashley," "Omnium-Gatherum," and "The Scene" were all showcased at ATL prior to their NYC runs.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 9:19pm

Chanhassen Dinner Theatre is developing Easter Parade and has been the premiere house for the last four Nunsense musicals.

The Ordway has also developed productions which have toured, but I don't think they've gone to New York.

[bryan]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 9:19pm

it is not broadway but off broadway two shows leaving queens and almost maine they had they stage debt in portlan ,maine at portland stage company.

[Sandy in Sable]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 10:25pm

I've read about Kiss of the Spiderwoman at SUNY Purchase on this board. Apparently, not a success. But Purchase (about 40 min. from the city) has wonderful theatres at its Performing Arts Center with a loyal following, not to mention a well-regarded acting conservatory. I feel like there are some untapped possibiltites there.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 10:33pm

Margo- Wasn't I Am My Own Wife developed at the Playhouse, and then transferred for an off-broadway run? I don't think it was actually developed at Playwrights Horizon.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 10:59pm

Playwrights did the world premiere production and funded at least one of the developmental workshops of I AM MY OWN WIFE (along with a couple of other theaters and a writers retreat Wright went on back in 2000 where he decided to put himself and his own experiences with von Mahlsdorf into the play), so it certainly deserves some of the credit.

From the IBDB entry:

"World premiere produced off-Broadway by and written with support from Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford: Artistic Director, Leslie Marcus: Managing Director); A workshop was presented by La Jolla Playhouse (Des McAnuff, Artistic Director & Terrence Dwyer, Managing Director); A workshop of this play was presented by About Face Theatre (Eric Rosen, Artistic Director)."

Updated On: 2/4/07 at 10:59 PM

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 11:08pm

just curious..any big names from Papermill Playhouse?

[junglered]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 11:13pm

Atlanta's Alliance Theatre developed and premiered 'Aida', 'The Last Night of Ballyhoo', 'The Color Purple', and 'Blues for an Alabama Sky' amongst other shows.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 11:18pm

No new shows or major revivals have moved from the Paper Mill to Broadway, though a couple of minor revivals (You Can't Take It With You and a failed production of I'm Not Rappaport) did make the transfer.

[wheredidhegogeorge2]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 11:46pm

what about goodspeed?

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 2/4/07 at 11:59pm

Goodspeed was where Annie premiered, I believe