The world premiere of Joy The Musical begins its run via New Jersey's George Street Playhouse December 10. The production will continue through December 30 at The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater in The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Opening night is December 16.
Anyone seeing this? Might try and grab a ticket next weekend.
Chorus Member Joined: 6/15/22
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-Erika-Henningsen-Stars-in-JOY-World-Premiere-at-George-Street-Playhouse-20221221
Reviews are out - seems score is good and book is bad. no surprise about the bad book tho...
Had a friend get a comp ticket to this last week and said there's absolutely no point to this show. Don't expect this to get produced anywhere else.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Really, would anyone want to see a musical about a woman who invented mops?
Those reviews are so incompetently written that it’s hard to discern what the critics actually thought.
Its a callous move of Davenport, producer, to write his own book because now even if it doesn’t make it to Broadway he can make $$ off it.
Understudy Joined: 7/9/22
JOY has a lot of potential! Henningsen has a beautiful voice. The mop drives the story but it's about a multigenerational (dysfunctional) household. The numbers are fun. Opens with a "Waving Through A Window" type choreography. Loved QVC. The sets were impressive!
Act I would benefit from making Joy more likeable. Especially in regards to the relationship with her daughter. Her wig could be brushed in Act I without sacrificing the story its trying to tell.
PegasusOasis said: "JOY has a lot of potential! Henningsen has a beautiful voice. The mop drives the story but it's about a multigenerational (dysfunctional) household. The numbers are fun. Opens with a "Waving Through A Window" type choreography. Loved QVC. The sets were impressive! Act I would benefit from making Joy more likeable. Especially in regards to the relationship with her daughter. Her wig could be brushed in Act I without sacrificing the story it’s trying to tell. "
Do you think it’s a show that could appeal to 8,000 people a week at an average price of $100 over a period of a year or so? This strikes me as an idea that could appeal to Broadway’s key demographic, but perhaps not the execution & creative team to get it across the finish line.
The one song I heard from it sounds enjoyable enough!
Understudy Joined: 7/9/22
ErmengardeStopSniveling said:
Do you think it’s a show that could appeal to 8,000 people a week at an average price of $100 over a period of a year or so?
Maybe! The characters being a Long Island family could help, if people care enough to ride in the train.
I don't know what makes someone see a show post-COVID, etc. Is a fun night out at the theater enough?
If it could adjust to leave you feeling inspired, it would really shine. People taking their young daughters to see a woman in STEM, etc. I think it's family appropriate.
As Community News said, "Davenport, in particular, needs to make a work that is fun into one that also has more meaning."
Broadway Star Joined: 7/5/10
Totally missed that Laura Bell Bundy did the first so reshoots for this :o
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Laura-Bell-Bundy-Will-Lead-Industry-Presentations-of-New-Musical-JOY-This-Week-20211110
Did anyone see this at George Street? I wonder if it will pop up again down the road or not. I read some of the reviews but it seemed like it wasn’t Broadway ready but has potential, the theatrically lies mainly in the scenes where Joy is selling on live TV, which many say is the best part of the movie too.
Featured Actor Joined: 7/22/23
joevitus said: "There was a musical called Joy that premeired in the early 70's. I guess this is a different one?"
That musical in the 70's was Oscar Browns "J☮️Y"
jacobsnchz14 said: "https://playbill.com/job/joy-nyc-epa-10-03-24-10-07-24-10-17-24/15c02b6c-4a12-4699-9757-ac8bc3fbde76"
New director alert! The very good choreographer Lorin Latarro has replaced Casey Hushion as director. Weirdly, Lorin won't be choreographing: that will be done by Josh Bergasse, who did the previous production at George Street Playhouse.
AEA Off-Bway "Category E" contract is for the largest of Off-Bway houses (351-499 seats), so perhaps this is headed to Stage 42 or New World in the summer...
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "jacobsnchz14 said: "https://playbill.com/job/joy-nyc-epa-10-03-24-10-07-24-10-17-24/15c02b6c-4a12-4699-9757-ac8bc3fbde76"
New director alert! The very good choreographer Lorin Latarro has replaced Casey Hushion as director. Weirdly, Lorin won't be choreographing:that will be done by Josh Bergasse, who did the previous production at George Street Playhouse.
Not really "weird" at all. I can't imagine that Josh didn't already have a Broadway deal, so they would have had to pay a large buyout if they replaced him for Broadway. Lotarro is probably looking to get more "cred" as a director -- so it's a win-win (for everybody but Hushion). But considering it's a Kenny D project, she may well end up having dodged a major bullet!
JSquared2 said: "Not really "weird" at all. I can't imagine that Josh didn't already have a Broadway deal, so they would have had to pay a large buyout if they replaced him for Broadway. Lotarro is probably looking to get more "cred" as a director -- so it's a win-win (for everybody but Hushion). But considering it's a Kenny D project, she may well end up having dodged a major bullet!"
Maybe weird isn't the word, but usually when a director is replaced, the producers want to start from scratch with the creative/design team. Which also gives the director that freedom of choice. Almost all the key people of the George St engagement probably had a Broadway deal (creative team & cast). But now that I think about it, Casey Nicholaw retained much of the HERCULES Paper Mill design team when he replaced Lear.
Swing Joined: 1/9/24
Off Broadway Venue will Be Laura Pels as confirmed in a recently posted ECC
https://playbill.com/job/joy-nyc-ecc-dancer-10-11-24/6c1d15ea-e00d-4baa-b044-f4aafac9dd4c
Broadway Star Joined: 7/5/10
This is so exciting! They’ve definitely re-written it as some supporting characters are different from George Street, it’s a great role for a female lead too! Hopefully the work they’ve done will bring Joy Manganos story to life. I feel like if they leaned more campy/comedy like Tammy Faye it could really work. Just watch those Liza Minnelli home shopping videos and you see how unserious home shopping networks are.
..
It looks like this will be renting the Pels and not part of Roundabout's season. Have there been other instances of non-Roundabout productions using that theatre?
Swing Joined: 1/9/24
Not sure! Could it be cheaper to rent since it's non profit?
MTC is no longer renting out Stage II (a venue they've previously had rentals) and isn't Second Stage no longer doing off-Broadway non profit?
So this may be a cheaper choice then Stage 42 or New World...
Interesting though that this sub started out by Ken purchasing a NFT thing and was like Joy is going to Broadway and now they are paying to play.
To be clear, Roundabout is a not-FOR-profit, not a non-profit. Big difference. They can still charge obscene (relative by all means) amounts
The Roundabout's 501c3 tax status has no bearing on its rental rate for a commercial production, compared to that of any other theatrical landlord. If they're not producing in the space, it's better to rent it out than have it sit empty. Whether JOY can recoup in that limited run is a different matter.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136192346
Swing Joined: 1/9/24
Having issues embedding a photo but they did a presentation this week and this is the company - https://imgur.com/a/29FbXp1
Updated On: 10/9/24 at 08:16 PM
choircatdog1 said: "Having issues embedding a photo but they did a presentation this week and this is the company -https://imgur.com/a/29FbXp1"
that's a killer cast. But heard bad reviews about at George Street. Hopefully, they fixed this if it's having a new life currently.
I’m just happy Alice is involved in a new musical.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/5/10
choircatdog1 said: "Having issues embedding a photo but they did a presentation this week and this is the company -https://imgur.com/a/29FbXp1"
Betsy Wolfe and Alice Ripley as mother and daughter omg!
and yes Ken Davenport has re written the book he said so on Instagram
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