What are good examples of shows written for a specific star?

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:23pm

I've heard mentioned before that "Applause" was written for Lauren Bacall's talents and it has been difficult to revive due to that. 

Are there more shows that were written specifically for a lead actor's talent? 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:25pm

THE ACT was written specifically for Liza.

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:27pm

Gypsy was written for Ethel Merman

[haterobics]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:28pm

If/Then was written for Idina.

[Sunny11]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:34pm

Boy from Oz for Hugh Jackman. 

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:40pm

Phantom was specifically written for Sarah Brightman...

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 1:51pm

Elaine Stritch: At Liberty was originally written for Bea Arthur.

??????

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 2:32pm

Pretty much every show that Mary Martin or Ethel Merman did on Broadway after 1940 was written specifically for them. Same goes with Gwen Verdon (in her case most everything after Can Can in 1953).

Thats a lot of the great musicals from the Golden Era right there. South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun, Peter Pan, Call me Madam, Gypsy, Damn Yankees, The Sound of Music, Sweet Charity, Chicago, and the list goes on. Hello Dolly was actually written for Ethel Merman but she didn't create it initially on stage. 

Updated On: 1/13/17 at 02:32 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 2:51pm

Sunny11 said: "Boy from Oz for Hugh Jackman. "

????? The show premiered in Australia with Todd McKenney as Peter Allen, 5 years BEFORE Hugh Jackman opened the show on Broadway.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:15pm

True, Boy From Oz was not written for Hugh Jackman.

Sondheim wrote Sweeney Todd with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury in mind.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:38pm

wasn't Dolly written for Ethel Merman?

[Drewski Vanderbilt]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:39pm

China Doll for Al Pacino

[Dfgtoronto]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:48pm

I believe The King and I was written for Gertrude Lawrence. 

[Fan123]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:48pm

Although the show didn't initially start development with her in mind, I hear that 'Funny Girl' was changed substantially during development to play to the strengths and preferences of Barbra Streisand.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:57pm

Fan123 said: "Although the show didn't initially start development with her in mind, I hear that 'Funny Girl' was changed substantially during development to play to the strengths and preferences of Barbra Streisand."

it was basically rewritten in rehearsal and out-of-town tryouts for her (I think i read about that in the biography Becoming Barbra), when they discovered that everything basically fell apart when she left the stage. So a lot of material was cut for the supporting players and her role was ballooned.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 4:58pm

Fan123 said: "Although the show didn't initially start development with her in mind, I hear that 'Funny Girl' was changed substantially during development to play to the strengths and preferences of Barbra Streisand."

That's not uncommon during the development process of a show. Bring Him Home from Les Miz was written specifically for Colm Wilkinson during rehearsals. Sometimes, a show is modified for a replacement star (Spamalot made some changes to showcase Clay Aiken; A Chorus Line modified costumes and blocking to appease Mario Lopez's ego).

 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 5:31pm

Grey Gardens was written with Christine Ebersole in mind from the very beginning, if I remember correctly. 

[rachel818]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 5:34pm

Not an example of an entire show written for an actor, but Fosse's comment made me think of this. I recall reading that Dave Malloy wrote "No One Else" after Great Comet rehearsals had begun, to play to Phillipa Soo's vocal strengths.

(edited because I had the song title wrong)

Updated On: 1/13/17 at 05:34 PM

[The Josh]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 5:44pm

Little Me for Sid Caesar... and then retooled for Victor Garber and James Coco... and again for Martin Short!

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 6:34pm

On The 20th Century was written for Madeline Kahn. The Apple Tree was written for Barbara Harris I believe.

The part of Sally Brown was created for Kristin Chenoweth in the Charlie Brown revival. And Glinda was written very much with Kristin in mind, and then developed into the part it became for and with her. But neither SHOW was written for her, just the characters.

Updated On: 1/13/17 at 06:34 PM

[zainmax]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 7:11pm

I think that The Visit was written for Angela Lansbury. (The musical, and not the play).

[tomwsjr]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 8:51pm

Actually the role of Ms. Lovett in Sweeney Todd was written for Patricia Routledge. When she turned it down (didn't like the subject matter) it was then offered to Angela Lansbury.  

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 8:57pm

tomwsjr said: "Actually the role of Ms. Lovett in Sweeney Todd was written for Patricia Routledge. When she turned it down (didn't like the subject matter) it was then offered to Angela Lansbury.  "

Actually, Sondheim wrote it for Angela, it was Hal Prince who kept trying to get Routledge. She turned it down, and Hal let Sondheim cast Angela.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 9:06pm

Fade Out - Fade In was written very specifically for Carol Burnett. It was hugely successful while she was in the show and reportedly outgrossed both Hello, Dolly and Funny Girl, but it never saw that same level of business during Burnett's leaves from the show (one was a medical leave after she injured her neck in a taxi accident, the second was when she left the show to go work on a show that her then husband was producing). The show seems to be largely viewed as unrevivable these days, though I think there are a good number of Broadway actresses who could headline an Encores production (Sutton Foster, Leslie Kritzer, or Alysha Umphress to name a few just off the top of my head).

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/13/17 at 11:19pm

^^^ Have you read the libretto of FADE OUT, FADE IN, AEA?

It's as tailored for Burnett as FUNNY GIRL is for Streisand. Maybe more so. And, yeah, I've seen other actresses play Fannie Brice, but as with BELLS ARE RINGING, they seem to be doing an impression or struggling to do the opposite. (Mimi Hines may have been the exception. I can only wish I had seen her.)

**SPOILER ALERT**

Burnett's "Shirley Temple" imitation; planting her smile instead of her hands in Grauman's wet cement; the plot depending on how gawky and "unattractive" the lead is; the silliness of Burnett acting "sexy"; and countless other examples I've forgotten since I read it 40 years ago. These were all bits that became regular features on her TV show.

Of course, the brief references could be re-tailored for another star; but I have trouble, for example, seeing Sutton Foster as so essentially unattractive (and, in fact, the entire motive may be out of date).

Alix Korey in her youth came closest.

Too bad. It's my second-favorite Styne score, and the lyrics, though sometimes trivial, are better crafted than those of FUNNY GIRL.