Music Composed by Jefrey Saver
Musical Book and Lyrics by Stephen Cole

National Alliance for Musical Theatre
Sept. 29 & 30, 1996


The History:
Dodsworth was a novel written by Pulitzer Prize winner Sinclair Lewis in 1929. The novel was adapted for the stage by Sidney Howard in 1934, starring Walter houston. United Artist made a movie in 1936, with Huston reprising his role.

The musical, Dodsworth, had it's World Premiere at Casa Manana Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas on October 17, 1995. That production starred Hal Linden.

Dodsworth was then presented as part of a New Works festival in New York City. It was this production/reading that Michael participated in.

Excerpts from a post at Dejanews by wbryanks on Oct. 3, 1996:
On September 29 and 30, 1996 at the Douglas Fairbanks and John Houseman Theatres in NYC, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (a compendium of around 30 theatres that produce or present musicals around the country) had a festival of new works, presenting eight new shows, in the hopes that some will be picked up for future presentations. Each show was presented in a 55-minute staged reading format, and each title had to be a show that has not yet been presented on Broadway. Many of the presentations feature New York’s finest Tony-Award winning actors, along with terrific up-and-coming talents.

Titles included:
DODSWORTH-- recently presented at Casa Manana in Texas, Book and Lyrics by Stephen Cole, Music by Jeffrey Saver, featuring John Cullum (Shenandoah), Dee Hoty (Barnum), Beth McVey and Michael Gruber (currently in Cats, and Don Lockwood in the upcoming Singin in the Rain, CD on Jay/TER)


The Setting:
In the Roaring Twenties, aboard various ocean liners and in Paris street cafes.

The Story:
Sam Dodsworth is a 60-year-old recently retired auto maunfacturer. Sam and his much younger wife, Fran, are traveling around Europe. Their experiences there cause Sam to question his ideals and values and start to pine for a new love he has met in his travels. Fran becomes increasingly vain and snobbish...and unfaithful with gorgeous young men, one with whom she finds love.


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