Almost Famous (musical)
| Almost Famous | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
Broadway promotional poster | |
| Music | Tom Kitt |
| Lyrics |
|
| Book | Cameron Crowe |
| Basis | Almost Famous by Cameron Crowe |
| Premiere | September 27, 2019: The Old Globe, San Diego |
| Productions | |
Almost Famous is a 2019 stage musical with music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Cameron Crowe and Kitt, and a book by Crowe. It is based on the 2000 film of the same name written and directed by Crowe.
Based loosely on Crowe's life, the musical follows a teenager who becomes a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine in the 1970s. The show debuted in San Diego at The Old Globe in 2019, with previews beginning on September 13 and a premiere on September 27. It ran through October 27.[1] Creative work continued during the COVID-19 shutdown.[2][3] Like the film, the musical begins in the San Diego, California, home of the Miller family, progresses to the San Francisco offices of Rolling Stone magazine, and then travels through the United States on tour with the band Stillwater.[4]
The Broadway production began previews on October 3, 2022, and opened November 3, 2022 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to mainly negative reviews.[5][6] On December 19, it was announced that the show would close on January 8, 2023, after 30 previews and 77 performances.[7] Critics thought the story didn't perform well on stage. The New York Times said the show was “too faithful to the movie to feel new, yet too staged to feel authentic.” Viewers also complained that the score lacked originality and memorability, but despite the poor reception, it received a nomination for Best Original Score at the 76th Tony Awards.[8]
In November 2023, Kitt and Crowe reworked Almost Famous during a residency at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Public readings of the workshop were given on November 11, 15, and 18.[9] The workshop has not yet received public reviews.
Cast and characters
| Character | San Diego[10] | Broadway[11] | O'Neill Center Reading1[12] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| William Miller | Casey Likes | Brayden Bambino | |
| Penny Lane | Solea Pfeiffer | Lola Tung | |
| Russell Hammond | Colin Donnell | Chris Wood | Alex Boniello |
| Elaine Miller | Anika Larsen | ||
| Jeff Bebe | Drew Gehling | Damon Daunno | |
| Lester Bangs | Rob Colletti | ||
| Anita Miller | Emily Schultheis | Katy Geraghty | |
| Sapphire | Katie Ladner | ||
| David Felton | Van Hughes | ||
| Estrella | Julia Cassandra | ||
| Polexia | Storm Lever | Jana Djenne Jackson | |
| Darryl | Daniel Sovich | Blaine Alden Krauss | |
| Silent Ed | Brandon Contreras | ||
| Dick Roswell | Gerard Canonico | ||
| Larry Fellows | Matt Bittner | Kelvin Moon Loh | |
| Ben Fong-Torres | Matthew C. Yee | ||
| Vic Nettles | Chad Burris | ||
| Dennis Hope | Sam Gravitte | Jakeim Hart | Chad Burris |
| Leslie | Libby Winters | Julia Cassandra | |
1Reading was presented with a cast of 13, with most actors playing multiple roles.
Musical numbers
Source: Playbill[13]
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|
† Not on Original Broadway Cast Recording
‡ Written for the film by Nancy Wilson
+ Included as bonus track on cast album, along with "Anything's Possible" sung by Solea Pfeiffer
Awards and nominations
2022 Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score | Tom Kitt and Cameron Crowe | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Awards[14] | Outstanding Music | Tom Kitt, AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer) | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical | Peter Hylenski | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Wig and Hair | Campbell Young Associates | Nominated | ||
| Theatre World Award[15] | Casey Likes | Honoree | ||
References
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (2019-09-27). "World Premiere Musical Adaptation of Almost Famous Opens at the Old Globe September 27". Playbill. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (2022-06-02). "'Almost Famous,' Now a Musical, Will Open on Broadway This Fall". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Messman, Lauren (2019-04-26). "'Almost Famous' Musical to Open in San Diego". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Charles McNulty (September 29, 2019). "Review: In the 'Almost Famous' musical, Cameron Crowe's coming-of-age rock tale burns bright".
- ^ "DidTheyLikeIt - Almost Famous". DidTheyLikeIt. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ Evans, Greg (2022-07-07). "'Almost Famous' Musical Sets New Broadway Opening Date, Lands Venue".
- ^ Huston, Caitlin (December 19, 2022). "'Almost Famous' to Close on Broadway in January". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ Sherman, Rachel (May 2, 2023). "Tony Awards Nominations 2023: The Complete List". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ Dorsey, Kristina. "A new 'Almost Famous': Cameron Crowe and Tom Kitt bring musical to O'Neill in Waterford". www.theday.com. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- ^ "Almost Famous Cast in San Diego" (PDF). theoldglobe.org. The Old Globe. September 13, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "Almost Famous Cast on Broadway". playbill.com. Playbill Vault. November 3, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "Reddit - The heart of the internet". www.reddit.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
- ^ "Almost Famous (Broadway, Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 2021)". Playbill. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "Shucked, Some Like It Hot Lead 2023 Drama Desk Award Nominations". 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Julie Benko, Jodie Comer & More Will Receive 2023 Theatre World Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
External links