What’s hot at Broadway Licensing Global? Check out the top trending titles of the week from Broadway Licensing, Dramatists Play Service, and Playscripts.
Let It Be by Annerin Productions, Stageworks Productions, and Maggie Pitts
Set in the turbulent times of the 1960s and 1970s, Let it Be, follows a group of teenage friends and their intertwining stories during the height of the Vietnam War. The teens struggle with the unrest of the country, their loss of innocence and the long journey home.
Told solely through the stirring music and compelling lyrics of their greatest hits, including “Come Together,” “Blackbird,” and more, the staging and choreography propel the story forward allowing the focus to remain on the genius of The Beatles and the impact of their music. Let it Be proves The Beatles are just as relevant today, as yesterday. A winning title for schools, colleges, and community and professional theatres.
Fireflies by
From the novel Eleanor and Abel by Annette Sanford. Retired schoolteacher Eleanor Bannister lives a quiet life alone in tiny Groverdell, Texas, set in her routines and secure in her position as the town’s most respected woman—until a hole in her roof draws the attention of Abel Brown, a smooth-talking drifter intent on renovating Eleanor’s house, and possibly her life. Can the unexpected sparks of late-life romance be trusted, or is there truth in the gossip that Abel isn’t all that he seems to be? Either way, the whole town is talking.
‘Art’ by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton
Recipient of the 1998 Tony Award® for Best Play
How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? One of Marc’s best friends, Serge, has just bought a very expensive painting. It’s about five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines. To Marc, the painting is a joke, but Serge insists Marc doesn’t have the proper standard to judge the work. Another friend, Ivan, though burdened by his own problems, allows himself to be pulled into this disagreement. Eager to please, Ivan tells Serge he likes the painting. Lines are drawn and these old friends square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their friendships. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: “Go on.” This is where the friendship is finally tested, and the aftermath of action, and its reaction, affirms the power of those bonds.
Bob: A Life in Five Acts by
BOB chronicles the highly unusual life of Bob and his lifelong quest to become a “Great Man.” Born and abandoned in the bathroom of a fast food restaurant, Bob energetically embarks on an epic journey across America and encounters inspiring generosity, crushing hardships, blissful happiness, stunning coincidences, wrong turns, lucky breaks, true love and heartbreaking loss. Along the way, Bob meets a myriad of fellow countrymen all struggling to find their own place in the hullaballoo of it all. Will Bob’s real life ever be able to live up to his dream? BOB is a comedic exploration of American mythology and values, the treacherous pursuit of happiness, and discovering what it means to be truly “great.”
Talley’s Folly by
Winner of the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The scene is the ornate, deserted Victorian boathouse on the Talley place in Lebanon, Missouri; the time 1944. Matt Friedman, an accountant from St. Louis, has arrived to plead his love to Sally Talley, the susceptible but uncertain daughter of the family. Bookish, erudite, totally honest, and delightfully funny, Matt refuses to accept Sally’s rebuffs and her fears that her family would never approve of their marriage. Charming and indomitable, he gradually overcomes her defenses, telling his innermost secrets to his loved one and, in return, learning hers as well. Gradually he awakens Sally to the possibilities of a life together until, in the final, touching moments of the play, it is clear that they are two kindred spirits who have truly found each other—two “lame ducks” who, in their union, will find a wholeness rare in human relationships.
Sorry, Wrong Number by
A mystery thriller, the tale of a neurotic invalid, whose only contact with the outside world is her phone. Over this, one night, because of a crossed wire, she hears plans for a murder, which turns out to be her own. Her frantic efforts to enlist help through the only means at her disposal, her growing terror and realization of the truth, and (along the way) the hints about her own life and personality she lets drop, make this a full character portrait not only of herself but of the unseen murderer, whose identity and motivations are surmised but never revealed. A tour de force of acting for the female star, who commands the stage throughout, this play also picks up through the many phone calls, personality vignettes of the outside world, including gangsters, phone operators, a police sergeant, etc., each of which is distinct and of vital importance to the storyline. The play has been adapted by the author for an easy stage presentation, which should be as telling as the original radio version; although both have been made available in this present printing.
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey by
One actor portrays every character in a small Jersey Shore town as he unravels the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant fourteen-year-old boy who goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone, Leonard becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town’s citizens question how they live, who they love, and what they leave behind.
Property Rites by Alan Haehnel
Kyle Macmanus has invested millions in a high-tech work of art — fifteen human-figure sculptures programmed to perform thousands of movements, monologues, dialogues, and more. But just when Kyle is about to sell the sculpture, it malfunctions; the figures are alive. As each one struggles to achieve autonomy, they begin a fatal race against their desperate owner’s destructive plan.
12 Incompetent Jurors by Ian McWethy
When a man is accused of abducting half a dozen cats, it’s a simple open-and-shut case, even for a jury that’s filled with oddballs like a dim-witted PR guy, a bickering couple, and a man obsessed with french fries. After all, every scrap of evidence indicts the accused. (I mean so clearly. The man is very, very guilty of stealing cats. Case closed.) And yet, Juror #8, a wannabe lawyer, believes that the “Cat Burglar” is innocent. Will he be able to sway the other jury members? Or will they side with Juror #3, the only sane man in the room? A hilarious parody of 12 Angry Men. (A short version of this play is also available.)
The Shape of the Grave by Laura Lundgren Smith
The Troubles raging through Northern Ireland cost sixteen-year-old Colleen half her family, and she sees only one way to give her loss meaning: join the bloody fight for Irish independence from Britain. It seems so simple, but the IRA’s reception isn’t what Colleen expects and her older sister Brigid will do anything to stop her from making the same mistake as their father. How far will she go to make her path clear again? How far will Ireland go? And Britain? And what more will it cost?
Additional Trending Musicals
Ride the Cyclone (High School Edition) by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond
In this hilarious and outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win a prize like no other — the chance to return to life. This popular musical is a funny, moving look at what makes a life well-lived!
Old Man and the Old Moon (Large Cast) by PigPen Theatre Co.
The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody that sparks memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily for audiences everywhere, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.
County Fair by Taylor Ferrera and Matt Webster
After the death of their father, two sisters, Claudia and DJ Stratford, return home to deal with their inheritance: a massive and beloved county fair in rural Georgia. Thinking that this could be the cash windfall that they desperately seek, the sisters plan to sell off the fair land to the highest bidder, then high tail it back to civilization. But when Claudia starts to fall in love with the fair, the townsfolk, and an over-apologetic board member, her heart leads her away from her sister and down a path she’s unprepared for. Needing the money to pay off a large, secret gambling debt, DJ must do whatever it takes to sell the fair – even if that means sabotaging her sister’s new romantic relationship. Betrayals, imposters, and mistaken identity lead to sister battling sister in a winner-take-all Messina County Dixie Derby competition to save the fair. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and full of all your favorite country hits like “Chicken Fried,” “Hey Good Lookin’,” “The House That Built Me,” “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and so many others, County Fair is a new musical comedy about sisters, community, and being proud of where you come from.
