Paradise Square (musical)
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| Paradise Square | |
|---|---|
 Broadway promotional poster | |
| Music | Jason Howland |
| Lyrics | Masi Asare Nathan Tysen |
| Book | Christina Anderson Larry Kirwan Craig Lucas |
| Basis | Hard Times by Larry Kirwan |
| Premiere | January 10, 2019: Berkeley Repertory Theatre |
| Productions | 2012 Off Off Broadway 2019 Berkeley 2021 Chicago 2022 Broadway |
Paradise Square is a stage musical, with music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Masi Asare and Nathan Tysen, and a book by Christina Anderson, Larry Kirwan and Craig Lucas. Set in New York City during the Civil War and the New York City draft riots, the musical follows conflict between Irish Americans and Black Americans. The production is directed by Moisés Kaufman and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, with intimacy direction by Gaby Labotka.[1] The musical opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on April 3, 2022.
The show received mixed reviews from critics, and earned 10 nominations at the 75th Tony Awards, including Best Musical, with Joaquina Kalukango winning Best Actress.[2]
The musical is based on Hard Times, conceived by Kirwan, which was originally presented Off Off Broadway in 2012 at Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre, under the direction of Kira Simring.
Production history
Berkeley (2018)
The musical premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California on December 27, 2018, for a limited run which was extended to March 3, 2019.[3]
Chicago (2021)
It had a pre-Broadway run at the Nederlander Theatre in Chicago from November 2 to December 5, 2021.[4] The production opened to mostly positive reviews.[5]
Broadway (2022)
The musical began previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City on March 15, 2022, prior to an official opening on April 3, 2022.[6] It received mixed reviews and was subsequently closed briefly due to widespread COVID-19 issues amongst the cast and crew.
On July 11, 2022, it was announced the musical would play its final Broadway performance on July 17, due to low ticket sales.[7] After several cast members and stage managers spoke out against the working conditions and unpaid benefits, Actors' Equity announced plans to put producer Garth Drabinsky on the "Do Not Work" list, effectively banning him from producing any future Broadway shows.[8]
An Original Broadway Cast Recording was expected to be released in September 2022, with a national tour in development for the 2023-24 season, and international productions also in the works. However, due to financial and legal dealings with Drabinsky, the album was placed on hold with no date determined for the album release as of January 2023.[9]
Musical numbers
Berkeley (2018)
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Chicago (2021)
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Broadway (2022)
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Cast and characters
| Character | Berkeley[10] | Chicago[11] | Broadway[13] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| Nelly O'Brien | Christina Sajous | Joaquina Kalukango | |
| Annie Lewis | Madeline Trumble | Chilina Kennedy | |
| Frederic Tiggens | N/a | John Dossett | |
| Washington Henry | Sidney DuPont | ||
| Owen Duignan | A.J. Shively | ||
| Reverend Samuel Jacob Lewis | Daren A. Herbert | Nathaniel Stampley | |
| Angelina Baker | Gabrielle McClinton | ||
| 'Lucky' Mike Quinlan | Kevin Dennis | ||
| Milton Moore | Jacob Fishel | ||
| Willie O’Brien | Brendan Wall | Matt Bogart | |
| Nova/“Paradise Square” Dancer | N/a | Chloe Davis | |
| Provost Marshal/Daniel Jenkins | Ben Michael | ||
| Sarah/"Paradise Square" Singer | N/a | Hailee Kaleem Wright | |
| Blessed | N/a | Kayla Pecchioni | |
| Amelia Tiggins | N/a | Erica Spyres | |
| Elmer Woods | Mark Uhre | Colin Cunliffe | |
| Notification Officer/Way Station Attendant | N/a | Josh Davis | |
| Janey Foster | Kennedy Caughell | N/a | |
| Camp Butler | Bernard Dotson | N/a | |
| Levi Butler | Jacobi Hall | N/a | |
| Patrick Murphy | Chris Whelan | N/a | |