Take Flight (musical)
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| Take Flight | |
|---|---|
 Original London Cast Recording | |
| Music | David Shire |
| Lyrics | Richard Maltby, Jr. |
| Book | John Weidman |
| Basis | The pioneers of flight: the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart |
| Productions | 2007 Menier Chocolate Factory, London |
Take Flight is a musical with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. The musical is inspired by the early history of aviation, interweaving the lives of the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and her publisher George Putnam, along with such sundry luminaries as Otto Lilienthal, the German "Glider King"; Commander Richard Byrd; French flying aces Nungesser and Coli, and various others.
The musical premiered at London's Menier Chocolate Factory in July 2007, directed by Sam Buntrock.[1][2][3][4]
Prior to the London premiere, private readings were held in October 2004, after a workshop. Maltby directed, with a cast that featured Kelli O'Hara as Amelia Earhart and Christian Borle as Wilbur Wright.[5] The show was also initially presented as a concert at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2004.[2]
It received its American premiere at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, in April 2010 running through June 6. The production was also directed by Sam Buntrock. The cast featured Jenn Colella (Amelia Earhart), Michael Cumpsty (George Putnam), Claybourne Elder (Charles Lindbergh) and Benjamin Schrader (Orville Wright).[6]
A new version of the musical premiered at the Perèz Art Museum Miami (PAMM) on April 4th 2024 in partnership with the University of Miami’s BFA Musical Theatre program, in Miami, Florida. The cast included Madison Wenig (Amelia Earhart), Michael Stafford (George Putnam), Davis Parks (Wilbur Wright), Griffin Welti (Orville Wright), Owen Trawick (Charles Lindbergh), Will Sobel (Otto Lilienthal), Kate Bevilacqua (Amy Phipps), Eve Cohen (Anne Morrow), along with Oliver Whitehouse, Ainsley Nelson, Ava Chrusciel, Keenan Lyons, Diego Rodriguez, Nate Bergman, and Ainsley Gilbert, playing various characters in the ensemble.
Musical numbers
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Original London cast (in alphabetical order)
- George Putnam - Ian Bartholomew
- Otto Lilienthal - Clive Carter
- Noonan, Byrd, others - Christopher Colley
- Ray Page, others - Ian Conningham
- Hall, others - John Conroy
- Follies Amelia, others - Helen French
- Burke, others - Edward Gower
- Amy Phipps, others - Kaisa Hammarlund
- Charles Lindbergh - Michael Jibson
- Wilbur Wright - Sam Kenyon
- Orville Wright - Elliot Levey
- Mrs. Lindbergh, others - Liza Pulman
- Amelia Earhart - Sally Ann Triplett
Cast Recording
The Original Cast Recording of the London production was released by PS Classics in 2008 (ASIN: B000XUOLLQ). One Song, Pffft!, was made available only by digital download.[7][8]