 | Curtains is a musical with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes. Based on the original book and concept by Peter Stone, the musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts and follows the fallout when the supremely untalented star of Robbin' Hood of the Old West is murdered during her opening night curtain call. Can a police detective/musical theatre fan save the show, solve the case, and maybe even find love before the show reopens, without getting killed himself? |
| Stone died in April 2003, leaving the book unfinished, and Holmes was hired to rewrite it. Ebb also died before the musical was completed. Curtains had its world premiere on July 25, 2006 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Local reviews were mixed but not discouraging, and the producers decided to transfer the show to Broadway. After twenty-three previews, the Broadway production, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Ashford, opened on March 22, 2007 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre to mixed reviews. The cast includes David Hyde Pierce (see photo taken by Alan Light at the 47th Emmy Awards, 9/11/94), Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba, Edward Hibbert, and John Bolton (reprising the roles they played in LA), as well as Ernie Sabella. The musical garnered eight Tony Award nominations, with Hyde Pierce winning the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. It has been announced that Curtains will close on June 29, 2008. A U.S. (and possibly Canadian) tour of Curtains is scheduled to start in September 2009. | |
"I Miss the Music" from Curtains - Jason Danieley at the Drama Desk Awards Lyrics: "I Miss the Music" I miss the music I miss the song Since she’s not with me It comes out wrong It doesn’t matter How hard I try I’ve lost the music I don’t know why You may have known Before I met her I wrote alone But if you ask me What I prefer I’d say the music I wrote with her When you’re writing a song And you’ve a partner The room is filled with jokes and chatter She says something You say something She writes a line You play a vamp But when you’re writing a song Without a partner That’s a completely different matter No one tells you “That’s not funny” No one says “Let’s cut that bar” No one makes you better than you are I can’t pretend I miss the music I miss my friend If you should ask me What I prefer I choose the music I wrote with her I miss the music I miss my friend No need to ask me What I prefer I choose the music I wrote with her I love the music I made with her | |
Young Frankenstein Top Billy Elliot the Musical |
