By Brian Robin
Prelude to … “Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical”—Fun Facts
Days of Wine and Roses, The Musical Hits Broadway
Before Craig Lucas reunites with SCR, he reunites with composer and lyricist Adam Guettel to bring audiences another musical adaptation of a familiar work—Days of Wine and Roses, The Musical, which began previews at Broadway’s Studio 54 earlier this month. The play runs through April 28.
This marks the first collaboration between Lucas and Guettel since The Light in the Piazza in 2003. It ran 10 years ago this month at SCR.
Days of Wine and Roses, The Musical is based on JP Miller’s 1958 teleplay which became a popular movie, starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick four years later. It tells the story of a couple falling in love in 1950s New York as they battle personal demons and internal struggles to build a family.
Directed by Michael Greif, Days of Wine and Roses, The Musicalwrapped up a 2 ½-month run at New York’s Atlantic Theater last July.
The Wall Street Journal wrote that stars “Kelli O’Hara and Brian D’Arcy James are brilliant.” The New York Times described it as “A jazzy, aching new musical with wells of compassion.” And The Wrap called it “One of the century’s few great musicals!”
Fun Facts
This is the first of a series of Fun Facts concerning the centerpiece to SCR’s 60th season—the world premiere of Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical.
Did you know…
- Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical will be Craig Lucas’ seventh SCR production. It follows Reckless, Prelude to a Kiss (first written as a play without music), Marry Me a Little, Three Postcards, Blue Window and The Light in the Piazza to SCR stages.
- The original Prelude to a Kissenjoyed its world premiere at SCR in 1988. Directed by Lucas’ longtime collaborator, Norman René, it went on to Broadway, then was made into a film.
- Prelude to a Kiss was nominated for a Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
- Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical was a featured reading at the 2019 Pacific Playwrights Festival.
- This marks SCR Artistic Director David Ivers’ third SCR production as director. He previously helmed One Man, Two Guvnors (2015) and She Loves Me (2020).
- Ivers spent five days in Chicago in early November to workshop movement with Choreographer Julia Rhoads. That’s one of numerous workshops conducted over the last five years dedicated to the music, the story and the overall play. In addition, auditions were held in New York and Los Angeles.
- Sound Designer Andrea Allmond is working on her second consecutive SCR production and third overall. She is the sound designer for the Theatre for Young Audiences and Families production of Alice’s Wonderland (running Feb. 10-25). In 2022, she designed sound for Nina Simone, Four Women.
- Put Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical on your calendar—it promises to be a must-see theatrical event.
About the author
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory is a Tony Award-winning theatre is known for producing classics, contemporary hits and world premieres, for having the largest new-play development program in the nation and for advancing the art of theatre in service to the community.