42nd Street Moon is a professional theatre company in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California. The company specializes in the preservation and presentation of early and lesser-known works by Rodgers & Hammerstein,

Rodgers & Hart Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart's ...

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

, Irving Berlin,

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

and

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

Jerry Bock Jerrold Lewis Bock (November 23, 1928November 3, 2010) was an American musical theater composer. He received the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sheldon Harnick for their 1959 musical ''Fiorello!'' and the Tony A ...

Sheldon Harnick Sheldon Mayer Harnick (born April 30, 1924) is an American lyricist and songwriter best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on musicals such as ''Fiorello!'' and ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Early life Sheldon Mayer Harnick was bo ...

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include ''Cab ...

Jule Styne Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also became s ...

and

Comden and Green Comden and Green refers to the 60-year writing partnership of Betty Comden (1917–2006) and Adolph Green (1914–2002). They first met at the New York City nightclub Village Gate in 1941, writing the lyrics for a play titled ''The Revuers''. T ...

. In recent years, the company has branched out to include more contemporary works that continue the spirit of the classic American Musical. '
MoonSchool at 42nd Street Moon
'' is the education branch of the professional company, offering high-level theatre training for children, teens, and adults.

History

The company was founded by Greg MacKellan and Stephanie Rhoads in 1993."Unearthing rare musical gems (summary of article)"
''Stage Directions'', December 1, 2001 It has presented the American premiere of musical scores by Jerome Kern (''Three Sisters'' and ''The Cabaret Girl'') and Johnny Mercer (''The Good Companions''). 42nd Street Moon also produced the first American revivals of Rodgers & Hart's 1926 musical ''

Peggy-Ann ''Peggy-Ann'' is a musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Herbert Fields, based on the 1910 musical '' Tillie’s Nightmare'' by Edgar Smith. Production The musical opened on Broadway at the Vanderbilt Th ...

'' and André Previn's '' Coco''. For its first 15 seasons, the company presented its productions as staged concerts. In 2008, it began to produce "fully staged" musicals, with costumes and choreography. For example, the production of ''Strike Up the Band'' in 2011 had choreography by Alex Hsu and costumes reviewed as "to-die-for 1920s attire" by Scarlett Kellum. Two of 42nd Street Moon's productions have been recorded as Cast albums: Cole Porter's '' Something for the Boys'' and '' Leave it to Me''. Both represent the first full English language records for either of these two musicals, with ''Leave It to Me'' being sponsored in part by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

. Videos of most of 42nd Street Moon's productions are available for viewing at the

Museum of Performance & Design The Museum of Performance + Design, formerly the San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum, is located in the Bayview District of San Francisco, California at 2200 Jerrold Avenue, Ste. T. The Museum collects and makes accessible materials ab ...

in San Francisco.

Artistic Director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

MacKellan has led developed several musical salons, each dedicated to exploring and celebrating the work of some of Broadway's greatest songwriters. In 2013, ''

Once In Love With Loesser Once means a one-time occurrence. Once may refer to: Music * ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten'' * ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper * ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...

'' was performed, in celebration of Frank Loesser and built around the three stages of his career: as a

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...

lyricist, then working in Hollywood, and finally as a Broadway songwriter. Notable actors and actress who have worked with 42nd Street Moon include: Darren Criss (''Fanny'' – 1997, ''Do I Hear a Waltz'' – 1998, ''Babes in Arms'' – 1999); Andrea Marcovicci (''On a Clear Day'' – 1999, ''Coco'' – 2007–08);

Ann Morrison Ann Morrison (born April 9, 1956) is an American actress, best known for her Broadway debut as Mary Flynn in the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical, '' Merrily We Roll Along'' directed by Harold Prince for which she won the 1982 Theatre World ...

(''Can-Can'' – 2004–05); Lea DeLaria (''Once Upon a Mattress'' – 2004–05); Klea Blackhurst (''Red Hot and Blue'' – 2005–06, ''Call Me Madam'' – 2009–10); and

Jason Graae Jason Graae (pronounced "grah" or "graw", but not "gray") (born 15 May 1958) is an American musical theater actor, best known for his musical theater performances but with a varied career spanning Broadway, opera, television and film. He has ...

(''Little Me'' – 2012–13). Brent Barrett, Leslie Caron, Emily Skinner, Cady Huffman, Rebecca Luker, Andrea McArdle, Donna McKechnie, Marni Nixon, Charles Strouse, and Karen Ziemba have also performed in concerts or galas with the company. In 2016, Daren A.C. Carollo and Daniel Thomas were appointed Co-Executive Directors of 42nd Street Moon. In 2019
Anne Norland
was named Director of Education fo
MoonSchool
In 2020, Catalina Kumiski was named Director of Marketing.

Productions

*1993: '' Jubilee''; ''

One Touch of Venus ''One Touch of Venus'' is a 1943 musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the 1885 novella ''The Tinted Venus'' by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygma ...

''; ''

Oh, Lady! Lady!! ''Oh, Lady! Lady!!'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern, a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse and lyrics by Wodehouse. It was written for the Princess Theatre on Broadway, where it played in 1918 and ran for 219 performances. The story ...

''; ''

Fifty Million Frenchmen ''Fifty Million Frenchmen'' is a musical comedy with a book by Herbert Fields and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It opened on Broadway in 1929 and was adapted for a film two years later. The title is a reference to the hit 1927 song "Fifty Milli ...

''; '' Sweet Adeline''; '' DuBarry Was a Lady'' *1994: ''Peggy-Ann''; '' The Cat and the Fiddle''; ''

Hollywood Pinafore ''Hollywood Pinafore, or The Lad Who Loved a Salary'' is a musical comedy in two acts by George S. Kaufman, with music by Arthur Sullivan, based on Gilbert and Sullivan's ''H.M.S. Pinafore''. The work premiered on May 8, 1945, at Ford's Grand Opera ...

''; ''Something for the Boys''; '' Darling of the Day''; '' As Thousands Cheer'' *1995: '' A Connecticut Yankee''; ''

Pipe Dream Pipe dream may refer to: Music * ''Pipe Dream'' (John Williamson album), 1997, or the titular song * ''Pipedream'' (Alan Hull album), 1973 * ''Pipe Dreams'' (Murray Head album), 1995 * "Pipe Dreams" (Nelly Furtado song), 2016 * ''Pipe Dream ...

''; '' America's Sweetheart''; '' Very Warm for May''; '' I Married an Angel''; '' Three Sisters''; The Great Revues (revue); Once in a Blue Moon (revue); Nobody's Heart (Rodgers & Hart revue); The Song is You (Oscar Hammerstein, II revue) *1996: ''

Silk Stockings ''Silk Stockings'' is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath Leueen MacGrath (3 July 1914 – 27 March 1992) was an English actress and playwright and the second wife of George S. Kaufman, from 1949 until their divor ...

''; ''

Dearest Enemy ''Dearest Enemy'' is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and music by Richard Rodgers. This was the first of eight book musicals written by the songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart and writer Herbert Fields, and the f ...

''; '' Goodtime Charley''; ''

The Night Boat ''The Night Boat'' (1920) is a musical in three acts, based on a farce by Alexandre Bisson, with a book and lyrics by Anne Caldwell and music by Jerome Kern. The story lampoons the notorious New York City-to- Albany night boat, on which clandesti ...

''; '' Roberta''; '' Lady, Be Good!''; Love and Nuts and Noodles (revue); Something Sort of Grandish (Yip Harburg revue) *1997: '' Face the Music''; ''

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

''; '' High Spirits''; '' Fanny''; '' Something for the Boys''; Jubilee; I'd Like to Hide It (revue) *1998: ''

Do I Hear a Waltz? ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'' is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was adapted from Laurents' 1952 play ''The Time of the Cuckoo'', which was the basis for the 1955 film '' Summertime' ...

''; '' Girl Crazy''; ''

Redhead Red hair (also known as orange hair and ginger hair) is a hair color found in one to two percent of the human population, appearing with greater frequency (two to six percent) among people of Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and ...

''; '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn''; ''

Nymph Errant ''Nymph Errant'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Romney Brent based upon the novel by James Laver. The somewhat controversial story concerned a young English lady intent upon losing her virginity. Porter considered t ...

''; '' Call Me Madam''; Fabulous Flops (revue) *1999: ''

Fiorello! ''Fiorello!'' is a musical about New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia, a reform Republican, which debuted on Broadway in 1959, and tells the story of how La Guardia took on the Tammany Hall political machine. The book is by Jerome Weidman and ...

''; '' Sitting Pretty''; '' On a Clear Day''; ''

Let's Face It! ''Let's Face It!'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields is based on the 1925 play ''The Cradle Snatchers'' by Russell Medcraft and Norma Mitchell. The 1941 Broadway and 1942 West End produ ...

''; ''

The Grass Harp ''The Grass Harp'' is a novel by Truman Capote published on October 1, 1951Clarke, Gerald. ''Capote: A Biography'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988), page 224. It tells the story of an orphaned boy and two elderly ladies who observe life from a ...

''; '' Babes in Arms''; A Century of Musicals (revue) *2000: '' Funny Face''; '' Out of This World''; ''

The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...

''; '' Dear World''; ''I Married an Angel''; Jazz Up Your Lingerie! (revue) *2001: '' It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!''; ''The Cat and the Fiddle''; '' Do Re Mi''; ''

Goldilocks "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...

''; ''

Leave It to Me! ''Leave It to Me!'' is a 1938 musical produced by Vinton Freedley with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The book was a collaborative effort by Samuel and Bella Spewack, who also directed the Broadway production. The musical was based on the play ...

''; Guess What's Under My Umbrella (revue) *2002: '' By Jupiter''; ''Pipe Dream''; ''A Connecticut Yankee''; ''Peggy-Ann''; '' Too Many Girls'' *2003: '' Paint Your Wagon''; ''Roberta''; ''

Finian's Rainbow ''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...

''; ''

Oh Captain! ''Oh, Captain!'' is a musical comedy based on the 1953 film '' The Captain's Paradise'' with music and lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and the book by Al Morgan and José Ferrer. The basis of the musical was the 1953 film '' The Captai ...

''; ''Fifty Million Frenchman''; *2004–05: '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes''; '' The Cabaret Girl''; '' Can-Can''; ''

Hooray for What! ''Hooray for What!'' is an anti-warConnema, Richar''Hooray for What!'' is a Hilarious Send-up of America Talkin' Broadway Regional News & reviews: San Francisco, undated but presumably November 2004 when 42nd Street Moon Productions performed the ...

''; '' Once Upon a Mattress''; '' Minnie's Boys''; '' The Boys from Syracuse'' *2005–06: '' Red Hot and Blue!''; ''

Miss Liberty ''Miss Liberty'' is a 1949 Broadway musical with a book by Robert E. Sherwood and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. It is based on the sculpting of the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World'') in 1886. The score includes the song " ...

''; '' The Roar of the Greasepaint''; '' The Golden Apple''; ''

Mack & Mabel ''Mack and Mabel'' (often stylized as Mack & Mabel) is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. The plot involves the tumultuous romantic relationship between Hollywood director Mack Sennett and Mabel Norman ...

'' *2006–07: ''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written and drawn ...

''; ''

Pardon My English ''Pardon My English'' is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Set in 1933 Dresden, the farcical plot satirizes the Prohibition era. Production history Producers Alex A ...

''; '' Flora the Red Menace''; ''

Plain and Fancy ''Plain and Fancy'' is a musical comedy with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Arnold Horwitt, and music by Albert Hague. One of the first depictions of an Amish community in American pop culture, it includes a traditional barn r ...

''; ''

Gay Divorce ''Gay Divorce'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Dwight Taylor, adapted by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. It was Fred Astaire's last Broadway show and featured the hit song " Night and Day" in which Astaire d ...

'' *2007–08: ''

''; ''Oh, Lady! Lady!!''; ''The Student Gypsy or "The Prince of Liederkranz"''; '' Coco''; Peddling Rainbows (Harburg revue); ''Out of This World'' *2008–09: ''

Irma La Douce ''Irma la Douce'' (, "Irma the Sweet") is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond, based on the 1956 French stage musical of the same name by Marguerite Monnot and Alexa ...

''; ''Girl Crazy''; ''

Ben Franklin in Paris ''Ben Franklin in Paris'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Sidney Michaels, and music by Mark Sandrich, Jr. with two songs contributed by Jerry Herman. Premise The story is a somewhat fictionalized account of Benjamin Franklin's adventure ...

''; '' High Spirits''; '' Wildcat!''; *2009–10: ''Call Me Madam''; '' Destry Rides Again''; I Feel a Song Coming On; ''Jubilee''; ''Nice Work If You Can Get It''; ''Lady, Be Good!''; ''Very Warm for May''; ''Everything The Traffic Will Allow: The Songs and Sass of Ethel Merman'' *2010–11: ''

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specifica ...

''; Once in a Million Moons; '' Murder for Two: A Killer Musical''; ''Babes in Arms, And All That Jazz''; '' Strike Up the Band''; ''Silk Stockings''Peter, Thoma
42nd Street Moon's 2010–2011 Season to Include Forum, Murder for Two, Babes in Arms and More"
playbill.com, March 3, 2010 *2011–12: ''Nymph Errant''; ''

Oh, Kay! ''Oh, Kay!'' is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. It is based on the play ''La Présidente'' by Maurice Hennequin and Pierre Veber. The plot revolves around the adventur ...

''; '' Three Sisters''; ''

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

''; '' Zorba'' *2012–13: '' Of Thee I Sing''; ''

Carmelina ''Carmelina'' is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein and Alan Jay Lerner, lyrics by Lerner, and music by Burton Lane. Based on the 1968 film ''Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell'', it focuses on an Italian woman who has raised her teenaged daughter Gi ...

''; '' Pal Joey''; ''

Carnival! ''Carnival'' is a musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film ''Lili'', which again was based on the short story ...

''; '' Little Me'' *2013–14: '' It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman''; ''I Married an Angel''; '' Snoopy!!!''; ''

Painting the Clouds with Sunshine "Painting the Clouds with Sunshine" is a popular song published in 1929. The music was written by Joe Burke and the lyrics by Al Dubin for the 1929 musical film ''Gold Diggers of Broadway'' when it was sung by Nick Lucas. ''Gold Diggers of Broa ...

''; '' DuBarry Was a Lady'' *2014–15: ''

''; '' The Boy Friend''; '' Something for the Boys''; '' Nick and Nora''; '' Where's Charley?'' *2015–16: '' Sail Away''; '' Scrooge in Love!''; '' The Boys from Syracuse''; '' The Most Happy Fella'' *2016–17: ''

Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detec ...

''; '' Scrooge in Love!''; '' New Girl in Town''; ''

No No Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''. The farcical story involves th ...

'' *2017–18: '' Ain't Misbehavin''; ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is one of Burnett's most popular novels and ...

''; '' Saturday Night''; '' Me and My Girl'' *2018–19: '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'', '' Dames at Sea'', ''

110 in the Shade ''110 in the Shade'' is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt. Based on Nash's 1954 play '' The Rainmaker'', it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest ...

Once Once means a one-time occurrence. Once may refer to: Music * ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten'' * ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper * ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...

The Oldest Living Cater Waiter ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' **Summer of 2019 MoonSchool: '' Aladdin Kids'' and '' Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure'' *2019–20: ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

(in Concert),

Hot Mikado : ''Hot Mikado'' is a musical comedy, based on Gilbert and Sullivan's 1885 comic opera '' The Mikado'', adapted by David H. Bell (book and lyrics) and Rob Bowman (orchestrations and arrangements). After researching the 1939 Broadway musical, ' ...

, Scrooge in Love!,

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder ''A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder'' is a musical comedy, with the book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and the music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. It is based on the 1907 novel '' Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal'' by Roy Hornima ...

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his c ...

, Merrily We Roll Along (The 1981 Musical)'' and '' Merrily We Roll Along (The 1934 Play)'' presented in repertory as part of the Back to Back Series an
The Sondheim Sweep

References

{{reflist

External links

42nd Street Moon Website
Theatre companies in San Francisco Musical theatre companies Regional theatre in the United States Arts organizations established in 1993 Performing groups established in 1993 1993 establishments in California Theatre company production histories