Dempsey and Rowe refers to the duo of John Dempsey (playwright and lyricist) and

Dana P. Rowe Dana P. Rowe is an American musical theater composer whose works have been performed internationally with productions in London’s West End (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Prince of Wales, The Donmar Warehouse), Russia, Czech Republic, Japan (including ...

(composer). They have written six

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

: ''The Reluctant Dragon'', '' Zombie Prom'' (1996), '' The Fix'' (1997), '' The Witches of Eastwick'' (2000), ''Brother Russia'' (2012) and ''Blackbeard'' (2019).

The Fix (1997)

''The Fix'' premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in April 1997 under the direction of

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honour ...

. Its working title was "Cal: A Musical Tale of Relative Insanity". After mixed critical reception, the material were rewritten and the tone made more comic. The revised version, featuring an expanded, bolder orchestration, premiered at the Signature Theatre, Arlington.

The Witches of Eastwick (2000)

Previewing from 24 June 2000 and opening on 18 July 2000 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, ''The Witches of Eastwick'' was based on John Updike's novel and its

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

. The original cast featured Ian McShane as Darryl Van Horne, with Lucie Arnaz, Maria Friedman and

Joanna Riding Joanna Riding (born Joanne Riding; 9 November 1967) is an English actress. For her work in West End musicals, she has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, and has been nominated for three others. Early life Riding was born in Preston, Lancashire ...

as the witches.

Eric D. Schaeffer Eric D. Schaeffer is an American theater director and producer based in Arlington, Virginia. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Signature Theatre., and is well known nationally for his re-invention of large American musicals for ...

, the director who 'fixed' previous show, ''The Fix,'' for its American premiere, was employed to head the production. ''The Witches of Eastwick'' transferred to the Prince of Wales Theatre on 23 March 2001, where the set design was reconceived and a new song, "The Glory of Me" added in place of Van Horne's solo, "Who's the Man?". The production closed on the 27 October 2001. ''The Witches of Eastwick'' was also produced as the season-ending musical to the Signature Theatre's 2006-2007 season, starring Marc Kudisch, Emily Skinner, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, and Christiane Noll.

Blackbeard (2019)

Dempsey and Rowe's musical ''Blackbeard'' opened on 18 June 2019 at the Signature Theatre, closing on 14 July. Inspired by the historical pirate, it follows Blackbeard's crew on a 'fantastical journey across the globe to raise an undead pirate army from the depths of the sea'.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dempsey And Rowe American musical theatre composers