''Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

with a book and lyrics by

Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford (née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee''. Gifford is a ...

and music by

David Pomeranz David Pomeranz (born February 9, 1951) is an American singer, composer, lyricist, and writer for musical theatre. He is also an ambassador for Operation Smile. Solo career Born and raised on Long Island, Pomeranz expressed interest in music from ...

and David Friedman. The musical has had productions in 2005 at the

White Plains, New York (Always Faithful) , image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png , seal_link = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State , su ...

Performing Arts Center, at the Signature Theatre in 2007, in 2011 at the

5th Avenue Theatre The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theatre located in Seattle's Skinner Building, in the U.S. state of Washington. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land are owned b ...

in Seattle and in 2012 on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. The musical is based on the life of

Aimee Semple McPherson Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson (née Kennedy; October 9, 1890 – September 27, 1944), also known as Sister Aimee or Sister, was a Canadian Pentecostalism, Pentecostal Evangelism, evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s,Ob ...

Overview

The musical relates events in the life of early 20th century

evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...

and

pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * Pop (Gas al ...

icon

. It follows her life and career from her childhood to her controversial death in 1944, focusing on her mysterious

kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

and the ensuing trial. Other highlights include her becoming the first woman to obtain a radio broadcast license in the United States, her cross-country drive unaccompanied by a man, her

multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradition ...

empire that included several newspapers, and her interactions with such contemporaries as

Charles Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

and

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...

Productions

''Saving Aimee'' debuted at the White Plains Performing Arts Center in October 2005. The cast featured

Carolee Carmello Carolee Ann Carmello (born September 1, 1962) is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series ''Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time T ...

as Aimee and Florence Lacey. A revised production, directed by

Eric Schaeffer Eric Schaeffer (born January 22, 1962) is an American actor, writer, and director. Early life and education Schaeffer was born in New York City, New York, and later graduated with a degree in drama and dance from Bard College. After graduat ...

and

choreographed Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

Christopher d'Amboise Christopher d'Amboise (born 1960) is an American danseur, choreographer, writer, and theatre director. Born and raised in New York City, the son of dancers Jacques d'Amboise and Carolyn George, d'Amboise became a principal dancer in the New ...

, opened on April 10, 2007 at the Signature Theatre in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

for a limited run, with Carolee Carmello again in the title role.Harris, Paul
" ''Saving Aimee'' review"
''Variety'', April 24, 2007 Four years later, the musical played at the

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, Washington, from September 30 to October 29, 2011. It was directed by David Armstrong, artistic director at 5th Avenue, with choreography by Lorin Laterro, sets by Walt Spangler and costumes by Gregory A. Poplyk. Carmello again played Aimee, with

Judy Kaye Judy Kaye (born October 11, 1948) is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals ''The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Ragtime'', '' Mamma Mia!'', and ...

as Minnie Kennedy,

Roz Ryan Roz Ryan (born Rosalyn Bowen; July 7, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and comedian who has worked for productions in film, television, and Broadway theatre for over 40 years. Ryan's first role on Broadway was in '' Ain't Misbehavin, a Fa ...

as Emma Jo Schaffer and Ed Dixon. The musical premiered on

at the

Neil Simon Theatre The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for A ...

, with previews starting on October 13, 2012, and opening officially on November 15, 2012. Carmello stars, with

George Hearn George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre. Early years Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before ...

playing both Aimee's father James Kennedy and a preacher Brother Bob. Ed Watts plays Aimee's husband, and Roz Ryan is again Emma Jo. Direction and choreography are again by Armstrong and Latarro, sets and costumes are again by Spangler and Poplyk, and lighting is by

Natasha Katz Natasha Katz is an American lighting designer for the theatre, dance, and opera. Biography Early life and education A New York City native, Katz trained at Oberlin College, and early in her career was mentored by Roger Morgan, a lighting design ...

. The new title of the musical is ''Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson.'' The producers include Foursquare Foundation and

Dick DeVos Richard Marvin DeVos Jr. (born October 21, 1955) is an American businessman and author. The son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, he served as CEO of the multi-level marketing company from 1993 to 2002. In 2006, DeVos ran for Governor of ...

, which ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' noted are "unusual newcomers", as Foursquare Foundation "provides grants to evangelical churches and ministries." ''Scandalous'' closed on December 9, 2012 after 29 regular performances and 31 previews. Difficulties arising from

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

were cited as a contributing factor to the closing.

was nominated for a 2013

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

in the category of Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role in A Musical and for a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

as Outstanding Actress in a Musical. The cast recording was released in 2013.

Musical Numbers

The musical numbers from the 2012 Broadway production are: ; Act I * "Stand Up" – Aimee & Ensemble * "Minnie's Prayer" – Minnie * "Why Can't I?" – Aimee * "He Will Be My Home" – Robert & Aimee * "Come Whatever May" – Robert & Aimee * "He Will Be My Home" (Reprise) – Robert, Aimee, James & Minnie * "That Sweet Lass From Cork" – Ensemble * "Come Whatever May" (Reprise) – Robert, Aimee & Ensemble * "How Could You?" – Aimee * "You Have a Fire" - Aimee & James * "Minnie's Prayer" (Reprise) – Minnie * "Follow Me" (Part 1) – Aimee & Ensemble * "A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do" – Emma Jo & Girls * "Follow Me" (Part 2) - Aimee & Ensemble * "For Such a Time as This" - Aimee & Ensemble ; Act II * "Hollywood Aimee" – Reporters * "Adam and Eve" – Aimee, David & Eve * "Foursquare March" – Aimee & Ensemble * "Samson and Delilha" – Aimee, David & Ensemble * "Hollywood Aimee" (Reprise) – Reports * "Moses and Pharaoh" – Aimee, David, Emma Jo & Ensemble * "It's Just You" – Kenneth & David * "The Coconut Grove" - The Lovely Coconuts, Louella & Reports * "No Other Choice" – Minnie * "Hollywood Aimee" (Reprise) - Ensemble * "Lost or Found?" - Aimee, Asa & Ensemble * "What Does It Profit?" - Aimee * "I Have a Fire" - Aimee & Ensemble The musical numbers from the 2011 Seattle production are: ; Act I * "Prelude" - Orchestra * "Stand Up" – Aimee & Ensemble * "For Such A Time As This" (Part 1) - Minnie * "Why Can't I?" – Aimee * "He Will Be My Home" – Robert & Aimee * "He Will Be My Home" (Reprise) – Robert, Aimee, James & Minnie * "Oh, the Power" - Robert, Aimee & Ensemble * "That Sweet Lass From Cork" – Ensemble * "Come Whatever May" – Robert, Aimee & Ensemble * "You'll Be Safe Here With Me" - Mac (Harold Stewart McPherson) & Aimee * "Follow Me" – Aimee & Ensemble * "A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do" – Emma Jo & Girls * "Follow Me" (Reprise) - Aimee & Ensemble * "For Such a Time as This" (Part 2) - Aimee & Ensemble ; Act II * "Hollywood Aimee" (Part 1) – Reporters * "Adam and Eve" – Aimee, David & Eve * "Foursquare March/Hollywood Aimee" (Part 2) – Aimee & Ensemble * "Samson and Delilha" – Aimee, David & Ensemble * "Hollywood Aimee" (Part 3) – Reports * "Moses and Pharaoh" – Aimee, David, Emma Jo & Ensemble * "Hollywood Aimee (Part 4) - Reporters * "It's Just You" – Kenneth * "This Time I'll Blame It On Love" – Aimee & David * "Lost or Found?/The Trial" - Full Company * "He'll Be My Home" (Reprise) - Aimee * "Oh, the Power" (Reprise) - Aimee & Ensemble * "I Have a Fire" - Aimee & Ensemble The musical numbers from the 2007 Virginia production are: ; Act I * "Stand Up" – Aimee & Ensemble * "For Such a Time as This" - Minnie * "Why Can't I?" – Aimee * "He Will Be My Home" – Robert & Aimee * "That Sweet Lass From Cork" – Ensemble * "Come Whatever May" – Robert & Aimee * "I Will Love You That Way" - Mac (Harold Stewart McPherson) & Aimee * "Follow Me!" – Aimee & Ensemble * "A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do" – Emma Jo & Girls * "Why Can't I Just Be a Woman" - Aimee ; Act II * "God Will Provide" - Emma Jo * "Adam and Eve" – Aimee, David & Eve * "Samson and Delilha" – Aimee, David & Ensemble * "Let My People Go!" – Aimee, David, Emma Jo & Ensemble * "Saving Aimee" – Minnie * "The Silent, Sorrowful Shadows" - Aimee * "Demon in a Dress" - Brother Bob * "Emma Jo's Lament" - Emma Jo * "Lost or Found?" - Aimee, Asa & Ensemble * "Paying The Price" - Aimee * "I Had Fire" - Aimee & Ensemble Songs cut from earlier versions of the production: * "The Silent, Sorrowful Shadows" - Aimee * "God Will Provide" - Emma Jo * "Emma Jo's Lament" - Emma Jo * "A Letter From Home" - James * "Demon in a Dress" - Brother Bob * "Saving Aimee" - Minnie

Critical reception

In its review of the Signature Theatre production, ''Variety'' wrote: "All is contained in Gifford's exceedingly thorough book, ripping nonstop from one crisis to another under Schaeffer's free-flowing direction. Pomeranz and Friedman break up the action with an enjoyable blend of tunes that opens with the spirited "Stand Up!"; highlights include an Irish jig, a rousing spiritual, some big ensemble numbers, and Aimee's signature tune, "Why Can't I Just Be a Woman?" " The ''theatremania'' reviewer of the same production wrote that the musical is a "rousing experience, thanks to a group of tour-de-force performances, especially from ... Carmello in the title role, and songs ... that add layers of emotional shading missing from the dialogue played out between them. Director Eric Schaeffer's deft hand maximizes the show's strengths, fusing performers, songs, and story into an entertaining blend."Toscano, Michael
"''Saving Aimee'' review"
''TheaterMania.com'', April 24, 2007

References

External links