''George M. Cohan Tonight!'' is a 2006
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
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
, conceived, written and arranged by
Chip Deffaa, with music and lyrics by
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer.
Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...
, and additional material by Deffaa.
Orlando Weekly
/ref>
It is a one-man show depicting the life and music of Cohan utilizing his songs, dance routines, memoirs, and the stories of those who knew him. Able to be performed in dozen of venues, ''George M. Cohan Tonight!'' opened Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
in 2006 at the Irish Repertory Theatre
The Irish Repertory Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre company founded in 1988.
History
The Irish Repertory Theatre was founded by Ciarán O'Reilly and Charlotte Moore and opened its doors in September 1988 with Sean O'Casey's '' The Plough ...
in New York City. The original cast album is available from Sh-K-Boom Records/Ghostlight Records.
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' hailed the show as "brash, cocky, and endlessly euphoric" (''The New York Times'', March 11, 2006). The show originally starred Jon Peterson, was directed by Chip Deffaa, with musical direction by Sterling Price-McKinney. The show earned star Jon Peterson a Drama Desk nomination, and author/director Chip Deffaa an IRNE Award (Independent Reviewers of New England). It is one of six different musicals about Cohan, created for different sized casts and audiences, created by Deffaa.
Productions
Since 2006, ''George M. Cohan Tonight!'' has toured the United States appearing in many regional theatre houses. Jon Peterson, Justin Boccitto, and David Herzog have all starred in productions of the show in the US, directed by Deffaa. ''George M. Cohan Tonight!'' made an Asian debut in South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
in 2007. In August 2008, it made its European debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...
starring David Herzog. Herzog is set to star in the show's British debut, opening September 21, 2010 at the New Players' Theatre on the West End in London.
Musical Numbers
*Hello Broadway/ Give My Regards to Broadway
*The Man Who Owns Broadway
*Night Time
*Musical Moon
*Ireland, My Land of Dreams
*I'm Saving Up to Buy a Home for Mother
*Josephine/Oh, You Wonderful Girl
*The Hinkey Dee
* Harrigan
*You Won't Do Any Business If You Haven't Got a Band
*My Father Told Me
* Forty-five Minutes from Broadway
*I'm Awfully Strong For You
*Oh! You Beautiful Girl/I Want the World to Know
*Goodbye Flo
*I Want to Hear a Yankee Doodle Tune
*The Fatal Curse of Drink
* The Yankee Doodle Boy
* Mary's a Grand Old Name
* You're a Grand Old Flag
*Over There
"Over There" is a 1917 war song written by George M. Cohan that was popular with the United States military and the American public during World War I and World War II. Written shortly after the American entry into World War I, "Over There" i ...
*Drink With Me/Did Ya Ever Have One of Those Days?
*I Love Everyone In the Wide, Wide World/I'm True to Them All
*All-American Sweetheart
*I Won't Be An Actor No More
*Life's a Funny Proposition After All
*All Aboard for Broadway/ Give My Regards to Broadway (Reprise)
References
{{reflist
External links
Chip Deffaa website
2006 musicals
Off-Broadway musicals
George M. Cohan