''Joy'' is a 2022

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatre, 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, ...

with music and lyrics by AnnMarie Milazzo, and a book by

Ken Davenport Ken Davenport (born Kenneth Anjum Hasija, August 23, 1972) is a two-time Tony Award-winning theatre producer, blogger, and writer. He is best known for his production work on Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway. Early life Davenport was born in Pho ...

. It is based on the life story of entrepreneur and inventor

Joy Mangano Joy Mangano ( ; born February 1, 1956) is an American inventor and entrepreneur known for inventions such as the self-wringing Miracle Mop. She was the president of Ingenious Designs, LLC, and appeared regularly on the U.S. television shopping ...

, using her autobiography ''Inventing Joy'' and the 2015 film ''

Joy Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratitu ...

'' as a basis for the story. The show debuted in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

at the

George Street Playhouse George Street Playhouse is a theater company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the city's Civic Square, New Brunswick, Civic Square government and theater district and resident at the newly built New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. The GSP is o ...

in 2022, with previews beginning on December 9 and a

premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...

date on December 16.

Synopsis

The true story is about one woman's triumphant climb, from divorce to single motherhood and bankruptcy, to becoming a wildly successful dynamo that all started with the invention of a mop – her Miracle Mop! Based on the life of Joy Mangano—the entrepreneur, inventor, best-selling author, and self-made millionaire whose journey epitomizes the real American Dream.

Productions

George Street Playhouse (2022)

The world premiere production was directed by Casey Hushion, with choreography by Joshua Bergasse, music direction by Rick Edinger, scene design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Tina McCartney, light design by Jen Schriever, and sound design by Dan Moses Schreier. Mangano attended the opening night performance with her family. In an interview with the

Delaware County Daily Times The ''Delaware County Daily Times'' is a daily newspaper founded 1876. It is the only major newspaper in the state to be branded with a county name rather than a city. It is known for its colorful "Sound Off" feature and allowing voices from the ...

, she stated "''In the musical, Ken Davenport and AnnMarie Milazzo show how much family dynamics drove me to conquer obstacles, fight to get my product seen, and work hard to get it into people’s homes.''"

Off-Broadway (2025)

The musical is slated to premiere Off-Broadway at the

Laura Pels Theatre The Roundabout Theatre Company is a non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabeth Owen ...

, with previews beginning June 21, 2025 with an opening date set for July 20. The show will be directed by

Lorin Latarro Lorin Latarro is a Broadway director/choreographer whose work can be seen on Broadway, The Metropolitan Opera, and in dance companies internationally. She began her career as a dancer who performed in fourteen Broadway shows and toured with worl ...

with choreography by Joshua Bergasse.

Betsy Wolfe Betsy Wolfe (born Elizabeth Marie Wolfe; June 1, 1982) is an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur. Wolfe starred in the Broadway musical '' & Juliet'' as Anne Hathaway, a performance for which she was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award fo ...

will lead the production as Joy Mangano.https://playbill.com/article/betsy-wolfe-will-star-in-joy-a-new-true-musical-off-broadway

Musical numbers (select)

*"Welcome the World" – Joy *"The Only Mop You’ll Ever Need to Buy" – Joy *"Is This As Good As It Gets" – Christie *"Mother’s Daughter" - Toots *"Little Lady" – Company *"Change Forever" – Joy *"Have You Ever Felt That" – Joy

Cast and characters

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
2022 musicals Musicals based on films Musicals set in the United States Off-Broadway musicals Musicals inspired by real-life events Musicals set in New Jersey