''The Act'' 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 Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

with a book by George Furth, lyrics by

Fred Ebb Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita ...

, and music by

John Kander John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''Cab ...

. It was written to showcase the talents of Kander and Ebb favorite

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

, who portrayed Michelle Craig, a fading film star attempting a comeback as a

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

singer. The musical premiered 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 Stre ...

in 1977.

Production

Originally titled, ''Shine It On'', ''The Act'' played out-of-town tryouts for 15 weeks in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.Jahr, Cliff
"In 'The Act,' The Drama Backstage Is Not An Act: Behind the Scenes Of 'The Act'"
''The New York Times'', October 23, 1977, p.D1. Retrieved July 4, 2016 The musical opened on Broadway on October 29, 1977, at the

Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to: Australia * Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished *Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed by ...

, where it ran for 233 performances and six previews. Directed by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

choreographed Choreography is the art 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 creates choreographies thr ...

by Ron Lewis, with costumes by

Halston Roy Halston Frowick (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990), known mononymously as Halston, was an American fashion designer, who rose to international fame in the 1970s. Halston's minimalist, clean designs, which were often made of cashmere or ...

, the cast included Barry Nelson,

Mark Goddard Mark Goddard (born Charles Harvey Goddard; July 24, 1936 – October 10, 2023) was an American actor who starred in a number of television programs. He is probably best known for portraying Major Don West in the CBS series ''Lost in Space'' (1 ...

and

Wayne Cilento Wayne Louis Cilento (born August 28, 1949) is an American director, choreographer, actor and dancer. He is best known for originating the role of Mike in the Broadway show ''A Chorus Line'', and later becoming one of Broadway's most prolific ch ...

. Scorsese was romantically linked to Minnelli at the time, and Kander & Ebb felt that he wasn’t right for the job. Minnelli was insistent, but after the initial reviews from out of town critics, she acquiesced to their advice. ''The New York Times'' reported that "director Gower Champion quietly came in to doctor the show during its final month in Los Angeles." Scorsese was reportedly relieved. Their romantic affair ended soon after, but have remained life-long friends. 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 ...

'' reviewer wrote that "''The Act'' is precisely what its name implies: It is an act, and a splendid one. On the other hand, it is a little less than its pretensions imply. Theatrical though it is as a performance, it is indifferent musical theater." Another ''New York Times'' writer noted that "If there's a point 'The Act' underscores most, it's that Miss Minnelli on Broadway has incomparable star power." With an all-time ticket-price high of $25 for Saturday night orchestra seats, ''The Act'' had $2 million in advance sales, then the highest in Broadway history. But the production was doomed from the start, with its star, Liza Minnelli, behaving erratically and frequently missing performances (more than 10% of the entire run). During out-of-town tryouts,

Gower Champion Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer. Early years Champion was born on June 22, 1919, in Geneva, Illinois, as the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Ca ...

was called to help with the staging (but took no directorial credit). Additionally, the original costumes were replaced. With the additional costs and with refund demands running high, it was impossible for the show to recoup its costs.Suskin, Steven. ''Second Act Trouble: Behind the Scenes at Broadway's Big Musical Bombs'' (2006), pp. 19-27, Hal Leonard Publishing, For her role, Liza Minnelli won the

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

for Best Actress in a Musical.

Cast and characters

* Michelle Craig –

* Dan Connors – Barry Nelson * Molly Connors – Gayle Crofoot * Lenny Kanter – Christopher Barrett * Charley Price –

* Arthur/One of the Boys – Roger Minami * Nat Schrieber – Arnold Soboloff * Dance Alternate – Claudia Asbury * Dance Alternate – Brad Witsger * One of the Boys –

* One of the Boys – Michael Leeds * One of the Boys – Albert Stephenson * One of the Girls – Carol Estey * One of the Girls – Laurie Dawn Skinner

Song list

; Act I * "Shine It On" – Michelle Craig and Chorus * "It's the Strangest Thing" – Michelle Craig * "Bobo's" – Michelle Craig and Dancers * "Turning" – Michelle Craig * "Little Do They Know" – Boys and Girls * "Arthur in the Afternoon" – Michelle Craig and Arthur * "Hollywood, California" – Michelle Craig and Dancers * "The Money Tree" – Michelle Craig ; Act II * "City Lights" – Michelle Craig and Chorus * "There When I Need Him" – Michelle Craig * "Hot Enough for You?" – Michelle Craig and Dancers * "Little Do They Know" (Reprise) – Boys and Girls * "My Own Space" – Michelle Craig * "Walking Papers" – Michelle Craig

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Act, The 1977 musicals Broadway musicals Original musicals Clark County, Nevada in fiction Musicals by Kander and Ebb Liza Minnelli soundtracks Tony Award–winning musicals Musicals set in Nevada