Initial casting has been announced for Kander and Ebb’s THE HAPPY TIME: 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT at Feinstein’s/54 Below on Thursday, April 19th, 2018, at 7:00pm.
The concert will feature Mary Callanan (Bandstand, The Bridges of Madison County),Claybourne Elder (Sunday in the Park with George, Bonnie and Clyde), Debbie Gravitte (Tony Award winner for Jerome Robbins Broadway, Chicago), Kara Lindsay (Newsies, Wicked), Peyton Lusk (Falsettos, Bar Mitzvah Boy), Jessie Marokovitz (Avenue Q, Hello Dolly), Janet Metz (Fiddler on the Roof, Once Upon a Mattress), Nic Rouleau (The Book of Mormon, Legally Blonde), Michael Rupert (Tony Award winner for Sweet Charity, Pippin, Legally Blonde) AJ Shively (Bright Star, La Cage Aux Folles), Ryan Vona (Paramour, Once), and Jim Walton (Merrily We Roll Along, She Loves Me).
Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
THE HAPPY TIME: 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT will be directed by the show’s original star Michael Rupert, and produced by Robert W. Schneider. The show will be music directed by Eugene Gwozdz.
The Happy Time, which was nominated for the 1968 Best Musical Tony Award, has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by N. Richard Nash. It originally starred Robert Goulet, David Wayne, and Mr. Rupert. It was directed and choreographed by Gower Champion.
The Happy Time tells the story of Jacques, a world-roving photographer, who returns to his French-Canadian village hoping to recover the happy time of his childhood. Problems arise when his young nephew, fascinated by his uncle’s world, proposes to drop out of school and become his assistant. The score features such songs as “The Happy Time,” “I Don’t Remember You,” “Walking Among My Yesterdays,” “A Certain Girl,” and many more.
Schneider said, “The Happy Time possesses one of Kander and Ebb’s most romantic scores. Mr. Kander’s beautiful, lush melodies, coupled with Mr. Ebb’s most sentimental observations, celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. We could not think of a better way to commemorate this incredible score than to bring it back to New York audiences, under the helm of its original star, the marvelous Michael Rupert.”
Tickets, starting at $30, are still available. In addition to the ticket price, there is food and beverage minimum of $25.00 THE HAPPY TIME: 50THANNIVERSARY CONCERT tickets can be purchased at 54below.com. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.