The musical, with direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes), has a new libretto by Memphis Tony winner Joe DiPietro, who borrowed elements from P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton's libretto to the 1926 musical comedy Oh, Kay! That bootleggers-and-playboys tale gave the world "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Dear Little Girl" and "Do, Do, Do."
Coincidentally, Nice Work If You Can Get It will play the same Broadway house where Oh, Kay! bowed — the Imperial, the current home of Billy Elliot. Previews begin March 29. Opening night is April 24.
Tickets are available via telecharge.com or at (212) 239-6200. A physical box-office opening date will be announced.
According to the show's official website, some 15 musical numbers will be part of the experience (most pulled from the Gershwin catalog). As of Jan. 7, the list of songs includes "Will You Remember Me?," "Do It Again," "Fascinating Rhythm," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "But Not for Me," I've Got to Be There," "'S'Wonderful," "Do, Do, Do," "Looking for a Boy," "They All Laughed," "Blah, Blah, Blah," "I've Got a Crush on You," "By Strauss" and "Sweet and Low-Down."
In addition to Broderick (The Producers, How to Succeed, Brighton Beach Memoirs) as Jimmy Winter and Kelli O'Hara (The Pajama Game, The Light in the Piazza, South Pacific) as Billie Bendix, Nice Work If You Can Get It will star Tony winner Judy Kaye as Estonia Dulworth, The Duchess of Woodford; Michael McGrath (Spamalot) as Cookie McGee; Tony nominee Jennifer Laura Thompson (Wicked, Urinetown) as Eileen Evergreen; Terry Beaver as Senator Max Evergreen; Robyn Hurder as Jeannie Muldoon; Stanley Wayne Mathis as Chief Berry; and Chris Sullivan as Duke Mahoney.
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| Kelli O'Hara | ||
| photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN |
The production features scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Martin Pakledinaz, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski and sound design by Brian Ronan. The music supervisor is David Chase.
According to the producers, "This new musical features a veritable hit parade of iconic George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin songs as well as some unknown gems in their catalog. Nice Work If You Can Get It follows Billie Bendix (Kelli O'Hara), a tough-as-nails bootlegger who meets wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter (Matthew Broderick) on the weekend of his nuptials. Mayhem ensues."
Nice Work will be produced by Roger Berlind, Sonia Friedman, Roy Furman and Scott Landis. The musical was developed and seen regionally under the title They All Laughed.
Broderick is a two-time Tony Award winner, for Brighton Beach Memoirs and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. This will be his first Broadway musical since he was Tony-nominated for The Producers.
O'Hara, a three-time Tony nominee for South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza and The Pajama Game, reunites with her Pajama Game director-choreographer Marshall (who turned old into gold earlier this year by staging the Tony-winning Best Revival Anything Goes, for which she won a choreography Tony).
Visit niceworkonbroadway.com.
