Jerry Springer—The Opera Postpones San Francisco Run, Aiming for Broadway 2006
By Ernio Hernandez
17 Nov 2004
The London hit Jerry Springer—The Opera has postponed its pre-Broadway run in San Francisco from the 2004-2005 season and is now planning on a New York debut in 2006.
"As a result of creative team availability, Jerry Springer—The Opera will not be coming to San Francisco as part of the Best of Broadway 2004-2005 season" reads an official statement. "This multi-award winning musical will be presented in San Francisco in a future season."
Broadway plans have been bumped from its previously announced Oct. 20, 2005 start date. According to a production spokesperson, the producers are still looking to open the musical on Broadway in the spring of 2006.
Jerry Springer—The Opera began as a "scratch night" event in 2001 with creator-composer Richard Thomas, then underwent a number of workshops before making a splash — in concert version — at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2002. New National Theatre Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner, who had followed the show's evolution, decided to present it as his first production and the National's first new opera.
The opera extended its debut twice at the National's Lyttleton Theatre, where it was recorded live for the currently-released double CD. The work then transferred to the West End's Cambridge Theatre where it still currently runs.
The new show based on the world (and netherworld) of the American talk show host features music by Richard Thomas and book and lyrics by Thomas and Stewart Lee — who also directed the London run.
The stage work centers on its title character, talk show host Jerry Springer, and his widely followed television program. Known for its volatile and outrageous guests — who at times assault each other — the show's topics have ranged from "Hillbilly Love Triangles!" and "A Transsexual Turned Me On!" to "Surprise! I Have a Bisexual Lover" and "I Refuse to Wear Clothes." After the traditional "Jerry! Jerry!" chant, the show concludes with Springer's Final Thoughts — in which the host comments on the proceedings in an attempt to make sense of it all.
Characters featured in the production include Jerry, the TV show's head of security Steve Wilcos, a slew of trailer trash and omnisexual characters, some KKK members and Satan.
The score of Jerry Springer — The Opera includes such songs as "Ladies and Gentlemen," "Have Yourselves a Good Time," "Bigger than Oprah Winfrey," "Chick With A Dick," "Talk to the Hand," "Diaper Man," "This is my Jerry Springer Moment ," "Mama Gimmee Smack on the A**hole," "I Wanna Sing Something Beautiful," "Poledancer," "Some are Descended from Angels," "Jerrycam ," "Klan Entrance/End of Act One," "Purgatory Dawning," "Eat Excrete," "Him Am the Devil," "Satan & Jesus Spat," "Adam and Eve and Mary" and "Jerry Eleison."
For more information on Jerry Springer — The Opera, visit www.jerryspringertheopera.com.
Contact Us | Advertise | Privacy Policy
Send questions and comments to the Webmaster
Copyright © 2008 Playbill, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|