Denny Doherty, one of the two surviving members of The Mamas and the Papas, has teamed up with Canadian playwright Paul Ledoux to pen Dream A Little Dream a musical celebration of his former group. The stage show will now play at the Greenwich Village neighborhood where the group began. The musical debuted in Toronto in June 2001.
Dream a Little Dream traces the story and the glory of the group from its humble beginnings to its rise to fame and back. The musical stars Papa Doherty — one fourth of the team of of Doherty, John Phillips, Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliott who sang songs like "California Dreamin'," "Dedicated to the One I Love," and "Monday Monday," which are all featured in the multi-media production, among other hits of the period.
Randal Myler, who helmed the Village's last tenant Love, Janis will direct Dream A Little Dream. No stranger to musicals derived from popular music, Myler has also directed Hank Williams: Lost Highway. Myler also received credit as playwright on the previous works. Myler directs a new version of Almost Heaven, a musical about the life, times and music of John Denver, for the Denver Center Theatre Company in the 2003-04 season.
Richard Burke, Angela Gaylor and Doris Mason join Doherty in the cast. The design team will be Walt Spangler (set), Brian Nason (lighting), David C. Woolard (costumes), Lucas J. Corrubia, Jr. (sound) and Jan Hartley (projections).
The complete songlist of Dream a Little Dream includes “Dedicated to the One I Love,” “The Man Who Wouldn’t Sing Along With Mitch,” “Wild Women,” “500 Miles,” “Everybody’s Been Talkin’,” “Twist and Shout,” “Chanson, Chanson, Chanson,” “12:30,” “Go Where You Want to Go,” “California Dreamin’,” “Got a Feelin’,” “Theme From Peyton Place,” “I Saw Her Again,” “In Crowd,” “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair),” “Monday Monday,” “It Can Only Happen in America,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and “Creeque Alley.” For tickets to Dream A Little Dream at the Village Theatre, 158 Bleecker Street (between Sullivan and Thompson St.) call (212) 307-4100.
