With book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes (Drood), based on the 1963 Jerry Lewis movie comedy, the musical was performed as a staged concert President's Day with Holmes as narrator. The show tells the Jekyll & Hyde story of a nerdy egghead named Julius Kelp who concocts a potion that transforms him into an ultra-smooth, womanizing crooner named Buddy Love.
Sharing the leading role of Julius Kelp/Buddy Love is Danny Gardner (Dames at Sea), Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Bryce Pinkham (Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder), Jed Resnick (Avenue Q) and Ryan Worsing (Finding Neverland). Joining them were members of the original world-premiere cast, including Marissa McGowan (A Little Night Music) as Stella Purdy, Klea Blackhurst as Miss Lemon, Fred Inkley (Les Miserables) as Maury, Jamie Ross (Damn Yankees) as Doctor Warfield, Kristopher Thompson-Bolden, Meghan Glogower, Autumn Guzzardi, Sarah Marie Jenkins, Alison Little, Lindsay Moore, Ronnie Nelson, Dominique Plaisant, Carly Blake Sebouhian, Christopher Spaulding and Kyle Vaughn. Musical direction was by Brad Gardner.
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The show had its world-premiere staging in Nashville, TN, directed by comic legend Lewis himself. Hamlisch died suddenly during the run. Mac Pirkle, a Nashville producer who partnered to produce the 2012 premiere staging, told Playbill.com at the time, "The sad part of it, with Marvin dying last week, it's redoubled everybody's dedication to the show. Marvin absolutely loved this show. And, Terre, his wife talked about how, in his last days, he talked about the show. He just loved it. Now we kind of carry the banner of Marvin, and his last score, with us. It's a source of pride and rededication for all of us to achieve the mission, which is to try to get the show to Broadway and on to the rest of the world."
Hamlisch (A Chorus Line, They're Playing Our Song) wrote the music, Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Curtains) penned book and lyrics.
