Vanities, A New Musical

Vanities, A New Musical opened at the Pasadena Playhouse, California on August 22, 2008. Music and lyrics were written by David Kirshenbaum, and the book by Jack Heifner with direction by Judith Ivey and choreography by Dan Knechtges. Lauren Kennedy (as Mary), Sarah Stiles (as Joanne) and Anneliese van der Pol (as Kathy) played the three former Texas cheerleaders.[http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/2008_mainstage_season.htm#VANITIES "2008 Vanities listing"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321010358/http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/2008_mainstage_season.htm#VANITIES |date=2008-03-21 }}, pasadenaplayhouse.comJones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/118207.html "Three Cheers: Kennedy, Stiles and van der Pol to Star in Broadway-Aimed Vanities"], playbill.com, May 30, 2008 Prior to the Pasadena production, the musical was originally produced at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California from June–July 2006, directed by Gordon Greenberg, which won the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Production.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/03-2007/bay-area-critics-circle-award-winners-announced_10318.html|title=Bay Area Critics Circle Award Winners Announced | TheaterMania}}Jones, Kenneth.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/100517.html " 'Sisters' of Hit Play Vanities Now Sing in New Musicalization"], playbill.com, June 24, 2006 The Palo Alto production starred Leslie Kritzer as Kathy, Megan Hilty as Mary, and Stiles as Joanne.

File:Vanities act 1.JPG, Sarah Stiles, and Anneliese van der Pol in Vanities.]]

The musical's original Broadway premiere, scheduled for February 2009 at the Lyceum Theatre, was postponed. Producer Sue Frost stated: "We're a victim of history, and the show will go on, and we are regrouping."Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123114.html "Musical 'Vanities' Will Play Broadway's Lyceum, Starting Feb. 2, 2009"] playbill.com, November 11, 2008Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/124018.html "Producers of Musical 'Vanities' Drop February 2009 Broadway Plan, Aim for Future"] playbill.com, December 5, 2008

The musical premiered Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre on July 2, 2009 in previews, and officially opened on July 16, 2009. Performances continued through August 9, 2009. The original cast starred Anneliese van der Pol as Kathy, Lauren Kennedy as Mary, and Sarah Stiles as Joanne. This was same cast and creative team from the Pasadena Playhouse.Hernandez, Ernio and Jones, Kenneth.[http://www.playbill.com/article/musical-vanities-to-make-nyc-bow-at-off-broadways-second-stage-com-159989 Musical 'Vanities' to Make NYC Bow at Off-Broadway's Second Stage] playbill.com, April 15, 2009Hernandez, Ernio.[http://www.playbill.com/article/three-cheers-new-musical-vanities-begins-off-broadway-run-july-2-com-162385 "Three Cheers: New Musical 'Vanities' Begins Off-Broadway Run July 2"] playbill.com, July 2, 2009Isherwood, Charles.[http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/theater/reviews/17vanities.html "Theatre Review:Gimme a L-I-F-E! Yay, Girls! Grow Up!"] New York Times, July 17, 2009

Michael A. Jenkins, producer of the musical, stated that a Broadway run isn't likely but a touring production in late 2010 or early 2011, including a stop at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, is "quite likely," as is a simultaneous run in London.[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/performingarts/stories/DN-heifner_0801gd.ART.State.Edition1.4c48f44.html] dallasnews.com

On July 6, 2016, it was announced that the show would premiere in the West End of London at Trafalgar Studios, for a limited run from September 6 to October 1, 2016, featuring new material not heard in New York. This production starred Ashleigh Gray as Kathy, Lauren Samuels as Mary and Lizzy Connolly as Joanne. It was directed and choreographed by Racky Plews, and produced by Matt Chisling and Amy Anzel.[https://www.whatsonstage.com/shows/west-end-theatre/vanities-the-musical_102404 Vanities: The Musical] "Whats on Stage", Jul 6 2016

;Original Off-Broadway Cast

• Kathy - Anneliese van der Pol
• Mary - Lauren Kennedy
• Joanne - Sarah Stiles

;2016 West End Cast

• Kathy - Ashleigh Gray
• Mary - Lauren Samuels
• Joanne - Lizzy Connolly

Three best friends journey through high school, college and their professional life, as they remember all their adventures. Joanne is a sweet, naive southern girl. Mary is very confident. Kathy is the planner. In high school, they are the popular cheerleaders and are planning all the social events. They go to college and plan to live together. They end up all in the same sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. Joanne gets married and becomes extremely conservative. Mary opens an art gallery and explores sexual liberation. Kathy ends up living the high life in New York City and reads all the books she was supposed to read in college, "they are so much better than the cliff's notes." They end up fighting when they meet at Kathy's fabulous apartment in New York. Joanne gets drunk in response and talks about how she never has a break from her kids and Ted never lets her drink. However, at a funeral, they all make up and they end as they started, three best friends.

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;2009 Off Broadway

;Act I

• Who Am I Today — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Hey There, Beautiful — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• An Organized Life — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• I Can't Imagine — Kathy, Mary, Joanne

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;Act II

• I Don't Wanna Hear About It — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• An Organized Life (Reprise) — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Fly Into the Future — Mary
• Cute Boys With Short Haircuts — Kathy
• We're Gonna Be Okay — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Let Life Happen — Kathy, Mary, Joanne

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;Act III

• The Same Old Music — Joanne
• An Organized Life (Reprise) — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Friendship Isn't What It Used to Be - Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Letting Go — Kathy, Mary, Joanne

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;2016 West End

;Act I

• Mystery I — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• An Organized Life — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• I Can't Imagine — Kathy, Mary, Joanne

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;Act II

• Mystery II — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• An Organized Life (1968) — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Fly Into the Future — Mary
• Cute Boys With Short Haircuts — Kathy
• Let Life Happen — Kathy, Mary, Joanne

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;Act III

• Mystery III — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• The Same Old Music — Joanne
• An Organized Life (1974) — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Friendship Isn't What It Used to Be - Kathy, Mary, Joanne

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;Act IV

• Mystery IV — Kathy, Mary, Joanne
• Letting Go — Kathy, Mary, Joanne

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{{Main|Vanities: A New Musical (Musical Album)}}

Vanities' Cast Recording was released on December 15, 2009 by Sh-K-Boom Records featuring 15 songs from the Off-Broadway production.[http://www.sh-k-boom.com/vanities.shtml Vanities Original Cast Recording] The CD includes Anneliese van der Pol as Kathy, Lauren Kennedy as Mary, and Sarah Stiles as Joanne.

{{reflist}}

• {{iobdb title|7141|Vanities—The Musical}}
• [http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Vanities_Heads_To_Broadway_In_Fall_08_Starring_Kennedy_20080530 "'Vanities' Heads To Broadway In Fall '08 Starring Kennedy"] Broadwayworld.com article.
• [http://www.sfasu.edu/pubaffairs/pressreleases/may2007/16-vanities.asp Stephen F. Austin State University, article and interview]

Category:2009 musicals

Category:Off-Broadway musicals

Category:Musicals based on plays

Category:Musicals set in New York City