[study guide]

by Owen Beans & Caryn Esch

Synopsis
The True Story
People and Places
Original Cast
[tos]sarry
Sources

a musical about
two guys writing
a musical about
two guys writing
a musical

A love letter to musical theatre and to

the joy of collaboration, [title of show] is a

charming new musical about two struggling

young writers, Hunter and Jeff, writing a new

musical about two struggling young writers
writing a new musical. In the span of 90
minutes, the pair, along with the help of two
actress friends, Heidi and Susan (and
occasionally their keyboard player, Larry),
write and perform their show-within-a-show
at a musical theatre festival, and along the
way learn lessons about themselves as
people, friends and artists.

Heidi

Hunter

Jeff

Susan

and Larry, too!

Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell began writing a completely

original musical with plans to submit it to The New York
Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) along with fellow
collaborators and performers Susan Blackwell, Stacia
Fernandez, and director Michael Berresse. The shows
premiere performance was at the 2004 NYMF festival
where it ran for 6 performances. A year of revisions
followed wherein Heidi Blickenstaff replaced Stacia
thereby creating the new role of Heidi. The show next
played at the Vineyard Theatre Off Broadway from February
26, 2006 - April 24, 2006 followed by an extension from
July 14, 2006 - October 1, 2006. More revisions followed
with a determination by its creators to reach the stage of
The Great White Way (Broadway). The [title of show]
show on youtube documents this transition period from
Off Broadway to Broadway. Finally, [title of show] opened
at the Lyceum Theatre on the July 17 and closed October
12, 2008 after 13 previews and 102 performances.

Original
collaborator Stacia
Fernandez who was
replaced by Heidi
Blickenstaff after
the NYMF run. The
role of Heidi is an
amalgam of both
actresses.
Michael
Berresse,
director of the
NYMF, offBroadway, and
Broadway
productions of
[tos].

NYMF, home of the

original run and
premier of [tos].

The [title of show] show, youtube

series by Bowen and Bell documenting
[tos]'s journey to Broadway.

Vineyard Theatre, Off

Broadway
home
of
[tos].

Lyceum Theatre, home of the

Broadway run of [tos].

Previous Acting Credits: Ensemble of the 1999 Paper Mill

Production of Rags, a Performer in Actor, Lawyer, Indian Chief,
as George in a 2003 Musicals in Mufti Concert production of
Oh, Boy!, Dogette in a 2006 benefit concert of The Best Little
Whorehouse in Texas, a citizen of Whoville in the 2007 Broadway
production of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Hunter Bell

Other Writing Credits: Book for Silence! The Musical, Book for
the 137th edition Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey and . Circus
Bellobration!, Book for Disney Cruise Lines' Villains Tonight!
Awards (for [title of show]): 2006 Obie Award, GLAAD Media
Award nomination, Drama League Award nomination for the whole
cast, 2009 Tony Award nomination best book of a musical

Other Writing Credits: music and lyrics for Disney

Cruise Lines' Villains Tonight!, the Easter Bonnet
competition for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights
AIDS, the Actors Fund 125th Anniversary Gala, the
Vineyard Theatres 25th Anniversary Gala, the 53rd
Annual Drama Desk Awards, Broadway in South
Africa, and Broadway Bares 18: Wonderland.
Awards: for [title of show], 2006 Obie Award,
GLAAD Media nomination, a Drama League nomination
for Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble
2008 Jim Owles Human Rights Award
Named one of the 100 most influential people in
OUT MAGAZINE's 2008 OUT 100.

Jeff Bowen

Previous Acting Credits: Off-Broadway: Speech and

Debate, Working Title, Anon, Vilna's Got a Golem, The
Heidi Chronicles; Television: All My Children, The
Sopranos, Third Watch, Law & Order; Film: P.S. I Love
You, Margot At The Wedding, Changing Lanes, Bun-Bun

Susan Blackwell

Blackwell is also know for Side By Side With Susan

Blackwell, her youtube series in which she interviews
Broadway stars concluding the interview by licking their
faces.

Other Acting Credits: Broadway: The Little

Mermaid (Carlotta, U/S Ursula), The Full
Monty (Susan Hershey, U/S Vicki Nichols);
National Tours: The Full Monty (Vicki
Nichols), Jekyll and Hyde, Steel Pier, The
Who's Tommy, Dreamgirls; Regional: Helen
Hayes Award for her portrayal of Ann
Mitchell in The Ford Theatre's Meet John
Heidi
Doe

Blickenstaff

Words and phrases used in [tos] that may be

unfamiliar to you
Alice Ripley - Unbelievable Broadway actress and belter. As in, Alice Ripley was
crazy fierce in Side Show.
Bagels and Yox - 1951 Jewish review that ran on Broadway around the same time as
Borscht Capades.
Betty Comden and Adolph Green - Book writers and lyricist of many musicals. As
in, Adolph, get off your bum and help Betty write those Will Rogers Follies
lyrics.
Dinah Manoff - (See Empty Nest).
Dixon Ticonderoga - A soft, number 2 pencil. Used like, Jeff prefers to write
songs with a Dixon Ticonderoga, not Faber-Castell.
Doc Hollywood - 1991 film featuring Michael J. Fox, currently running every hour on
the hour on TBS.
Empty Nest - (See Dinah Manoff).

Ken Billington - Lighting designer of A Dolls Life, Annie Warbucks and [title of
show].
Kwamina - Interracial musical from 1961 with music and lyrics by Richard Adler.
Used like, You can borrow my Kwamina record, but Ill kill you if you scratch it.
Lynda Carter - The most beautiful actress in the world. For example, When
Marilyn looked in the mirror she thought she saw Lynda Carter.
Mary Stout - Lovable Broadway actress. As in Mary Stout was excellent as Enid
in A Change in the Heir. She was also in Sound of Music with Jenavene Hester.
Talk about six degrees of separation!
Me doots - A variant pronunciation of my doubts. As in, I hope this [tos]sary
helps
explain [title of show], but I have me doots.
Pink Sawdust - A deodorizing powder developed to absorb and neutrilize vomit odors
Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 - PC game for lonesome nerds. Jeff may say, My
Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 upgrade better have arrived in the mail today or Im
going to be sad.
Seafood Mare - Chelsea eatery featuring outdoor dining. A Chelsea boy may
say, I was sitting outside at Seafood Mare when--oh, my gosh, theres Tim
Gunn. (see Tim Gunn)

S'luck - An appropriate response to Wish us luck!

Smell-em-ups - Any scented room sanitizer.
Smell-O-Vision - A 60s invention that allows audience members to smell what
theyre watching. As in, When Susan eats Chinese food, its fortunate for the
audience that the show isnt in Smell-O-Vision.
Starlight Express - Andrew Lloyd Weber + roller skates = AMAZING!
The Gray Lady - The New York Times. As in, The Gray Lady could take the
Post in a cage match any day.
The O'Neill Center - Connecticut-based summer camp for grown-up theatre
nerds.
The Rink - Kander and Ebb musical from 1984 that starred Chita and Liza.
Wheres a time machine when you need it?
Tim Gunn - Design mentor of TVs Project Runway. Used like, I saw Tim
Gunn walk by Seafood Mare.
Tippy Turtle - Iconic reptile used as a litmus test for aspiring artists. For
example, My Tippy Turtle drawing wasnt so good, but my Pete the Pirate
totally rocked.
Word - Street vernacular. Short for word to the wise. As in, Word.

www.titleofshow.com
www.playbill.com
www.playbillvault.com
www.broadwayworld.com
www.ibdb.com
www.speakeasystage.com
Google Images