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Based on the novel by John Updike and the Warner Bros. motion picture
Originally produced on the London Stage by Cameron Mackintosh

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(Local Producer)

by arrangement with CAMERON MACKINTOSH LTD

presents

 

"THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK"

 

A musical comedy by JOHN DEMPSEY and DANA P. ROWE

Based on the novel by JOHN UPDIKE and THE WARNER BROS. MOTION PICTURE

Book and Lyrics by JOHN DEMPSEY

Music by DANA P. ROWE

Translation by ( )

Orchestrations by William David Brohn

**(Any local creative team credits can be inserted here...)**

Original London production by Cameron Mackintosh

Note: 1. The names of the Authors shall be not in less size, style, and

prominence than that of Cameron Mackintosh Ltd as it appears above the title.

2. No names shall be larger or more prominent that the names of Authors.

3.Between ** and ** the names of members of the local creative team shall not

be in greater size than 80% the size of the name of Cameron Mackintosh Ltd as

it appears above the title.

The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited
Witches of Eastwick

Included Materials

ItemQuantity Included
LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK1

Production Resources

Resource
LOGO PACK
When three desperate housewives in small-town America wish for the man of their dreams, they get more than they bargain for in this devilish musical.
Show Essentials
10
Roles
+ Ensemble
M
Rated

Full Synopsis

Comedy, drama and horror all come together in John Dempsy and Dana P. Rowe's musical adaptation of The Witches of Eastwick.  In the sleepy New England town of Eastwick, our three (not-so-wicked) witches Alexandra Spofford, Sukie Rougemont and Jane Smart are divorcees feeling trapped in their everyday humdrum lives.  One stormy night, high on martinis and brownies, they make a crazy wish - for a man to make their own.  But their wish has consequences they could never have dreamed...

A few days later, the mysterious and charismatic Darryl Van Horne arrives in Eastwick with a bang, taking over the local historical mansion to the horror of town doyen and president of the Eastwick Preservation Society, Felicia Gabriel.  The stranger from New York wastes no time in seducing the three women, and setting them free to plan their revenge on the conservative town.  Darryl encourages them to find the magic within themselves, and they finally 'fly' across the New England night.

But too much of a good thing can't last forever...soon Alex, Jane and Sukie must face the consequences of their newfound passion for Darryl and the magic he can teach them.  Felicia Gabriel and her Husband Clyde are the unfortunate victims of their power.  When Darryl is deserted by his 'three little ladies', he turns his attentions to Clyde and Felicia's daughter, Jennifer and soon a wedding is announced.  Shocked, the three women must harness their power and face down the devil in disguise...

Casting

Character Breakdown

Darryl Van Horne

A newcomer from New York – “Harold Hill” type.

Baritone with a touch of “Rock & Roll” or Jerry Lee Lewis to solid high E-flat.

40-ish.  Has major sex appeal. Women become hypnotised by his manner and charm. He breaks all the rules and wins all the women over. Is sexy without being beautiful. 

Gender: male
Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: F4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Alexandra Spofford

A sculptress.

Belt Mezzo with good head tones or mix. Mid to late 30’s.

An artist. Creates with passion, bestowing her own individuality on each piece. Unique and yet aff ecting in her manner. Is the leader of the three women. Has a teenage son – Michael. 

Gender: female
Age: 35 to 40
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Jane Smart

A cellist.

Belt Mezzo with good head tones or mix. Mid 30’s.  

A musician who seems reserved and quiet. Has a straight-laced appearance but she can turn into a sexpot – her passion for music matches her sexual drive. Energetic with emotion. Acerbic sense of humour.

Gender: female
Age: 30 to 38
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Sukie Rougemont

A writer.

Belt Soprano with good head tones or mix. Late 20’s or early 30’s.

A journalist who is not focused in her work. Conveniently scatterbrained from time to time. Talks faster than she thinks. She is on the shy side and a follower rather than a leader. Sees Jane and Alexandra as the sisters she never had.

Gender: female
Age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Felicia Gabriel

Town gossip.  Eastwick’s First Lady.

Belt soprano – 40-ish

She doesn't have class but thinks she does. Veneer of happiness is always on. She has money. Does not have a close relationship with her daughter. She is the self-appointed leader of society and has an unshakeable belief that she knows what is best for the town. Her brand of dictatorship is dispensed with a saccharine sweetness. She takes an instant dislike to Darryl on his arrival in Eastwick and becomes his nemesis.

Gender: female
Age: 40 to 45
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Jennifer Gabriel

Felicia’s daughter

Light belt soprano – 18yrs.

Main juvenile lead. Direct opposite of mother. Complete natural innocence. Looks 18 yrs young. Her mother is a smothering presence. Accustomed to acting in a certain way to keep her mother happy. Felicia has tried to mould her into a “Barbie” doll for whom she will find the perfect “Ken” – it isn’t going to be Michael.

Gender: female
Age: 16 to 20
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Michael Spofford

Alexandra’s son.

Lyric tenor up to A plus pop falsetto to C – 18yrs.

Main juvenile lead. Innocence with a wild edge. Has a non-conformity about him. He has naïveté and sweetness but becomes hip later on. Is more a friend to his mother than a son.

Gender: male
Age: 16 to 20
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: C3
Clyde Gabriel

Felicia’s Husband

Character Baritone – 40-ish

A pathetic down-trodden man, who realises he is trapped in a loveless marriage. He is having an affair with Sukie. However, your sympathies are with him because of the relationship he has with his wife. He is hen-pecked but stays with Felicia because it is easier too; he is scared of her. She is also in control of all their money which demoralises him as a man. Has a good relationship with his daughter. Good voice but not a huge range.

Gender: male
Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: D4
Vocal range bottom: D3
Fidel

Darryl’s servant

Singing not essential – age immaterial.

Physical extreme of exotic looks.  Bizarre – as Darryl says, “Not of this world.”

Gender: male
Age: 20 to 40
Little Girl
Array
Gender: female
Age: 12 to 16
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Ensemble

A varied and diverse group of individuals who populate the town of Eastwick. They are all “characters” and should represent a range of ages and physical types.

GINA MARINO
Joe’s wife.  Belt Soprano with good head tones or mix – 30’s. Joe's wife. Is a very sexy character. Big Felician crony. One of the Felicia trio. Volunteers in the library and has the hots for Toby.

BRENDA PARSLEY
Ed’s wife. Belt soprano with legit sound. 40’s. Minister's wife. Lacquered hair. Busybody. Takes over running the town once Felicia is killed. Part of the Felicia Trio.

GRETA NEFF
Raymond’s wife.  Belt Mezzo with good head tones or mix – 30’s. One of Felicia’s cronies. Church, city council and housewife. All the ladies come to her house for the lacquered hair look. Married to Raymond, the school principal, and runs string quartet.

MARGE PERLY
Homer’s wife, also a real estate agent. Belt Mezzo with good head tones or mix – 30’s. Gossip of the town. Uses Eudora to fi nd it all out. More of a follower. Wants to be accepted and fi t into Felicia's crowd. Married to Homer.

JOE MARINO
Gina’s Husband, a construction worker. Tenor – 30’s. Handsome and fancied by many of the townswomen. Good actor / singer.

RAYMOND NEFF
Greta’s Husband, a school principal. Tenor – 30’s. Mousey school principal – is quite camp. Strong actor / singer.

TOBY BERGMAN
Works at the library restocking the bookshelves. Lyric Tenor with belt – 20’s. Contemporary of Michael’s. Just out of high school. Handsome / cute.

ED PARSLEY
Minister of the town church.  Baritone – 40’s. A good man but been in the church too long. Not in touch with his faith anymore – just doing it as a job, not as a calling. It's convenient for him and it is too late to start over.

FRANK OGDEN
Owns the grocery store. Bass / Baritone – 30’s. Friendly. Caters to all the townsfolk.

REBECCA
Waitress at Nemo’s Diner. Mezzo

CLAIRE
An ordinary young school girl.  A “Young Cosette” type Soprano – Over 16 but looks much younger. Needs to be the clean slate of the town women. She has not been painted like the rest.

MAVIS JESSUP
Cake decorator at the Grocery store.  Light belt soprano – late teens.  A contemporary of Jennifer. No college education. Still lives with her parents till she marries. She was the Homecoming Queen.

MABEL OGDEN
Frank’s wife. A Bank teller. Soprano – 30’s. Married 10-12 years. Frank & Mabel were High School sweethearts. Knits in her spare time making baby sweaters for new-borns in Eastwick.

MARCY WILLS
Jennifer’s friend. Cashier at the grocery store.  Soprano – Late teens, early 20’s (possible Lead Dancer).  Still in high school. One year behind Jennifer. Has a huge crush on Michael. Kinda slow and has unreasonable expectations for her life. She started at the store as a summer job and will be there the rest of her life.

FRANNY LOVECRAFT
Proprietor of a local crafts store. Mezzo – 40’s or older.  Has lived in Eastwick all her life. Current day hippy – very bohemian. Alexandra could possibly grow up to be like her. No strong alliances to either side of the town. Takes in all the stray animals.

EUDORA BRYCE
A retired seamstress. Mezzo – 40’s or older.  She is a Widow and has enough money to live. Takes a walk every day. Knows everyone's business. Quite eccentric. Lives in her house with lots of cats.

CURTIS HALLEYBRED
A clerk at the hardware store. Friend of Michael’s. Tenor – Late Teens / early 20’s. Graduated from high school and is working at the hardware store. Was Homecoming King. He peaked in High school. Realises life isn't that great. Was an item with Mavis in High School.

HOMER PERLY
A Real Estate Agent. Tenor – 30’s. He and Marge are a husband & wife duo. Lets Marge run with all the contacts. Does the books and keeps business running. Been in Eastwick ten years.

DR HENRY PATTERSON
Town physician. Baritone – 40’s or older. Is privy to everything but doesn't tell. Widower.


Other townsfolk, as available.

Gender: any
Age: 16 to 60

Show History

Inspiration

The Witches of Eastwick, with book and lyrics by John Dempsey, and music by Dana P. Rowe, is based on the 1984 novel of the same name by John Updike.  The novel was previously adapted into a film in 1987, starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer.  Musical team, Dempsey and Rowe, previously responsible for the musicals, Zombie Prom and The Fix, came together once again to create the music.  The original show was produced by Cameron Mackintosh, the famous producer responsible for smash hits, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and Miss Saigon.  He previously worked with the duo on The Fix.

Productions

The Witches of Eastwick opened on July 18, 2000, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London's West End.  However, after receiving mixed reviews, the creative team decided to transfer the production to the Prince of Wales Theatre.  The show was restaged to fit the smaller, more intimate theatre, and ended up replacing its cast almost entirely after opening on March 23, 2001.  Despite more positive reception for this second cast, the show only ran at the Prince of Wales until October 27 of the same year.

The musical had its American premiere at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, running in a limited engagement from June 5, to July 15, 2007.  The creative team made large changes to the show; songs got shortened, cut and added, and the order of numbers in the show was rearranged.  The changes from the American production carried over to a UK tour that ran from August 23, 2008, to May 9, 2009, after visiting 26 cities.  More recently, the Watermill Theatre at the West Berkshire Playhouse put up a production from July 25, to September 14, 2013.

The Witches of Eastwick has also received a significant amount of global play.  The very first international production of the musical opened at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, on August 19, 2002, featuring numerous script and lyric changes; it only ran for three months before closing on November 17.  A Russian production started running in Moscow on March 12, 2003, followed by a brief revival in 2007.  Productions also opened in the Czech Republic and Brazil in 2007 and 2011, respectively.

Trivia

  • The original West End production was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2001.
  • Celebrities that have starred in The Witches of Eastwick include: Ian McShane (Daryll),  Lucie Arnaz (Alexandra), Clarke Peters (Daryll), Sarah Lark (Little Girl), Earl Carpenter (Daryll), Maria Friedman (Sukie), Marc Kudisch (Daryll), Peter Jback (Michael), Joanna Riding (Jane), Scarlett Strallen (Mavis), Caroline Sheen (Jennifer), Paul McDermott (Daryll), Marina Prior (Jane), Christiane Noll (Jane), Emily Skinner (Alexandra), Sabrina Batshon (Little Girl), Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (Sukie), James Barbour (Daryll) and Carolee Carmello.

Critical Reaction

"Wickedly enjoyable. ...Dempsey's lyrics are exceptionally witty, and Rowe's music jaunty and tuneful, yet with the sophisticated sweep of a Sondheim."
– TIME Magazine

"Lovingly propelled by a quirkily exuberant musical score by composer Dana P. Rowe that bursts with melody and musical wit."
– The Stage

"Something out of the ordinary.... In every sense a truly magical show. Performed, written, composed, choreographed, designed and directed to within inches of perfection. It's the musical that starts the 21st century and will already be a hard act to follow."
– International Herald Tribune

"Wicked fun.... Astonishing – the kind of beautiful, funny, glittery, joyfully stagey stuff that musical comedy dreams are made of."
– The Washington Post

"[Marks] the return of musical comedy"
– The Telegraph

"It's hard to imagine anyone failing to be impressed by the sheer pizazz of this production.... Plenty of humor.... Musically, there's a nice blend of different styles and tempi."
– The Good Review

"Outstanding.... By far and away the best musical revival to be staged out of town."
– Jonathan Baz Reviews

"A truly exciting and enjoyable show."
– Musical Theatre Review

"Very funny.... There are many memorable songs."
– The Public Reviews

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