Show History

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.