First Lady Suite
Encyclopedia
First Lady Suite is a chamber
musical by Michael John LaChiusa
. The musical contains four separate segments about four of the First Ladies of the United States of America and the people surrounding them. They are: Eleanor Roosevelt
, Mamie Eisenhower
, Bess Truman
, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. It premiered Off-Broadway
in 1993.
from November 30, 1993 through December 26, 1993, running for 32 performances. Directed by Kirsten Sanderson, it featured Alice Playten
(Lady Bird Johnson and Mamie Eisenhower), Debra Stricklin (Margaret Truman), Carolann Page (Eleanor Roosevelt), Maureen Moore (Amelia Earhart, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy), and David Wasson (Bess Truman). The production received the Obie Award
, Performance (Playten) and Special Citation (LaChiusa).
The Blank Theatre, Los Angeles
, California, presented a revised version of the musical from March 7, 2002-April 14, 2002. Directed by Daniel Henning, the cast featured Gregory Jbara
as Eisenhower, Kate Shindle as Amelia Earhart, and Paula Newsome
as Marian Anderson.
A New York revival produced by Transport Group Theatre Company ran at The Connelly Theater in New York City
from April 6, 2004 through April 17, 2004. This production received two Drama Desk Award nominations: Outstanding Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Mary Testa). Directed by Jack Cummings III, the cast included Julia Murney
(Amelia Earhart), Mary Beth Peil
(Eleanor Roosevelt), Mary Testa
(Lorena Hickok), Robyn Hussa (Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy), Sherry D. Boone (Marian Anderson), Donna Lynne Champlin
, Ruth Gottschall (Margaret Truman), James Hindman (Eisenhower, and Cheryl Stern (Mamie Eisenhower).
The 2004 revival had the added prologue and epilogue, sung individually and by the group, which explains the theme, to "fly away from the constraints that come with the traditional First Lady's privileged life."
The Transport Group Theatre Company's acclaimed 2004 NYC revival was filmed for preservation by The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, a division of The New York Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center.
The cast album from the Blank Theater production is available on PS Classics
.
The show had its London Premiere at the Union Theatre
between September 29 and October 17, 2009.
Over Texas
Where's Mamie?
Olio
Eleanor Sleeps Here
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
musical by Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for complex, musically challenging shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See...
. The musical contains four separate segments about four of the First Ladies of the United States of America and the people surrounding them. They are: Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
, Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Eisenhower
Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961.-Early life:...
, Bess Truman
Bess Truman
Bess Truman , was the wife of Harry S. Truman and First Lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953.-Early life:...
, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. It premiered Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
in 1993.
Productions
The chamber musical was produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Public TheaterPublic Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village...
from November 30, 1993 through December 26, 1993, running for 32 performances. Directed by Kirsten Sanderson, it featured Alice Playten
Alice Playten
Alice Playten was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:Born Alice Plotkin in New York City, Playten began her career in the Broadway musical Gypsy...
(Lady Bird Johnson and Mamie Eisenhower), Debra Stricklin (Margaret Truman), Carolann Page (Eleanor Roosevelt), Maureen Moore (Amelia Earhart, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy), and David Wasson (Bess Truman). The production received the Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
, Performance (Playten) and Special Citation (LaChiusa).
The Blank Theatre, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, presented a revised version of the musical from March 7, 2002-April 14, 2002. Directed by Daniel Henning, the cast featured Gregory Jbara
Gregory Jbara
-Early life:Jbara was born in Nankin Township , Michigan, the son of an advertising office manager and an insurance claims adjuster. He is of Lebanese and Irish descent. After graduating from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, Michigan, Jbara attended the University of Michigan from 1979 to 1981...
as Eisenhower, Kate Shindle as Amelia Earhart, and Paula Newsome
Paula Newsome
-Career:Newsome began having an interest in acting as a child performing in community theater, before moving to New York City. While in New York, she was cast in a number of Broadway productions...
as Marian Anderson.
A New York revival produced by Transport Group Theatre Company ran at The Connelly Theater in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from April 6, 2004 through April 17, 2004. This production received two Drama Desk Award nominations: Outstanding Revival of a Musical and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Mary Testa). Directed by Jack Cummings III, the cast included Julia Murney
Julia Murney
Julia Kathleen Murney is an American actress, singer and theatre performer, primarily featured in theatre and television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway...
(Amelia Earhart), Mary Beth Peil
Mary Beth Peil
Mary Beth Peil is an American actress and singer.-Early life:Born in Davenport, Iowa in 1940, Peil trained as an opera singer at Northwestern University under Lotte Lehmann. There she became a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority...
(Eleanor Roosevelt), Mary Testa
Mary Testa
Mary Testa is an American stage actress. She is a two-time Tony Award nominee, for performances in revivals of Leonard Bernstein's On the Town and 42nd Street ....
(Lorena Hickok), Robyn Hussa (Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy), Sherry D. Boone (Marian Anderson), Donna Lynne Champlin
Donna Lynne Champlin
Donna Lynne Champlin is an actress from New York City. She is married to actor Andrew Arrow.Her burgeoning career began at the age of four, when she performed a tap solo in a local variety show...
, Ruth Gottschall (Margaret Truman), James Hindman (Eisenhower, and Cheryl Stern (Mamie Eisenhower).
The 2004 revival had the added prologue and epilogue, sung individually and by the group, which explains the theme, to "fly away from the constraints that come with the traditional First Lady's privileged life."
The Transport Group Theatre Company's acclaimed 2004 NYC revival was filmed for preservation by The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, a division of The New York Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center.
The cast album from the Blank Theater production is available on PS Classics
PS Classics
PS Classics is a record label that specializes in musical theatre and standard vocals. Founded in 2000 by Grammy-nominated freelance producer Tommy Krasker and singer/actor Philip Chaffin, their releases have been critically acclaimed for their meticulous sonic detail and high-quality packaging and...
.
The show had its London Premiere at the Union Theatre
Union Theatre (London)
The Union Theatre is a small fringe theatre situated in the borough of Southwark in London, England. It was established in 1998 by Sasha Regan who took the initiative to convert a disused paper warehouse near Southwark station into a functioning theatre...
between September 29 and October 17, 2009.
Plot
The plot contains four unrelated stories.Over Texas
- The scene is aboard Air Force One on November 22, 1963
Where's Mamie?
- The White House, 1957
Olio
- 1950
Eleanor Sleeps Here
- Inside Amelia Earhart's plane, 1936