This week we’re jetting back to Broadway 2016 for some floating musical theatre beauty. This week’s TONY Tuesday is:

‘Ilona’ from She Loves Me at the 2016 TONY awards ceremony. 

She Loves Me is a musical based on the 1937 play, Parfumerie. Parfumerie has been adapted several times including into the 1998 motion picture You Got Mail. The musical, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and a book by Joe Masteroff, centres on two Hungarian shop employees Georg and Amalia who have no idea that each other is their secret pen pal. 

Producer Lawrence Kasha brought the three writers together to pen the production, which opened on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in April 1963. The production was directed by legend Harold Prince, and choreographed by Carol Haney. The original cast included Barbara Cook as Amalia, Daniel Massey as Georg, Barbra Baxley as Ilona and Jack Cassidy as Steven. Although the show was well received, it was deemed old-fashioned and romantic, lacking in big production numbers, whilst the theatre itself was considered too small to return a profit and closed on 11 January 1964. 

The first West End production opened in 1964 at the Lyric Theatre. The cast included Anne Rogers as Amalia, Gary Raymond as Georg, Rita Moreno as Ilona and Gary Miller as Steven. 

A Broadway revival was produced by Roundabout Theatre Company in 1993 that was directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Marshall, who was accompanied by his sister Kathleen. The production opened in June 1993 at the Criterion Centre Stage Right, before transferring to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in September of the same year. The production included Boyd Gains as Georg, Sally Mayes as Ilona and Howard McGillin as Steven. Judy Kuhn originally starred as Ilona before being succeeded by Diane Fratantoni when the show transferred. A London transfer of this production opened at the Savoy Theatre in July 1994. It starred Ruthie Henshall as Ilona, John Gordon Sinclair as Georg, Tracie Bennett as Ilona and Gerard Casey as Steven. This production ran for a year. The West End revival swept the 1995 Olivier awards, winning five including ‘Best Musical Revival’.

The second Broadway revival took place in 2016 and was again produced by Roundabout Theatre Company and directed by Scott Ellis. The revival was choreographed by Warren Carlyle, and starred Laura Benanti as Amalia, Zachary Levi as Georg, Jane Krakowski as Ilona and Gavin Creel as Steven. The revival was a success, and its limited run was extended. It also became the first ever Broadway show to be live-streamed.  

Following on from the success of the Broadway revival, the musical was revived in London at the Menier Chocolate Factory in November of the same year, starring Scarlett Strallen as Amalia, Mark Umbers as Georg, Katharine Kingsley as Ilona and Dominic Tighe as Steven. 

Sheffield Crucible have recently announced plans to revive She Loves Me for their 2021 Christmas season, with casting yet to be announced. 

If you haven’t listened to this gorgeous musical Besties, you simply must!

Cast recordings available on streaming services. 

Music: Jerry Bock
Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick
Book: Joe Masteroff
Theatre: The Eugene O’Neill Theatre
Run: 23 April 1963 – 11 January 1964 (1 preview and 302 regular performances) 

TONYS:

(NOMINATED) Best Musical, Best Author – Joe Masteroff, Best Direction of a Musical – Harold Prince, Best Producer of a Musical – Harold Prince 

(1994) Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Lady in a Musical – Judy Kuhn, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Jonathan Freeman, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – Sally Mayes, Best Direction of a Musical – Scott Ellis, Best Choreography – Rob Marshall, Best Scenic Design – Tony Walton, Best Costume Design – David Charles and Jane Greenwood. 

(2016) Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Zachary Levi, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – Laura Benanti, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – Jane Krakowski, Best Direction of a Musical – Scott Ellis, Best Costume Design of a Musical – Jeff Mahshie, Best Orchestrations – Larry Hochman. 

(WON) Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Jack Cassidy 

(1994) Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Boyd Gaines

(2016) Best Scenic Design of a Musical – David Rockwell 

OLIVIERS:

(NOMINATED – 1995 ) Best Theatre Choreographer  - Rob Marshall, Best Costume Design – David Charles and Jane Greenwood. 

(WON - 1995) Best Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical – John Gordon Sinclair, Best Actress in a Musical – Ruthie Henshall, Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Tracie Bennett, Best Director of a Musical – Scott Ellis.