Full Synopsis
Act One
You're in prohibition-era New York City, just before the crash in 1929, a time of flappers, jazz, bathtub gin and pistol-packing gangsters. The curtain is a mural of dancing chorus girls and musicians playing trombones and saxophones. The orchestra plays the "Overture" and Cheech, a machine gun-toting hit man in the service of boss, Nick Valenti, casually walks out and fires at the curtain, spelling out "Bullets over Broadway." At Nick's club, a speakeasy in midtown Manhattan, akin to the real Three Deuces or "21 Club" on 52nd Street, the gorgeous Atta-Girls are in full swing with "Tiger Rag." Among them is Olive Neal, Nick's burlesque dancer girlfriend who yearns for the big part in a Broadway show that he has guaranteed her ("I promise I'll have your name in lights,") but not yet delivered. ("The only way you'll ever have my name in lights is if I change my name to Exit.") But, "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good toYou?"
David Shayne, a playwright and self-proclaimed "serious artist," sings the same lyrics to his long-suffering girlfriend of ten years, Ellen. His new play has been turned down by every producer in New York except for Julian Marx, who calls to say that he has a single backer – Valenti; all David has to do is find a part for Olive. Ellen asks that, if the play is not a success, they will move back to Pittsburgh, get married and have a "real life." "I hear you," David assures her, "but you have to realize that marriage is a very serious decision – like suicide." Ellen laments the "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me."
"'Tain't a Fit Night out for Man or Beast" as a pack of Valenti gangsters shoot it out with members of the rival Kustabecks. David and Julian go to Nick's house to meet about the play, and Olive demonstrates her singular ability in "The Hot Dog Song." Julian visits the aging diva, Helen Sinclair, to persuade her to take the lead. "You want me to play a frumpy housewife who gets dumped for a flapper?" she answers in disbelief. "I'm Helen Sinclair!" ("They Go Wild, Simply Wild, over Me").
Cheech, singing "Up a Lazy River" as he drives a mug to Gowanus Canal, shoots him on Valenti's orders. David enters the theatre for the first day of rehearsals, thrilled: "I'm Sitting on Top of The World." Olive's flawlessly untalented reading turns the song into a dirge. Cheech is a fount of suggestions for improving the script.
Olive catches the eye of male lead, Warner Purcell, who suggests "Let's Misbehave." David falls for Helen, who cagily uses his infatuation to improve her part. On his birthday, she gives him a silver cigarette case that she received from Cole Porter, inscribed "Let's Do It," and explains "There's a Broken Heart for Every Light on Broadway." David joins Ellen at Nick's club, where the Atta-Girls are singing "(We'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You" while "Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man" plays. During a break in rehearsal a few days later, David has misgivings about passing off Cheech's now voluminous changes as his own. "What are you worried about, I ain't going to tell anybody," he says. "'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do." Act 1 ends with the cast aboard the train for Boston Tryouts as the leggy Red Caps sing "Runnin' Wild."
Act Two
The cast is overjoyed ("There's a New Day Comin'!") by the daily improvement of what they don't know is Cheech's script. Cheech, assigned by Nick to be Olive's bodyguard, confronts Warner about his involvement with her and tells him "There'll Be Some Changes Made." Helen, impressed by "David's" rewrites, intimates that she's available but "I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle." David tells Ellen that he has fallen for Helen, and her answer is "I've Found a New Baby." Hours before opening night on Broadway, Olive's body is found in the Gowanus Canal, shot by Cheech for ruining "his" show. David is horrified. "The Panic Is On."
The show is a hit. David realizes that Cheech was the real artist and reconciles with Ellen in "She's Funny That Way," while the cast looks on the bright side: "Finale (Yes, We Have No Bananas)."
Show History
Inspiration
Bullets over Broadway is based on the 1994 Academy Award nominated film of the same name that was written by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath. Right before the stock market crash of 1929, a young playwright named David Shayne is getting his play produced on Broadway, financed by a gangster.
The title hearkens back to a sketch segment on Sid Caesar's 1950s television show, "Caesars Hour," where Woody Allen began his career as a writer. Initially, Allen had no interest in turning his film into a musical, but was persuaded otherwise by his sister. When original music and lyrics did not seem to fit properly, public domain songs from The Great American Songbook of the 1920s were suggested, and the musical sprang to life.
Productions
Bullets over Broadway received an Equity staged reading in June 2013. Following the reading, a month-long autumn lab took place from October 19, to November 21, 2013.
The musical opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on April 10, 2014. The production was directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winning Susan Stroman and starred Zach Braff as David Shayne, Marin Mazzie as Helen Sinclair, Nick Cordero as Cheech and Betsy Wolfe as Ellen. It closed on August 24, 2014, after 22 previews and156 performances.
A non-Equity tour launched October 2015.
Cultural Influence
- An Original Cast Recording was released by Masterworks Broadway.
- Zach Braff and Betsy Wolfe performed "I Found a New Baby" on "The Today Show."
- The cast of Bullets over Broadway performed on the 68th Tony Awards, where it was nominated for six Awards, including Best Book of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.
Critical Reaction
"...A whiz bang, retro, good time Broadway musical"
– ChicagoTribune
"Bullets captures the screwball spirit of the time period whole remaining entirely fresh and new."
– Entertainment Weekly
Tony® Award
Drama Desk Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
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Billing
- Written by
Based on the screenplay for the film, Bullets over Broadway by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath
Original Broadway Production Direction and Choreography by Susan Stroman
Requirements
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BULLETS OVER BROADWAY
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Size Type 100%
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Written by |
50% |
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Based upon the Screenplay of the Film BULLETS OVER BROADWAY by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath |
25% |
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Original Broadway Production Direction and Choreography by SUSAN STROMAN |
50% |
The credit for the screenplay writers shall appear immediately under the Author’s credit and shall appear in a size of type no smaller than the credit to designers and not less than 50% of the size of the Author’s credit.
The credit for your director and choreographer shall be no larger than the credit for Woody Allen and Susan Stroman.
Additional Credits – Title page
In addition, MTI shall contractually require its licensees to provide the following credits as indicated:
A. On the title page of programs, on the line crediting the music staff, and wherever else the designers or any members of the music staff appears, in the same size, style and prominence as the designers of the Play:
Music Adaptation and Additional Lyrics by
Glen Kelly
B. On the title page of programs, houseboards and wherever the designers of the licensed production or members of the music staff are billed in advertising, in second position of members of the music department and in a size equal to the size of the billing for the designers:
Orchestrations by
Doug Besterman
C. On the title page in all programs:
Originally produced on Broadway by
Letty Aronson Julian Schlossberg
Edward Walson Leroy Schecter Roy Furman Broadway Across America
Just for Laughs Theatricals/Jacki Barlia Florin Harold Newman
and
Jujamcyn Theaters
Additional Credits - Program Credit:
MTI agrees to contractually require its licensees to provide program credits for the musical compositions as per the attached Appendix A.
Shortened billing:
In advertisements of 1/4 page size or less, and online and mobile ads where in each case only the title of the play, performance dates and venue are provided and in outdoor advertising, transit and taxi ads and marquees where no other person is billed, the following "shortened billing" is permissible:
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY
THE MUSICAL
Bios:
In addition to the foregoing credits, MTI agrees to contractually require its licensees to include the Owners’ approved biographies in all programs of the Play that include biographies of any other creative team members. You can find the bios here.
Copyright Notice:
Book © 2014, Woody Allen
See attachment for music credits.
APPENDIX A
MUSIC CREDITS
“Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me" by McCarron, Charles; Morgan, Carey; Swanstone, Arthur. Arrangement and additional lyrics by Glen Kelly. I.D.K. Music LLC (ASCAP).
"Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?" by Razaf, Andy; Redman, Don. Razaf Music (ASCAP), administered by Primary Wave Music Publishing, LLC, administered by Wixen Music Publishing, Inc./Michael H. Goldsen, Inc. (ASCAP).
"Good Old New York" by Carew, Roy J,; Morton, Ferdinand "Jelly Roll." Tempo-Music Publishing Co. (ASCAP)/Edwin H. Morris & Company, a division of MPL Music Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP).
"Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man" by Harrison, Charles; Rose, Fred. EMI Feist Catalog Inc. (ASCAP).
“I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle" by Bradford, Perry.
“I Want a Hot Dog for My Roll" by Hammed, Tausha; Williams, Clarence. Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP}.
"(I’ll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You" by Theard, Sam. EMI Mills Music, Inc. (ASCAP).
"I'm Sitting on Top of the World" by Henderson, Ray; Lewis, Sam M.; Young, Joe. Ray Henderson Music Co., Inc. (ASCAP)/EMI Feist Catalog Inc. (ASCAP)/Warock Corp. (ASCAP).
"I've Found a New Baby" by Palmer, Jack; Williams, Spencer. Universal Music Corp. ASCAP).
"Let's Misbehave" by Porter, Cole. The Cole Porter Musical and Literary Property Trust (ASCAP) WB Music Corp. (ASCAP).
“Runnin' Wild" by Gibbs, A.; Harrington; Grey, Joe; Wood, Leo. Arrangement and additional lyrics by Glen Kelly. I.D.K. Music LLC (ASCAP).
“She's Funny That Way" by Moret, Neil; Whiting, Richard. Chappell & Co. Inc. (ASCAP)/EMI April Music Inc. (ASCAP).
"'Tain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast" by Cohn, Sammy; Chaplin, Saul. Cahn Music Co., administered by Imagem Sounds (ASCAP)/La Salle Music Publishers, Inc. (ASCAP).
"'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do" by Grainger, Porter; Robbins, Everett. Arrangement and additional lyrics by Glen Kelly, I.D.K. Music LLC (ASCAP).
"The Panic Is On" by Clarke, Burt; Clarke, George; Tharp, Winston Bourne Co. (ASCAP).
"There'll Be Some Changes Made" by Higgins, Billy; Overstreet, Benton. Arrangement and additional lyrics by Glen Kelly. I.D.K. Music LLC (ASCAP).
"There's a Broken Heart for Every Light on Broadway" by Fisher, Fred Johnson, Howard, Arrangement and additional lyrics by Glen Kelly. I.D.K. Music LLC (ASCAP).
“There's a New Day Comin" by Ager, Milton; Young, Joe, WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)/Warock Corp. (ASCAP).
"They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me" by Fisher, Fred; McCarthy, Joseph. Arrangement and additional lyrics by Glen Kelly. I.D.K. Music LLC (ASCAP).
"Tiger Rag" by De Costa, Harry, Edwards, Edwin; LaRocca, James D.; Ragas, W.H.; Sbarbara, Anthony; Shields, Larry. EMI Feist Catalog Inc. (ASCAP).
"(Up a) Lazy River" by Arodin, Sidney; Carmichael, Hoagy. Peermusic III, Ltd. (BMI).
"Yes! We Have No Bananas" by Cohn, Irving; Silver, Frank. Arrangement and additional lyrics by Glen Kelly. I.D.K. Music LLC (ASCAP).
Video Warning
If you purchase a separate license to allow non-commercial video recording of this production, you must print the following in your program. ANY VIDEO RECORDING MADE OF THIS PERFORMANCE IS AUTHORIZED FOR PERSONAL, AT-HOME, NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY. THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH RECORDING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAW. If you do not purchase the separate license for video recording, you must print the following in your program. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibitedIncluded Materials
| Item | Quantity Included |
|---|---|
| KEYBOARD-CONDUCTOR ACT 1 | 2 |
| KEYBOARD-CONDUCTOR ACT 2 | 2 |
| LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK | 30 |
Production Resources
| Resource |
|---|
| FULL SCORE VOL. 1 OF 4 |
| FULL SCORE VOL. 2 OF 4 |
| FULL SCORE VOL. 3 OF 4 |
| FULL SCORE VOL. 4 OF 4 |
| HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON-10/CS |
| HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON? |
| LOGO PACK DIGITAL |
| PRODUCTIONPRO-DIGITAL SCRIPT/SCORE |
| REFERENCE RECORDING |
| STAGE MANAGER SCRIPT |
| STAGE WRITE APPLICATION |
| TRANSPOSITIONS-ON-DEMAND |
| VIDEO LICENSE |
STANDARD ORCHESTRATION
| Instrumentation | Doubling |
|---|---|
| BASS | ACOUSTIC BASS |
| DRUMS | COWBELL , DRUM KIT , ICE BELL , SIREN , TEMPLE BLOCKS , TRIANGLE , WOOD BLOCK |
| GUITAR | ARCHTOP , BANJO , STEEL STRING GUITAR , UKULELE |
| HORN | |
| KEYBOARD 1 | |
| KEYBOARD 2 | |
| PERCUSSION | BELL TREE , CHIMES , GLOCKENSPIEL , MARK TREE , SILLY SOUNDS , SLAPSTICK , SUSPENDED CYMBAL , TIMPANI , VIBES , XYLOPHONE |
| REED 1 | ALTO SAXOPHONE , CLARINET , FLUTE , PICCOLO , SOPRANO SAXOPHONE |
| REED 2 | CLARINET , FLUTE , SOPRANO SAXOPHONE , TENOR SAXOPHONE |
| REED 3 | CLARINET , OBOE , SOPRANO SAXOPHONE , TENOR SAXOPHONE |
| REED 4 | BARITONE SAXOPHONE , BASS CLARINET , BASSOON , CLARINET |
| TROMBONE | |
| TROMBONE 2 | |
| TROMBONE 3 | BASS TROMBONE , TUBA |
| TRUMPET | |
| TRUMPET 2 | |
| TRUMPET 3 | |
| VIOLIN |