The Broadway version of Title of Show reflects on the journey that the show has made from New York Musical Theatre Festival to Broadway. This long trip is well documented in Bowen’s song and Bell’s book. The 90 minutes show revolves around how the show was created.
Title of Show has been conceptualized and written by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen. The book has been written by Bell and the music and lyrics have been written by Bowen. The authors also play the two central characters in the play. The two men play themselves and show us through their musical comedy how they created the show.
How It All Starts
The musical starts with Bell and Bowen, who have been writing for several years without anyone noticing their work, deciding to get into the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The problem is that they do not have a show ready and they only have three weeks to get one ready. Since they are short on time, they decide to write a show about writing a show. The title of the musical is taken from a line on the application form. They enlist the help of two of their colleagues - Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff.
Blackwell and Blicenstaff play themselves in the Title of Show. The show is picked up for the New York Musical Theatre Festival and then goes on to play at the Vineyard Theatre for two years.
Broadway Debut
For the Broadway debut several new angles have been added to the show. In the Broadway version, panicky Bell wants to bolster the chances of success by replacing Blickenstaff with an established star, Sutton Foster. Bowen does not agree with the idea and believes that they should maintain their integrity and innocence. Finally, Bowen wins and they agree that they would rather be “nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing.”
Bowen’s lyrics and Bell’s book have managed to keep the audiences entertained over the years. The show has a funny number whose lyrics are made up of the titles of flop musicals and the number has always been a great hit with the audiences. Besides hilarious lyrics, the show also has quite a few funny moments. Take for instance, the use of taped phone messages. Several musical-theatre actresses leave messages on the answering machine explaining why they are rejecting the offer to be on the show. Some of the messages are quite hilarious.
The Broadway version still has the same cast. The show is directed by Michael Berresse and is produced by the Vineyards as well as Kevin McCollum.
The tickets for Title of Show are available online through authorized tickets brokers. Purchasing show tickets from an authorized ticket broker guarantees their authenticity. Plus you get them at competitive rates. Furthermore, they are delivered at your doorstep. So all you have to do is get ready for a great evening out.
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