Dempsey and Rowe: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American musical theater writing duo}}

{{uncat|October 2006}}

{{Merge|John Dempsey (lyricist)|discuss=Talk:Dempsey and Rowe#Proposed merge of John Dempsey (lyricist) with Dempsey and Rowe|date=June 2025}}

'''Dempsey and Rowe''' is the musical theatre composition team of Ohioans John Dempsey (book writer and lyricist) and Dana P. Rowe (composer). They have four shows under their belt: '''The Reluctant Dragon''', '''Zombie Prom''' (1996) '''The Fix''' (1997) and '''The Witches of Eastwick''' (2000).

{{More references|date=December 2009}}

'''Dempsey and Rowe''' refers to the duo of [[John Dempsey (lyricist)|John Dempsey (playwright and lyricist)]] and [[Dana P. Rowe]] (composer). They have written six [[Musical theatre|musicals]]: ''The Reluctant Dragon'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/the-reluctant-dragon|title=The Reluctant Dragon by Anderson, Rowe and Dempsey (Musical)|website=www.dramaticpublishing.com|access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref> ''[[Zombie Prom]]'' (1996), ''[[The Fix (musical)|The Fix]]'' (1997), ''[[The Witches of Eastwick (musical)|The Witches of Eastwick]]'' (2000), ''Brother Russia'' (2012) and ''Blackbeard'' (2019).

==Update==

As of August 2005, an independent film production of '''Zombie Prom''', starring RuPaul has just finished principal filming.

From [[September 14]] -25, Dana P Rowe will roadtest his new musical entitled '''The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde''', with book and lyrics by Michael Aman and Oscar E. Moor. The premiere, directed by Michael Bush with musical direction by Rowe himself - part of the [[New York Musical Theatre Festival]] - will star off-Broadway star [[Deven May]] and country singer [[Sherrié Austin]] as the eponymous duo.

==The Fix (1997)==

{{main|The Fix (musical)}}

"The Fix" premiered at the [[Donmar Warehouse]] in April [[1997]] under the direction of [[Sam Mendes]]. Its working title was "Cal: A Musical Tale of Relative Insanity". After mixed critical reception, the material were rewritten and the tone made more comic. The revised version, featuring an expanded, bolder orchestration, was premiered at the Signature Theatre, [[Arlington, Virginia]].

"''The Fix"'' premiered at the [[Donmar Warehouse]] in April [[1997]] under the direction of [[Sam Mendes]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=West End Wednesday: THE FIX |url=https://www.westendbestfriend.co.uk/news/west-end-wednesday-the-fix |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=West End Best Friend |language=en-US}}</ref> Its working title was "Cal: A Musical Tale of Relative Insanity". After mixed critical reception, the material were rewritten and the tone made more comic. The revised version, featuring an expanded, bolder orchestration, was premiered at the [[Signature Theatre, [[(Arlington, Virginia)|Signature Theatre, Arlington]].

'''Plot Synopsis'''

Days before the Presidential Election, shoo-in candidate Reed Chandler suffers a fatal coronary between the thighs of his mistress. Before the body has turned cold, the dead man's widow, Violet, and brother, Grahame (a speechwriter and spin doctor crippled from birth by polio and jealous of his brother's public success) - not keen to see their patience and preparation go to waste - are conspiring to replace him with his own son, an unambitious drifer, Calvin. Cal is enlisted in the army and married off to a perky debutante before developing a hard drug problem and being photographed during sex with his mistress, a nightclub singer named Tina McCoy. To cover up Cal's indescretion, Grahame is forced to call upon the services of the city's criminal underworld, headed by Anthony Gliardi, who we are told is a "friend of the family". The years pass; Cal is elected governor and his wife bears a son. The list of favours owed to Gliardi grows longer, Cal's addiction deepens and Grahame's legs finally give way and he is condemned to life in a wheelchair. After a drying out period, Cal rediscovers his sense of self. He confronts the press, coming clean about his misgivings and the Chandler's relationship with Gliardi. Cal becomes the media darling once again, however on the eve of the [[Senate]] nominations, Gliardi uses Tina to lure Cal away from his family, then shoots them both. The play comes full circle as at Cal's funeral, Violet and Grahame move in on Cal's young son. And suddenly the future doesn't look so dim after all.

==The Witches of Eastwick (2000)==

{{main|The Witches of Eastwick (musical)}}

Previewing [[24 June]] [[2000]] and opening [[18 July]] [[2000]] in the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, The Witches of Eastwick was based upon the John Updike novel of the same name and also upon the motion picture directed by George Miller. The director who 'fixed' previous show, "The Fix" for its American premiere, Eric D. Schaeffer, was employed to head the new production. The original cast featured Ian McShane in the role of 'Darryl Van Horne' with Lucie Arnaz, Maria Friedman and Joanna Riding as the three witches, 'Alexandra', 'Sukie' and 'Jane'. The show was transferred to the Prince of Wales theatre on the [[23 March]] [[2001]], where the set design was heavily reconceived and a new song, "The Glory of Me" added in place of Van Horne's solo, "Who's the Man?". The production closed on the [[27 October]] [[2001]].

Previewing from 24 June 2000 and opening on 18 July 2000 at the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Theatre Royal Drury Lane]], ''The Witches of Eastwick'' was based on [[The Witches of Eastwick|John Updike's novel]] and its [[The Witches of Eastwick (film)|film adaptation]]. The original cast featured [[Ian McShane]] as Darryl Van Horne, with [[Lucie Arnaz]], [[Maria Friedman]] and [[Joanna Riding]] as the witches. [[Eric D. Schaeffer]], the director who 'fixed' previous show, ''The Fix,'' for its American premiere, was employed to head the production.

''The Witches of Eastwick'' transferred to the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]] on 23 March 2001, where the set design was reconceived and a new song, "The Glory of Me" added in place of Van Horne's solo, "Who's the Man?". The production closed on the 27 October 2001. ''The Witches of Eastwick'' was also produced as the season-ending musical to the Signature Theatre's 2006-2007 season, starring [[Marc Kudisch]], Emily Skinner, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, and Christiane Noll.

== Blackbeard (2019) ==

Dempsey and Rowe's musical ''Blackbeard'' opened on 18 June 2019 at the Signature Theatre, closing on 14 July.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sigtheatre.org/events/2018-19/blackbeard/|title=Blackbeard|website=Signature Theatre|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref> Inspired by the [[Blackbeard|historical pirate]], it follows Blackbeard's crew on a 'fantastical journey across the globe to raise an undead pirate army from the depths of the sea'.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

'''Plot Synopsis'''

[[Category:American musical theatre composers]]

Three lonely ladies in the quiet town of Eastwick, Rhode Island wish upon the moon for their perfect lover. According to their very specific (yet very conflicting) requirements, a lover arrives who is everything all three of the ladies could have ever asked for. He is Darryl Van Horne - an outsider - who, as well as being only one man for the three, has something of the devil about him - literally! Van Horne sweeps like a hurricane in their quiet town, seducing the three ladies, who fall in love with him, and corrupting the town's youth. Despite their best efforts, the elderfolk of the town cannot rid Eastwick of Van Horne or his influence over the three ladies and the story spirals out of control as he solidifies his hold over the trio.

[[Category:American male musical theatre composers]]