This is a rare advertising handbill (flyer) promoting the Original Broadway production of the STEPHEN SONDHEIM and BURT SHEVELOVE musical "THE FROGS" at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater in New York City. (The production opened July 22nd, 2004 and ran for 92 performances.) ..... "Freely adapted" from The Frogs, an Ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, "THE FROGS" was first performed by the Yale Repertory Theatre Company in Yale University's gymnasium swimming pool and included among it's cast MERYL STREEP, SIGOURNEY WEAVER, LARRY BLYDEN and CHRISTOPHER DURANG ..... In 1979, Nathan Lane became interested in the piece and on May 22nd, 2000, Lane, with Davis Gaines and Brian Stokes Mitchell, performed a concert version of The Frogs at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Shortly after performing in the concert adaptation, Lane began revising and expanding the show's book into a two-act structure typical of American musicals; the first act was expanded, the second condensed. Lane explained what drew him to expandThe Frogs: "after September 11th ... I started to think, There's something in this piece right now. There's something idealistic about the notion of someone believing that the arts can make a difference ... I found it moving, in light of what is going on in the world." The new book included references to George W. Bush and the Iraq War. For the new production, Sondheim wrote seven new songs, including ones that focused on individual characters rather than an ensemble. The Lincoln Center Theater produced the piece, now titled The Frogs: A New Broadway Musical, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. The revival, labeled as "even more freely adapted" by Lane, starred NATHAN LANE as "Dionysus" and CHRIS KATTAN (who was replaced by ROGER BART during previews) as "Xanthias". Others in the cast included RYAN L. BALL, PETER BARTLETT, JAMES BROWN III, JOHN BYNER, DANIEL DAVIS, BRYN DOWLING, REBECCA EICHENBERGER, MEG GILLENTINE, ERIC MICHAEL GILLETT, PIA C. GLENN, TIMOTHY GULAN, TYLER HANES, FRANCESCA HARPER, ROD HARRELSON, JESSICA HOWARD, NAOMI KAKUK, KENWAY HON WAI K. KUA, LUKE LONGACRE, DAVID LOWENSTEIN, JOANNE MANNING, BURKE MOSES, MIA PRICE, MICHAEL SIBERRY, KATHY VOYTKO, STEVE WILSON and JAY BRIAN WINNICK ..... CREDITS: Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM ("A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum", "West Side Story", "Gypsy", "Company", "Follies", "Merrily We Roll Along", "Do I Hear a Waltz?", "A Little Night Music", "Sweeney Todd", "Pacific Overtures", "Sunday in the Park With George", "Into the Woods", "Passion", "Assassins", "Road Show", "Bounce"); Book by BURT SHEVELOVE freely adapted from the original by ARISTOPHANES; Even more freely adapted by NATHAN LANE; Scenery designed by GILES CADLE; Costumes designed by WILLIAM IVEY LONG; Orchestrations by JONATHAN TUNICK; Musical Director: PAUL GEMIGNANI; Directed and Choreographed by SUSAN STROMAN; Produced by ANDRE BISHOP and BERNARD GERSTEN in association with BOB BOYETT ..... DETAILS: Advertising handbills (heralds) were distributed or inserted into the playbills of other productions to help generate ticket sales for upcoming shows. This single page, two-sided handbill measures 4" X 9" inches and includes wonderful graphics and production credits on the front and promotional text and booking information on the backside ..... CONDITION: This rare handbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.

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