42nd Street Moon

42nd Street Moon
Formation1993
TypeTheatre group
PurposeAmerican Plays & Playwrights
Location
Websitehttps://42ndstmoon.org/

42nd Street Moon is a professional theatre company in San Francisco, California.[1] The company specializes in the preservation and presentation of early and lesser-known works[2] by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, Kander and Ebb, Jule Styne and Comden and Green. In recent years, the company has branched out to include more contemporary works that continue the spirit of the classic American Musical.

MoonSchool at 42nd Street Moon is the education branch of the professional company, offering high-level theatre training for children, teens, and adults.

History

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The company was founded by Greg MacKellan and Stephanie Rhoads in 1993.[2] It has presented the American premiere of musical scores by Jerome Kern (Three Sisters and The Cabaret Girl) and Johnny Mercer (The Good Companions). 42nd Street Moon also produced the first American revivals of Rodgers & Hart's 1926 musical Peggy-Ann and André Previn's Coco.[citation needed] For its first 15 seasons, the company presented its productions as staged concerts.[3] In 2008, it began to produce "fully staged" musicals, with costumes and choreography.[4] For example, the production of Strike Up the Band in 2011 had choreography by Alex Hsu and costumes reviewed as "to-die-for 1920s attire" by Scarlett Kellum.[5]

Two of 42nd Street Moon's productions have been recorded as Cast albums: Cole Porter's Something for the Boys and Leave it to Me. Both represent the first full English language records for either of these two musicals, with Leave It to Me being sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.[citation needed] Videos of most of 42nd Street Moon's productions are available for viewing at the Museum of Performance & Design in San Francisco.[citation needed]

Artistic Director MacKellan has led developed several musical salons, each dedicated to exploring and celebrating the work of some of Broadway's greatest songwriters. In 2013, Once In Love With Loesser was performed, in celebration of Frank Loesser and built around the three stages of his career: as a Tin Pan Alley lyricist, then working in Hollywood, and finally as a Broadway songwriter.[6] MacKellan retired from Moon in June, 2016.

Notable actors and actress who have worked with 42nd Street Moon include: Darren Criss (Fanny – 1997, Do I Hear a Waltz – 1998, Babes in Arms – 1999); Andrea Marcovicci (On a Clear Day – 1999, Coco – 2007–08); Ann Morrison (Can-Can – 2004–05); Lea DeLaria (Once Upon a Mattress – 2004–05); Klea Blackhurst (Red Hot and Blue – 2005–06, Call Me Madam – 2009–10);[citation needed] and Jason Graae (Little Me – 2012–13).[7] Brent Barrett, Leslie Caron, Emily Skinner, Cady Huffman, Rebecca Luker, Andrea McArdle, Donna McKechnie, Marni Nixon, Noah Racey, Charles Strouse, and Karen Ziemba have also performed in concerts or galas with the company.[citation needed]

In 2016, Daren A.C. Carollo and Daniel Thomas were appointed Co-Executive Directors of 42nd Street Moon.

In 2019, Anne Norland was named Director of Education for MoonSchool.

In 2020, Catalina Kumiski was named Director of Marketing.

Productions

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References

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  1. ^ "Actors Equity and Bay Area Theatres". Actorsequity.org, accessed August 2011
  2. ^ a b "Unearthing rare musical gems (summary of article)" Stage Directions, December 1, 2001
  3. ^ Chavez, Adele. "Student Gypsy – A Charming Find" Archived 2012-10-16 at the Wayback Machine. Sfbaytimes.com, April 3, 2008
  4. ^ "History" Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine 42ndstmoon.org, accessed August 8, 2011
  5. ^ Katz, Leslie. "All’s fair in war and cheese in Strike Up the Band" Archived 2012-06-17 at the Wayback Machine. San Francisco Examiner, April 13, 2011
  6. ^ Heymont, George (26 June 2013). "Some Like It Shot". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  7. ^ Heymont, George (3 July 2013). "The Right Girl in the Right Place at the Right Time". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  8. ^ Connema, Richard. "42nd Street Moon Presents Rodgers and Hart's 'By Jupiter'". Talkinbroadway.com, April 26, 2002
  9. ^ Rickwald, Bethany."42nd Street Moon Announces Casting for 'Silk Stockings' theatermania.com, April 1, 2011
  10. ^ Peter, Thomas.42nd Street Moon's 2010–2011 Season to Include Forum, Murder for Two, Babes in Arms and More" Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, March 3, 2010
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