Mayor (musical)
Encyclopedia
Mayor is a musical
with a book by Warren Leight
and music and lyrics by Charles Strouse
. It is based on the best-selling memoir
by former New York City
Mayor
Ed Koch
and depicts a single day in the life of the city's leader.
Real-life personalities who are portrayed in the musical include Cardinal John O'Connor, Bess Myerson
, Leona
and Harry Helmsley
, David Rockefeller
, Carol Bellamy
, Harrison J. Goldin
, John V. Lindsay, Abraham Beame
, and Sue Simmons
.
The off-Broadway
production was directed by Jeffrey B. Moss and choreographed by Strouse's wife, Barbara Siman. It opened on May 13, 1985 at the Top of the Gate in Greenwich Village
and ran for 185 performances. The cast included Lenny Wolpe as the Mayor and Nancy Giles
, Ken Jennings
, Ilene Kristen
, Douglas Bernstein, Marlon J. Caffey, Keith Curran, and Kathryn McAteer in supporting roles.
On October 23, the production moved uptown to the Latin Quarter
, where it continued for 70 performances. John Sloman replaced Keith Curran.
A cast album is available on a CD released on the Harbinger label.
Act II
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a book by Warren Leight
Warren Leight
Warren Leight is an American playwright, screenwriter, film director and television producer. He is best known for his work on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Lights Out and the showrunner for In Treatment and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit....
and music and lyrics by Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist.-Life and career:Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel Strouse...
. It is based on the best-selling memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
by former New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
and depicts a single day in the life of the city's leader.
Real-life personalities who are portrayed in the musical include Cardinal John O'Connor, Bess Myerson
Bess Myerson
Bess Myerson became the first Jewish woman to win the Miss America pageant in 1945. She appeared on various television shows in the 1950s and 1960s...
, Leona
Leona Helmsley
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean...
and Harry Helmsley
Harry Helmsley
Harry B. Helmsley was an Americanentrepreneur who built a company that became one of the biggest property holders in the United States...
, David Rockefeller
David Rockefeller
David Rockefeller, Sr. is the current patriarch of the Rockefeller family. He is the youngest and only surviving child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and the only surviving grandchild of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. His five siblings were...
, Carol Bellamy
Carol Bellamy
Carol Bellamy has been Director of the Peace Corps, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund , and President and CEO of World Learning. In April, 2009, Bellamy was appointed as Chair of the International Baccalaureate Board of Governors...
, Harrison J. Goldin
Harrison J. Goldin
Harrison Jay Goldin is a lawyer and former New York politician. He served as New York City Comptroller from 1974 to 1989. He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1966 to 1973 and ran in the 1989 Democratic Primary election for Mayor of New York...
, John V. Lindsay, Abraham Beame
Abraham Beame
Abraham David "Abe" Beame was mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977. As such, he presided over the city during the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, during which the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy....
, and Sue Simmons
Sue Simmons
Susan "Sue" Simmons has been the lead female news anchor at WNBC television in New York City since 1980.-Background:Simmons grew up in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem; her father was John Simmons, a renowned jazz bassist whose compatriots included Louis Armstrong, Art Tatum, John...
.
The off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production was directed by Jeffrey B. Moss and choreographed by Strouse's wife, Barbara Siman. It opened on May 13, 1985 at the Top of the Gate in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
and ran for 185 performances. The cast included Lenny Wolpe as the Mayor and Nancy Giles
Nancy Giles
Nancy Giles is an American actress and television journalist .-Biography:...
, Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings (actor)
Ken Jennings is an actor most famous for his 1979 role as Tobias Ragg in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street...
, Ilene Kristen
Ilene Kristen
Ilene Kristen is an American actress. She is known for her role as Delia Reid on Ryan's Hope and for her role as Roxy Balsom on One Life to Live .-Career:...
, Douglas Bernstein, Marlon J. Caffey, Keith Curran, and Kathryn McAteer in supporting roles.
On October 23, the production moved uptown to the Latin Quarter
Latin Quarter (nightclub)
Latin Quarter is a nightclub in New York City.The Club which originally opened in 1942 featured big name acts. In recent years it has been a focus of hip hop, reggaeton, and salsa music....
, where it continued for 70 performances. John Sloman replaced Keith Curran.
A cast album is available on a CD released on the Harbinger label.
Song list
Act I- Mayor
- You Can Be a New Yorker Too!
- You're Not the Mayor
- Mayor (Reprise)
- March of the Yuppies
- Hootspa
- Coalition
- What You See Is What You Get
Act II
- In the Park
- Ballad
- I Want to Be the Mayor
- Subway: The Last "I Love New York" Song
- Ballad (Reprise)
- Testimonial Dinner: Good Times
- We Are One (I'll Never Leave You)
- How'm I Doin'
- Mayor (Reprise)
- My City
Awards and nominations
- Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Outstanding Book (nominee) - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Kathryn McAteer, nominee)
- Theatre World AwardTheatre World AwardThe Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
(Nancy Giles, winner)