A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Woman of the Year

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  6w, 11m

Book by Peter Stone
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Music by John Kander
Based on the MGM film by Ring Lardner, Jr. and Michael Kanin

In this Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the famous Tracy/Hepburn film, high-powered TV anchorwoman Tess Harding and famous cartoonist Sam Craig face off in a delightful battle of the sexes.

Woman of the Year

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 11m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Suggested Use
    • Competition or audition material
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! Four 1981 Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score
    Nominee: Six 1981 Tony Awards, including Best Musical

Details

Summary
Lauren Bacall made a triumphant return to Broadway in this Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the famous Tracy/Hepburn film. Tess Harding is a high-powered anchorwoman of a network TV morning news show. She makes some derogatory remarks about comic strips on the air and comes head-to-head with Sam Craig, a famous cartoonist who introduces a lampoon of Tess into his comic strip. The feud turns to romance and marriage, but not to harmony, in this delightful battle of the sexes between two outsized egos.
History
Woman of the Year premiered on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on March 29, 1981. Directed by Robert Moore, the production starred Lauren Bacall and Harry Guardino, and featured Marilyn Cooper, Grace Keagy and Roderick Cook. Bacall and Cooper earned Tony Awards for their performances.
Keywords
Performing Groups

TESS HARDING
GERALD – Tess' secretary
HELGA – Tess' housekeeper
CHIP SALISBURY – A network anchorman
SAM CRAIG
Cartoonists, Sam's friends:
– PHIL WITAKER
– ELLIS MCMASTER
– ABBOTT CANFIELD
– PINKY PETERS
MAURY – A saloonkeeper
TONY – A doorman
PRESCOTT – An FBI Agent
ALEXI PETRIKOV – A Russian ballet dancer
LARRY DONOVAN – Tess' first husband
JAN DONOVAN – Larry's wife

ENSEMBLE: FLOOR MANAGER, CHAIRWOMAN, other COMMITTEEWOMEN, TV TECHNICIANS, PATRONS of Mary's Tavern and OTHERS

Plus Chorus

  • Time Period 1960s
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“In a word, it is terrific.” – New York Post
“It is funny, it has zing, it has sass... It also has some very attractive music and lyrics, a clever book, an air of class and a superior sense of imagination to it. In a word, it is terrific.” – New York Post

Music

Music Samples

Act I

“Woman of the Year” – Tess and Women
“The Poker Game” – Sam and Cartoonists
“See You in the Funny Papers” – Sam
“When You're Right, You're Right!” – Tess and Gerald
“Shut Up, Gerald” – Tess, Sam and Gerald
“So What Else Is New?” – Sam and Katz
“The Poker Game (Reprise)” – Cartoonists
“One of the Boys” – Tess, Cartoonists, Maury and Men
“Table Talk” – Tess and Sam
“The Two of Us” – Tess and Sam
“It Isn't Working” – Cartoonists, Chip, Helga, Gerald and New Yorkers
“I Told You So” – Gerald and Helga
“Woman of the Year (Reprise)” – Tess

Act II

“I Wrote the Book” – Tess and Cleaning Women
“Happy in the Morning” – Alexi, Tess and Dancers
“Sometimes a Day Goes By” – Sam
“The Grass Is Always Greener” – Jan and Tess
“Open the Window, Sam” – Tess and Company
“Table Talk (Reprise)” – Tess and Sam

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Large
  • Chorus Size Large

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

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18 Keyboard-Conductor Scores
1 Reed 1
1 Reed 2
1 Reed 3
1 Reed 4
1 Reed 5
2 Trumpets 1&2
1 Trumpet 3
2 Horns 1&2
1 Trombone 1
1 Trombone 2
1 Trombone 3
1 Percussion
1 Drums
2 Violins 1&2
1 Celli I & II
1 Bass
1 Harp
18 Keyboard-Conductor Scores
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Authors

Fred Ebb

Fred Ebb

Fred Ebb (1933–2004) was an award-winning lyricist, librettist and director who frequently and successfully collaborated with composer John Kander. Ebb's work for the theatre included Flora, The Red Menace; Cabaret; The Happy Time; Zorba; 70, Girls, 70; Chicago; The Act; Woma ...

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John Kander

John Kander

John Kander is a Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winning composer, a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award, and a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame. With frequent collaborator Fred Ebb, he composed the score to dozens of Broadway musicals, including Cabaret, Zorba, Chi ...

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Peter Stone

Peter Stone

Peter Stone (1930-2003) was the first writer to win the Tony, the Oscar and the Emmy. With 15 Broadway productions to his credit, he received Tony Awards for his books to 1776, Woman Of The Year, The Will Rogers Follies and Titanic (all four also winning the Tony for Best Mus ...

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Author

Ring Lardner, Jr.

Author

Michael Kanin

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