A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Inside Out

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  6w

Book by Doug Haverty
Music by Adryan Russ
Lyrics by Adryan Russ and Doug Haverty

This insightful, moving and hilarious musical comedy about a women's therapy group features six dynamic roles for women, a tuneful pop/rock score, and a delightful, entertaining book. Stephen Holden of The New York Times called it "a bright, witty and glancingly wise musical comedy about the way we live now.”

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

A women's therapy group, headed by group leader Grace, is transformed forever when Dena joins the group and winds up being a catalyst for change in the lives of the others: Sage, a flower child of the 1980s; Liz, a powerful businesswoman who has problems balancing work and home; Chlo, a gay bank employee and single mom of a teenage son; and Molly, a mother of two young children who is dealing with weight issues. Featuring tuneful, memorable music by Adryan Russ and insightful lyrics by Russ and Doug Haverty, Inside Out, is every bit as timely today as it was when it premiered off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater, where it received excellent reviews and praise for its top-notch six-member ensemble: Tony Award nominee Jan Maxwell (Follies, The Royal Family), Tony nominee Ann Crumb (Aspects of Love, Anna Karenina), Harrriett D. Foy (Once On This Island, Mamma Mia), Kathleen Mahony-Bennett (Anything Goes), Cass Morgan (Pump Boys & Dinettes, Memphis), and Julie Prosser (Baby).

Since its initial off-Broadway run, Inside Out has had productions all over the United States and overseas as a delicious throwback to the 1980s and the rise of therapy as a way to deal with daily life. Its original cast recording, with orchestrations by Ned Ginsburg, was first released on DRG Records. When Kritzerland Record's Bruce Kimmel discovered that DRG’s issue was out of print, he decided to completely remix, remaster and repackage it. Listen to song excerpts here.

History

Inside Out premiered off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre on October 28, 1994. Directed by Henry Fonte, the production featured Anne Crumb, Harriett D. Foy, Kathleen Mahony-Bennett, Jan Maxwell, Cass Morgan and Julie Prosser.

DENA – Attractive, bitter singer/actress, currently divorced and living alone. Her briefly successful career has stalled and she is searching for an explanation. She senses that she is the cause of her predicament, but cannot admit it.
GRACE - Intelligent, sensitive, easy-going, centered, "graceful" group therapy leader. She has a sense of humor and loves what she's doing. She is happily married, but has her issues, too.
SAGE - Genuinely sincere, deeply caring, naive woman who would have been a hippie had she been born at the right time. She is almost engaged.
CHLO - Beautiful, feminine, sarcastic, loving, gay mother of a troublesome 13-year-old son. She is a therapy pro, romantically alone, an artist who sketches during group sessions.
MOLLY - Cute, self-doubting, paranoid, happily married new mother who's convinced she waited too long to have children and will never lose her maternity weight, even though she has.
LIZ - Strikingly confident, driven, professional executive who has fought her way up a corporate ladder while managing to support a house-husband and three teenage children. She has a hard time determining which comes first, career or family.

Age ranges are 25 to 50.

Age ranges are 25 to 50.

  • Time Period 1980s
  • Setting Six chairs in a semicircle. A large metropolitan city in the USA. The not-too-distant past.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language

Media

“A smart, spunky little musical... a bright, witty and glancingly wise musical comedy about the way we live now.” – The New York Times

Inside Out is as Inside-Outstanding a chamber musical as anyone could hope for... book delightfully witty and perceptive... songs infectiously hummable... fascinating and complex... sure to resonate with everyone... every bit as relevant in 2015 as it was in 1995... richly-layered, delicious, goofy, effervescent... stunning!” — Steven Stanley, StageSceneLA

CRITIC’S CHOICE! “Throws a boldly bright spotlight on the positive loving effects of group therapy... the music is not only a part of the plot, but more urgently becomes the almost guaranteed therapeutic force of nature for the entire piece... Storyteller/bookwriter Doug Haverty delves into a variety of problems to which anyone can relate... Adryan Russ has written some truly beautiful songs to which she and Haverty have co-written some lovely, very vibrant lyrics that advance the story in a very human way... beguiling and deliciously executed.” — Don Grigware, BroadwayWorld.com

“A cheerful enterprise with buoyant music... Very satisfying.” – New York Newsday

“A smart, spunky little musical… does an unusually good job of creating characters who seem like real people with real problems, even when they sing and dance... The show is optimistic without being gushy... stands out as a bright, witty and glancingly wise musical comedy about the way we live now.” – The New York Times

“This cast recording... features some wittily conceived and executed songs from Adryan Russ and Doug Haverty that brim with pop appeal.” – TheatreMania

“We know that group therapy sessions don't usually include singing and dancing, but Russ and Haverty make the audience believe it's the most natural thing in the world... This audience-pleasing show follows five women who chide one another when someone's suppressing an honest feeling and eagerly step into each other's shoes to share the therapeutic value of role-playing, is at once funny and touching.” – Weekly Variety

“Every line in this show rings dead on... touches the heart, displaying wit and high spirits, even as it addresses insecurity and loneliness.” – Newsday

“Plays like A Chorus Line of group therapy - each patient stands up and belts out her life story and problems, with the rest of the group as her back-up singers and dancers.” – Bradenton Herald

“Shows the self-deception, the peeling of layers, the look for escape hatches when the light hurts the eyes long accustomed to peering through dimness.” – Valley Press

Videos

  • Inside Out - 20th Anniversary youtube thumbnail

    Inside Out - 20th Anniversary

  • "Never Enough" from Inside Out - Kim Huber youtube thumbnail

    "Never Enough" from Inside Out - Kim Huber

  • "I Don't Say Anything" from Inside Out - Olivia Killingsworth youtube thumbnail

    "I Don't Say Anything" from Inside Out - Olivia Killingsworth

  • "If You Really Loved Me" (Reprise) from Inside Out - Kate Meyer  youtube thumbnail

    "If You Really Loved Me" (Reprise) from Inside Out - Kate Meyer

Music

Song Samples

Inside Out
Thin
No One Inside
Never Enough
I Don't Say Anything
The Passing of a Friend
Things Look Different
Do It At Home

Act I

“Inside Out” – Company
“Let It Go” – Sage & Grace
“Thin” – Molly & Company
“I Can See You Here” – Grace
“If You Really Loved Me” – Company
“Yo, Chlo” – Dena & Chlo
“If You Really Loved Me” (Reprise) – Chlo
“Behind Dena’s Back” – Company
“Inside Out” (Reprise) – Company

Act II

“Grace’s Nightmare” – Grace & Company
“All I Do Is Sing” – Dena
“Never Enough” – Chlo
“I Don’t Say Anything” – Sage
“The Passing of a Friend” – Molly & Company
“Things Looks Different” – Liz & Company
“Do It At Home” – Liz & Company
“Reaching Up” – Dena & Company

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Pop/Rock
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

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Authors

Doug Haverty

Doug Haverty was born in Sacramento and graduated from the University of the Pacific in Stockton with a major in Theatre and a minor in Journalism.

His first play, a college comedy called Hello, This Is The Bottom Drawer, opened in Los Angeles in 1980 and was a surprise, award ...

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Adryan Russ

Adryan Russ conceived, wrote music and co-wrote lyrics for Inside Out, the award-winning off-Broadway musical about six women in group therapy, co-written with playwright Doug Haverty, and produced by Richard Frankel and Marc Routh. The musical was published by Samuel French ...

View full profile

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