A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Personals

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  3w, 3m

Words by David Crane, Seth Friedman and Marta Kauffman
Music by William Dreskin, Joel Philip Friedman, Seth Friedman, Alan Menken, Steven Schwartz and Michael Skloff

This off-Broadway musical revue, from an array of brilliant writers including Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz and the creators of Friends, explores relationships, dating, love and heartbreak.

Personals

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)
Accolades
Accolades

  • Winner! 1986 Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Off-Broadway Lyrics
    Nominee: Four 1986 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical and Book

Details

Summary
Before they created the most successful sitcom in the history of television, the head writers of Friends teamed up with some of New York's most talented composers and lyricists to create this off-Broadway hit. Engaging, funny, romantic, heartbreaking and occasionally wacky, Personals is a collection of songs and scenes about people who place personal ads... lonely people looking for that certain someone. In other words, Personals is about most of us, searching for love in the modern world.
History
Personals premiered off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre on November 24, 1985. Directed by Paul Lazarus, the production featured Jason Alexander, Laura Dean, Dee Hoty, Jeff Keller, Nancy Opel and Trey Wilson.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

The original off-Broadway production featured six actors playing various roles, as follows:

WOMAN #1 (DEE) – CLAIRE, MARILOU, GROUP MEMBER
WOMAN #2 (LAURA) – KIM, ELAINE, GROUP MEMBER
WOMAN #3 (NANCY) – LOUISE, TINA, MOTHER #3, RICKI BUSH, FEMALE VOICE, HANNAH KLEIN, RENE, GROUP MEMBER

MAN #1 (JEFF) – SAM, MOTHER #1, GROUP MEMBER
MAN #2 (JASON) – LOUIS, CHUCKIE, MOTHER #2, MOVER, BOB, MR. POTATO HEAD
MAN #3 (TREY) – TYPESETTER, MALE VOICE, TONY LAMBUSCO, MOVER, GROUP MEMBER

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, 1980s
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“A winner... the date show for the young in heart.” – New York Post

“Are you looking for that special night where everything is going to be peachy, and you are going to meet the swellest little show of your dreams?... Personals is a winner, destined to find, apart from anything else, its own special place on the singles scene, the date show for the young in heart, the Jacques Brel of the 80s.” – New York Post

“Personals is a hilarious yet also sometimes agonising mix of stories that everyone has gone through or heard stories of in their dating history. With toe-tapping numbers, amusing scenes and excellent up-and-coming actors and actresses – this show certainly does put a smile on your face.” – LondonTheatre1

Videos

  • Personals youtube thumbnail

    Personals

Music

Act I

“Nothing to Do with Love” – Company
“After School Special” – Jason & Company
“Mama’s Boys” – Dee, Laura, Trey & Company
“A Night Alone” – Jeff, Jason, Dee & Trey
“I Think You Should Know” – Laura & Jeff
“Second Grade” – Jeff, Jason, Trey & Company
“Imagine My Surprise” – Dee
“I’d Rather Dance Alone” – Company

Act II

“Moving in with Linda” – Jeff & Company
“A Little Happiness” – Trey
“I Could Always Go to You” – Dee & Nancy
“The Guy I Love” – Nancy & Jason
“Michael” – Laura
“Picking Up the Pieces” – Jason & Trey
“Some Things Don’t End” – Company

1 Keyboard 1-Conductor (Acoustic Piano, DX-7 Synthesizer)

1 Reed (Flute, Clarinet, Alto & Tenor Saxophones)
1 Guitar (Electric, Eb Acoustic, Banjo)
1 Percussion (Drum Set, Simmons Drum Synthesizer, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Bell Tree, Sound Effects)
1 Keyboard 2 (2 DX-7 Synthesizers, stacked - Left hand substitutes for Bass part)
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Pop/Rock
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

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1 Keyboard 1-Conductor
6 Vocal Books

1 Reed
1 Guitar
1 Percussion
1 Keyboard 2
1 Keyboard 1-Conductor
6 Vocal Books
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Authors

Author

Seth Friedman

Marta Kauffman

Marta Kauffman

Marta Kauffman (b. 1956) is best known for co-creating and executive producing the Emmy Award-winning series Friends. She also co-created and co-executive produced the comedy series Dream On (Emmy Award nomination, CableAce Award), Family Album, Veronica's Closet starring Kir ...

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Author

William Dreskin

Joel Phillip Friedman

Joel Phillip Friedman

Joel Phillip Friedman has always been drawn to a diverse range of musical activities, whether composing for the concert hall, theater or dance. He grew up playing trumpet and electric bass in jazz and rock bands, French horn and trumpet in orchestras, and performed in musical ...

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Stephen Schwartz

Stephen Schwartz

Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City on March 6, 1948. He studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while in high school and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with a B.F.A. in Drama. Upon coming back to live in New York City, he went ...

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Author

Alan Menken

Author

David Crane

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