Promises, Promises

A TAMS-WITMARK TITLE

Promises, Promises

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 3m plus ensemble

Book by Neil Simon
Based on the Screenplay The Apartment by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond
Music by Burt Bacharach
Lyrics by Hal David

Produced for the Broadway Stage by David Merrick

A scathing and hilarious satire of the corporate world, Promises, Promises is the exuberant musical adaptation of Billy Wilder’s Oscar-winning film The Apartment.

Image: 2010 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

Promises, Promises

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 3m plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Stage & Screen), Christmas/Holiday, Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: Seven 1969 Tony Awards, including Best Musical
    Winner! Two 1969 Tony Awards, for Best Actor and Best Featured Actress
    Winner! Two 1969 Theatre World Awards
    Winner! Three 1969 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Music
    Winner! 2010 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress
    Winner! 2010 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress
Promises, Promises

Details

Summary
In New York City in the 1960s, an ambitious accountant named Chuck Baxter lends out his apartment to his supervisors, who need a discreet place for illicit afternoon rendezvous. Miserable and exploited, Chuck finds a beacon of hope in coworker Fran, who is trapped in a romantic predicament of her own. The bittersweet romantic comedy features a groundbreaking contemporary score from composer Burt Bacharach. The score includes the blockbuster hit “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” plus “Knowing When To Leave,” “Turkey Lurkey Time,” “Whoever You Are,” and the title song.
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History
Promises, Promises opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on December 1, 1968, starring Jill O'Hara, Jerry Orbach and Marian Mercer. A resounding hit, the show played for 1,281 performances. It was revived on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre in 2010, starring Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes and Katie Finneran.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period 1960s
  • Setting The offices of Consolidated Life and other locations in NYC. 1968.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Yes, of course, yes!... One of the wittiest books a musical has possessed in years… the music is modern pop and delightful.” – Clive Barnes, The New York Times
“Buoyant… Set in 1962 Manhattan, the show is pleasingly retro without being a kitsch comic book.” – New York Magazine
“Promises, Promises is a candy-flavored ride that more than delivers on its title.” – New York Post
“Neil Simon's book is endlessly funny, while Burt Bacharach and Hal David's pop score, which uses background vocals in most songs, is catchy and tuneful.” – On Off Broadway

Videos

  • Show Clips: Promises, Promises youtube thumbnail

    Show Clips: Promises, Promises

Photos

  • Promises, Promises

    Image: 2010 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Promises, Promises

    Image: 2010 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Promises, Promises

    Image: 2010 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Promises, Promises

    Image: Sam Norkin

Music

Music Samples

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Moderate
  • Vocal DemandsDifficult
  • Orchestra Size Large
  • Chorus Size Large

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

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Authors

Neil Simon

Neil Simon

American playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon (1927-2018) is widely regarded as one of the most successful, prolific and performed playwrights in theatre history. In addition to Lost In Yonkers, which won a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize, his plays and musicals include Come ...

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Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder (1906–2002) was an Austrian-born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist whose career spanned more than five decades. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of the Hollywood Golden Age of cinema. With The A ...

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I.A.L. Diamond

I.A.L. Diamond

I.A.L. Diamond (1920-1988) and Billy Wilder began collaborating in 1957. Beginning with Love in the Afternoon, their partnership spanned 25 years and a dozen critically acclaimed films, including Merry Andrew; Some Like It Hot (Oscar nomination); The Apartment; One, Two, Thre ...

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Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach has been one of the most-honored and successful composers for six decades. His music is as diverse as his audiences, spanning generations and continents, as he is celebrated both as a pop culture icon and one of the world’s greatest contemporary composers. Bach ...

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Hal David

Hal David

"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head," "This Guy's in Love with You," and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," are just three of the hits in a string of standards written by Academy Award-winning lyricist Hal David (1921-2012). "Raindrops," which was in the movie Butch Cassidy and ...

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