A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Free to Be… You and Me

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  2w, 2m, 6 any gender (adult)

From the book conceived by Marlo Thomas and Friends
Contributions by Judy Blume, Dan Greenberg, Carol Hall, Sheldon Harnick, Bruce Hart, Edward Kleban, Elain Laron, Stephen Lawrence, Betty Miles, Shelley Miller, Carl Reiner, Mary Rodgers, Shel Silverstein, Peter Stone and Charlotte Zolotow
Adaptation written for the stage by Douglas Love and Regina Safran

This delightful revue, a dynamic blend of music and humor, expands children’s personal horizons and allows them to invent their own futures.

Free to Be… You and Me

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m, 6 any gender (adult)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
Accolades
Accolades

  • Winner! 1974 Primetetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Special
    Winner! 1974 Peabody Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television

Details

Summary

Marlo Thomas conceived a children’s book that, instead of telling boys and girls who they should be, would open them to the possibilities of who they could be. She gathered many of her supremely talented friends from various worlds of the arts and the remarkable result is highly regarded as a modern classic of children’s literature. Life-enhancing themes are imaginatively blended with music and humor to expand children's personal horizons, enabling them to invent their own futures without limitation, while dispelling some old constraints and worn-out conventions in the process. Parents, teachers and other grown-up friends will delight in sharing this extraordinary and memorable experience with the children in their lives.

History
Free to Be… You and Me debuted as a record album and illustrated book in November 1972. Conceived and created by Marlo Thomas, the album featured a number of celebrities, including Alan Alda, Rosey Grier, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing, Michael Jackson, Roberta Flack, Shirley Jones, Jack Cassidy and Diana Ross. An ABC television special, also created by Thomas, premiered in March 1974. The show won an Emmy and a Peabody, the book was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and the record sold over 10 million copies.
Cast Attributes
Performing Groups
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting

    Unit set. Scrims, props and platforms can be used to suggest various locations.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Media

“Entertaining... A nimble, fast-paced show.” – Chicago Reader

“A nimble, fast-paced show... one of the most entertaining for adults and children as well... [the book] revolutionized children’s literature.” – Chicago Reader

Music

Music Samples

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

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

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Authors

Marlo Thomas

Marlo Thomas

Marlo Thomas is an award-winning actress, author and activist whose body of work continues to impact American entertainment and culture. She has been honored with four Emmy Awards, the Peabody, a Golden Globe and a Grammy, and has been inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of F ...

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Author

Judy Blume

Author

Dan Greenberg

Carol Hall

Carol Hall

Carol Hall's first recorded song was a lullaby called “Jenny Rebecca,” initially recorded by Mabel Mercer and then by Barbra Streisand. Subsequently, her songs were performed by Tony Bennett, Barbara Cook, Chita Rivera, Reba McIntyre, Cyndi Lauper, RuPaul, Steven Lutvak, Fred ...

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Sheldon Harnick

Sheldon Harnick

Sheldon Harnick (1924-2023) was born in Chicago. Following his service in World War II, he earned a Bachelor of Music Degree at Northwestern University, majoring in violin. After working as a professional musician in and around Chicago, he moved to New York in 1950 to pursue ...

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Author

Bruce Hart

Edward Kleban

Edward Kleban

Edward Kleban (1939-1987) was the lyricist of A Chorus Line, for which he won the 1975 Tony Award, the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Desk and Olivier Awards. His score for the musical A Class Act, produced posthumously, was nominated for the 2001 Tony and Drama Desk Awards and ...

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Author

Elain Laron

Author

Stephen Lawrence

Author

Betty Miles

Author

Shelley Miller

Carl Reiner

Carl Reiner

Carl Reiner was born in New York, NY in 1922 and has had success as an actor, writer, director and producer. As an actor he has appeared on stage in Call Me Mister and Inside U.S.A. and on film in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Comi ...

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Mary Rodgers

Mary Rodgers

Mary Rodgers (1931-2014). An accomplished author, screenwriter and composer, Mary Rodgers' earliest professional credits included serving as Assistant to the Producer of Leonard Bernstein's New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts.

Her Broadway career began as composer of ...

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Author

Shel Silverstein

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

Charlotte Zolotow

Author

Douglas Love

Author

Regina Safran

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