How a failed 1958 musical became a Broadway smash thirty years later
In short: In 1958, a Broadway opening was canceled, leaving a production in limbo. Decades later, a creative resurrection transformed a forgotten script into a massive success, proving that even the most abandoned stories can find a second, much more glamorous life.
The journey of the musical Grand Hotel is a saga of reinvention. Originally conceived in 1958 as At the Grand, the production was set in contemporary Rome and featured a different cast of characters. However, after the scheduled Broadway opening on September 25, 1958, was canceled due to the illness of star Paul Muni, the project vanished. The creators—Luther Davis, Robert Wright, and George Forrest—eventually decided to dust off the material three decades later, but with a radical shift in vision.
The 1989 revival returned the setting to the original 1928 Berlin, as depicted in Vicki Baum's 1929 novel. Director-choreographer Tommy Tune reimagined the show as a non-stop, two-hour production where dialogue, music, and dance overlapped to mimic the frantic energy of a bustling hotel. To achieve this, Maury Yeston was brought in during the Boston tryout to contribute seven new songs, including 'Grand Parade' and 'I Want to Go to Hollywood,' alongside additional lyrics for the original score.
The resulting production was a monumental success. Opening at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 12, 1989, it earned 12 Tony Award nominations and won five, including honors for Tune's direction and choreography. The show eventually surpassed 1,000 performances on Broadway, becoming the first American musical to do so since 1985's Big River. It remains a notable piece of theater history, not only for its artistic achievement but also for the poignant story of its cast recording, which was completed after the death of original lead David Carroll.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Grand Hotel (musical)
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