Summary
Clueless (also known as Clueless, The Musical) is a jukebox musical with a book by Amy Heckerling based on her 1995 film of the same name, itself loosely based on Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma, updating the setting to modern-day Beverly Hills.[1][2] The musical premiered Off-Broadway on November 20, 2018, with an official opening on December 11, in the Pershing Square Signature Center's Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre. Performances ran through January 12, 2019. While financially successful, critical reception was mixed to negative in comparison to other teen movie musicals and to the movie. No other productions have been announced so far.
| Clueless | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
 Promotional poster for the original Off-Broadway production. | |
| Music | Various |
| Lyrics | Various |
| Book | Amy Heckerling |
| Basis | Clueless by Amy Heckerling |
| Premiere | November 20, 2018: The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, New York City |
| Productions | 2018 Off-Broadway |
As a non-traditional jukebox musical, the show uses '80s and '90s songs as the entire score, with lyric changes to fit the scene. It features classics such as "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia, "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child, "Kids in America" by Kim Wilde, and "Beautiful Life" by Ace of Base.
Productions edit
Off-Broadway (2018) edit
The musical opened Off-Broadway at The Pershing Square Signature Center, produced by The New Group, on November 20, 2018, for a limited engagement until January 12, 2019.[3] The production was directed by Kristin Hanggi, choreographed by Kelly Devine and the show's music supervision, arrangements and orchestration was provided by Ethan Popp. The production's design team included scenery by Beowulf Boritt, costumes by Amy Clark, lighting by Jason Lyons, sound by Gareth Owen, and projections by Darrel Maloney.[4]
Bromley (2024) edit
A new version of the musical will make its premiere in the UK at the Churchill Theatre from 12 – 24 February 2024. The new version features an original score by KT Tunstall and Glenn Slater.[5]
Characters and original cast edit
| Character | Off-Broadway (2018)[6] |
|---|---|
| Cher Horowitz | Dove Cameron |
| Dionne Davenport | Zurin Villanueva |
| Tai Frasier | Ephie Aardema |
| Josh Lucas | Dave Thomas Brown |
| Mel Horowitz / Alphonse Hall / DMV Instructor | Chris Hoch |
| Amber Mariens | Tessa Grady |
| Christian Stovitz | Justin Mortelliti |
| Miss Geist / Millie Stoeger | Megan Sikora |
| Murray Duvall | Gilbert L. Bailey II |
| Travis Birkenstock | Will Connolly |
| Elton Tiscia | Brett Thiele |
| Summer | Talya Groves |
| Sean Holliday | Darius Jordan Lee |
| Heather | Sara Andreas |
| Lucy | Danielle Marie Gonzalez |
| Max | L’ogan J’ones |
Musical numbers edit
- Act I
| Song | Original artist | Performer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Beautiful Life" | Ace of Base | Cher and Ensemble |
| "Shoop" | Salt-N-Pepa | Murray and Male Ensemble |
| "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" | Spin Doctors | Cher, Josh, Teachers and Female Ensemble |
| "No Scrubs" | TLC | Cher and Ensemble |
| "You Gotta Be" | Des'ree | Cher, Dionne and Ensemble |
| "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | Laura Branigan | Mr. Hall, Miss Geist, Cher, Dionne and Ensemble |
| "U Can't Touch This" | MC Hammer | Company |
| "Supermodel" | Jill Sobule | Cher, Dionne, Tai and Ensemble |
| "Barbie Girl" | Aqua | Cher, Dionne, Tai, Murray and Female Ensemble |
| "Groove Is in the Heart" | Deee-Lite | Tai, Murray and Company |
| "Torn" | Ednaswap | Cher and Josh |
- Act II
| Song | Original artist | Performer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" | En Vogue | Tai, Cher, Dionne and Female Ensemble |
| "A Girl Like You" | Edwyn Collins | Christian, Cher, Dionne, Tai and Ensemble |
| "Dammit" | Blink-182 | Cher, Josh, The Band and Ensemble |
| "Dammit" (Reprise) | Blink-182 | Cher and Josh |
| "Bye Bye Bye" | NSYNC | Cher, Christian and Company |
| "Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm" | Crash Test Dummies | Travis |
| "What's Up?" | 4 Non Blondes | Cher |
| "She's So High" | Tal Bachman | Cher and Josh |
| "You Get What You Give" | New Radicals | Cher and Company |
| "Kids in America" | Kim Wilde | Full Company |
Critical response edit
Clueless, The Musical received mixed reviews.[7] Frank Rizzo of Variety called the narrative "lightweight" but praised the overall look and tone of the show. Rizzo, describing Kelly Devine's choreography, said "its teen-energy moves are a constant pleasure". Rizzo also said that "Beowulf Boritt’s design essentials are rad and Amy Clark’s costumes recall the too-cool-to-care designs of the period and its stylish plaids and pleats". Rizzo also praised the music selection for show, calling Amy Heckerling's reworking of the lyrics "crafty".[8]
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter found the show "hit-or-miss". Rooney praised that the show stuck closely to the original's plot but criticized that there was no element of surprise. Rooney wrote that "in comparison to other teen classics retooled for the stage, like Mean Girls, Heathers: The Musical or Bring It On, the show rarely steps out from the shadow of its screen source with anything new to offer."[9]
References edit
- ^ Mazmanian, Melissa. "Reviving Emma in a Clueless World: The Current Attraction to a Classic Structure. Persuasions Online: Occasional Papers No. 3. Fall 1999. Jane Austen Society of North America website. Accessed November 12, 2013.
- ^ Stern, Lesley. "Emma in Los Angeles" Clueless as a remake of the book and the city. Archived October 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Australian Humanities Review website, 1997. Accessed November 12, 2013.
- ^ Gans, Andrew. "Clueless Musical, Starring Dove Cameron, Opens December 11". Playbill. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ Franklin, Marc J. "A Look at Clueless, The Musical Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ Darvill, Josh. "New Clueless musical adaptation to make UK premiere". Stageberry. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ Evans, Greg (October 9, 2018). "Clueless' Off Broadway Musical Announces Full Cast; Opening Date Set". Deadline. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ Gans, Andrew. "Read Reviews for Off-Broadway's Clueless Musical, Starring Dove Cameron". Playbill. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ Rizzo, Frank (December 12, 2018). "Off Broadway Review: 'Clueless' the Musical". Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ Rooney, David (December 11, 2018). "'Clueless, The Musical': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
External links edit
- Clueless, The Musical at Internet Off-Broadway Database