We at New York Broadway Tours continue to show our ongoing love and appreciation for many of the hottest tickets on the Great Bright Way. We love the long runners and the Award winners. However, nothing will ever beat shows that may have had short runs and flopped but still earned a cult following. One of those notable shows was….. Chaplin The Musical.
For those who may not know, CHAPLIN was a musical about the life of one of the greatest entertainers in show business himself. You guessed it, the one and only Charlie Chaplin. It follows his rise to fame in the silent movie era (most notable as his famous alter-ego THE LITTLE TRAMP) along with some of the personal, dark, and controversial times in his life. This show featured a full original score by Christopher Curtis along with a book by Curtis and Thomas Meehan. Notable songs include LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE, WHAT’CHA GONNA DO, LIFE CAN BE LIKE THE MOVIES, JUST ANOTHER DAY IN HOLLYWOOD, ALL FALLS DOWN, WHAT ONLY LOVE CAN SEE, and more.
CHAPLIN was first developed within the early 2000’s. It had its world premiere in 2006 part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The show originally was entitled LIMELIGHT. It went through several years of tweaks and changes. From there, the show debuted in San Diego, Ca at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2010. It received early rave reviews but the team knew they can always do some updated with the show.
Finally (and with a name change), CHAPLIN debuted on Broadway in 2012 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre running for 24 previews and 136 regular performances. Under the direction and choreogrphed by Warren Carlyle, the cast was led by…
Tony nominee Rob McClure in the titular role of “Charlie Chaplin”,
Tony nominee Christiane Noll as “Hannah Chaplin” (his Mother),
Wayne Alan Wilcox as “Sydney Chaplin” (his Brother),
Michael McCormick as “Mack Sennett” and others,
Tony nominee Jenn Colella as gossip columnist “Hedda Hopper”,
Hayley Podschun as “Mildred Harris” (his 1st wife) and others,
Emily Tyra as “Lita Grey” (his 2nd wife) and others,
Sarah O’Gleby as “Paulette Goodard” (his 3rd wife) and others,
Erin Mackey as “Oona O’Neill” (his 4th and final wife),
Zachary Unger as “Young Charlie Chaplin” and “Jackie Coogan”,
and more.
The reviews for CHAPLIN were mixed. Critics praised the cast especially McClure’s portrayal being very identical to the late “Charlie Chaplin” himself. However they panned the book.
Despite the reviews, CHAPLIN still went on to do well with Awards season. It was nominated for only 1 Tony Award in 2013 for BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for McClure). However, it lost the category. It did however receive a Drama Desk Award (out of its 6 nominations) for OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL. In addition, Rob McClure went on to be the recipient of the Theatre World Award.
With its life after Broadway, CHAPLIN began to be performed Internationally including Russia, Brazil, Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel, and more. It’s already starting to also be performed in the United States with Regional Theatre and School Productions.
Who has seen CHAPLIN?
Any fans of Charlie Chaplin out there?
