Live Theater is back and UNSTOPPABLE! The Tony Award winning musical adaptation of the hit comedy Tootsie is set launch its long awaited US National Tour this Fall.
The production will begin October 10th, 2021 in Buffalo, NY before traveling to following cities across the United States including….
Durham, NC,
Tampa, FL,
Orlando, FL,
New Orleans, LA,
Houston, TX,
Baltimore, MD,
our nation’s capitol of Washington D.C.,
Atlanta, GA,
Tulsa, OK,
Tucson, AZ,
San Diego, CA,
Los Angeles, CA,
Las Vegas, NV,
and more.
For those who may not know, TOOTSIE is a musical based on the smash hit 1982 comedy film of the same name (which starred Dustin Hoffman). Set in present day, New York City, it follows struggling talented actor “Michael Dorsey” with a horrible tyrannical reputation that doesn’t book him any gigs. Because no one would hire him, he rebels and goes incognito as his new alter ego….. leading lady “Dorothy Michaels”. With his new persona being a role model for women, his world is turned upside down where he (as a woman) falls in love with his female co-star “Julie Nichols”.
The storyline is the same but set in a different area of Entertainment. In the original movie, it’s a madcap behind the scenes drama on the life of a Soap Opera. However with the musical, it’s behind the scenes in creating a Broadway Musical.
TOOTSIE THE MUSICAL features an original score by Tony winner David Yazbek and a book by Robert Horn. Songs include WHADDAYA DO, WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN, I WON’T LET YOU DONE, UNSTOPPABLE, GONE GONE GONE, THANK YOU, and more.
The show had a set of early development labs in the Summer of 2017. It was well received, the show got to the green light to being a full scale production.
TOOTSIE had its world premiere out-of-town tryout in Chicago, IL at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in the Fall of 2018. From there, it immediately transferred to Broadway’s Marquis Theatre in the Spring of that same year running for 25 previews and 293 regular performances. Under the direction of Scott Ellis and choreographed by Dennis Jones, the cast was led by….
Santino Fontana as “Michael Dorsey”,
Lilli Cooper as “Julie Nichols”,
Sarah Stiles as “Sandy Lester”,
Andy Grotelueschen as “Jeff Slater”,
John Behlmann as “Max Van Horn”,
Julie Halston as “Rita Marshall”,
and more.
Reviews and Audience reactions were mixed. The show was also the topic of some controversy within the LGBTQ+ community calling it “Transphobic” due to the story’s themes and how it was delivered.
Despite the controversy, it would still go on to be nominated for 11 Tony Awards that same year of 2019. It took home only 2 for BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Santino Fontana) and BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL (for Robert Horn). It also got various nominations and Awards including from the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.
The National Tour of TOOTSIE itself was initially set to debut in the Fall of 2020 with an Equity cast. It was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However several months into the pandemic, it was revealed that the Equity tour was cancelled and then several weeks later, it was revealed that the show would go on the road….. but with a Non-Equity cast. The drama stirred up anger from Equity actors and the Theater community.
Announcement for casting on the new TOOTSIE tour will be revealed soon.
Thoughts?
Who is excited?!!!
