By Carrie Chapter, Philadelphia Theatre Company

Every summer, following our mainstage season, Philadelphia Theatre Company holds a special event to showcase something unexpected and exciting for the heat-weary city. Last season, we hosted writer/comedian, Colin Quinn, with his smash hit, Long Story Short. But, this year, we decided to try a brand new direction for our audiences.

“The PTC staff shows off their “Ann-Margret” at Bye Bye Birdie screening.” Photo credit: Rose Schnall.

In reminiscing over our delight in producing the musical, The Scottsboro Boys, we were struck with the idea to celebrate the American musical in a greater, serial capacity for the summer months. The notion of a summer film series had been percolating, but it became a full-bodied endeavor once we embraced the theme of the great American musical. However, where to begin? Its canon is so extensive, so varied; selecting a mere handful of films to present would be a definite challenge. With much input from staff, Marketing and I compiled (then revised, and compiled once more) a list of potential films to screen fitting the criteria of being 1.) a musical film (sorry, Citizen Kane), 2.) American (see you around, Oliver!), and, 3.) great (this is naturally subjective, but we can safely rule out Grease 2).

After securing the rights and permissions, we finalized our lineup for the series. First out of the gate was Funny Girl, the 1968 film based on the 1964 stage musical recounting the life of actress/comedienne, Fanny Brice, brilliantly portrayed by Barbra Streisand and with a stunning score by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne. It was fantastically attended, with several Streisand devotees out in full force. Next, we screened Bye Bye Birdie, the whimsical 1963 film based on the 1960 Broadway show that screams teenage crush and all-around Americana; who could forget Ann-Margret’s wailing in its famous opening, or Dick van Dyke urging us to put on a happy face? However, it was when we presented Grease: The Sing-Along Version that we witnessed fandom to rival the Rocky Horror midnight showings. Scores of families brought their kids to sing-along; at first, I worried about the film’s content until I realized I was five when I first watched Grease, so take that as you will. One family even dressed the part, complete with Pink Lady and T-Bird jackets, and homemade Grease pins – sublime! The last in our series was a new classic, Dreamgirls, starring Beyonce Knowles and the award-winning Jennifer Hudson in the 2006 film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical. It provided a great ending to our film series as evidence of the American musical’s continuing cultural impact on audiences, and how its storytelling compels communities to come back to the theatre again and again!