After premiering at Sheffield Crucible in December 2015, Daniel Evans’ epic production of Show Boat transferred to the West End, where it opened at the New London Theatre on April 25, 2016. Critically hailed as “exceptional” by The Guardian, this special return to the London stage featured performances by Gina Beck, Emmanuel Kojo, Michael Xavier and more.
Show Boat
Based on Edna Ferber’s classic American novel, 1927’s lyrically masterful Show Boat, by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, is the most-recorded musical of all time. The first show of its kind, Show Boat presented complex characters grappling with timely, realistic themes woven into a substantial plot. Spanning the years from 1880 to 1927, the epic narrative concerns the lives, … Read More
1994 Broadway Revival
For this remarkable return to Broadway, Harold Prince helmed what the New York Times called a “gloriously bold re-examination of the indestructible classic.” Show Boat previewed in Toronto in 1993 before gliding into Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre. With choreography by Susan Stroman, the seventy-person cast featured Broadway’s best talent, including Michel Bell as Joe, Rebecca Luker as Magnolia, Lonette McKee as … Read More
1983 Broadway Revival
Show Boat returned to Broadway for a short but notable run when it opened at the Uris Theatre on April 24, 1983. On June 5, in the middle of Show Boat‘s run, the theatre was renamed the Gershwin Theatre. Originally produced by The Houston Grand Opera, this production was directed by Michael Kahn with choreography by Dorothy Danner and musical … Read More
1971 West End Revival
Making its third West End appearance, Show Boat returned to London at the Adelphi Theatre with a sparking new production by Wendy Toye. Starring Cleo Laine, Derek Royle, Ena Cabayo, Pearl Hackney and more, this revival played a stunning 910 performances, running for over two years.
1966 Lincoln Center Revival
This critically acclaimed limited run at New York’s Lincoln Center boasted some of Broadway’s best talent, including Barbara Cook, Constance Towers, Stephen Douglass and David Wayne, under the music direction of Franz Allers.
1994 Broadway Revival
Harold Prince’s watershed production of Show Boat received a cast recording after opening in Toronto in 1993. The album featured original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, with new additions by William David Brohn, performed under the musical direction of Jeffrey Huard. Featured on this recording are the vocal talents of Michel Bell, Rebecca Luker, Lonette McKee, John McMartin, Elaine Stritch … Read More
1951 Motion Picture
Presented by MGM with a “visual splendor and richness of [the] musical score,” this new film adaptation of Show Boat hit theatres across the country on September 24, 1951. Starring Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel and William Warfield, this fresh adaptation of Kern and Hammerstein’s stage musical leaned into the drama of its central characters and away from much … Read More
Bill
Julie sings this bittersweet ballad of love and memory at an audition, emotionally recalling her own lost love. The song was originally written by Jerome Kern and P.G. Wodehouse for their musical comedy Oh Lady! Lady!!, but it was deemed too melancholy for the show. Repurposed by Oscar Hammerstein as an audition song in Show Boat, the song, though charming … Read More
1988 Studio Cast Recording
This 221-minute studio recording of Show Boat, performed by a cast headed by Karla Burns, David Garrison, Jerry Hadley, Bruce Hubbard, Paige O’Hara, Frederica von Stade, Teresa Stratas and the Ambrosian Chorus, featured the London Sinfonietta under the direction of John McGlinn. Digitally recorded in June, July and August 1987 in Studio No. 1, Abbey Road Studios, London, the album … Read More