Woman of the Year is a musical with a book by Peter Stone and score by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Based on the Ring Lardner Jr.-Michael Kanin written, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy starring 1942 film, the musical changes the newspaper reporters of the original to television personality Tess Harding and cartoonist Sam Craig, who experience difficulty merging their careers with their marriage. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1981 and starred Lauren Bacall.

Plot

Just before Tess Harding, a nationally known television news personality, comes on stage to receive an award as "Woman of the Year", she reminisces about an on-air editorial that she gave denigrating newspaper comic strips. The article offended the cartoonists who frequent the Ink Pot saloon and inspired syndicated cartoonist Sam Craig to publish a caricature depicting her as a snob in his strip Katz. Tess is annoyed, but when the handsome and charming Sam shows up at her office, she apologizes and invites him to dinner. At the Ink Pot, she charms Sam and his colleagues by revealing her knowledge about comic art.

Tess and Sam begin a romance, move in together, and finally marry, but their busy careers leave little time for them to spend together, and their big egos pose problems in their marriage. In one of his comics, Katz quips that marriage is a breeze - it's the living together that's so damned hard. Tess is offended, an argument ensues, and Sam announces he no longer can deal with the couple's fraying love life. The time moves forward to the present, and it's time for Tess to accept her award, just as she has lost the man she loves.

Several weeks later, Tess is conflicted about her role as a powerful newswoman versus her role as a wife. She seeks advice from Russian ballet dancer Alexi Petrikov, whom she helped to defect. He tells her that he is returning to Russia, because the wife he left behind is more important than his career. Tess travels to visit first husband Larry Donovan and his wife Jan to discover why their marriage is a success. She decides to concentrate on her marriage and announces that she is resigning from her show. But Sam tells her that he wants her to keep her career; he just wants to be involved in the decisions in their relationship. They decide to work things out.

Songs

Act I "Woman of the Year" – Tess and Women "The Poker Game" – Sam and Cartoonists "See You in the Funny Papers" – Sam "When You're Right, You're Right!" – Tess and Gerald "Shut Up, Gerald" – Tess, Sam and Gerald "So What Else Is New?" – Sam and Katz "One of the Boys" – Tess, Cartoonists, Maury and Men "Table Talk" – Tess and Sam "The Two of Us" – Tess and Sam "It Isn't Working" – Cartoonists, Chip, Helga, Gerald and New Yorkers "I Told You So" – Gerald and Helga "Woman of the Year (Reprise)" – Tess

Act II "So What Else Is New? (Reprise)" – Sam and Katz "I Wrote the Book" – Tess and Cleaning Women "Happy in the Morning" – Alexi, Tess and Dancers "Sometimes a Day Goes By" – Sam "The Grass Is Always Greener" – Tess and Jan "We're Gonna Work It Out" – Tess and Sam

Original cast and characters CharacterBroadway (1981)Playbill 1981 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/03/20231st National TourWoman of The Tear - Touraccessed 07/01/2025Summer Stock TourPlaybill National Tour Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/07/2023Tess HardingLauren BacallBarbara EdenSam Craig Harry GuardinoDon ChastainPinky PetersGerry VichiBill BatemanSteven KosinskiPhil WhittakerTom AveraWilliam H. McDonaldLarry HansenEllis McMasterRex HaysTed AgressMace BarrettGerald HoweRoderick CookEmory BassEdward ConeryAbbott CanfieldLawrence RaikenDennis ParlatoTom FlaggAlexi PetrikovEivind HarumJames P. HoganAlexander KramarevskyHelga Grace KeagyKathleen FreemanDolores WilsonChip SalisburyDaren KellyJohn HammilLee ChewFloor ManagerMichael O'GormanTimm StetznerDavid ReitmanChairpersonHelon BlountIrma RogersMauryRex EverhartMichael NorrisKen EllisLarry DonovanJamie RossDel HinkleyJered HolmesJan DonovanMarilyn Cooper

Productions The Broadway production opened on March 29, 1981, at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 770 performances and eleven previews. Directed by Robert Moore, the cast included Lauren Bacall, Harry Guardino, Marilyn Cooper, Grace Keagy, and Roderick Cook.Rich, Frank."Stage: Lauren Bacall In 'Woman Of Year'" The New York Times, March 30, 1981 Raquel Welch filled in for Bacall during her two-week vacation and later replaced her in the run.Gussow, Mel."Theater: Raquel Welch In 'Woman Of The Year'" The New York Times, December 11, 1981 Debbie Reynolds replaced Welch in February 1983.Gussow, Mel."Stage: Debbie Reynolds In 'Woman Of The Year'"The New York Times, February 28, 1983 Barbara Eden played Tess in the 1984 national tour.Frank, Leah D."'Woman Of The Year': Charm And Pizzaz; Westbury Music Fair" The New York Times, April 22, 1984

Sets were designed by Tony Walton and costumes were by Theoni V. Aldredge, and choreography was by Tony Charmoli. Michael Sporn created an animated cat that danced and sang with Guardino.

The New York Times provided considerable information about the original production's finances: 10% of gross receipts to Bacall; 9% split by Stone, Kander, and Ebb; 4% to the producers; nearly 3% to director Moore, 2% to MGM for the stage adaptation rights to the film, 1.5% to choreographer Charmoli, smaller royalties to the scene and costume designers; the Palace theater's owners received operating costs and a ticket share averaging 6% of the gross.Salmans, Sandra. “Why Investors in Broadway Hits are Often Losers.” New York Times, 22 November 1981, D1.

Porchlight Music Theatre presented this show in November 2017 as a part of their "Porchlight Revisits" season in which they produce three forgotten musicals per year. This production was in Chicago, Illinois. It was directed by Artistic Director, Michael Weber, choreographed by Florence Walker Harris, and music directed by David Fiorello.

Awards and nominations Original Broadway production Year Award Category Nominee Result 1981 Tony Award Best Musical Best Book of a Musical Peter Stone Best Original Score John Kander and Fred Ebb Best Actress in a Musical Lauren Bacall Best Featured Actress in a Musical Marilyn Cooper Best Direction of a Musical Robert Moore Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Marilyn Cooper

References

"Woman of the Year", The Guide to Musical Theatre. Cast and other information, Stage Agent. Carolyn Clay, "Woman of Yesteryear", review of pre-Broadway tryout, The Boston Phoenix, February 17, 1981. T. E. Kalem, "Supremely Sophisticated Lady", review of Woman of the Year, Time magazine, April 13, 1981.

External links