Closer Than Ever Musical Lyrics

Notorious R. Maltby Junior wrote the lyrics for this musical & D. Shire did music. Feature of this review is that it doesn’t possess a single dialogue & so the whole plot is presented through several songs. The history already has such examples, nevertheless quite rare. Stagings without the libretto do not reveal any great successes, remaining at the position of "medium". The first production of it was performed in the night club, in the form of a single act, without intermission & then, due to its great success, was converted from this format & also extended to the full-fledged musical, with its current name – Closer Than Ever (instead of past, Next Time Now!). The idea was developed by Steven S. Smith & then, after expanding, it had two directors, Smith & Maltby.

Its first production was in 1989 in Massachusetts. The histrionics arrived to Big Apple in the midst of autumn season, with the official opening on Broadway in a small theatre named Cherry Lane, in November 1989, where it went for unremarkable three hundred and twelve regular depictions. Actors were: L. Wintersteller, B. Barrett, R. Muenz & S. Mayes.

Musical production was in 1991 (in the Westport Country Playhouse), in 2002 in Mount Vernon, New York, in 2002 in Washington D. C., in 2005 in Chicago and in 2006 in North Carolina. Also in 2006, the show debuted in London in Bridewell Theatre, and in 2010, the show has given its holiday exhibition at The Bristol Riverside Theatre, on the occasion of 20th anniversary. Such actors as K. Stamm, G. Dvorsky, R. Maltby, Jr. & S. Viviano starred.

In 2012, a partial revival occurred as Off-Broadway staging, with the same director, R. Maltby, Jr. and this production has been on the air for 7 months, until November 2012. Recording of CD with the music was performed in 2013.
Release date: 1989
Last Update:January, 13th 2016