Home > Theatre > Spin of the Wheel
SPIN OF THE WHEEL
Musical with music and lyrics by Geoff Morrow and book by Timothy Prager.
Palace Theatre Watford
Opened 11 March 1987
Closed [date unknown]
Comedy Theatre London
Previewed 2 April 1987
Opened 7 April 1987
Closed 2 May 1987
Spin of the Wheel is the extraordinary musical saga of Janie Jones and her search for the answer; the nebish Chester and his search for love, and the disgustingly sleazy Game Show host Danny Lemon, and his search for cash.
In a bigger than average American City, Horatio Daly presents the almost adequate Game Show, Spin of the Wheel. Not surprisingly, the show is in danger of being pulled of the air due to its ever shrinking viewing audience.
The prospect of unemployment has tweaked the anxiety of the Show's staff. The writers, Sammy and Louie and the key production personnel, Ralph and Jacko desperately try to remain sane. This is difficult.
The Game Show's hostess, Regina, prepares for a career on posters or at least as a newsreader. And the show's host, Danny Lemon, the kind of man our parents warned us about, remains oblivious to his falling popularity and looks to even more visible and meatier opportunities on Dynasty...
Cast
| Danny Lemon | NEIL McCAUL |
| Janie Jones | MARIA FRIEDMAN |
| Chester | TEDDY KEMPNER |
| Regina | ERIN DONOVAN |
| Ralph Dylan | MATT ZIMMERMAN |
| Sammy Class | JEREMY SINDEN |
Louie Marder/
Horatio Daly's Voice | RAYMOND BRODY |
| Jack O'Neil | STEPHEN HOYE |
| Dolores | SUSIE FENWICK |
| Hiram Ross | DOUGLAS ANDERSON |
| Randy | MARK HEENEHAN |
Production Team
| Director | TIMOTHY PRAGER |
| Designer | GERALD HOWLAND |
| Orchestrations | DAVID FIRMAN |
| Musical Staging | PETER WALKER |
| Lighting | MARK HENDERSON |
| Sound | RICK CLARKE |
| Video | MARK HUFFINGTON |
Musical Numbers
| ACT ONE | |
| Spin Of The Wheel | Danny |
| That's A Long Story | Janie |
| It's Only A Game Show | Danny, Ralph, Sammy, Jacko, Louie |
| He Likes The Girl | Danny, Ralph, Sammy, Jacko, Louie |
| Lucky | Chester, Janie |
| What Would You Do Without Me? | Regina, Danny |
| One More Postcard | Chester |
| He Loves The Girl | Danny, Ralph, Sammy, Jacko, Louie |
| Life Is Aa Citrus Tree | Janie |
| Life Is A Carousel | Chester |
| The Largest Known Butterfly | Company |
| Lucky (reprise) | Janie |
| Life Is (reprise) | Chester |
| He Hates The Girl | Danny |
| ACT TWO | |
| Minding The Store | Chester |
| Dirty Work | Danny, Ralph, Sammy, Jacko, Louie, Chester |
| If | Danny, Regina |
| When I Came Out Of The Cellar | Janie |
| The Largest Known Butterfly (reprise) | Company |
| What Would You Do With Me? (reprise) | Janie, Regina |
| Imagine This | Sammy |
| If | Danny, Janie |
| That's A Long Story (reprise) | Chester |
| Lucky (reprise) | Chester |
| Daly Is The Name | Chester, Janie |
Pictures
Quotes From The Press
"...This musical is fortunate in having in Maria Friedman, as Janie, an actress with a bright, vacuous charm of a Goldie Hawn who can brighten a stage even when she is up to her neck in fatuity..." Multon Shulam, The London Evening Standard (8 April 1987)
"...The plot deals with dumb blonde Janie Jones who is manipulated then discarded by the commercial sponsors of a quiz game show. The part recalls the invincible innocence and sublime daffiness of Judy Holliday whom the splendid Maria Friedman here occasionally resembles - with a dash of Goldie Hawn and a belting mellifluous way with the songs thrown in..." Martin Hoyle, The Financial Times (8 April 1987)
"...The satire Spin of the Wheel is so bland that the show is virtually indistinguishable from the ghastly world of TV light entertainment which is its subject... Maria Friedman brings an agreeable singing voice to the role of Janie..." Charles Osborne, The Daily Telegraph (9 April 1987)
"...Maria Friedman, a delightful actress with a great voice..." Lester Middlehurst, Today (10 April 1987)
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