Overview
Synopsis
Based on the 1975 documentary film of the same name, Grey Gardens is a tragic, frequently funny, and utterly unforgettable musical about two “staunch” and legendary American women: Edith Bouvier Beale, and her grown daughter, Edie. Grey Gardens begins at the grand 1941 engagement party of stunning and spirited “Little Edie” Beale to handsome Navy man Joe Kennedy, Jr., hosted by Edie’s mother, Edith Bouvier Beale. As the upper-crust, New England family gathers, so do the storm clouds of trouble that eventually leave both “Big” and “Little” Edie alone and heartbroken. The second act launches the narrative into the overgrown, cat-riddled, and bug-infested estate in 1973, where the two Edies live, alone. “Big Edie” is now bedridden, and “Little Edie” grows more eccentric by the day, haunted by dreams of love and success, long since dashed. Weaving documentary text with imaginative speculation, the musical documents the journey of the Beales from royalty to ruin. With a diverse musical songbook, including Tin Pan Alley jigs and soaring ballads, Grey Gardens is a unique tapestry of lost dreams, sacrifice, and unstoppable hope-- heartfelt, witty, and compassionate.
Show Information
- Book
- Doug Wright
- Music
- Scott Frankel
- Lyrics
- Michael Korie
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Grey Gardens film documentary
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2006
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- act i: july, 1941, grey gardens, east hampton, long island
- Cast Size
- medium
- Dancing
- Musical Staging
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- small cast, doubling, older characters, young characters, professional theatre, female lead, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Early Teen, Child Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Edith “Big Edie” Ewing Bouvier Beale/ Edith “Little Edie” Beale |
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
Songs
Act One
- The Girl Who Has Everything — Recording of Edith's voice
- The Five-Fifteen — Edith, Gould, Brooks, Jackie and Lee
- Mother Darling — Edie
- Goin' Places — Joe and Edie
- Marry Well — Major Bouvier, Brooks, Jackie, Lee and Edie
- Hominy Grits — Edith, Gould, Jackie and Lee
- Peas in a Pod — Edie and Edith
- Drift Away — Gould
- The Five-Fifteen (Reprise) — Edith
- Daddy's Girl — Edie and Joe
- The Telegram — Edie
- Will You? — Edith
Act Two
- The Revolutionary Costume for Today — Edie
- The Cake I Had — Edith
- Entering Grey Gardens — Ensemble
- The House We Live In — Edie and Ensemble
- Jerry Likes My Corn — Edith
- Around the World — Edie
- Choose to Be Happy — Norman Vincent Peale
- Around the World (Reprise) — Edie
- Another Winter in a Summer Town — Edie and Edith
- The Girl Who Has Everything (Reprise) — Recording of Edith's voice
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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