Overview
Synopsis
Woman of the Year is based on the 1942 film of the same name, which starred Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The musical revolves around glamorous and successful television journalist Tess Harding, who is intelligent, ambitious, and fiercely independent, but her dedication to her career often comes at the expense of her personal life.
The story takes a comedic turn when Tess becomes involved with Sam Craig, a cartoonist. During a broadcast, Tess mocks comic strips, which leads to Sam launching a cartoon character based on Tess. Despite their differences, Tess and Sam fall in love and eventually marry. However, their relationship is tested by Tess's relentless pursuit of her career goals and her difficulty in balancing work and marriage.
Key songs from Woman of the Year include "The Grass Is Always Greener," "One of the Boys," and "Sometimes a Day Goes By." The musical received several Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, and won two Tony Awards, one for Best Book of a Musical (Peter Stone) and one for Best Original Score (John Kander and Fred Ebb).
Show Information
- Book
- Peter Stone
- Music
- John Kander
- Lyrics
- Fred Ebb
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Based on the 1942 film Woman of the Year.
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1981
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Present Day
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Either Gender |
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Songs
Act One
- Woman of the Year
- The Poker Game
- See You in the Funny Papers
- When You're Right, You're Right!
- Shut Up, Gerald
- So What Else Is New?
- The Poker Game (Reprise)
- One of the Boys
- Table Talk
- The Two of Us
- It Isn't Working
- I Told You So
- Woman of the Year (Reprise)
Act Two
- I Wrote the Book
- Happy in the Morning
- Sometimes a Day Goes By
- The Grass Is Always Greener
- Open the Window, Sam*
-
Table Talk/Woman of the Year (Reprise)*
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Changes were made to the Woman of the Year script and score on the National tour following conclusion of the original 1981 Broadway run. The final two numbers are different that in the cast recording.
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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