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"Shine!" is an original musical comedy based on characters and situations found in the works of Horatio Alger, particularly Ragged Dick and Silas Snobden's Office Boy, respectively Alger's first best-seller and the one first printed in book form eighty years after it was first serialized in Argosy. We've borrowed characters from both novels, youthened some, aged others, re-invented a few, created a few of our own. And of course we gave them songs to sing and comic devices Horatio did not provide. But we stuck with Alger's pervasive theme: that in America one could begin with nothing, and with the right attitude, hard work, application, and a little bit of luck, dream a dream and chart a course on which to achieve it. The road was rutted, it twisted and turned, it was loaded with chance encounters and bothersome detours, but if one got on with it, didn't complain about the rough days and the tragic losses, well—it could lead all who traveled it right smack into a musical comedy. — The Authors

Shine! was announced for Broadway in April 1981, produced by Henry Guettel, Terry Allen Kramer and 20th Century Fox and published by Rodgers & Hammerstein.

artwork from the original novel

The creative team included Tony Award winning director Vivian Matalon, choreographer Dan Siretta, musical director Wally Harper and orchestrator Jonathan Tunick, with costume designs by Flo Kotz and scenic design by Michael J. Hotopp and Paul DePass. The elaborate production was scuttled when the movie studio went through management changes and the theatre division was disbanded. The show was produced in 1983 at the Virginia Museum Theatre in Richmond, VA, featuring George Lee Andrews and Alix Korey.

Following Richmond, several new songs were written, others restored or scrapped. A new piano-vocal demo featuring Don Kehr, Judy Kaye, George Lee Andrews and the composer was made in 1986 (excerpts here Shine, Someone, Cock and Bull, Only You, Look How Far We've Come).

In 1998 the show was reworked once again and a reading directed by Jay Binder was seen at Off Broadway's York Theatre, featuring Christopher Fitzgerald, Zach Braff and Laura Benanti. In 2001 Broadway lyricist-director Martin Charnin selected Shine(!) as part of the National Music Theater Network showcase, winning its BroadwayUSA Award. Peter Flynn directed and Georgia Stitt musical directed, with newcomer Jeremiah Miller playing the young shoe-shining hero, Dick. The performance was recorded and released by Original Cast Records in October 2001 with enhanced digital orchestrations by Wade Tonkin. [listen here] The show was published by Samuel French in 2002.

In 2009 work began on a new concept recording, with Greg Anthony providing fresh arrangements and orchestrations for a traditional 15 piece Broadway orchestra. The first tracks were completed in August, featuring Stanley Bahorek and Aaron Simon Gross. [listen here] And in 2010, Shine! will participate as a Director's Choice Award winner in Tim Jerome's National Mainstreet Musicals Festival.

In Alger terms, Upward and Onward!

Author Biographies