The musical Rachael Lily Rosenbloom...and don’t you ever forget it! may have closed after seven previews on Broadway on December 1, 1973, but its coterie of fans took the advice of the title and never forgot it.
With music by then-25-year-old Paul Jabara and book by Jabara and Tom Eyen (Dreamgirls), the musical is getting a special tribute concert March 13 at Feinstein’s/54Below nightclub in Manhattan. The campy musical, which was a tribute to the career of Barbra Streisand, charts the rise of singer Rachael Lily, whose first name picked up the “a” dropped from Streisand’s first name.
The show opened with the song “Dear Miss Streisand” before moving on to “Cobra Woman,” “Overdose,” “Get Your Show Rolling,” “Broadway Rhythm,” and “Raquel Gives the Dish.”
Despite the original show‘s brief stay on Broadway many of the cast members went on to fame, including Ellen Greene (Little Shop of Horrors), Anita Morris (Nine), André De Shields (The Wiz), and future A Chorus Line cast members Wayne Cilento, Kelly (then Carole) Bishop, Thommie (then Thomas) Walsh.
For this production Bonnie Milligan (Kinky Boots, Gigantic, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater) stars as Rachael Lily Rosenbloom. Also in the cast: Jeremy Morse, Julia Mattison, Kevin Michael Murphy, Natalie Walker, Jason Veasey, Charlie Franklin, Larry Owens, and Kathryn Allison.
This musical in concert will be produced by Jennifer Ashley Tepper and directed by Max Friedman with the support of Paul Jabara’s family.
