Welcome

To
54 Below

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The papers called it “the first intentionally campy musical in Broadway history” and “Broadway’s first disco musical”, but Paul Jabara‘s Rachael Lily Rosenbloom packed her bags after only 7 previews at the Broadhurst. The wild and fantastic tale of an average girl going from the Brooklyn fish market to the height of Hollywood glamour was created by Paul Jabara (composer, lyricist, co-book writer) who later went on to pen hits including “Last Dance,” “The Main Event,” and “It’s Raining Men,” and become a Grammy and Academy Award winner.

Paul Jabara‘s Rachael Lily Rosenbloom was the brainchild of the then 25-year-old Jabara, who appeared in several Broadway shows and worshiped Barbra Streisand. The title character shared this trait, and the extra ‘a’ in Rachael was the one that ‘Barbra’ discarded from her name. The show even opened with a song called “Dear Miss Streisand” before hitting numbers with titles like “Cobra Woman,” “Overdose,” “Get Your Show Rolling,” “Broadway Rhythm,” and “Raquel Gives The Dish.” The backstage atmosphere and onstage drama at the show was so crazy – from drug use to kicklines in g-strings – that it prompted several of the dancers to begin the talk sessions that would become the basis for A Chorus Line.

Join us at Feinstein’s/54 Below for the return of Paul Jabara‘s Rachael Lily Rosenbloom…and don’t you ever forget it! This musical in concert will be produced by director of programming Jennifer Ashley Tepper and directed by Max Friedman (Midnight at The Never Get, Charlie Rosen’s Broadway Big Band, Ruby Manger) with the support of Paul Jabara’s family. Expect an incredible cast of favorites to bring this legendary underappreciated musical back to life! Come see why Broadway’s first disco musical was ahead of its time.

Starring As:

Rachael Lily Rosenbloom: Bonnie Milligan (Kinky Boots, Gigantic, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater)

Ramond De La Troya: Jeremy Morse (Waitress, Ragtime on Ellis Island, Drama Desk nominee for Bloodsong of Love)

Glinda: Anastacia McCleskey (Waitress, The Book Of Mormon, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert)

Stella Starf***er: Julia Mattison (Godspell, Ruby Manger, Brooklyn Sound)

Narrator and Others: Kevin Michael Murphy (The Book of Mormon, If It Only Even Runs A Minute)

Barbra Streisand and Others: Natalie Walker (Justin Timberlake vs. Ryan Gosling, The Meanest Birthday Girl)

Stud Troy and Others: Jason Veasey (The Lion King, Broadway Bounty Hunter, A Christmas Carol)

Stud Trick and Others: Charlie Franklin (The Bridges of Madison County, The Book of Mormon, The Secret Garden)

Old Bill and Others: Larry Owens (Spamilton, Gigantic)

Secretary and Others: Kathryn Allison (Aladdin, winner of NYMF’s Next Broadway Sensation)

The performance will have new orchestrations by Charlie Rosen (Honeymoon in Vegas, Cyrano de Bergerac, Charlie Rosen’s Broadway Big Band) and musical direction by Natalie Tenenbaum (Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center).

Choreographer: Rachel Goldman

Makeup Design: Michael Kushner