Gigi to Invent Champagne in Seattle Before Heading to the Great White Way

Broadway-bound Gigi will initially be performed in concert form at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre May 16-18. As previously reported, the show is scheduled to open at the Kennedy Center in January 2015 and is eyeing a transfer to the Main Stem later next year. A re-imagined new production of the 1973 musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe, Gigi has been adapted by playwright and Emmy-nominated screenwriter Heidi Thomas, with Eric D. Shaeffer on board to direct. According to the 5th avenue announcement Josh Bergasse (Smash) is set to choreograph and the Seattle performances will be cast locally.

Set during the turn of the 20th century, Gigi tells the story of a free-spirited teenage girl living in Paris who is groomed (in the custom of her family) to serve as a companion to a bored, wealthy playboy until the pair realize they have fallen in love. The musical is based on Colette’s classic novella, the 1951 play by Anita Loos and the 1958 movie musical of the same name. The big screen adaptation of Gigi garnered a then-record-setting nine Oscars, including Best Picture.

The new Great White Way headed production is a re-imagined reboot of the 1973 musical, which played 103 performances on Broadway. Starring Karin Wolfe as Gigi and Daniel Massey as Gaston, the production earned a Tony Award for Best Original Score. Gigi features the memorable tunes “Thank Heaven For Little Girls,” “I Remember It Well,” "The Night They Invented Champagne," “It’s a Bore,” and more.