They're Playing Our Song Reading Sets Stage for Revival in Toronto, NYC

In the wake of Broadway revivals of two Neil Simon plays (Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound) and a forthcoming musical (Promises, Promises) comes word that his hit 1979 tuner They’re Playing Our Song may be next. A recent private reading of the show at Chelsea Studios was directed by Tony winner Kathleen Marshall (The Pajama Game, Grease) and featured Tony nominees Christian Borle (Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde) and Sherie Rene Scott (Everyday Rapture, The Little Mermaid, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) in the leading roles. According to a spokesperson for Toronto-based Dancap Productions Inc, which presented the reading, the company “is exploring a revival in Toronto and New York.”

Based on the real-life relationship between composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, They’re Playing Our Song centers on composer Vernon Gersch (Borle), who tries to find fresh inspiration by hiring an aspiring lyricist named Sonia Walsk (Scott). The two embark on a romance and express their feelings and frustrations with the help of a trio of backup singers. The musical opened on February 11, 1979, at the Imperial Theater, starring Lucie Arnaz and Robert Klein, and ran for 1,082 performances.

In addition to Borle and Scott, Marshall’s reading featured Anastasia Barzee, Stacie Morgan Lewis, Lindsay Mendez, Richard Todd Adams, Richard Roland and Matthew Shepard. Kimberly Grigsby served as musical director.

Established in 2007, Dancap Productions produces Broadway-style theater in Toronto, including the current production of Jersey Boys and The Toxic Avenger (opening October 31) as well as Avenue Q, My Fair Lady and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The company is also an investor in shows such as Memphis, Jersey Boys, Ragtime, A Little Night Music and The Addams Family.