The Life

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The Life

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  5w, 5m

Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Ira Gasman
Book by David Newman, Ira Gasman and Cy Coleman

Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Cy Coleman
Based on an original idea by Ira Gasman
Original Broadway Production Produced by Roger Berlind, Martin Richards, Cy Coleman and Sam Crothers

Gritty, powerful, funny and explosive, The Life takes a frank look at street workers plying "The Oldest Profession" in Times Square in the 1980s.

Image: 2017 Southwark Playhouse Production (Tristram Kenton)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: Twelve 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book
    Winner! Two 1997 Tony Awards, for Featured Actor and Featured Actress
    Nominee: Nine 1997 Drama Desk Awards
    Winner! Three 1997 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Music
The Life

Details

Summary
A gritty, powerful, and vibrant look at street workers in Times Square, The Life is charged with emotionally revealing songs and realistically conflicted characters. Trapped in their location and situation, Fleetwood, Memphis, Jojo, Sonja, Queen, Mary, and Lou struggle to survive and, maybe, get out. Cy Coleman’s celebrated jazz and pop-inflected score includes “Use What You Got,” “The Oldest Profession,” “Easy Money,” “My Body,” “Greed” and “My Friend.”
History
The Life opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on April 26, 1997, starring Pamela Isaacs, Chuck Cooper, Sam Harris and Lillias White. The show won two Tony Awards and ran for 466 performances.
  • Time Period 1980s
  • Setting Around 42nd Street. Then. [The late 70s or early 1980s]
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Drugs
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language

Media

The Life displays more fresh, fully realized talent and go-for-broke pizazz than can be found anywhere else on Broadway...” – Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“The best musical of 1996-97... by far the most entertaining new musical to have opened last season... Mr. Coleman has composed not only his most driving, big-beat score since Sweet Charity but also his most varied and melodic work since On the Twentieth Century.” – Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“★★★★★ Scorchingly unmissable, The Life is one of the finest shows in town! Slick movement matched with a simple design motif… combine to create an ingenious treat.” – Jonathan Baz, Jonathan Baz Reviews

“It’s a thrusting, strutting show, gritty, dark and edgy… Coleman adorns it with one of his most scintillating jazz-based scores.” – Mark Shenton, The Stage

“Gritty yet surprisingly funny… perfectly replicates the busy nightlife of New York. The Life is a real classic with an important message about loyalty... a must-see for fans of musical theatre.” – Nicky Sweetland, London News Online

“A brutal and sometimes gut-churning story of desperate individuals lurking on the fringes of New York’s Times Square. [There's a] mixture of jazz, funk and gospel in Cy Coleman’s surging score. Ira Gasman’s lyrics are often pin-sharp, and the performances pulsate with vitality.” – Henry Hitchings, The Standard

Photos

  • The Life

    Image: 2017 Southwark Playhouse Production (Tristram Kenton)

Music

Music Samples

  • Musical Style Pop/Rock
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Vocal DemandsDifficult
  • Orchestra Size Medium
  • Chorus Size Large

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

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Authors

Cy Coleman

Cy Coleman

Cy Coleman (1929–2004) was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City to Eastern European Jewish parents, and was raised in the Bronx. A child prodigy, Coleman gave piano recitals at Steinway Hall, Town Hall and Carnegie Hall between the ages of six and nine. His educational backg ...

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David Newman

David Newman

David Newman's theatre credits include the book for It’s A Bird…It’s A Plane…It’s Superman, produced and directed by Hal Prince; book for The Life, with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Ira Gasman (nominated for 12 Tony Awards); I Spend My Days in Longing, a compilation of t ...

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Author

Ira Gasman

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