A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE
Samantha Spade, Ace Detective
Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 11w, 10m
Book and Lyrics by Lisa Diana Shapiro
Music by Georgia Stitt
Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)
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Cast Size
11w, 10m -
Duration
75 Minutes -
Subgenre
Theatre for Young Audiences, Mystery/Thriller, Period -
Target Audience
Appropriate for All Audiences, Adult, Senior, Young Children (Age 2-5), Children (Age 6-10), Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Details
Summary
Samantha is a lonely, misfit 13-year-old. After getting bullied in camp, she retreats to the old detective movies she loves, entering a film noir fantasy world where she is Samantha Spade, Ace Detective, the go-to gumshoe who always solves the case—for $25 a day, plus Twizzlers.
Sam’s first case enters on the glamorous gams of Veronica Venus, star of stage, screen and the occasional circus. Veronica’s boyfriend, Senator John D. Rockababy, is missing. But something’s fishy, and Samantha’s investigation leads to the dames, palookas, grifters, chiselers, flatfoots and flim-flammers that populate this black and white world.
With a smart, catchy score and a feisty, inspirational and relatable female lead, this show is perfect for school-age kids to perform and appropriate for all audiences.
For further information about the National Youth Arts 2014 Winner of OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL, check out the show’s website, Instagram, extra videos and demos.
History
Cast Attributes
- Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, 1940s/WWII
- Setting Summer camp and the B&W movie world of Samantha’s imagination.
- Features Period Costumes
- Additional Features No Intermission
- Duration 75 Minutes
Media
“An engaging, fast-paced show that will appeal to all ages.… a near-perfect balance between kid-friendly action and high-end satire.” – The Huffington Post
“Writer Lisa Diana Shapiro and composer Georgia Stitt have crafted an engaging, fast-paced show that will appeal to all ages. Call it The Maltese Falcon meets Mean Girls, and give Shapiro and Stitt credit for striking a near-perfect balance between kid-friendly action and high-end satire.” – Josh Getlin, The Huffington Post
“Sam Spade, meet Samantha. She’s the heroine of this new musical from TADA! Youth Theater, which centers on the dreams of a lonely girl who would like to be as cool, savvy and important as one of those investigators in a noir novel. Written by Lisa Diana Shapiro, with music by Georgia Stitt, the production, inspired by The Maltese Falcon, proves that Samantha can solve cases with the best of them.” – Lauren Graeber, The New York Times
Other features:
Broadway World
Playbill
Videos
Marc Kudisch
Samantha Spade, Ace Detective - "Slingin' the Slang" - Pebblebrook
Samantha Spade, Ace Detective - "Shaughnessy . . ." - TADA!
Photos
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Image: 2014 TADA! Youth Theater Production (David Feldman)
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Image: 2014 TADA! Youth Theater Production (David Feldman)
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Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)
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Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)
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Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)
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Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)
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Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)
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Image: 2015 Pebblebrook High School Production (Courtesy of Frank Zimmerman)
Music
- Musical Style Classic Broadway, Contemporary Broadway
- Dance Requirements Moderate
- Vocal DemandsModerate
- Orchestra Size Small/Combo
- Chorus Size Medium
Licensing & Materials
- Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.