A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

First Daughter Suite

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  7w

Words and Music by Michael John LaChiusa

A historical fantasia in four parts, First Daughter Suite follows Patricia Nixon and daughters Tricia and Julie, Rosalynn and Amy Carter, Betty and Susan Ford, Patti Davis and mom Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush and daughter-in-law Laura as they strive to live meaningful lives in the public eye.

First Daughter Suite

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    7w
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period, Docudrama/History
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences, Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: 2016 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Musical
    Nominee: 2016 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Music
    Nominee: 2016 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Lyrics
    Nominee: 2016 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Book of a Musical
    Nominee: 2016 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations

Details

Summary
Tony Award-nominee Michael John LaChiusa imagines the inner lives and dreams of America's best-known daughters with a funny and moving follow-up to his 1993 musical First Lady Suite. A historical fantasia in four parts, First Daughter Suite follows Patricia Nixon and daughters Tricia and Julie, Rosalynn and Amy Carter, Betty and Susan Ford, Patti Davis and mom Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush and daughter-in-law Laura as they strive to live meaningful lives in the public eye, while dealing with the complex private relationships all of us face with our parents and children. This wholly captivating musical with a lush, sweeping score is a deeply felt new work about mothers, daughters and the surprising discoveries we make about one another as we grow.

Keywords
Performing Groups

PRINCIPALS
7 Women

CHARACTERS
AMY CARTER, 12
SUSAN FORD, 23
BETTY FORD, Susan's mother, 62
ROSALYNN CARTER, Amy's mother, 52
PATTI DAVIS, 32
NANCY REAGAN, Patti's mother, 65
ANITA CASTELO, Nancy's maid, 45, Paraguayan
BAR (Barbara Bush), 78
ROBIN, her 4-year-old, and 54-year-old, daughter
LAURA BUSH, Bar's daughter-in-law, 57

In the original New York production, the following roles were doubled: 
Tricia Nixon/Susan Ford
Julie Nixon Eisenhower/Patti Davis
Hannah Nixon/Robin Bush
Rosalynn Carter/Laura Bush 
Betty Ford/Nancy Reagan

In the original New York production, the following roles were doubled: 
Tricia Nixon/Susan Ford
Julie Nixon Eisenhower/Patti Davis
Hannah Nixon/Robin Bush
Rosalynn Carter/Laura Bush 
Betty Ford/Nancy Reagan

  • Time Period Contemporary, 1980s, 1970s
  • Setting Various locations. 1972, 1980, 1986, 2003.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“A little masterpiece.” – The Wall Street Journal

“Sublime.” – Jesse Green, New York Magazine

“Insightful and layered.” – Christopher Zara, Newsweek

“Audacious.” – Linda Winer, Newsday

Videos

  • Daughters of Presidents from FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE youtube thumbnail

    Daughters of Presidents from FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE

  • LaChiusa's "First Daughter Suite" Mixes Political and Personal Life in World-Premiere Musical youtube thumbnail

    LaChiusa's "First Daughter Suite" Mixes Political and Personal Life in World-Premiere Musical

  • Amy Carter's Fabulous Dream Adventure from FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE youtube thumbnail

    Amy Carter's Fabulous Dream Adventure from FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE

Music

Music Samples

1. "Opening" - Company
2. "Out Go The Chairs / Happiness" - Pat, Julie, and Hannah
3. "Ruined" - Pat, Tricia, Julie, and Hannah
4. "Martha / Two Perfect Girls / Daddy's Mind" - Pat, Tricia, Julie, and Hannah
5. "Why Not? / Surrender" - Pat and Hannah
6. "Never Surrender" - Pat, Tricia, Julie, and Hannah
7. "Mother Likes To Dance" - Betty, Susan, Amy, and Rosalynn
8. "Susan Ford" - Betty, Susan, Amy, and Rosalynn
9. "Fabulous Dream Adventure" - Betty, Susan, Amy, and Rosalynn
10. "Iran"' - Betty, Susan, Amy, and Rosalynn
11. "Daughters Of" - Amy and Rosalynn
12. "Everyone's Dead / Fabulous Dream Adventure (Reprise)" - Betty, Susan, Amy, and Rosalynn
13. "Patti By The Pool" - Patti, Nancy, Anita
14. "Anita's Song" - Anita
15. "Robin / Come On Inside" - Barbara, Robin, and Laura
16. "Your Big Brother George" - Barbara, Robin, and Laura
17. ""You, My Love"" - Barbara, Robin, and Laura
18. "My Beautiful Mind" - Barbara
19. "Underneath the Waves" - Barbara, Robin, and Laura
20. "Laura / No Tears" - Barbara, Robin, and Laura
21. "Let Go / Finale" - Company
Full Orchestration

Key I
Key II
Reed
Horn
Violin

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway, Operetta, Contemporary Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Minimal
  • Vocal DemandsDifficult
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
Full Setting: First Daughter Suite is composed of four segments set in the following locations:
The White House East Wing Sitting Room, Late afternoon, June 11, 1972.
The deck of the Presidential yacht. A nice Spring day, 1980.
Betsy Bloomingdale's Holmby Hills home, California. November 1986.
Poolside. Near the ocean, Keenebunkport, Maine. A cold afternoon, October 11th, 2003
1 Keyboard 1/Conductor
9 Piano-Vocal
9 Libretto-Vocal
1 Reed
1 Horn
1 Keyboard 2
1 Violin
1 Keyboard 1/Conductor
9 Piano-Vocal
9 Libretto-Vocal
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Authors

Michael John LaChiusa

Michael John LaChiusa

Michael John LaChiusa – composer, lyricist and librettist – established himself as a powerful presence on the American musical theatre scene after winning Off-Broadway’s 1993 Obie Award for his musicals First Lady Suite and Hello Again. Six years later, LaChiusa was represent ...

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