The First (musical): Difference between revisions

{{One source|date=October 2015}}

|image= The First musical Playbill cover.jpg

|image_size = 200px

|caption= Broadway Playbill cover

|music= [[Bob Brush|Robert Brush]]

|productions= 1981 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]

'''''The First''''' is a [[musical theatre|musical]] with a book by critic [[Joel Siegel]]. The music was composed by [[Bob Brush|Robert Brush]], and [[Martin Charnin]] wrote the lyrics. The show is based on the life of [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] second baseman [[Jackie Robinson]], the first African-American to play major league baseball in the 20th century.

The musical premiered on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] at the [[Martin Beck Theatre]] on November 17, 1981 and closed on December 12, 1981 after 31 performances and 33 previews (although often erroneously reported as having 37 performances).<ref>{{Cite web|title=The First – Broadway Musical – Original {{!}} IBDB|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-first-4145|access-date=2020-07-24|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref> Charnin has said that despite "stellar reviews," the musical failed to secure one: that of [[Frank Rich]] of ''[[The New York Times]],'' "which at the time meant everything."<ref>Bill Rudman, "Martin Charnin, Pt 3," ''On the Aisle,'' on On Broadway on SiriusXM, 5 Dec 2014.</ref> Directed by Charnin and choreographed by Alan Johnson, the original cast included [[David Alan Grier]] as Jackie Robinson, and [[Lonette McKee]] as his wife Rachel.

===Original Broadway production===

{| class="wikitable" width="95%"

|-

! width="5%"| Year

! width="25%"| Award ceremony

! width="40%"| Category

! width="20%"| Nominee

! width="10%"| Result

|-

| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1982

| rowspan="3"| [[Tony Award]]

| [[Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical|Best Book of a Musical]]

| [[Martin Charnin]] and [[Joel Siegel]]

| {{nom}}

|-

| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical|Best Featured Actor in a Musical]]

| [[David Alan Grier]]

| {{nom}}

|-

| [[Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical|Best Direction of a Musical]]

| [[Martin Charnin]]

| {{nom}}

|-

| rowspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award]]

| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical|Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical]]

| [[Lonette McKee]]

| {{nom}}

|-

| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design|Outstanding Set Design]]

| David Chapman

| {{nom}}

|-

| colspan="2"| [[Theatre World Award]]

| [[David Alan Grier]]

| {{won}}

|}

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Jackie Robinson|state=expanded}}

{{Los Angeles Dodgers}}

[[Category:Broadway musicals]]

[[Category:Biographical musicals]]

[[Category:Cultural depictions of Jackie Robinson]]

{{musical-theat-stub}}