3/7/2022
Performances and Artists
Playwright Robert Horn admits he felt extremely nervous when first asked to adapt hit 1982 film “Tootsie” for the Broadway stage.
“It’s an iconic movie and comic masterpiece, but it also has content and plot points that I knew did not age well,” Horn explains. “I was terrified to take it on at first, and passed on the offer.”
Fortunately, he changed his mind after sitting down with acclaimed composer David Yazbek to discuss reimagining this beloved comedy about a talented, out-of-work actor who pretends to be someone he’s not to land a role.
“We talked out all the ways we could make it our own, update it, go back to just the DNA of the story and rebuild it out from there, using humor to tell the story in a theatrical and modern way,” Horn says.
He clearly did a good job.
Just as Horn aimed to do, this production maintains the hilarious heart of the film, while also inserting a contemporary viewpoint with fresh plotlines and empowering characters who many will find relatable.
“Somewhere in us all there is desperation, and also hope – hope that we can be better, that we can change, that we can walk in someone else’s shoes and be part of a community,” Horn says. “This is a story of community, of a group of people who love each other and just want to do what they love most, even if the world might have other plans for them.”
Making Seriously Big Changes to a Hilarious Comedy
After many years in show business, Horn easily relates to the “Tootsie” storyline.
“I totally understand that ominous question we all eventually face: what happens when the time comes that no one wants you?” he says. “ How far would desperation take you? It’s something that haunts everyone in this business, no matter how successful. To me, that was a story worth building on.”
And as he built on the story, he also changed quite a bit, to recreate it from his own point of view.
Horn’s biggest changes include main character Michael Dorsey disguising himself for a role in a Broadway show, instead of a soap opera like in the film.
Soap operas feel outdated today, Horn notes, and creating a TV show on stage poses many challenges.
“Most of all, I loved the idea of writing a musical that celebrates musical theater, its quirks and flaws and stunning camaraderie, the sacrifices we make just for the opportunity to do what we love most, the family we create along the way,” he says. “Theater is a unique culture that brings people together in a way very few others do.”
Stronger Female Perspective
Horn also focused on changing the point of view for the story’s female characters.
“It was important they reflect the impact and progress women have made in society and art since the days of the original film,” he says.
For instance, Michael’s love interest Julie doesn’t grow “by virtue of being around Michael,” Horn says.
Instead, Michael changes and improves because of his experiences from being with Julie, a woman who navigates her own obstacles with determination and confidence.
“There is both a strength and vulnerability to the women portrayed in the musical that I think, sadly, might not have resonated back in the early ‘80s,” Horn says. “But again, as we progress culturally, so must our art.”
A Bullet Train of Comedy
The show’s comedy truly shines, Horn says, adding that he and composer Yazbek “laughed for three years non-stop” while creating the musical together.
“The comedy comes at you with such love, then there are these hysterical songs by David Yazbek that at once have you laughing and moments later thinking,” he says.
Denis Jones’ energizing choreography propels the action and humor, Horn notes, and the set design from David Solomon adds its own surprising comedic elements.
“(All of this) keeps the show moving like a bullet train,” Horn promises. “It adds up to a glorious night of musical comedy.”
“Tootsie” run from May 24 to 29, 2022 – for tickets, click here.