GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A musical version of the 1982 film Tootsie is coming to Grand Rapids. The play will be performed at the DeVos Performance Hall from October 11-16.
The musical follows Michael Dorsey, a struggling actor looking for work. To land a job, he decides to adopt a new identity as a woman.
The music and lyrics for the stage version of Tootsie were written by David Yazbek. The book was written by Robert Horn. Tootsie’s Broadway production opened in 2019. It later went on to win a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. Santino Fontana, who played Michael Dorsey in the Broadway production, also won a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.
The performance coming to DeVos Performance Hall was directed by Dave Solomon. It was choreographed by Denis Jones, with Chip Abbott as associate choreographer. The design team included original scenic designer David Rockwell and tour scenic designer Christine Peters. Costume design was by William Ivey Long, with Christopher Vergara as associate costume designer. Donald Holder was the lighting designer, with Vivien Leone and Cosby Shasman-Beck as the associate lighting designers. Sound design was by Colleen Doherty, with Brian Ronan as associate sound designer. Hair and wig design was by Paul Huntley, with assistant hair and wig designer Loryn Pretorius. Make-up design was by Angelina Avallone. Andrea Grody was the supervising music supervisor, and music supervision was by Dean Sharenow. Vocal and incidental arrangements were by Andrea Grody. Dance arrangement was by David Chase. Orchestrations were by Simon Hale, and music coordination was by Talitha Fehr.
The 1982 film the play is based on was directed by Sydney Pollack. Pollack also appeared in the movie as Michael’s agent George Fields. It starred Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels, Jessica Lange as Julie Nichols, and Teri Garr as Sandy Lester. The film was later nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Lange was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the film. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked Tootsie #69 in its updated list of the 100 best American films. The American Film Institute also ranked Tootsie #2 in its list of the 100 funniest American films.
Tootsie will be performed at the DeVos Performance Hall from October 11-16. Tickets are available to purchase on Broadway Grand Rapids’ website.
