Fiorello! | Unicorn Theatre & E 13th St Theatre
Fiorello!
Written by Weidman, Abbot, Bock, and Harnick
Produced by Berkshire Theatre Group at the Unicorn Theatre and the East 13th Street Theatre
Directed by Bob Moss
Musical Direction by Evan Zavada
Scenic Design by Carl Sprague
Lighting Design by Matthew Adelson
Costume Design by David Murin
Sound Design by Brendan F Doyle
Images Courtesy of Alex Hill
This is an excerpt from a preview performance of Fiorello; it starts at the beginning of the play as Mayor Laguardia is reading the comics from the newspaper over the radio while the papers are on strike. He begins as a distant filtered voice, distorted by the radio. As he begins to reminisce about his early days: the music swells and the overture begins, and we are brought into the world of his memory.
“Home Again” from the East 13th Street Theatre production
Production Overview
Fiorello was originally produced at the Unicorn Theatre in the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Stockbridge campus during the summer season, and transferred to the East 13th Street Theatre in New York in the fall. Both productions were directed by Bob Moss. This musical tells of the rise of Fiorello LaGuardia, a young lawyer distraught by the struggles of the working class and the corrupt nature of the political structure that fails to protect them. He organizes his fellow New Yorkers, is elected to the House of Representatives, becomes a Major in the Air Force during World War One, and eventually becomes Mayor of New York City, only to be brought low by the political machine he once railed against. This whirlwind journey through the airport’s namesake is told through song and dance, and shows the many lives he touched throughout his career.