Walking With Memphis To Broadway Glory

One of the highlights of the 2010 Tony Awards Ceremony was the triumph of the spirited musical Memphis. With multiple awards, including the coveted Best Musical title, the show was a big winner on Broadway's big night. But the road to the musical's Broadway glory was not a short one...and it even begins in Silicon Valley of all places.

In fact, the birth of rock n' roll musical was developed at TheatreWorks' 2002 New Works Festival and received its world premiere in 2004 on TheatreWorks' mainstage in California. Since then, Memphis has been working its way to Broadway where it made its debut last October.

We celebrate Broadway's newest biggest hit Tony Award wining musical, with a look back at some images from that 2004 production of Memphis. Of course, even in its more humble version, the show never lost it's rock n' roll. Pictures of the TheatreWorks production by David Allen.

In addition to receiving the American Theatre Wing Tony Award for Best Musical, the Broadway hit also received Best Book of a Musical (Joe DiPeitro); Best Original Score (David Bryan, Music and Joe DiPeitro, Lyrics); and Best Orchestrations (Daryl Waters and David Bryan).

TheatreWorks presented the World Premiere of MEMPHIS on the TheatreWorks Mainstage in January 2004 (in a co-presentation with the now-defunct North Shore Music Theatre.) The musical went on to be staged by the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego from August 19 through September 28, 2008, and the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle from January 27 through February 15, 2009.

It opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on October 19, 2009 where it has grossed more than $21.3 million to date. Tickets are currently on sale through next January. A national tour will launch in September.

Broadway Show: Memphis: A New Musical