Grind (musical)

Grind
A New Musical
Original Broadway Cast Recording
MusicLarry Grossman
LyricsEllen Fitzhugh
BookFay Kanin
Productions1985 Broadway

Grind is a 1985 musical with music by Larry Grossman, lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, and a book by Fay Kanin. Grind is a portrait of a largely African-American burlesque house in Chicago in the Thirties.

Reviews of the production were mixed at best. In his The New York Times review, Frank Rich wrote: "...the show has become a desperate barrage of arbitrary musical numbers, portentous staging devices, extravagant costumes..., confused plot twists and sociological bromides..."[1]

Grind eventually closed after a run of slightly more than two months, losing its entire $4.75 million investment. It was one of a string of six Broadway flops directed by Hal Prince in the 1980s, and Prince and three other members of the creative team were suspended by the Dramatists Guild for signing a "substandard contract."[2]

In a Broadway season described by theater historian Ken Mandelbaum as "dismal" for new musicals,[3] Grind was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical; it eventually won two, for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Leilani Jones) and Best Costume Design (Florence Klotz).

  1. ^ Rich, Frank. "Stage. Grind from Harold Prince" The New York Times, April 17, 1985
  2. ^ McKinley, Jesse. "On Stage and Off" The New York Times, May 17, 2002
  3. ^ Mandelbaum, Ken. "Tony's Best Musicals---Part Three" broadway.com, May 24, 2004