Meet Me in St. Louis | |
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Music | Hugh Martin Ralph Blane |
Lyrics | Hugh Martin Ralph Blane |
Book | Hugh Wheeler |
Basis | Meet Me in St. Louis by Irving Brecher Fred F. Finklehoffe Meet Me in St. Louis by Sally Benson |
Productions | 1989 Broadway 2004 Off-Broadway 2006 Off-Broadway revival 2009 St. Louis, Missouri 2013 London |
Meet Me in St. Louis is a 1989 musical based on the 1944 film of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Sally Benson. The musical is about a wealthy lawyer's large family and household living in St. Louis, Missouri in a Victorian era style mansion and their excitement and anticipation of the family and the city on the eve of the 1904 World's Fair. (a.k.a. the Louisiana Purchase Exposition) celebrating the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase from France and Spain. As the year progresses leading up to the fair's opening, the family is distraught and upset over father's proposed promotion and move east to bigger New York City leaving behind all their friends and familiar surroundings.
The later musical varied from the earlier film with additional songs and some additional character development; the focus is not primarily on the character of Esther, as in the film. The musical play ran on Broadway in New York City in 1989, 45 years after the famous 1944 musical feature film starring Judy Garland. It was revived to be performed again Off-Broadway in 2004, / 2006 another 15 years later. Interest and audience continued in its hometown of St. Louis in 2009 followed by a leap across the Atlantic Ocean to London in England by 2013.