110 In The Shade Musical Drama

Based on the 1954 play The Rainmaker, 110 In The Shade is a musical play on Broadway. The show was directed by Joseph Anthony and choreographed by Agnes de Mille. The show is based on a book by N. Richard Nash. It opened on 24th October 1963, at the Broad Hurst Theatre. The cast includes Robert Harton, Inga Swenson, Stephen Douglas, Will Geer, Lesley Ann Warren and Gretchen Cryer.

110 In The Shade is about a spinster Lizzie Curry. She lives in a ranch in Southwest America. The town is in the middle of a heat wave and everybody is longing for rain. Lizzie is a divorcee and is afraid of becoming a hopeless old maid. She is involved in a relationship with a local Sheriff File. But the Sheriff will not commit to her. Lizzies world is turned upside down when a charismatic con man Bill Starbuck enters the town posing as a rain-maker. He promises the draught stricken locals that he can bring relief to them by bringing rain to the town.

As 110 In The Shade progresses Lizzie is drawn to Starbuck, who confesses that he cannot bring rain but in the process he builds up self confidence in jail. He then asks her to join him in his travels, but then File returns to plead for his own love towards Lizzie. Starbuck leaves the town and suddenly there is an outburst of thundershowers and it starts raining. Lizzie and File are happy and rejoice in the promise of hope about their future.

110 In The Shade went on to win Tony Award nomination for Best Composer and Lyricist for Schmidt and Jones, Best Actress in a Musical and many more. The play has been re enacted many times in the following years. In the year 1967, it was staged at Palace Theatre as a West End Production, directed by Emile Littler. In the year 1992, it was again staged as a New York City Opera Production and directed by Scott Ellis.

In the year 1999, a concert version of the play 110 In The Shade was played at the Fortune Theatre in London and was directed by Ian Marshall Fisher. The show was revived at Broadway in May 2007. The show was directed by Lonny Price. The show comprises of about 20 songs which are very melodious and good to listen too. Audra McDonald played the part of Lizzie and won the Drama Desk Award for an Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance. She gained a lot of appraisal for her wonderful acting. The revival version of the show has proved to be very popular and has won many Tony nominations. Wikipedia