Beverly, MA– Â And the Tony goes to, MEMPHIS! It was a very proud night for North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) as the Broadway musical MEMPHIS, which premiered at NSMT in 2003, won 4 Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical.
“I could not be more excited about this win, both for my friends involved tonight and for those who helped create this show at North Shore Music Theatre in 2003,” said Bill Hanney, the new owner and producer of North Shore Music Theatre, who attended the awards ceremony at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall on June 13. “This is an inspiration for me as move forward towards the reopening of NSMT. Â Tonight’s honor will help me to remember that what we do here at NSMT can enrich both the local Arts community, and also make an impact on a national level as well.”
In 2003, NSMT audiences saw MEMPHIS for the very first time at the World Premiere in Beverly, MA. Â Jon Kimbell, NSMT’s former Artistic Director and Executive Producer took a leap of faith to produce the unknown musical by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Chang, All Shook Up) and David Bryan of Bon Jovi fame.
“Developing new musicals has always been my passion, and I am thrilled to see the evolution of MEMPHIS from its World Premiere at North Shore Music Theatre to it’s Tony Award winning status,” said Kimbell. Â “I am honored to have been part of the process that brought MEMPHIS from the workshop phase, to the NSMT stage and finally to Broadway. Â It has been a tremendous experience for everyone involved with the project.”
In addition to Best Musical, MEMPHIS took home Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical (Joe DiPietro), Best Original Score (David Bryan), and Best Orchestration (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). Â MEMPHIS had received 8 Tony nominations.
Currently under the new ownership of Bill Hanney and his management team, NSMT’s 2010 season opens in July with GYPSY, followed by JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUDRELS, A CHORUS LINE and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Â For tickets and information call 978-232-7200 or visit www.nsmt.org.
Since 1955, NSMT has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement and the development of new musicals, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors’ Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. Under new ownership in 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of A Christmas Carol along with celebrity concerts and children’s programming.