Daddy Long Legs

Daddy Long Legs is playing at the Davenport Theatre located at 354 West 45th Street. It runs two hours fifteen minutes with one intermission. The show is an open ended run.

It is based on the 1912 novel by Jean Webster. There have been several versions in films as early as 1919 with Mary Pickford to 2005 South Korean. The 1955 film with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron was nominated for three Academy Awards.

John Caird is the director. He won a Tony Award in 1982 and a Laurence Olivier Award in 1980 for Nicholas Nickleby. John won a Tony Award for Les Miserables (1987) and was nominated for three Tony Awards for Jane Eyre (2001) for Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical and Best Direction for Stanley (1997).

Paul Gordon wrote the music/lyrics. He won an Ovation Award in 2010 for Daddy Long Legs, for Original Music for the Rubicon Theatre Company. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2001 for Jane Eyre.

David Farley is the scenic and costume designer. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2008 for Sunday in The Park With George.

Megan McGinnis originated the role in 2009 premiere at the Rubicon Theatre Company located in Ventura, California. She received “Ovation Award” for the role.

The musical takes place in 1908.

Jerusha (Megan McGinnis) is the oldest orphan in the John Grier Home. Her luck changes when an anonymous benefactor (Paul Alexander Nolan) donates money for her college education. She sees the back of him as he lives the orphanage. For a lack of a better name she calls him daddy long legs.

The terms for getting the money are she has to write to him every month and write a book. He won’t reply to her letters.

Jerusha grows as a person and women. The benefactor “Jervis” benefits from her letters, it helps him overcome his demons. The musical tells her life at school thru the letters she sends her benefactor and his reaction to them.

The set is nice. There are old trucks on stage that Megan takes out clothes to change and other props.

There are only two characters. But who needs more. Their fortitude is very touching. This is a compassionate story, which makes you think.

Megan and Paul do an incredible job. Paul’s voice when he sings “Charity” is amazing.

This is an off Broadway show you must see.

One nice touch is when you come into the theatre, when they hand you a program you also get a post card and pen with the name of the show. They will mail the post card for you.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.