A class act

A Class Act is a quasi-autobiographical musical loosely based on the life of composer-lyricist

Edward Kleban, who died at the age of 48 in 1987.[1] Featuring a book by Linda Kline and Lonny
Price along with music and lyrics by Kleban himself, the musical uses flashbacks and the device of
time running backwards to retrace the high and low points of the composer's personal and
professional life.[2][3]
A musical in 2 acts, 13 scenes. Book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price; music and lyrics by Edward
Kleban.
Manhattan Theatre Club (Stage II) - 3 October - 10 December, 2000 (38 perfs, 42 previews)
Ambassador Theatre, Broadway 11 March - 10 June, 2001 (105 perfs, 30 previews)
Landor Theatre, London - 2004 (Season)

Characters
Ed Edward Kleban, lyricist and composer
Sophie Ed's oldest friend and first love, an oncologist
Lehman Engel head of the songwriting workshop
Michael Bennett director/ choreographer of A Chorus Line
Marvin Hamlisch composer of A Chorus Line
Lucy Ed's last significant other, member of the BMI Workshop
Felicia Ed's boss at Columbia Records, member of the BMI Workshop
Bobby Ed's best friend, member of the BMI Workshop
Charlie a friend from the workshop, member of the BMI Workshop
Mona one of Ed's many love affairs, member of the BMI Workshop
Ed Kleban - Robert Picardo
Lehman Engel - Lenny Wolpe
Bobby/Michael Bennett - Andrew Palermo
Charley/Marvin Hamlisch - Will Jude
Sophie - Luba Mason
Felicia - Nikki Crawford
Lucy - Donna Bullock
Mona - Michelle Duffy

Song list
Act I
Light on My Feet Ed and Company
The Fountain in the Garden Company
One More Beautiful Song Ed and Sophie
Fridays at Four Company
Bobby's Song Bobby
Charm Song Lehman and Company
Paris Through The Window Ed, Bobby and
Charley
Mona Mona

Act II
Better Ed and Company
Scintillating Sophie Ed
The Next Best Thing To Love
Sophie
Broadway Boogie Woogie Lucy
Better (Reprise) Ed and Company
I Choose You Ed and Lucy
The Nightmare Ed
Say Something Funny Company

Under Separate Cover Sophie, Lucy and Ed

Don't Do It Again Felicia and Ed
Gauguin's Shoes Ed and Company
Don't Do It Again (Reprise) Lehman
Follow Your Star Sophie and Ed

When the Dawn Breaks Ed

Self Portrait Ed

Scenes and settings

The place: New York City between 1958 and 1988.

The Stage of the Shubert Theatre

Hillside Hospital
The BMI Musical Theatre Workshop
Ed's Apartment
A Recording Studio at Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Outside the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto
Manhattan
Sophie's Laboratory
Central Park
Michael Bennett's Studio
The Public Theatre
St. Vincent's Hospital

CAST REQUIREMENTS
Cast is made up of 8 Principals [4 Men and 4 Women]
All cast members must be able to sing, dance, and act a triple-threat ensemble!
Three of the males are quadruple threats! Piano playing will be done on stage by all three (piano
lessons will be provided)
The show takes place in New York City between 1958 and 1988 (a 30 year period), so actors can
be just about any age, but each must be able to act like characters in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s
CHARACTERS (note: Doubling is used for characters as indicated, with main character listed first)
ED KLEBAN - an aspiring songwriter. Charming and vulnerable, he wears his phobias and his
affections on his sleeve.
LEHMAN ENGEL - leader of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. Sophisticated, elegant, but has
great warmth and soul. Southern, Jewish, gay.
SOPHIE - Ed's first love. A doctor of great warmth and intelligence.
BOBBY - a drummer and would-be songwriter. He can be socially inept, but he is Eds loyal and
loving friend.
MICHAEL BENNETT the charismatic choreographer and director. Machiavellian and brilliant.
CHARLEY - an aspiring songwriter. Ivy League, talented, competitive, somewhat pretentious.

MARVIN HAMLISCH - the composer at age 29. Talented, ambitious, energetic.

DR. NODINE - a psychiatrist at a mental hospital (non-speaking role).
JEAN-CLAUDE CHEVRAY - Sophie's boyfriend, suave and confident.
FELICIA LIPSCHITZ - an aspiring songwriter. Later a music industry executive. Glamorous,
confident, a powerhouse.
SECOND GIRL in "Light on my Feet"
TAP DANCE STUDENT
DANCER TWO in "A Chorus Line"
LUCY - an aspiring singer/songwriter. Later, Eds girlfriend. Unaffected, sweet natured, a giver.
DANCER ONE in "A Chorus Line"
MONA - an aspiring songwriter, seductive and kittenish. She is attracted to me who can further
her career.
FIRST GIRL in "Light on my Feet"
DANCER THREE in "A Chorus Line"
DIRECTORS NOTES
In addition to seeing some snippets of just how the music, lyrics, and choreography for A Chorus
Line came about, Eds journey takes us through his life-long struggle to truly believe in himself.
Along the way, we meet some of the Stages most interesting and real characters, each with a 30+
year character arc and a bona fide love/hate relationships with Ed. Eight of the juiciest roles ever
created combine to make an ensemble tribute to one of the greatest Broadway songwriters of all
time.
I find that the more I study this show, these characters, this music, the more I fall in love with all of
it. Its intent and delivery mechanism evoke a real sense of purpose. Powerful messages, humorous
yet deep characterizations, glorious music, crafty lyrics, and a three-decade time frame, combined
with its bohemian depiction of a man reliving his life journey, make this jewel of a show something
about which all of its players will find themselves nothing short of passionate just like Ed Kleban
was about Broadway Musicals.
The cast is made up of eight players, four men and four women and all cast members must be able
to sing, dance and act. Jon Robinson calls it, "A triple threat ensemble. And three of the four males
actors will be playing piano on stage, so that makes them quadruple threats!" The show takes place
in New York City between 1958 and 1988 (a 30 year period), so actors can be just about any age,
but each must be able to act like characters in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s.
A Class Act is a real inside look at the workings of musical theatre and the people that live in that
world. A show built by and for theater people with musical and dance numbers that will appeal to
the novice theatergoer as well as the seasoned pro. "In addition to seeing some snippets of just how
the music, lyrics, and choreography for A Chorus Line came about, Eds journey takes us through
his life-long struggle to truly believe in himself. Along the way, we meet some of the stages most
interesting and real characters, each with a 30+ year character arc and a bona fide love/hate
relationships with Ed. Eight of the juiciest roles ever created combine to make an ensemble tribute
to one of the greatest Broadway songwriters of all time."
This show, A Class Act, has already found a special place in his heart. "I find that the more I study
this show, these characters, this music, the more I fall in love with all of it. Its intent and delivery

mechanism evoke a real sense of purpose. Powerful messages, humorous yet deep characterizations,
glorious music, crafty lyrics, and a three-decade time frame, combined with its bohemian depiction
of a man reliving his life journey, make this jewel of a show something about which all of its
players will find themselves nothing short of passionate just like Ed Kleban was about Broadway
Musicals."