Grumpy Old Men (musical)

TRW chose Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, Maine to premiere the reworked show in the United States.[1] Matt Lenz directed the Ogunquit production with musical direction by Phil Reno and choreography by Michele Lynch.

Mark Jacoby and Ed Dixon were cast as John and Max respectively. Leslie Stevens portrayed the role Ariel while Doug Eskew was cast as Chuck. Brenda Braxton portrayed Snyder, Hal Linden was cast as Grandpa and Ogunquit-favorite Sally Struthers portrayed the role of Punky.

The sold-out run ran from August 8 to September 1, 2018.[1]

In 2019, the show premiered on the west coast of the United States at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in southern California, produced by McCoy Rigby Entertainment. Lenz and Lynch returned as director and choreographer respectively with music direction by Benet Braun.[17]

Reprising their roles from Ogunquit were Mark Jacoby, Leslie Stevens and Hal Linden. Ken Page reprised the role of Chuck from his performance in Winnipeg. Gregory North took over the role of Max and Cathy Rigby played the role of Punky.

The production ran from September 20 to October 13, 2019.[17]

To the Ogunquit production, Broadway World wrote “Grumpy Old Men the Musical hits the mark right from the start; there's no shortcomings here. With a well written fun script, laced with comic one liners, loveable characters, and a lighthearted musical score, Grumpy Old Men exceeded all my expectations … Everything works extraordinarily well in this premiere production. The story is fun and the characters lively, engaging, and memorable … It has every element of a solid musical that could easily become a favorite of theaters everywhere.”[18]

The Journal Tribune lauded a “cracker-barrel book by Dan Remmes … the musical numbers are creatively coiffed to fit the template of the fast-moving production … sometimes touching, sometimes raucous, all times enticing.”[19] The Portsmouth Herald wrote “Book writer Dan Remmes, along with late lyricist Nick Meglin of MAD Magazine, have crafted a timeless piece of work.”[20] The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE Awards) called it an “entertaining inspiration.”[21]

The Theater Mirror (New England Theater Guide) called it “a slap-happy feast.”[22] and the Portland Press Herald labeled it "An extremely funny, warm-hearted romance."[23] The Boston Post-Gazette proclaimed, "The book is great, the score is outstanding … I would be very surprised if this production does not move on to Broadway."[24]

Of the west coast production, Hollywood Progressive wrote “Grumpy’s upbeat music is in the Broadway musical tradition of hits such as, say, The Pajama Game … unexpectedly heartwarming, moving and at all times, highly enjoyable.”[25] The Los Angeles Times demurred, suggesting the result was "a considerable loss of the movie's warmth" while acknowledging it "didn't seem to faze the opening-night audience, which tittered at each scandalous line. The score—a slick Broadway sound echoing pop styles from the 1940s through the '80s—also kept the room energized.”[26] Broadway World Los Angeles wrote that “Neil Berg and Nick Meglin have written some very pretty songs … especially riveting are “I Like the Way Things Are," “Life is All About Livin”—Grandpa's song which reminded me of Grandma's song from Pippin—“An Angel” and “Family or Friend.” And “Dan Remmes’ book keeps the humor at a high level.”[27]

StageScene L.A. proclaimed “Book writer Dan Remmes’ smartest move is in taking the local citizenry and giving them names, occupations and personalities brought to vibrant life ... Add to this composer Neil Berg and lyricist Nick Meglin's bouncy score ... it's a formula that's worked before and works again here like a finely-tuned instrument ... Grumpy Old Men The Musical has exactly what it takes to become a regional theater favorite.”[28] The Whittier Daily News wrote, "When you leave the show, you're likely to want to reach out to someone who means something to you, and let them know that they do."[29] The Show Report wrote, "This grumpy hurrah remains natural and poignant. Much of that credit significantly belongs to scripter Dan Remmes. His compassion in his book for these now well-known characters eschews real sentimentality and provides a certain dignity even amid the ribald banter and utter puerility of the pension-age adolescents … a guilty pleasure of a musical!"[30] and Bucking Trends called it "A highly entertaining, life-affirming, feel-good fiesta of a new show."[31]