Show History

History

Inspiration

The Fix is a political musical comedy with a book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe.  The two had previously worked together on the musical, Zombie Prom, and were inspired by the stereotypical corruption that exists in American politics.  The musical was initially developed under the working title of Cal: A Musical Tale of Relative Insanity, when it attracted the attention of megaproducer, Cameron Mackintosh (Cats, Les Miserablés, Miss Saigon).  The sheer originality of the piece caught Mackintosh's eye, and he became the motivating cog in the machine.  Not only was Mackintosh the one to bring the show to Sam Mendes and the Donmar Warehouse, but he was the one to co-produce the American premiere at the Signature Theatre, despite having a short run in London initially.

Productions

The Fix premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in London April 29, 1997.  It was directed by Sam Mendes, then the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, and starred John Barrowman, Kathryn Evans and Phillip Quast.  The show ran for less than two months but attracted the eye of critics.  Soon after, the musical was brought to the United States for its premiere at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, from March 17, to April 26, 2008.  The Fix premiered in the tri-state area with a production at Princeton University in 2003.  In June 2012, The Fix was reimagined to take place in a 1960s "Kennedy-esque" environment in a revival in The Union Theatre in London.  The Signature Theatre revived the musical for its 2014-2015 season.

Trivia

  • The original West End production of The Fix was nominated for four Olivier Awards in 1998, including Best New Musical.  The Signature Theatre production was nominated for ten Helen Hayes awards, while the London revival was nominated for seven Off-West End Awards, including Best Musical Production.
  • The original West End production of The Fix also featured performances from such notable actors as John Partridge (Young Bobby "Cracker" Barrel) and Rebecca Front (Newscaster).