SMILE! – Music by Marvin Hamlisch & Lyrics by Howard Ashman

SMILE! which features music by Marvin Hamlisch and book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, is "a satirical portrait that follows the intrigue and exploits onstage and behind-the-scenes as Santa Rosa, California plays host to the Young American Miss Pageant."

Songs from the Hamlisch-Ashman score include “Disneyland," "Smile," "In Our Hands," "Very Best Week of Your Lives" and "Dear Mom."

Smile is rarely performed. It opened Nov. 24, 1986, at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. It played 48 performances. Marvin Hamlisch was so devastated, the show was never performed again until after his passing.

From the NYTimes review in 1986:

The endearing passion to be found in ''Smile,'' has little to do with beauty pageants, nubile teen-age girls, corrupted American values or any other subject that the show keeps claiming to be about. What clearly drives Howard Ashman, the author of the book and lyrics, and Marvin Hamlisch, the composer, is their deep affection for the lighthearted musical comedies of their youth - during the form's last, pre-rock-and-roll gasp of the late 1950's and early 1960's. In ''Smile,''....there are many worse reasons to put on a show than sheer love of the musical's happier past.

Show runs May 17-26 except Mon, May 20 – 7pm

Sat/Sun – matinees at 1 or 2pm (check for tickets/times)

Suitable for 10+