Baby It's You

The new musical BABY IT’S YOU! is written by Colin Escott (Million Dollar Quartet opening on Broadway April 2010) and Floyd Mutrux (Million Dollar Quartet opening on Broadway April 2010 and the award-winning film American Hot Wax). Directed by Mutrux, BABY IT’S YOU! is about the passion and determination of New Jersey housewife Florence Greenberg, who in the early 1960’s, discovered The Shirelles and built one of the most successful independent record companies with African-American song-writer Luther Dixon.  At the dawn of the Civil Rights era, Florence and Luther became partners in more ways than one.

Overflowing with the greatest songs of the years immediately preceding the British Invasion, BABY IT’S YOU! tells the remarkable and little-known story of Florence Greenberg, as she took on the male-dominated music establishment and revolutionized pop music. Greenberg’s Scepter Records influenced the most important movements in music to come – The Beatles, Motown, even folk-rock.  BABY IT’S YOU! is the intriguing story of how classic records like “Baby, It’s You,” “Soldier Boy,” “He’s So Fine,” “Dedicated to the One I Love,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “Twist and Shout,” and many others came to be made, and is the story of one woman’s triumph in a male-dominated world.

BABY IT’S YOU had its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse, November 6 – December 13, 2009. “I am very pleased that our theatre will be involved in the next step of development for Baby It’s You!.  This fascinating story of one woman’s personal and professional journey is the perfect way to end our cross season celebration of Women on our stage.  It promises to be not just a great history lesson about an unknown hero in the development of American popular music, but also a hugely entertaining evening of well-known songs, which have great emotional resonance,” said Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps.  “I look forward to working with all of the creative staff as the show evolves into the completely satisfying evening of theatrical and musical delights that I know it can be.” And the standing ovations at every performance of BABY IT’S YOU! during the highly successful six-week run proved Mr. Epp’s prediction  to be true!

At the Pasadena Playhouse the creative team of Escott and Mutrux were joined by Birgitte Mutrux (choreography), Richard Perry (music supervisor/arrangements), Anna Louizos (scenic design), Lizz Wolf (costume design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), Martin Carrillo (sound design), Carol Doran (wig and hair design), Jason H. Thompson (projection design), Adam Irizarry (musical director/additional arrangements), Michael Donovan (casting), Joan Stein (general manager), Ronn Goswick (production stage manager), Lea Chazin (assistant stage manager), and Bari Newport (Assistant Director).

The spring and summer of 2009,  American Pop Anthology presented BABY IT’S YOU! at The Coast Playhouse in West Hollywood and played to a sold-out run.  The limited run was a partnership with LA’s BEST – Better Educated Students For Tomorrow to help fundraise for the esteemed after-school enrichment program.  Proceeds from each ticket helped to support visual and performing arts programs for 28,000 low-income elementary school kids.