Indeed, “folksy” is the word most often used to describe the timbre of The Spitfire Grill, whose result is “affecting musical storytelling with lyrics and spoken dialogue so seamlessly integrated that shortcomings don’t seem to matter” (Sommer, Elysse, Curtain Up, 2001). The Spitfire Grill is a stage musical rife with the sounds of banjos, guitars, fiddles, and all the other instruments closely associated with American folk music. Popular among community and regional theatres because of its themes of renewal and healing, The Spitfire Grill brings to the 2004 Utah Shakespeare Festival an uplifting production that captures the heart and soul of America better than most American musicals. The show lasted four weeks longer in a city devastated by tragedy, but has since enjoyed numerous productions across the country. conclusion” (Aisle Say, ).įirst produced on a New Jersey stage in the fall of 2000, The Spitfire Grill moved to Broadway in September 2001, playing only three performances before the tragedy that closed down much of New York theatre on September 11, 2001.

According to theatre critic Jerry Kraft, “vivid and sympathetic individuals create a genuine community and the well-crafted and dramatically focused songs move the story to a gratifying. Basing their show on the screenplay by Lee David Zlotoff, Valqc and Alley reshaped the story into an intimate, character-driven musical. When writers James Valqc and Fred Alley transformed the screenplay into a musical for the stage, their script won accolades in the form of the Richard Rogers Production Award presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

The film version of The Spitfire Grill gave viewers at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival a thrill that earned the film critical recognition, high praise, and the Audience Award.

Heart and soul instrumental youtube