Did you know American Girl used to have plays at their stores? They did from 1998, when the first store in Chicago opened, to 2008. Since I was only 3 when they curtains closed on the plays, I decided to do some digging around and find out more about the three plays that were offered over the years!
The original one is called The American Girls Revue. It originally opened on November 27, 1998 when the Chicago store opened to September 1, 2008, when the theaters closed in Chicago and New York. It closed in Los Angeles on April 13, 2008. The Overture Center for the Arts in Wisconsin, which was funded by the sale of American Girl to Mattel, has exclusive rights to this play and performed it in 2011 and 2016 to commemorate the 25th and 30th anniversaries of American Girl.
The plot is about a modern American Girl doll club, where each member acts out their favorite doll’s stories to welcome a new member who isn’t familiar with American Girl. Each doll produced before 1998 has a original song representing them (Kit and Kaya songs were added when they released, though they aren’t on the cast recording. A Julie song wasn’t added due to the show closing a year after her release.)
The song list is this:
Imagine
We Will Find A Way (Kaya, 2002-2008)
Fly Like The Wind (Felicity)
Hold On To Your Dreams (Josefina)
It’s The Same Sun (Kirsten)
Goin’ To Freedom (Addy)
Follow Your Heart (Samantha)
If Life Gives You A Lemon (Kit, 2000-2008)
The Victory Sisters (Molly)
The American Girl’s Anthem
I’m guilty of only having listened to four songs from this play- Imagine, Fly Like The Wind, Victory Sisters and The American Girl’s Anthem- but what I’ve heard is amazing! I want to listen to the rest soon- hopefully I can find We Will Find A Way and If Life Gives You A Lemon somewhere.
The next show was called Circle of Friends. It opened on September 29, 2001 in the Chicago store and closed on September 1, 2008.
This show revolved around the same American Girl club planning a surprise birthday party. As they did so, they realized they could find answers to their problems by looking to the past. Just like with the last musical, each doll produced by the time the musical came out (except for Molly)had a unique song, but there was more songs that didn't have a specific doll in mind.
Here is the song list:
-Birthday Party/Perfect
-A unknown Kaya song that was added when she released.
-My Father's Not A Traitor (Felicity)
-Can't We Still Be Friends? (Also Felicity)
-Is There Room In The Heart For Two (Josefina)
-Circle of Friends (Kirsten)
-Look Inside (Addy)
-Nellie's Shoes (Samantha)
-Flying Solo (Kit)
-The Care And Keeping of Friends
-Back Together Jitterbug
-Circle of Friends (Finale)
I'm more guilty this time- I've only listened to Nellie's Shoes, but it's really good!
There was also a Bitty Baby show, but let's pretend that doesn't exist because I have to go soon.
Did you like this? I'm doing Hopscotch Hill next, but would you like Angelina Ballerina or AG Minis after?