Development History

Developmental Journey

The musical was first conceived in November 2012 and had a completed first draft in April 2013. Following a reading in Queens, NY the musical began a long period of major developments. A complete second draft was showcased in an open workshop by the Random Access Theatre in July 2013.

After this workshop, The King’s Legacy went through several major changes. By the time the show was performed again in March 2014 for the Emerging Artists Theatre Festival, the show’s structure was entirely different and over half of the score was new. Since that time, The King’s Legacy has taken a new form that best suits Henry’s journey, the women’s perspective, and the unique storytelling. The show was presented in this format in an Industry Reading in November, 2016, as well as highlighted in "The Songs of Michael Radi" at Feinstein's/54 Below in October 2017.

In August of 2019, The King’s Legacy received its Premiere Production at the Bristol Valley Theater in Naples, NY to great success and fantastic review. Since that period, the show received a second Industry Reading through The Dramatists Guild’s Friday Night Footlights program in November 2019 after performing a concert at the first ever TudorCon in October.

The show has had two more developmental readings since the pandemic (May 2021 and August 2024), officially putting the piece into a ready state for a large regional production or a NYC premiere!

Production History

5/19/13 - Reading – First, NYC

7/28/13 - Workshop – Random Access Theatre, New York, NY

3/31/14 - Staged Reading – Emerging Artists Theatre Festival, New York, NY

4/17/16 - Reading – Developmental, NYC

11/20/16 - Invited Industry Reading – New York, NY

10/16/17 - The Songs of Michael Radi – Feinstein's/54 Below

8/22/19-9/1/19 Premiere Production – Bristol Valley Theater (Naples, NY)

10/19/19 - Concert – The first annual TudorCon (Lancaster, PA)

11/16/19 - Dramatists Guild Friday Night Footlights Reading – New York, NY

5/17/21 - Reading - Developmental, Zoom

7/27/24 - Reading - Developmental, NYC

This show is through development and is production-ready.

The Dramatists Guild Friday Night Footlights Industry Reading

On Saturday, November 16th, 2019 The King’s Legacy was performed in an Industry Reading at The Mary Rodgers Room at the Dramatists Guild in Times Square, with a phenomenal cast and featuring Teal Wicks as Anne Boleyn!

The evening was a tremendous success, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled! The room was filled and absolutely abuzz after the performance. And the constant refrain across the room was "So where to next?!"

Here was the cast list from the evening:

Teal Wicks - (B'way) Lady in "The Cher Show," Mary Barrie in "Finding Neverland," Emma Carew in "Jekyll and Hyde," Elphaba in "Wicked"

Wes Hart - (B'way) "Anastasia," "West Side Story" (National Tour) "Jersey Boys" (Off-B'way) Buckaroo in "Lucky Guy"

Jacque Carnahan - (National Tour) "Cinderella" (Off-B'way) "A Child's Christmas in Wales" at Irish Rep, "Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice" NYMF, "The Baker's Wife" at The York, "The Boyfriend" at Musicals Tonight

John Michael Dias - (B'way) "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" (National Tour) "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," Jersey Boys" (Chicago) "Jersey Boys"

Jillian Jameson - (National Tour) "The Sound of Music" (NY Theater) "Missing Gemini," "Close Than You Think," "The Christians" at Playwrights Horizons, "Grand Hotel"

Jillian Louis - (B'way) "It Shoulda Been You" (Off-B'way) "Soul Doctor," "Chick Flick the Musical," "Midnight Street" as Assistant Director (National Tour) "Cheers"

Mark Poppleton - (National Tour) Merlyn/King Pellinore in "Camelot," Mal Beineke in "The Addams Family," "Spring Awakening," "Man of La Mancha" (Off-B'way) "Bravo, NY!"

Lauren Weinberg - (National Tour) Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls" (NY Theater) "On The Town," "Smile" (Regional) Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls" at Olney Theatre Center, Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" at Theatre By The Sea

Bunny Baldwin - (National Tour) Molly in "Annie," "Kenny Rogers Christmas" (Regional) Susan Waverly in "White Christmas" at Ogunquit Playhouse, Young Cosette in "Les Mis" at Theatre at the Mount

The King’s Legacy at Bristol Valley Theater in 2019!

The King’s Legacy received it’s premiere production at the Bristol Valley Theater in Naples, NY in 2019!!

August 22nd - September 1st

"The Songs of Michael Radi" at Feinstein's/54 Below in 2017

Performers IncludeD:

• Jackie Burns (B'way) Wicked, If/Then OBC, Hair (Off-B'way) Rock of Ages, Hair (Tour) If/Then, Wicked - Currently Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway!

• Libby Servais (B'way) Wicked, Lysistrata Jones - Current Standby for Glinda in Wicked on Broadway!

• Betsy Struxness (B'way) Hamilton OBC, Matilda OBC, Scandalous OBC, Leap Of Faith OBC, Memphis, Wicked (Tours) Wicked, All Shook Up

• Jillian Louis (B'way) It Shoulda Been You (Off-B'way) Soul Doctor (Tour) Cheers

• Jacque Carnahan (Off-B'way) A Child's Christmas in Wales at Irish Rep., Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, The Baker's Wife at The York, The Boyfriend at Musicals Tonight (Tour) Cinderella

• Samantha Bruce (Off-B'way) Luisa in The Fantasticks (Regional) Laurie in Oklahoma! at Goodspeed Opera House, Johanna in Sweeney Todd at Denver Center, The Royal Family at Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Cyrano at Sierra Rep.

• J. Michael Zygo (B'way) School of Rock, Once OBC - Currently in School of Rock on Broadway!

• Kenneth Quinney Francoeur (Off-B'way) A Child's Christmas in Wales at Irish Rep., (Tour) Memphis

• Gregory Maheu (Off-Broadway) I Am Harvey Milk at Lincoln Center (Regional) Austen's Pride: A New Musical of Pride and Prejudice at Merry-Go-Round, Sunday in the Park With George at Signature Theatre

• Patrick Mulryan (Off-B'way) Fiasco Theater's Into The Woods at The Roundabout Theatre, London's Menier Chocolate Factory, McCarter Theatre, and the Old Globe, Cymbeline at Fiasco Theater, Bum Phillips: All-American Opera at La Mama

• Lizzie Becker: Lizzie is a private voice student of Michael Radi's at From Stage To Screen studio. She played Young Elizabeth in the Industry Reading of The King's Legacy, and she has also studied at USDAN. (Favorite Roles) Cinderella in Into The Woods, Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie