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"From the first it has been the theatre’s business to entertain people, as it also has of all the other arts.  It is this business which always gives it its particular dignity; it needs no other passport than fun, but this it has got to have."

Welcome to RidgePlays.com.  This page contains information about my plays.   


As a writer, I have been inspired by Tennessee Williams (for his brilliant use of language), Neil Simon (for his brilliant use of humor) and Penny Sycamore, (who wrote plays simply because a typewriter was delivered to her home by mistake).


To learn a little more about me and my work, free to click any of the links in the menu selection below.


Thanks for visiting!  

Bertolt Brecht

Written 

by

Mark A. Ridge


Music and Lyrics
Written by

Nora Bayes, Irving Berlin, N.J. Clesi, Walter Donaldson, Ray Eagan,

Fred Fisher, Lemuel Fowler, Joe Goodwin, James E. Hanley,

Clarence Jennings, Howard Johnson, Geo. Landis, Sam M. Lewis, J.P. Long,

Roy Marsh, Billy McCabe, Stanley Murphy, Jack Norworth,

Mitchell Parish, Paul Pelham, Maceo Pinkard, Tom Pitts, Mark A. Ridge

J. Russel Robinson, Howard Rogers, Fred Rose, Jimmy Selby,

Al Siegel, Andrew V. Souders, Harry D. Squires, Roy Turk, Harry Von Tilzer,

Paul Whiteman, Eleanor Young and Joe Young


Original Music & Lyrics are all in the public domain.


Orchestrations

by

Donny Walker


Music, Revised Lyrics and Orchestrations

© Mark A. Ridge

All Rights Reserved

43rd Street is a musical parody that pays homage to many classic Broadway and Hollywood musicals, and pokes fun at the persona of screen legend Joan Crawford. Utilizing updated and re-worked songs from some of Tin Pan Alley’s greatest composers, it’s the ultimate backstage musical.


43rd Street draws a lot of energy from the staples of the traditional drag show: mockery of “traditional” values, camp humor, references to popular culture, and winks and nods at the audience. There is also an attitude of fringe in the script, but where many fringe shows seek to alienate older adults, it still reaches out to fans of classic cinema and early jazz music.


For the person with a keen knowledge of the genre, there are over one hundred and fifty different musicals referenced in the script, and a large portion of the dialogue is composed of show-tune lyrics.


43rd Street is a two act musical that requires a minimum of thirteen actors, has minimal set requirements, and has been described as “An odd cross between a John Waters film and the Carol Burnett show.”

THIS SHOW IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ME HERE.