It is based on the 1993 Warner Bros. film Grumpy Old Men by Mark Steven Johnson which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret.
It featured George Hearn and Len Cariou in roles of John and Max, Adrienne Barbeau as Ariel, Charles Durning as Grandpa, Garrett Morris as Chuck, Vicki Lewis as IRS agent Snyder (in a gender reversal from the movie) and Carol Kane in the role of Punky, a new character Remmes created specifically for the musical.
[10][11] In 2011, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, Canada offered to provide a world premiere mainstage production.
Without Berg or Meglin present, and with Remmes on site only part of the time, the show was hastily modified to accommodate the large stage, new cast and replaced director.
Remmes, Berg and Meglin were left in sole legal possession of their script, score and lyrics, which were unmarketable without the subsidiary rights from the 1993 film—contracts that had also expired.
Partnering with co-writers Remmes and Meglin, they obtained new limited agreements direct from film producer Warner Bros. and screenwriter Johnson.
Minus the constraints of producers and investors, the writing team reconfigured the script, score and lyrics and financed an invitation-only industry reading of the reworked show in New York City.
[1] In 2019, the show premiered on the west coast of the United States at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in southern California, produced by McCoy Rigby Entertainment.
To the Ogunquit production, Broadway World wrote “Grumpy Old Men the Musical hits the mark right from the start; there's no shortcomings here.
With a well written fun script, laced with comic one liners, loveable characters, and a lighthearted musical score, Grumpy Old Men exceeded all my expectations … Everything works extraordinarily well in this premiere production.
The story is fun and the characters lively, engaging, and memorable … It has every element of a solid musical that could easily become a favorite of theaters everywhere.”[18] The Journal Tribune lauded a “cracker-barrel book by Dan Remmes … the musical numbers are creatively coiffed to fit the template of the fast-moving production … sometimes touching, sometimes raucous, all times enticing.”[19] The Portsmouth Herald wrote “Book writer Dan Remmes, along with late lyricist Nick Meglin of MAD Magazine, have crafted a timeless piece of work.”[20] The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE Awards) called it an “entertaining inspiration.”[21] The Theater Mirror (New England Theater Guide) called it “a slap-happy feast.”[22] and the Portland Press Herald labeled it "An extremely funny, warm-hearted romance.
"[24] Of the west coast production, Hollywood Progressive wrote “Grumpy’s upbeat music is in the Broadway musical tradition of hits such as, say, The Pajama Game … unexpectedly heartwarming, moving and at all times, highly enjoyable.”[25] The Los Angeles Times demurred, suggesting the result was "a considerable loss of the movie's warmth" while acknowledging it "didn't seem to faze the opening-night audience, which tittered at each scandalous line.
The score—a slick Broadway sound echoing pop styles from the 1940s through the '80s—also kept the room energized.”[26] Broadway World Los Angeles wrote that “Neil Berg and Nick Meglin have written some very pretty songs … especially riveting are “I Like the Way Things Are," “Life is All About Livin”—Grandpa's song which reminded me of Grandma's song from Pippin—“An Angel” and “Family or Friend.” And “Dan Remmes’ book keeps the humor at a high level.”[27] StageScene L.A. proclaimed “Book writer Dan Remmes’ smartest move is in taking the local citizenry and giving them names, occupations and personalities brought to vibrant life ... Add to this composer Neil Berg and lyricist Nick Meglin's bouncy score ... it's a formula that's worked before and works again here like a finely-tuned instrument ... Grumpy Old Men The Musical has exactly what it takes to become a regional theater favorite.”[28] The Whittier Daily News wrote, "When you leave the show, you're likely to want to reach out to someone who means something to you, and let them know that they do.
His compassion in his book for these now well-known characters eschews real sentimentality and provides a certain dignity even amid the ribald banter and utter puerility of the pension-age adolescents … a guilty pleasure of a musical!