The plot is a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown, who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and her wealthy miner-husband.
A musical film version, also titled The Unsinkable Molly Brown, with screenplay by Helen Deutsch, was released in 1964.
The original Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on November 3, 1960, and closed on February 10, 1962, after 532 performances and 1 preview.
Grimes appeared in the US national tour in 1962, including Los Angeles and San Francisco in April and June 1962, respectively.
[1] Presnell reprised his stage role for the 1964 film, also titled The Unsinkable Molly Brown starring Debbie Reynolds.
[2][3] The first West End production, with Abi Finley and Sean Pol McGreevy in the leading roles, opened in May 2009.
[4] While the 1989–1990 touring production stayed closer to the original show than subsequent rewrites, there were some minor dialogue differences.
The show was directed by Kathleen Marshall and starred Kerry O'Malley as Molly, Marc Kudisch as James Joseph "J.J." Brown, William Parry as Horace Tabor, and Linda Mugelston as Polly Pry.
The show was directed/choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, music supervision by Michael Rafter, with Sutton Foster as Molly and Craig Bierko as J.J. Brown.
The creative team was the same as in May 2010, and it starred Foster and Kudisch again, Teal Wicks, Francis Jue and Zachary James, among others.
"[8] Opening September 12, 2014, a full production of the Dick Scanlan revisioning was produced at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, running through October 26.
The plotline differed significantly from the original production, opening with Molly in the Titanic lifeboat, and then flashing back to follow her life from her first visit to Leadville.
"[9] The revised Scanlan version opened on February 8, 2020 (previews) Off-Broadway at the Abrons Arts Center, presented by the Transport Group and directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall.
[10][11] The following plot is that of the original 1960 Broadway production In the early 20th century, feisty tomboy Molly Tobin wrestles with her three younger brothers[12] and tells them and her father that she wants to learn to read and write and to find a rich husband ("I Ain't Down Yet").
Molly realizes that Johnny is her true love, and she sails for home on the RMS Titanic ("Dolce Far Niente").
The following plot is that of the 2020 rewrite (taken from MTI’s website): Act One Prologue: May 29, 1912, Mrs. Margaret "Call Me Molly" Brown is testifying before the United States Senate about the sinking of the Titanic, which took place six weeks earlier.
As months pass, Molly and J.J. continue to bicker as Julia gives birth to a baby boy, and they attend his baptism as his godparents ("Just Becuz").
With Weaver in the White House, Tabor believes he will keep the Gold Standard from wiping silver mines like his out of business.
Molly attempts to cozy up with The Sacred 36, Denver's most elite families, led by Louise Sneed-Hill, only to get an icy reception.
She joins the suffrage movement and moves a judge to petition the governor for juvenile offenders to receive different treatment.
When the local paper publishes a rumor that Molly plans to run for Congress, J.J. confronts her about neglecting their marriage and children.
Julia, Vincenzo, Arthur, and Erich surprise them with a visit - just as Mrs. Sneed-Hill and the other women of The Sacred 36 arrive for tea with Molly.
After the high society ladies leave, J.J., Erich, Arthur, and Vincenzo argue over the miners forming a union, which J.J. staunchly opposes.
Molly sides with the union, further enraging J.J. J.J. complains about his disobedient wife in an exclusive business club and gets introduced to a woman named Maud Call by Fred Bonfils, the editor of the Denver Post("If We Can-Can").