Just So 1985

Opened: December 3, 1985

Just So - 1985 - Off-Broadway History , Info & More

Jack Lawrence Theatre
359 W. 48th St. New York, NY

A project that was a quarter of a century in the making, began with a series of inspirational stories. Stiles and Drewe (Honk! and Mary Poppins) bring us an imaginatively empowering piece of theatre in Just So. Set to an eclectic, upbeat score, Kipling's Just So Stories are woven with wit and imagination into a song-filled journey through the jungle.



"Before the High and Far-off Times... came the Time of the Very Beginnings," when everything was just so, until Pau Amma the Crab started playing with the ocean. This caused the lands to flood, disrupting the other animals and putting them in danger. While the rest of the animals accept their sad fate, Elephant's Child embarks on a journey to challenge and overcome the disobedient crab. Along the way, he meets other animals and discovers how the mysteries of their phenomenon came to be.


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Review: CLUE: A NEW COMEDY, PROVES THE GAMES AFOOT at STRAZ CENTER
by Drew Eberhard - May 31, 2024


Adapted from the much-loved 1985 film, and the Hasbro Board Game, Clue: A New Comedy, is a murder mystery of a farcical nature that was written by Sandy Rustin and features additional materials by Hunter Foster and Eric Price.

Interview: Tari Kelly, Mrs. White in CLUE at Dr. Phillips Center
by Joseph Harrison - May 30, 2024


​​​​​​​Was it Mr. Green in the Library with the Revolver? Miss Scarlet with the Candlestick in the Dining Room? Professor Plum with the Wrench in the Kitchen? These suggestions should sound familiar to any fan of the classic Hasbro board game, Clue, or of the 1985 cult classic comedy film of the same name. But June 4th – 9th in Orlando you might just be accusing Mrs. White of slaying the audience with hilarious comedy in the Walt Disney Theatre (at the Dr. Phillips Center) as CLUE, a new production based on the classic board game and film, takes the stage. Embodying the mysterious (and hilarious) perpetual widow, Mrs. White, will be Tari Kelly who sat down with me to share about her theatrical origins, her experience bringing this classic role to life (and adding her own interpretation to it), and what audiences can expect when they come to see CLUE in Orlando.

Review: A WALK IN THE WOODS at The Abbey Theater
by Paul Batterson - May 21, 2024


What did our critic think of A WALK IN THE WOODS at The Abbey Theater? Bishara’s non-nonsense Honeywell verbally spars with Holliday’s frivolous Botvinnik. The Soviet diplomat believes the only way the treaty can work is if the two develop an attitude of friendship and trust. Honeywell believes the two must maintain a sense of formality.

How Often Do Shows Tour Before Coming to Broadway?
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - May 26, 2024


This time, the reader question was: How often do shows like The Wiz start on tour before coming to Broadway?

Review: TIMBUKTU! at The Black Rep
by Steve Callahan - May 20, 2024


Packed with Borodin's music, and African rhythm and dance, romance, and humor that smacks of vaukdeville, this strange package has many delights.

North American Tour of MYSTIC PIZZA to Launch in January 2025
by Blair Ingenthron - May 20, 2024


The highly-anticipated musical adaptation of the 1988 classic movie MYSTIC PIZZA, which recently completed a critically hailed run at LA Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts this past January, will embark on a North American Tour in January 2025.

No Mystery: Go See CLUE at Hippodrome
by Jack L. B. Gohn - May 8, 2024


So, even with one major problem, the muddy sound denign, whether to go see this show is no mystery. The solution: catch it while it’s here.

Pleasance Theatre Trust's Edinburgh Fringe Programme Announces Third On-sale 
by A.A. Cristi - May 7, 2024


Discover the latest additions to Pleasance's programme with their third epic on-sale. Get updates on new shows, dates, and what to expect from the upcoming performances.

Review: ANGELS IN AMERICA at Little Theatre, University Of Adelaide
by Barry Lenny - May 7, 2024


Angels in America is a landmark play.

AIN'T TOO PROUD, MEAN GIRLS, And More Announced for Granada Theatre 2024�"2025 Broadway Season
by A.A. Cristi - May 1, 2024


Discover the exciting new season lineup at 24-25 Broadway in Santa Barbara. Stay updated on the latest shows and performances, featuring a variety of genres for all theatre lovers.

Review: A CHORUS LINE at The Norris Theatre
by Melissa Heckscher - Apr 28, 2024


The Palos Verdes Performing Arts' production of A Chorus Line is everything community theater should be: It makes you realize you don’t need a big Broadway house to get a Broadway experience.

Review: KING HEDLEY II at A Noise Within
by Evan Henerson - Apr 19, 2024


KING HEDLEY II is the eighth and quite possibly bleakest play of August Wilson’s Century Cycle. Pasadena’s A Noise Within is committed to producing the entire cycle, and ANW’s production, under the direction of frequent Wilson helmsman Gregg T. Daniel, wrestles with it valiantly.

MEAN GIRLS, AIN'T TOO PROUD And More Announced for Broadway In Thousand Oaks 2024-25 Season
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 15, 2024


Discover the exciting new season lineup at 24-25 Broadway in Thousand Oaks. Get ready for a riveting mix of classic and contemporary performances that will captivate all theater enthusiasts.

Interview: Hiro Iida, an Electronic Music Designer Making Waves Worldwide
by Ayaka Ozaki - Apr 13, 2024


Hiro Iida: Known as an electronic music designer making waves worldwide, he's a sound craftsman designing the sound of musicals. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he has won two Grammy Awards. Some of his notable works include 'The Notebook THE MUSICAL,' 'THE GREAT GATSBY,' 'Kimberly Akimbo,' 'Tootsie' on Broadway, 'MJ THE MUSICAL,' 'Mean Girls' in the UK, 'The Man Who Laughs,' 'Mata Hari,' and 'XCALIBUR' in Korea, as well as 'DEATH NOTE THE MUSICAL,' 'Musical IKIRU,' and 'Your Lie in April' in Japan. He has also provided music to notable figures like Akiko Yano.

Review: CLUE at Ohio Theatre
by Paul Batterson - Apr 10, 2024


The script is filled with pratfalls, sight gags, puns and “Dad jokes,” but what makes this play work is the backstory and the personality given to each character and each role contributes something to the plot.

Pittsburgh CLO Announces Three New Programs To Make Theater More Family Accessible
by A.A. Cristi - Apr 9, 2024


Pittsburgh CLO is implementing changes to make theater more accessible for families. Discover how they're removing barriers and promoting inclusivity in the world of Broadway.

Nashville Repertory Theatre's Stellar 39th Season Continues With Superb Prooduction of THE COLOR PURPLE
by Jeffrey Ellis - Apr 9, 2024


Led by a bravura performance from Carli Hardon, Nashville Repertory Theatre’s production of The Color Purple – the musical based on the beloved Alice Walker novel – is yet another extraordinary success from the professional company in the midst of its 39th season. Directed with complete self-assurance and confidence by Reggie Law, with evocative and energetic choreography by Joi Ware and the musical direction of Dion Treece that results in one of the most emphatically sung shows in Nashville Rep history.

Merle Dandridge & Jenna Ushkowitz to Host Harvest Home L.A. Benefit on 4/21
by Joshua Wright - Apr 8, 2024


Join Merle Dandridge (The Last of Us, Station 19) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Glee, Waitress) for Jenna, Merle, and Friends: A Night of Song a night of pop and Broadway performances.

Bernadette Peters & Lea Salonga Will Lead STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S OLD FRIENDS in LA and on Broadway
by Joshua Wright - Apr 8, 2024


Center Theatre Group (CTG) announced today the North American premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, starring Bernadette Peters (Gypsy, Annie Get Your Gun) and Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Here Lies Love), and directed by Sir Matthew Bourne (Swan Lake, My Fair Lady), playing at the Ahmanson Theatre from February 8—March 9, 2025. 

Review: DADDY LONG LEGS at Theatre 29
by Charlie Thomas - Apr 7, 2024


What did our critic think of DADDY LONG LEGS at Theatre 29?

Other Productions of Just So

1985   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway

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