Tootsie, The Musical

TOOTSIE - PAOLO CONTICINI | Musical
Duration: approximately 2h 40min including interval

Funny, romantic, and with an irresistible irreverent streak that makes you smile but also reflect, the musical by Massimo Romeo Piparo is based on the film starring Dustin Hoffman (1982 – directed by Sidney Pollack). With its fast pace and engaging music, Tootsie is a sparkling comedy full of twists that pokes fun at the world of show business with its distorted dynamics, where talent and shortcuts often get confused. On stage, Paolo Conticini, already a star of hits like Mamma Mia! and The Full Monty.

Tootsie tells the story of Michael Dorsey (Paolo Conticini), a talented actor with a peculiar gift… the inability to keep a job! Disheartened and unemployed, Michael decides to make one last desperate attempt to achieve his dreams: he auditions for a musical about Romeo and Juliet disguised as an actress under the name Dorothy Michaels, and after a brilliant performance, he gets the role. In a rapid rise to Broadway fame, Michael (disguised as Dorothy) soon becomes a beloved actress. It isn’t long before his friend and roommate Jeff, a clever and experienced writer who runs a restaurant to make ends meet, confronts him with the reality that maintaining this “actress” success will be far harder than expected. Michael’s story touches on important themes such as love and gender relations, identity and the role of women in society, ingenuity, and the courage to take risks to seize opportunities, offering a chance to reflect on these issues.

The famous final line, delivered by the chameleon-like Dustin Hoffman to his beloved in a desperate attempt to “justify” his identity swap, is: I was a better man as a ‘woman’ than I ever was as a ‘man’.

Program and cast

Based on the story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
and the Columbia Pictures film
Direction and adaptation: Massimo Romeo Piparo
Music and lyrics: David Yazbek
Book: Robert Horn
Choreography: Roberto Croce
Musical direction: Emanuele Friello
Production: PeepArrow Entertainment
in collaboration with Teatro Sistina
Organizer: Antico Teatro Pagliano