# Almost Famous (musical)

Almost Famous is a 2019 stage musical with music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Cameron Crowe and Kitt, and a book by Crowe. It is based on the 2000 film of the same name written and directed by Crowe.
The musical is about a teenager who becomes a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine in the 1970s, based loosely on Crowe's life. The show debuted in San Diego at The Old Globe in 2019, with previews beginning on September 13 and a premiere on September 27. It ran through October 27. Creative work continued during the COVID-19 shutdown. Like the film, the musical begins in the San Diego, California home of the Miller family, progresses to the San Francisco offices of Rolling Stone magazine, and then travels through the United States on tour with the band Stillwater.
The Broadway production began previews on October 3, 2022, and opened November 3, 2022 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to mainly negative reviews. On December 19, it was announced that the show would close on January 8, 2023, after 30 previews and 77 performances. Despite the poor reception, it received a nomination for Best Original Score at the 76th Tony Awards.
In November 2023, Tom Kitt and Cameron Crowe reentered the development stage of their musical adaptation of Almost Famous with a residency at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Public readings of the workshop were given on November 11, 15, and 18 at 7 PM at the Waterford, Connecticut, venue.

## Cast and characters

| Character | San Diego | Broadway |
| Character | 2019 | 2022 |
| William Miller | Casey Likes | Casey Likes |
| Penny Lane | Solea Pfeiffer | Solea Pfeiffer |
| Russell Hammond | Colin Donnell | Chris Wood |
| Elaine Miller | Anika Larsen | Anika Larsen |
| Jeff Bebe | Drew Gehling | Drew Gehling |
| Lester Bangs | Rob Colletti | Rob Colletti |
| Anita Miller | Emily Schultheis | Emily Schultheis |
| Darryl | Daniel Sovich | Daniel Sovich |
| David Felton | Van Hughes | Van Hughes |
| Estrella | Julia Cassandra | Julia Cassandra |
| Sapphire | Katie Ladner | Katie Ladner |
| Polexia | Storm Lever | Jana Djenne Jackson |
| Larry Fellows | Matt Bittner | Matt Bittner |
| Silent Ed | Brandon Contreras | Brandon Contreras |
| Dick Roswell | Gerard Canonico | Gerard Canonico |
| Ben Fong-Torres | Matthew C. Yee | Matthew C. Yee |
| Vic Nettles | Chad Burris | Chad Burris |
| Dennis Hope | Sam Gravitte | Jakeim Hart |
| Leslie | Libby Winters | Libby Winters |

## Musical numbers

Source: Playbill
† Not on Original Broadway Cast Recording
‡ Written for the film by Nancy Wilson
+ Included as bonus track on cast album, along with "Anything's Possible" sung by Solea Pfeiffer

## Awards and nominations
### 2022 Broadway production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score | Tom Kitt and Cameron Crowe | Nominated |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Tom Kitt, AnnMarie Milazzo (vocal designer) | Nominated |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical | Peter Hylenski | Nominated |
| 2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Campbell Young Associates | Nominated |
| 2023 | Theatre World Award | Theatre World Award | Casey Likes | Honoree |