Celebrating 25 Years of The Spitfire Grill

Lizzy Andretta shares the unique qualities of this Midwestern folk musical

This summer, the Commonweal Theatre will present The Spitfire Grill, its first musical production since She Loves Me in 2023. While the Commonweal has done several musicals across its 38-season history, several factors make The Spitfire Grill stand out from the rest of these shows. 

But before I talk more about The Spitfire Grill, I’d like to talk more about my own history with musical theatre, and shed some light on why I wanted to write about this show. I fell in love with musical theatre from a very young age; my parents were regularly involved at the Studio Player’s Theatre in Monclair, New Jersey, and I was frequently brought along to rehearsals and performances. Some of my earliest memories were of seeing musicals such as Mame, Little Shop of Horrors, Ruthless, and Nine, all of which one or multiple family members were involved in. On top of that, my family and I lived in North New Jersey, just an hour outside of New York (on a good day—don’t get me started on what it was like during rush hour). With the short distance and my family’s love of theatre, I saw several shows over the course of my life. One of my most formative memories was my mom taking me out of school early because she scored tickets to see the original cast of Wicked, which was the Hamilton of its day in terms of prestige. All of this to say, musical theatre is my passion, and I think it’s safe to say that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to this topic. 

Some may wonder: what is so special about The Spitfire Grill, a small musical based on an obscure movie from the 1990s? While it is true that this show never made it to Broadway and isn’t as well known as musicals like Cats or Hamilton, in looking at the current climate of musical theatre, one can see and appreciate what makes this show so special. The show is small, with a cast size of just seven people (plus musicians). If one were to go see or even think of a typical musical, one might see or envision a large cast with multiple chorus members and a full orchestra. While this is perfectly fine for most shows, it would be very out of place in Spitfire, which tells a very intimate story of redemption in a small town that is described at one point in the show as a “ghost town.” Also, having a small cast allows more time to focus on each character, giving them development they may not get in a regular book musical. From the main heroine, Percy, to Caleb (who in most shows would be a straightforward villain), each character is given ample development and a moment to shine. 

But in my opinion, what sets Spitfire apart from most shows today is its actual sound. You see, The Spitfire Grill is a folk musical, with a score not too dissimilar to Commonweal’s 2015 production of Woody Guthrie’s American Song. In contrast, most new musicals being produced on Broadway have more of a pop/rock sound, with a good portion literally using pre-existing pop songs for their scores. The one musical currently running on Broadway that comes closest to matching Spitfire’s sound is Hadestown, and even that has more of a rock vibe to its score than anything in Spitfire. Even when looking at the Commonweal’s history, most of our past musicals have leaned more heavily towards that typical “Broadway” sound. The biggest examples of this would be Little Shop of Horrors and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which lean towards modern trends, or She Loves Me and The Fantasticks, which are examples of “classic” musical theatre. 

Finally, something extra special about this show is something that was pointed out by our musical director Ian Zahren: this show centers women and female friendships. While there are male characters in the show, all of the action and inciting incidents are driven by the female characters. On top of that, the main trio of women at the center of the show are each from a different generation, offering a diversity of ages that you don’t often see in female roles in musical theatre. I also think it’s interesting to point out that this musical about the power of female friendship first debuted on September 7, 2001, which predates Wicked, the most prevailing show about this topic, by two years.

Why did The Spitfire Grill never make it to Broadway? Well, as I mentioned, the show debuted on September 7, 2001. A few days later the World Trade Center was destroyed, devastating the nation and especially New York City. The theatre community was also devastated from the attack, and most shows closed following the tragedy. Although some shows did reopen a few days later, the aftermath of the attacks left few people willing to go to New York at all, let alone attend the theatre. Productions playing Off Broadway, such as The Spitfire Grill, were hit particularly hard, as such productions often need time and word of mouth to find their audience. So, despite almost universal positive reviews, The Spitfire Grill closed on October 14, 2001.

And yet, the show’s story didn’t end there. Despite the abbreviated run and the permanent link to one of the most devastating events in American history, The Spitfire Grill continues to enjoy a rich existence. Its small cast and minimal production requirements, which made it an atypical musical, have instead made it a prime pick for drama schools, community theatres, and small regional theatres such as the Commonweal. As of this writing, The Spitfire Grill has been produced over 900 times worldwide and has been translated into at least three different languages. 

Beyond the practical reasons as to why this show has found so much success, I’d like to pose another reason: I believe this show has endured because at its core, it’s about hope. When we first arrive in the town of Gilead alongside Percy, we meet a community that seems to be hanging on by a thread and just going through the motions of life without any joy. Over the course of the show, we watch as the community comes together and rediscovers their hope and develops a new sense of togetherness. 

In today’s climate, where many people find themselves searching for a sense of hope, this musical resonates perhaps more than it ever has before. And what better place to do a show about the power of community than the small town of Lanesboro? For all these reasons and more, I cannot wait for the Commonweal Theatre’s production of The Spitfire Grill, and I hope to see you here at the theatre.