Jump to content

Shangri-La Plaza (TV pilot)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shangri-La Plaza
GenreMusical comedy
Created byMark Mueller
Nick Castle
Written byNick Castle
Mark Mueller
Craig Safan
Directed byNick Castle
StarringMelora Hardin
Chris Sarandon
Terrence Mann
Carmen Lundy
Savion Glover
Allison Mack
Jeff Yagher
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes1
Production
Executive producersCraig Safan
Nick Castle
Mark Mueller
ProducersStephen Cragg
Mark Horowitz
Production companiesCBS Entertainment Productions
Castle/Safan/Mueller Productions
Original release
ReleaseJuly 30 (1990-07-30) –
July 30, 1990 (1990-07-30)[1][2]

Shangri-La Plaza is a musical-comedy pilot made for CBS in 1990.[3]

It was directed by Nick Castle and written and created by Mark Mueller and Nick Castle. It starred The Office’s Melora Hardin, Academy Award Nominee Chris Sarandon, jazz singer Carmen Lundy, and Broadway's original Beast and Javert (of Beauty and the Beast and Les Misérables) Terrence Mann, a two-time Tony Award Nominee for Best Actor.[4] It also featured Tony Award-winning choreographer and tap dancer Savion Glover in one of his first television appearances, as well as eight-year-old Allison Mack, of Smallville fame.[5] Michael Peters, a Tony Award winner for his work on Broadway's Dreamgirls, was the choreographer.[6]

Called a cult musical in a 2020 feature article in Los Angeles Magazine titled "Shangri-La Plaza, the Star-Studded All-Musical Sitcom Time Forgot," the all-sung 30 minute television show's history was recounted by the stars and creators in honor of its 30th anniversary.[7]

Shangri-La Plaza was filmed on location in an actual mini-mall at the corner of Vineland Avenue and Burbank Boulevard in North Hollywood, California. Its colorful design was the topic of a Washington Post story in 1990 describing its cultural and architectural impact on the Los Angeles neighborhood in which it was set.[8] Emmy Award-winning art director Jeremy Railton, best-known for his work on Pee-Wee's Playhouse, was responsible for the set design.

The full episode is available on YouTube.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "RHYME SO BAD, IT MAKES US SAD". Los Angeles Daily News. July 30, 1990. (Newsbank)
  2. ^ "UPBEAT CAST MAKES 'SHANGRI-LA' A TREAT". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 30, 1990. pp. D6. (Newsbank)
  3. ^ Shangri-La Plaza at IMDb.
  4. ^ Terrence Mann. Internet Broadway Database.
  5. ^ "Savion Glover".
  6. ^ "Michael Peters". IMDb.
  7. ^ "Shangri-La Plaza, the Star-Studded, All-Musical Sitcom Time Forgot". 21 August 2020.
  8. ^ "THE MALL THAT APPALLED L.A." The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. 1990-05-26. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  9. ^ [Shangri-La Plaza pilot, YouTube.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2LEot85YZM]
[edit]