Kismet (musical) London's West End and has been given several revivals. A 1955 film version was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The musical was commissioned by Edwin Lester, founder and director of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, who conceived of a musical based on the 1911 play "Kismet" by Edward Knoblock. Lester had previously produced "Song of Norway", with the same composing team, adapting the melodies of Edvard Grieg. For "Kismet", the writers seized upon the melodies of Alexander Borodin, which they felt had a suitable exotic flavor and lush melodies. "Kismet" is set in a fictional Baghdad in the times of "The
Amazing Grace (musical) Amazing Grace (musical) Amazing Grace is a musical with music and lyrics by Christopher Smith and a book by Smith and Arthur Giron. The musical is Smith's first foray as a professional writer or composer. It is based loosely on the life of John Newton, an English slave trader who later became an Anglican priest and eventually an abolitionist. He wrote many hymns, including "Amazing Grace". The musical had a 2012 production by Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut and a pre-Broadway run in Chicago in 2014. It opened on Broadway on July 16, 2015 and closed on October 25, 2015. It