Benalla Theatre Company Inc.

Leader of the Pack

This musical follows the story of Ellie Greenwich who was one of the most successful songwriters of the 1960’s. Think Girl groups, think beehive hairstyles, think Chapel of Love, Da Do Ron Ron, Leader of the Pack,Do Wah Diddy, River Deep, Mountain High and many more and get ready to take a party trip back to the golden ages of pop

As a teenage member of the Jivettes during the late 1950s, Ellie dreams of hearing her songs played on the radio, but her plans are put on the back burner by a mother who insists she finish high school and pursue a degree in education so she'll have a means of supporting herself.

While attending Queens College, she finds work in the music industry's temple, Manhattan's Brill Building, where she meets Gus Sharkey (a thinly-veiled caricature of Phil Spector) and fellow aspiring songwriter Jeff Barry. After a whirlwind courtship, the two wed and begin to churn out hits for the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Shangri-Las, Darlene Love, Connie Francis, and Lesley Gore, among others.

In 1965, at the pinnacle of their partnership, Jeff wants to start a family, whereas Ellie would rather keep working than settle down as a housewife/mother, so he divorces her. They remain professional partners for another year, but when her ex-husband remarries, Ellie falls into a downward spiral of depression and eventually suffers a nervous breakdown. The show then fast-forwards to the mid-1980s, showing off a self-confident and successful Ellie who is in control of her life.

The 1980's Dance Break		Ellie & Her Mum		The Jivettes
I Wanna Love Him So Bad		Chapel Of Love		Press It, Release It
Leader Of The Pack		Leader Of The Pack		Cast & Crew