About the Show

Love, gossip, and fresh bread stir drama in a small French village with music by Stephen Schwartz.

Set in a small French village, the story follows a baker and his young wife whose marriage—and the harmony of the town—is tested when temptation leads to unexpected romantic entanglements. As gossip swirls, the community becomes entangled in a heartfelt, often humorous exploration of love, fidelity, and the comforts of fresh bread. The musical features Stephen Schwartz’s celebrated score, including the song “Meadowlark,” and is based on the film La Femme du Boulanger by Marcel Pagnol and Jean Giono.

The book is by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof, Zorba), with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell). Direction is by Gordon Greenberg (Guys and Dolls West End, Holiday Inn), whose career spans Broadway, the West End, and major regional theatres.

Presented by Classic Stage Company in collaboration with the Menier Chocolate Factory and Creative Partners Productions, the musical marks the first major New York staging of The Baker’s Wife. Licensed by Music Theatre International, the run will be staged at CSC’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater from October 23 to December 14, 2025.

Critic Reviews (12)

"This musical is as charming as this summary might suggest, along with a somber undercurrent... The show understands that regret is part of life, a melancholy reckoning that just fine can be plenty enough."
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"As delicious as warm, buttery brioche is the feeling of savoring a blue-ribbon musical."
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"This latest musical... is just as much about the rest of the village, which must learn to move beyond its habitual internecine squabbling to work together toward the common goal... This is no undifferentiated mass of townfolk"
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"The show’s lumpy moral does, finally, come into view: Geneviève and Aimable’s relationship is worth fighting for. In marriage, as in yeast doughs, a little warmth helps things rise"
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"a true musical-theater rarity, one that’s not quite a forgotten gem, but it’s a sweet confection, nonetheless."
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"Greenberg handles these delicate materials with the care they require, revealing The Baker's Wife, whatever its weakness, to be a thing of tremendous feeling. It's a musical of sensibility, and its mood of romance and regret is pretty much irresistible."
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"One could attend this production multiple times, focusing on different actors as in an immersive follow-your-own adventure, and find new things to enjoy each visit."
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so inviting that it’s hard for me to fathom what went wrong half a century ago
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