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CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTIONS OF GEORGE ABBOTT by Dean William Hess A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Communication— Drama) September 1975 UMI Number: DP22912 All rights reserved INFO RM ATIO N TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Dissertation Pubi hang UMI DP22912 Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 4 8 1 0 6 - 1346 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY PARK LOS ANGELES, CALI FORNIA 90007 This dissertation, written by Dean William Hess PK.D . D ' 7fc> H5-86 under the direction of h.h$... Dissertation Com- s t y mittee, and approved by all its members, has been presented to and accepted by The Graduate School, in partial fulfillment of requirements of the degree of D O C T O R O F P H IL O S O P H Y Dean Date Le.U ^riS ;. COMMITTEE TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I. INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF PROBLEM. . . . Limitations Definitions of Terms Methodology Notes II. SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL THEATRE TO 1935............. ............... t III. CRITERIA . . . . ............................... Comedy Integration Libretto The Company Romance Spectacle Summary Notes IV. THE BACKGROUND, PHILOSOPHY, AND TECHNIQUES OF GEORGE ABBOTT ........................... V. THE FORMATIVE YEARS: 1935-1943.............. Jumbo On Your Toes The Boys From Syracuse Too Many Girls Pal Joey Best Foot Forward Beat the Band Page 1 17 31 63 82 Notes jChap'ter VI. YEARS OF FLUCTUATION AND GROWTH: 1944-1953................................. On the Town Billion Dollar Baby- Barefoot Boy With Cheek High Button Shoes Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'i Where 1s Charley? Call Me Madam A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Wonderful Town Me and Juliet Notes VII. SUCCESS AND DECLINE: 1954-1969. ......... The Pajama Game Damn Yankees New Girl in Town Once Upon a Mattress 1 Fiorello1 I Tenderloin i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Fade Out— Fade In Flora, the Red Menace Anya How Now, Dow Jones The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N The Fig Leaves Are Falling Notes I VIII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................... BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................ Page 152 ! i I 262 4 0 3 437 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF PROBLEM A significant amount of writing concerning the history and development of the musical theatre in the United States has appeared in recent years. One reason for this phenomenon is that by 1940, "the theatre was generally at its most sustained, professional best in the musicals.""*' In 1970, David Ewen, an acknowl edged .authority on the his tory of the American musical theatre, indicated further reasons for the growing interest in this particular theatri cal form: Audiences seem far more sophisticated today than they were a decade back; they have a far greater curiosity in past musicals that had been excluded from my earlier book— for example some of the less familiar works of masters like Gershwin, Rodgers, Porter, and Berlin. And then, musicals previously treated cursorily must now be written about in depth--audiences wanting to know so much more than ever b e f o r e . ^ In addition, the musical was furnishing the American stage with the primary source of its income, due to the extensive runs which the musicals were able to sustain. Possibly the most significant development in the Ameri can stage of the past dozen years has been the growth in originality, vitality, and especially popularity of the musical theatre. This is the reason why in that time the musical has reached out to a far larger ticket-buying public than the serious theatre. Since 1960, for example, only three nonmusicals achieved runs of a thousand performances, while there were nine musi cals to do so. Not one nonmusical survived two thou sand performances; four musicals did and one of them even went beyond the three-thousand f i g u r e . 3 y \ \ Since 1884, 101 musicals have exceeded 500 performances during their initial New York run. Between 1940 and 1962, George Abbott directed nine of these productions, more than 4 any other single director to date. From 1935 to 1969, George Abbott directed thirty musical theatre productions in the American commercial 5 theatre.. Of these thirty, he participated in twelve as author or co-author, and nine as producer. The directing of thirty, writing of twelve, and producing of nine shows in approximately thirty-three years is a sizable amount of dramatic work, providing a panorama of the development of the musical theatre almost from its point of divergence ^ 6 from the revue format to the present state of the art. George Abbott's work over the years during which he wrote, produced, and directed in the professional theatre generated considerable comment in newspaper and periodical reviews, but has received little interest with regard to concise critical study. This is not unusual considering 2 the fact that musical theatre has only recently been accorded recognition as an art form and accepted by aca- 7 demic journals as worthy of consideration. Nowhere, to date, has the entire body of Abbott's work in the musical theatre been taken into consideration. Each production has been viewed as a single entity in various periodicals, with understandable disagreement among the critics regarding the nature and quality of the plays produced. In the more comprehensive works on the musical theatre, the major con cerns have been either selective or complete chronologies, developmental histories, critical analyses of selected composers and playwrights or librettists, or analyses of selected but unrelated works considered by the authors to 8 represent the finest achievements of the musical theatre. In these works, the references to George Abbott are again in regard to a specific production which happened to appear within the focus of the book, leaving any overview to the imagination of the reader. Critics have long disagreed on the stature of any individual in the theatre. The contributions, importance, and significance of any person is open to question as long as there is more than one critical view of his work. George. Abbott has proved to be no exception to this situation. He 3 is praised by those who see his work as innovative and exciting, and tolerated by those who disapprove of him as a trickster. Examples of diversity of opinion are easily cited. With regard to The Pajama Game, a 1954 Abbott pro duction, Brooks Atkinson stated in the New York Times: Applying the good old football spirit to a strike in a pajama factory, the book is as good as most though no better. For, like the customers who are now going to pour into the St. James, Mr. Abbott is really inter ested in the color, humor and revelry of a . . . musical rumpus.® On the other hand, John McClain reacted in the Journal American, typifying the contrary point of view. The Pajama Game, which opened at the St. James Theatre last night, is fast, raucous and rollicking; it is the best book show that's hit the town since Guys and Dolls, and it should remain with us seasons to come. . . . The king-sized kudos must go to Mr. George Abbott, who, as co-author and director, has put the whole thing together with such pace and imagination that almost no moment remains unfulfilled. Another view of Abbott's productions is seen in the reac tion to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, produced in 1951. Robert Coleman reviewed the production for the New York Daily Mirror; he stated: George Abbott and Betty Smith have done a marvelous job of translating Miss Smith's lengthy and complicated best-selling novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn into an amusing and often moving musical play. Many a lib rettist has come a cropper on similar or less taxing assignments 4 To precisely the same performance, Otis L. Guernsey, Jr. of the New York Herald American reacted with: There are two shows within the stage version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and by far the better one is Shirley Booth singing and carrying on as a somewhat faded good time girl. The other, a watery hymn of failure with musical good hope shining through the musical tears, has been plucked by Betty Smith and George Abbott from Miss Smith's successful novel about a Brooklyn child hood. . . . There is nothing outstanding about this half of the act. It is simply a monotonous exposition of a mildly pathetic story, shaded off the stage by the spreading foliage of Miss Booth's grand perfor- co-authored with Jerome Weidman, won him the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1960, Louis Kronenberger found ample problem with another Abbott production, Barefoot Boy With Cheek: It has some of the Abbott virtues— pace, youthfulness, cheerful nonsense— but the trouble with them is that they have become a little too familiar. Moreover, Mr. Abbott has counted on them too much. They make excel lent baking powder, but they are selling here as pretty much of the whole cake.3- 3 Critics' Circle Award to Wonderful Town in 1953 and the Antoinette Perry Award for the best musical to The Pajama Game in 1955 and to Damn Yankees in 1956, yet his production of Anya in 1965 lasted a total of 16 performances and Beat mance .12 While Fiorello1 which George Abbott directed and George Abbott's direction brought the New York the Band in 1940 a mere 67. 14 On the basis of the above, it is both a pertinent and logical problem to investigate, by critical analysis of the productions, the ability of the productions of George Abbott to meet standards of excellence and success in the musical theatre. Secondarily, through the process of the study, the significance, contributions, and innovations afforded the genre by George Abbott will be illuminated. Limitations Inasmuch as this study is confined the the evalua tion of the works of George Abbott in the musical theatre, only original New York productions with which he has been involved as director— while also author and producer of several— in this particular genre of theatre will be con sidered. It is not the intent of this study to be con cerned with selected works, rather all of the New York musical theatre productions Abbott has directed will be included. An atnalysis of scripts and other pertinent ele ments of thirty musicals will be attempted. Exception will be made to exclude those productions with which Mr. Abbott served as a consultant or play doctor during the final rehearsal periods or the preview perfor mances, since his position was that of attempting to rectify errors or realign priorities when others had already taken the major steps in construction and preparation. As this study is concerned with the analysis and critical evaluation of musical theatre productions in the career of George Abbott from the point of view of the the atre, the intrinsic elements of structure and form of the music and dance aspects will not be investigated in depth. Music and dance will be considered only to the extent of their presence, placement in the production, and the popu lar reaction to them. Abbott's play selection, playwriting, stage direc tions— to the extent available in prompt books— written analyses by and of him and his work, interviews with him, reactions from his co-workers where available, and reviews by theatrical critics of his productions will be included in this evaluation. Definitions of Terms Musical Theatre Musical theatre is a term which is used in the con text of many works on the theatre, but is rarely completely defined. Indeed, there has been a long-standing difficulty in distinguishing between the terms "musical comedy," "musical play," "musical," and "musical theatre." 7 David Ewen, in referring to the musical comedies of the 1920s and 1930s, has defined his terms to bring about a dichotomy. In musical comedy . . . , tradition was slavishly adhered to. Plot, characters, and setting were all * just a convenient hook on which to hang song, dance, and comedy. The relevancy of such routines within the text was not important; what was important was the interest of these individual routines.15 Contemporary examples of this style of writing in the musi cal theatre include such shows as How to Succeed in Busi ness Without Really Trying and-Hello, Dolly 1 However, a change of attitude of all participants in the production of musical theatre began in the late 1930s, became more domi nant in the 1940s, and entrenched itself in the 1950s. Ewen continues: Radical departure from accepted values in the musical theatre came with several writers making a conscious effort to bring to musical comedy originality of sub ject matter, authenticity of characterization and back ground, dramatic truth, and freshness of viewpoint. This was a studied effort to make of musical comedy an integrated artistic creation. These writers and com posers searched for a more intimate relationship be tween all the elements of the musical theatre. Their aim was to have each song, dance sequence, comedy rou tine, and production number rise naturally, perhaps inevitably, from the context of the play. Among those who progressed along such lines most boldly were Rodgers and Hart in such plays as On Your Toes and Pal Joey. . . . And so, slowly, the musical play came into exis tence. . . .15 8 Most Happy Fella, West Side Story/ and Fiddler on the Roof may be considered examples of this innovative development in the musical theatre from current offerings. Although included in the titles of two of his books, New Complete Book of the American Musical Theater and The Story of America's Musical Theater, David Ewen failed to provide a precise definition of the phrase "musi cal theatre'!; it remained for Stanley Green, in his book The World of Musical Comedy, to provide a more complete, but not total welding of musical comedy and musical play. "Musical comedy" is, of course, a generic form that refers to the various forms of entertainment included under the more formal designation of "American musical theatre." It covers operetta, comic opera, musical play (now frequently merely called "musical"), musical comedy itself, revue, and in the past spectacle and extravaganza. These forms are difficult to define precisely, and they usually overlap. However, in gen eral, the terms, operetta, comic opera, and musical play denote a greater dependence on the music in the telling of a story than does musical c o m e d y . -*-7 One additional consideration has been given to musical theatre by some sources; the American idea con tained in the scripts. It is intimated that there is an indigenous American quality in the musical theatre. This factor has been open to some dispute. The American setting or locale, which marked earlier musical productions such as those of George M. Cohan, Of Thee I Sing, Pal Joey, and 9 Guys and Dolls, has been set aside in favor of a return to the concepts of romanticism expressed in the operetta. The Sound of Music, Gigi, and A Little Night Music aptly typify \ this concept. However, the inherent American attitude expressed in Hello, Dolly! Oklahoma1 South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, Hair I and Marne, all members of the exclusive top ten in number of consecutive performances in New York, ensures the retention of Americanism as an integral part of this American theatrical form. As the phrase "musical theatre" and the term "musi cal" have become generally accepted by the theatre world to the extent whereby a newsletter is currently being pub lished entitled American Musical Theater, wherein the ref- 18 erences are interchangeable, this study will use them as inclusive of all of the forms previously delineated by former definitions, avoiding the connotative factors of "comedy" or "play." Director Although as complex as any art form, the role of : , the director is primarily understood by the general pub lic. It is the director's job to understand the ideas of the author, as revealed in his manuscript, and transfer these ideas to the stage by means of animate and inanimate 10 objects, such as: actors, designers, scenery, props, etc. There are, however, two aspects which are important to note in particular. First, the director's task in the theatre is a com plex one which has been synthesized from study, discussion, practice, and experimentation, and which, as a result, 19 becomes highly individualized. No two directors will work alike, producing diverse results from identical mate rial, both of which are valid in their interpretation. Second, there is the necessity of the director's awareness of the contemporary life scene, for his duties include the responsibility of creating a viable work of art in the theatre, "for what truer, more genuine, more striking impression can it make than if it is imbued with the same 20 spirit as that which dominates its contemporary world?" In order to accomplish this end, the director must become the servant of the play. This does not, however, indicate that the director is the slave of the play, for transposi tion of the word to the stage is the medium of the direc tor; the word on paper is the medium of the playwright. It is for the director "to take into account the tastes and habits of the audience in just the right proportions, to omit anything that may be needlessly dangerous, to cut 11 anything that is too long/ to eliminate errors of details 21 that are inevitable." For these reasons, the play cannot, indeed, should not be held inviolate. The written play is not the goal of the theatre— only the beginning. If the play at the end is not some thing beyond what it was at the beginning, there is very little point in the process of transposing it from the book to the stage, very little point, that is, to the whole art of the theatre.22 The pragmatic, yet enigmatic, artist-craftsman, who has the responsibility— who is a defining force of the theatre, and subject to all of the fluctuating and changing tides which determine the focus of the theatre:— the director, has the task of welding diversity into unity. Methodology The methodology for this study will be to establish criteria based upon the best authorities in the fields of drama and musical theatre as a basis for the judgment of excellence in musical threatre production. The procedure will be to critically apply the estab lished criteria to the musical theatre productions directed by George Abbott, in chronological order, to determine the ability of the shows to meet the established standards. During the years in which George Abbott has directed musical theatre, many changes in public taste and desire 12 have altered the form of this genre. However, because the period in which Abbott worked in the musical theatre is one of continual development toward the fulfillment of these criteria, they will be equally applied to the productions, taking into consideration only the public and critical preferences as indicated by a consensus of the reviewers for each production. The balance of the study will consist of seven chapters. Precedence for the style of predominating pro duction at the start of George Abbott's career will be established by a chapter summarizing the development of the musical theatre up to 1935. The chapter following will establish the criteria, which will be gleaned from the fore most authorities in the field of musical theatre. To pro vide the greatest amount of information before proceeding into the application of the criteria, a chapter will be devoted to a discussion of the background, practices, and philosophy of George Abbott with regard to the musical theatre. The application of the criteria will then proceed as follows: The first period to be discussed will cover the years from 1935 to 1943; a formative period and a time during which the integration factor as a dominant element in the musical theatre became increasingly important and 13 culminated, in the eyes of many historians, in the produc tion of Oklahoma 1 in 1943. The second period is from 1944 to 1953? a time of flux, during which integration of music and dance into the production, the history of which, ac cording to Leonard Bernstein, is the history of the musical 23 theatre, both flourished and floundered. This chapter will conclude with the only production directed by George Abbott, and one greatly anticipated by him, which was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II: Me and Juliet. Finally, the era from 1954 to 1969? the most recent years and those of the greatest successes of George Abbott, both in terms of popular appeal, as indicated by the number of performances of the productions, and the critical reaction to them, which culminated in numerous awards. This is also the period of greatest integration. The final chapter will consist of summary and conclusions. 14 Notes Howard Taubman, The Making of the American The atre (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1965), p. 267. 2 Davxd Ewen, New Complete Book of the American Musical Theater (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1970), p. xiv. 3 Ibid., p. xiii. 4 Abe Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1973), pp. 423-470. 5 Jack Burton, The Blue Book of Broadway Musicals (Watkins Glen, New York: Century House, 1969). 6 David Ewen, The Story of America's Musical The ater (Philadelphia: Chilton Book Co., 1968), p. 89. 7 The Summer 197 3 issue of the Yale/Theatre journal devoted the entire consideration to music and the theatre. g Examples of these works are as follows: complete chronology, David. Ewen, New Complete Book; developmental history, David Ewen, Story; analysis of selected composers, Stanley Green, The World of Musical Comedy (New York: Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., 1968); analysis of unrelated works, Abe Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals. 9 Brooks Atkinson, "Theatre in Review: 'Pajama Game,'" New York Times, May 14, 1954. ■^John McClain, "It's a Whale of a Show!: Musical Is Raucous, Rollicking and Fast," New York Journal American, May 14, 1954. "^Robert Coleman, "'Tree Grows in Brooklyn' Is Top- Notch Musical," Daily Mirror (New York), April 20, 1951. 12 Otis L. Guernsey, Jr., "Thanks to Shirley Booth," New York Herald Tribune, April 20, 1951.. 13 Louis Kronenberger, "It May Have Its Faults But It's Certainly Fun," PM (New York), October 12, 1947. 15 Performance figures are from the Restricted Cata logue of the Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection. 15 Ewen, New Complete Book, p. xxiv. i6T, Ibid., pp. xxiv-xxv. 17 Green, World of Musical Comedy, p. xiii. 18 American Musical Theater,1 (February and June 1975): whole issue. 19 F. Lee Miesle, "Research: Methods, Trends, Ideas," in The Communicative Arts and Sciences of Speech ed. Keith Brooks (Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Books, 1967), p. 502. 20 Otto Brahm, "Style and Substance," in Directors on Directing, eds.Toby Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy (Indian apolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963), p. 105. 21 Andre Antoine, "Behind the Fourth Wall," in Directors on Directing, eds. Toby Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963), pp. 89-90. 22 Harold Clurman, "In a Different Language," in Directors on Directing, eds. Toby Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963), p. 278. 23 Gerald Weales, American Drama Since WWII (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1962), p. 122. 16 CHAPTER II SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL THEATRE TO 19 35 The development of the musical theatre before 19 35 is difficult to outline accurately. The forms of enter tainment which contributed to the growth of this theatrical genre were so various that it is unmanageable to accurately and totally delineate them and their individual contribu tions to the musical theatre. Like the American heritage itself, musical theatre represents a combination of foreign and indigenous elements and influences. Cecil Smith defines "musical comedy" as fundamen tally a singspiel with interpolated dances and derived or amalgamated from opera, opera bouffe, pantomime, revue, vaudeville, and burlesque.^ Similarly, Bernard Sobel iden tifies musical theatre as a refinement of . . . Gilbert and Sullivan, Italian ballet, commedia dell'arte, Viennese operetta, burlesque, variety, pan tomime, and revue, the latter an elaborate form of vaudeville that is made up of unrelated blackouts and features girls and scenic effects.2 17 The Black Crook, first performed at Niblo's Gardens in 1866, is often labeled as the first musical comedy, per haps because it is considered the initial production in the United States which included music, dance, and spectacle. The Black Crook, by Charles M. Barras, who labeled it an 3 "original magical and spectacular drama," was the amalga mation of a melodrama and the vestiges of a ballet company that had been burned out of the Academy of Music in New York City. Neither had been independently successful, but combined, the spectacle of the melodrama's scenic effects and the originality of hefty ladies of the chorus appearing in tights was sufficiently daring in 1866 to justify the advertising and assure The Black Crook an important position in the history of American theatre. The reliance on spec tacle was obvious and brought to musical theatre this par ticular inheritance which has remained an essential ingre dient in the genre since its unique introduction. However, neither The White Faun (1868) nor others which followed the pattern of The Black Crook achieved their predecessor's fame or popularity. Soon the advent of burlesque began with emphasis on the visually spectacular. In 1868, Lydia Thompson and her "British Blondes" performed a spectacular burlesque, 18 Ixion, or The Man at the Wheel, which included song and dance, and featured the "blondes" playing men's roles. Although not totally unknown in the theatre, the numerous "breeches roles," women masquerading as men, were suffi ciently spectacular to ensure the production's popularity. The most significant burlesque was Evangeline, produced in 1874, because the words "musical comedy" appeared for the first time in the advertising and all of the music was com posed by a single individual, Edward E. Rice. In 1875, the Kiralfy Brothers produced Around the World in Eighty Days. Again, the production's success is attributed to the extrav agant scenic effects, not the music or the drama. Salisbury's Troubadours, a group of five players touring the United States for four years in a production of The Brook, opened their musical-comedy-farce in New York on May 12, 1879. The utilization of farce as the comic vehicle began a trend which reached many musicals of the period. Cecil Smith regards this production as the first important forerunner of contemporary musical comedy. The Brook was the germinal cell out of which musical comedy ultimately grew. It was the first full-length musical piece to adopt the distinguishing formula of musical comedy by putting its central thrust in the topical materials of the variety show and arranging these materials upon the framework of a plot. For musical comedy may be distinguished from such other 19 forms of entertainment as comic opera and burlesque by its direct and essentially unstyled appropriation of vernacular types of song, dance, and subject matter; and may be distinguished from its chief source of inspiration, the variety show, by its employment of a plot and, at least in slight degree, of consistent characters.4 The Americanization of musical theatre, that of utilizing American characters and themes, was thrust forth by Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart who produced a series of shows, commonly referred to as "Mulligan Guard plays," between 1877 and 1885. In common with The Brook, these boisterous theatricals were based on topical materials, interpolated songs and dances, and founded their characters on native models. In a similar manner, the works of Charles Hoyt utilized regional characteristics in charac terization, and, in 1890, Hoyt produced The Trip to China town, memorable chiefly for its songs "The Bowery," by Percy Gaunt, and "After the Ball," by Charles K. Harris. Early in the twentieth century, George M. Cohan began writing and producing musical productions for the specific talents of himself and his family. On February 25 1901, The Four Cohans introduced New York theatre audiences to The Governor1s Son, and within a few years followed this success with Little Johnny Jones (1904) and Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway (1906). These shows signalled the 20 arrival of a new form, neither vaudeville, operetta, nor burlesque, and earned Cohan the title of "the father of 5 musical comedy as we know it today." Cohan brought to the musical theatre a new idea— an American identity— through plot, settings, and characters. Unlike the Mulligan Guard musicals and those of Charles Hoyt: The dialogue was also colloquial and native; the lyrics and the music had a,light and jaunty air about them uniquely American; and the over-all spirit engendered by the Cohan productions were breezy, cocksure, ener getic, chauvinistic in an unmistakably American kind of way.^ This concept of George M. Cohan was to prevail throughout the genre, up to and including the present time, providing the theatre with a uniquely American form. Other popular musical theatre styles from 187 8 up tc the First World War were the comic opera and the romantic operetta. Their prevalency has been attributed to two foreign influences-r-first, . the successful .Gilbert and Sulli van operas imported from England, and second, the works of Johann and Oscar Strauss and Franz Lehar from Vienna. America's first operetta composer was Reginald De Koven, but "the first American stage musicals of any distinction were the operettas of Victor Herbert and later of Rudolph 7 Friml and Sigmund Romberg." The operetta was frivolous anc. nonsensical and featured florid music and simple romantic 21 entertainment. John Mason Brown stated: Some of the highly popular and sentimental operettas, such as The Vagabond King and The New Moon, I have no wish to recall. Allergic as I am to their kind, they seem to me like so much molasses set to music.8 But their highly romantic elegance provided the entertain ment desired by the public. The life of Franz Schubert in Blossom Time, Jacques Offenbach in The Love Song, Edward Grieg in The Song of Norway, and Jennie Lind in The Nightingale were attempts to provide sophisticated enter tainment, but consisted of empty or shallow stories. Nev ertheless, the opulence of the settings in foreign coun tries and costumes suggesting a never-never-land existence beguiled audiences and established romance as an integral part of the musical theatre. "The advent of World War I marked the first major change. . . . The transparent and candy-coated libretto was 9 on the way out," yet the varied combination of entertain ment, the conglomerate enterprise of facets from all works of the previous years, the "frivolous operettas, raucous comedies, the lavish star-vehicles--set the pattern for popular musical productions in the American theatre from 1884 to 19.27. Abe Laufe illustrates the period with a commentary on Sunny (1925) by Otto Harbach, Oscar H amine r- stein II, and Jerome Kern, as typical of the era: 22 The plot was unimportant in establishing the show's long run, for the writers sacrificed story coherence to emphasize music and dancing. The principal attractions were Marilyn Miller . . . , and Jerome Kern's melodic score. . . . The production— which equalled Ziegfeld's Sally in lavishness— plus Kern's music and Marilyn Miller's box office magnetism, kept Sunny on Broadway for 517 performances.H The dominant factor of the twenties was the "for mula"— that which succeeded at the moment. Originality and ingenuity were the exception. When an exciting new concept won popular approval it was soon widely imitated and merely served to establish itself as another formula. "The ar chives are filled with the remains of any number of these 12 professional paste-up jobs." "Star vehicles were the mair business of the musical theatre, and Jerome Kern was most 13 skillful at crafting them." It was he who designed both Sally and Sunny for Marilyn Miller. However slowly it may seem in retrospect, changes were beginning to occur. The newest innovation was that of a strong libretto and integration of all facets of the production. In musical comedy the means were more important than the end, the parts more significant than the whole. The story, the characters, the situation were generally just an excuse for offering songs, dances, routines, and stars. Putting together a musical comedy was a kinc. of jigsaw puzzle in which the producer started out with many different pieces which he had to fit together into a picture. 23 Beginning in the 1920's a new concept of musicals was arrived at in which the procedures of musical com edy were reversed. In this new approach, the producer started out with a good play in which the main interest lay in the story, background, characters, and situa tions. Everything else had to be an inextricable part of the dramatic exposition. The new genre aspired to be an art form through the projection of dramatic truth, insight into and depth of characterization, while borrowing the resources of music and dance to project and intensify mood and feeling. 14 This new kind of production was the musical play. The revue, which had its glamorous beginnings in The Passing Show staged in 1894, became increasingly more elaborate while it still maintained a vaudevillian form. Joseph Wood Krutch stated: "When speed, nakedness, and noise are glorified with the abandon which characterizes the most frenzied of our revues, I revel sedately and am 15 not bored unless the producer aspires to better things." The apex of the revue was achieved in Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies, first presented at the Roof Garden of the New York Theater in 1907. By 1916, the Follies had evolved into an opulent splendor of beautiful girls, come dians, and spectacular scenery and costume, which was to ensure its success well into the 1930s. As in the musical comedy, this formula was soon emulated by George White's Scandals, Earl Carroll's Vanities, The Greenwich Village Follies, The Grand Street Follies, and the Garrick Gaieties. In the midst of this era of both formula and change in the musical theatre, composers were beginning to dominate the Broadway stage and documentation by David Ewen, Stanley Green, and Brooks Atkinson is often relegated to a listing of composers and the works they created. Librettists were considered as incidental to the development of the musical theatre production, and the reason was valid. It is the music which continually outlasts all other elements, and is the only facet constantly capable of being exploited out side the complete original production. These musical ilju- minaries include: Irving Berlin, who introduced ragtime to the Broadway stage; George Gershwin, the first artist to start in Tin Pan Alley and move to acclaimed concert and opera composition; Vincent Youmans, known for perennial favorites like "Tea for Two"; Cole Porter, with an unusual skill for juxtaposing wit in lyrics with melodic music; Howard Schwartz, for unique contributions to the musical revue, and countless others whose songs have become univer sal "standards," but whose shows are virtually forgotten. Some landmarks appeared to indicate the way for future productions. Dearest Enemy opened in 1925, describing itself as a "musical play." This innovative musical attempted to re-create a page of American history in 25 romantic song and dance. Its success was limited, as the production never bridged the gap between the romantic oper etta and the formula musical. However, it did mark the successful partnership of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. The musical play triumphed over the formula with the production of Show Boat in 1927. The continued popu larity of this show attests to the appropriateness of the book and lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II and the music of Jerome Kern. According to most drama historians, Show Boat was the first musical play to combine the extravagant scenery and costumes of the earlier shows with a serious dra matic plot, integrating dance, song, and drama into a spectacular production. . . . - * - 6 In spite of perfecting the traditions, which was achieved by Show Boat, other musicals continued to be slip shod and patchy, yet the legitimate drama could not keep up with the progress of the musical. A commentary by Ernest Boyd in Bookman revealed the simple reasons why plays other than those of Shaw and Pinero were easly forgotten, "they were inferior to the musical shows. They did not succeed 17 so well as the latter in doing what they aimed to do " — entertain. With the advent of the thirties, The musical theatre— the most opulent, escapist, extrav agant, and unabashedly commercial form of theatre— 26 could not hide from what was going on. Of course, it could still provide relief from reality. It could stil offer evenings of mirth and song and glamour. But it also showed a growing awareness of its own unique abil ity to make telling comments on such issues of the day as the folly of war, municipal corruption, political campaigns, the workings of the federal government, the rising labor movement, the dangers of both the far righ and the far left, and the struggle between democracy and totalitarianism. It discovered that a song lyric, a tune, a wisecrack, a bit of comic business, a dance routine could say things with even more effectiveness than many a serious-minded drama simply because the appeal was to a far wider spectrum of the theatregoing public. The brilliant satire of George S. Kaufman invaded the New York stage in 1930 with Strike Up the Bandl and again in 1931 with Of Thee I Sing, which boasted music, humor, rou tines, and production numbers all basic to the plot, and accompanied by the memorable music of George Gershwin. This is not to say that all musicals of the Thirties were satirical or thought-provoking. Most of them weren't. Most of them were concerned with nothing more than sending the audiences out of the theatre smiling and possibly whistling. Nevertheless, during the decade, audiences were seeing less and less of endless showgirls ascending and descending flights of stairs . . . mythical princes in' mythical countries serenading mythical milkmaids . . . society life on Long Island and the pressing issue of whether Jerry or Teddy cares more for tennis than for Masie or Nell . . . the Cinderella'tale of the waif who hits the big town and eventually becomes Queen of the Follies . . . gold-digging manhunters fleecing wealthy bachelors, or vice versa. The collapse of the nation's economy that had begun in October 1929 virtually dictated the need for fresher, more contemporary themes.19 The musical theatre of the thirties continued to 27 provide the uninhibited fun that was expected of it in lavish spectacle, brilliant performers, and lasting music. However, the condescension to titillation of the tired busi nessman was rapidly waning, and the portals were opened for experimentation which would lead to the fulfillment of the unlimited potential inherent in the musical theatre for its growth into an acceptable art form. 28 Notes I "''Cecil Smith, Musical Comedy in America (New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1950), p. 349. 2 Bernard Sobel, "Musical Comedy: From Floradora to Hazel Flagg," Theatre Arts Monthly, February 1953, p. 18. ^Ibid. 4 Smith, Musical Comedy in America, pp. 56-57. ' ’ David Ewen, The Story of America's Musical Theater (Philadelphia: Chilton Book Co., 1968), p. 65. ^Ibid., pp. 65-66. 7 Richard Lewine and Alfred Simon, Encyclopedia of Theatre Music (New York: Random House, 1961), p. 3. 8 John Mason Brown, Dramatis Personae (New York: Viking Press, 1929), p. 5. 9 Lewine and Simon, Encyclopedia of Theatre Music, p. 3 . ■^Abe Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1969)* P- 22. ■^Ibid. , p. 20. 12 Howard Taubman, The Making of the American Theatre (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1965), p. 193. 13 Ibid., p. 192. 14 Ewen, Story, p. 159. 15 Joseph Wood Krutch, "Theater," Nation, September 18, 1929, p. 310. 16 Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals, p. 23. 17 Ernest Boyd, "In Defense of Musical Comedy," Bookman, July 8, 1928, p. 564. 29 18 Stanley Green, Ring Bellsi Sing Songsi: Broadway Musicals of the 1930's (New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1971), p. 12. "^Ibid. , p. 13 . 30 hMHlu) CHAPTER III CRITERIA Criteria or standards of judgement are the principles or guides in comparison to which the phe nomena are critically observed in reaching a judge- ^ ment of the quality of the particular work or effort. To evaluate or judge a work, or works in the case of this particular study, the criteria must be drawn from proper authorities relative to the specific problem under investi gation. These criteria are based on factual evidence and data, as far as possible, which will indicate the ability of the works to be evaluated as either a success or failure. The guides must therefore come from the best available sources which are relative to, in this study, the musical theatre. The authorities used in the establishment of cri teria for musical theatre are primarily theatre critics and theorists. Due to the paucity of information available on musical theatre, they are drawn from the total field of theatre. It is not the purpose of the criteria to set forth 31 t J ul & a treatise on the rules for the making of a successful musical theatre production. The preponderance of opinion indicates that there are no rules that can be applied with any surety. Neil Simon has stated: "I don't think there 2 are any rules at all to doing a good musical"; Joseph Stein has indicated that "there are no rules. Or if there are 3 rules, you have to keep breaking them"; and Adolph Green underscores the situation by pointing out that the "main 4 thing is that there are no rules." The following elements, gleaned from theatrical authorities, are considered by this writer to provide not a list of rules, but a means of judging a musical theatre pro- * duction, thereby constituting the criteria upon which the works of George Abbott, in the area of musical theatre, will be evaluated. Comedy The term "musical comedy" which served for many years to identify a particular genre of the theatre gives rise to speculation that comedy is and must be an integral part of the production. Though in recent years there has been a tendency for musical theatre to extract this facet from its makeup, comedy as a constituent factor is and will continue to be a part of musicals. Harold Clurman stated: 32 XV "One of the most permanent and ineradicable of American ideals embodied in the musicals is the idea of having a good time."^ The use of comedy in the musical has been examined by Brooks Atkinson. First, in regard to the musicals which occurred in the 1930s, he discerned that "since the books consisted of contrived stage situations, the standard musi cal shows provided perfect platforms for superb comedians 6 and entertainers." Later, during his investigation of more contemporary shows, he termed Carousel "a plain New England tragedy," yet he continued to delineate it as "bemused," "delightful," and an "amusing fantasy." In further com mentary he illustrates comedic aspects in each production 7 which he uses as an example of the genre. Even in Fiddler on the Roof, despite its sociological commentary, Atkinson 8 found "all of it suffused with warmth and humor." Eric Bentley pleads for comedy as he bemoans the low key ending of Carousel, the unnecessary death of the king in The King and I, and sociological implications of The 9 Golden Apple. Howard Taubman lists the most memorable artists in musicals as Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Carol Channing, Beatrice Lillie, Bert Lahr, Danny Kaye, and Zero Mostel; comedians all."^ David Ewen sees a musical as 33 containing "an outstanding sense of fun";11 Bernard Sobel insists that "always there is abandonment, irreverence, and 12 laughter"; and George Jean Nathan states: In a period when so much of its stage is given over to pitiless realism anything that serves as an opiate and as a reassurance that there may still be a moon behind the clouds is jolly welcome, notwithstanding the deri sion of the determinedly logical.13 One has only to state the base of current popular musicals to determine the presence of the comedic element. My Fair Lady is derived from a comedy by George Bernard Shaw; Hello, Dolly 1 is adapted from a Thornton Wilder com edy; Fiddler on the Roof utilizes humorous stories by Sholom Aleichem; Candide has the wit of Voltaire. ;Even sophisticated, socially conscious musicals such as West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, 1776, and Cabaret have found it necessary to interpolate comedy into the structure of the libretto to sustain the production. Unrelieved drama is evident in operatic repertoire, but absent in the Broadway musical theatre. The over whelming presence of some comedy in all Broadway musical theatre is strong indication of its necessity. In the past, parody and burlesque, as vehicles for comedians, had been the center of the production. More recently, musical theatre no longer avails itself as a means 34 for comics to perform their specialties at any moment in a script which has little or nothing to do with the irrele vant comic outbursts. Satire, because of its inevitable immediate topicality which is short-lived, and sophisticated comedy, dependent upon language and wit for its humor, are rarely used as the dominant type of comedy. The comedy of present day musicals is "situation comedy, and that result- 14 ing from clashes between believable characters," or com edy employed for "its contrasting mood values and theatri cality."^^ The forms of comedy which fulfill these pur poses most adequately are farce, "in which the object of ridicule is mankind in general," and romantic comedy, which 16 holds up "to ridicule the problems of love." "In the Twentieth Century, romantic comedy has most readily been 17 found in the musical theater." Based on the preceding information, comedy, and more specifically romantic comedy, farce, or a combination of both, may be deemed vital to the success of a musical 18 theatre production. Integration The production of The Black Crook was probably the first attempt at the integration of book, music, and dance in the field of musical theatre. Since that time the 35 tendency toward integration of all aspects of the musical production has consistently grown more significant. Today, the best musicals are highly polished theatre pieces in which a credible and sometimes first-rate drama is pre sented through lyrics, music, dialogue and dance art fully woven into a smooth, unified pattern. The skill ful presentation of story and character, the subtle blending of choreography, decor, orchestration, light ing, and costumes, often make of the modern musical a piece of theatrical entertainment, sometimes even of art.I9 Each of these facets, which combine to create the musical, is an art form unto itself, and as such has a demanding will to surpass all others. It is to the credit of the musical theatre that the genre has the ability to "achieve subordi- 20 nation of all elements to an overall point of view." Gian Carlo Menotti stated: "No art can achieve that Apollonian serenity so essential to great comedy unless it reflects the 21 solid symmetry of its inner architecture." To achieve this symmetry, this total unified dramatic experience in the musical theatre, the music, lyrics, dance, and design must be derived from the inner architecture: the plot and character. Lehman Engle views integration of the musical por tions as essential to the integrity of the production. In a musical, music is a concomitant of the spoken word. It is integrated so as to share an equal importance with '36 the other principal elements. When it is sung, the music (with lyrics) can become functional as a plot element, an emotional heightener (for both humor and pathos), and a foundation for dancing. A well-made integrated musical show cannot be performed without music.22 He further states that the musical is well integrated if it is well made and, "if it is so fine, it results in a sum total of the whole, and when I encounter it, I encounter it 23 as a whole." If, however, the integration is incomplete, a musical number is inserted for effect rather than devel opment of plot or character, Gerald Weales feels that the audience is jarred and disjointed from its purpose: "The total effect of the musical is splintered and the listener 24 senses it even if he takes pleasure in the splinters." John Gassner pleads for shows in which music effects; 25 "more distinctly fused and integrated works," Howard Taubman for music that "speaks with more subtlety and 2 6 breadth," and becomes "a more significant element of 27 story telling," while Brooks Atkinson praises music that will serve the play "with a kind of selfless dedication, as if it were more interested in the play than in its own „ 28 success. The musicals with which the composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim has been connected illustrate this concept of selflessness. Company, Follies, and A Little Night 37 Music, all considered to be of exceptional quality, contain virtually no musical numbers which have become hits or standards on their own merit, but achieve unusual magnitude in the context of the production as a complete entity. The audience leaving the theatre singing the most popular songs from a particular show cannot be considered as a criterion, since these musical numbers have reached beyond the totality of the show's statement and fragmented the production for their individual interests. This standard of dedication to the play is, however, a most recent addition to the develop ment of integration in the musical. It is only within the last eight to ten years that music has completely subordi nated itself to the success of the show and succeeded in aiding the dramatic action without drawing stellar attention to itself and being retained by the public long after the purpose of the play is forgotten. It is this new idea of unity which will further the growth of musical theatre as an independent art form. Pragmatically, Lehman Engle poses the requisites for lyrics in the musical theatre. Since lyrics are sung and must be comprehended aurally (and against the accompanying orchestra) it follows that the simpler, less complex ones are preferable. But simple or complex, they must function as a part of the show, represent the innards of the character who deliv ers them, and they must be fresh and s p e c i f i c . 29 : ______________________ 38_ Gerald Weales deems that often musical numbers are used as show-stoppers; they halt the action and are not in tegrated. His examples include "Why Can't the English," "Wouldn't it Be Loverly," "With a Little Bit of Luck," and "On the Street Where You Live," all from My Fair Lady. How ever, he concedes that "if they do not develop character or action, they at least define it."^ "As the musicals sought integration, the dances had 31 to keep pace." Often the dances tended to be irrelevant and unrelated creations inserted to fill space or regain the interest of the audience. George Jean Nathan characterized 32 them as "hydrophobic activity with terpsichorian grace." However, advancements have been made in the field of chore ography, particularly since Agnes de Mille proved in Oklahoma! that dance could forward the plot even when it was not the central theme of the production as it had been in On Your Toes. The American theatre also discovered through Miss de Mille's work the important ability of dance to express and define atmosphere and character. In our time choreographers have learned how to inte grate their dances within a show and how to use actors and singers effectively within dance sequences. The "ballets" have become more than mere divertissements which interrupt the flow of the show itself. Integra tion is the thing— in movement, style, music and story. The more the choreographer can contribute to this basic 39 trend the more plaudits the show will earn— and the choreographer along with it.3 3 Edmond Gagey, in Revolution in American Drama, , pro vides examples to prove that "an abundance of good shows illustrated the virtues of lively 'book,' and proper fusion 34 of musical and literary elements." These well integrated shows include Pal Joey, Oklahoma! Brigadoon, Wonderful Town, and West Side Story. Elliot Norton states that the musical play since World War II has tried to "integrate libretto, song, and dance, and to achieve genuine dramatic effects instead of 35 merely soothing or titillating the audience," while Leonard Bernstein concludes that "the whole growth of our musical comedy can be seen through the growth of inte- » 36 gration." Integration, the clear and mutually complementary fusion of the elements of music, lyric, dance, dialogue, and design into a well-organized entity, is an essential 37 factor in the production of affective musical theatre. Libretto Throughout all time and in all theatrical genres, the effectiveness of the plot or story, in the case of musical theatre referred to as the libretto, has been a 40 continuous criterion for the proper investigation of excel lence of a theatrical piece. Musical theatre, no less than what is called "straight drama," must accede to this par ticular requirement. The musical differs from the non-musical in the 38 "compactness, precision, and immediacy" of the former. "The best of them (the tightest and most effective) occupy in their entirety very short periods of time: one day, two 39 days, or three." Because musical numbers absorb an unusual amount of time, the dialogue is severely limited, requiring highly condensed stories. Expository material must clearly delineate the simple plot, and few complica tions are allowed to follow which have not been established or at the very least intimated in the opening scenes. Despite the necessity for simplicity and clarity, the musical often contains a minimum of one well-developed subplot. At its lowest level, the subplot provides a re freshing change for the audience by the presence of new ¥ characters involved in concurrently developing action. In Show Boat there are no less than four subplots to the main action; Ado Annie and Will Parker, the principals of the subplot in Oklahoma! do not exist in the original play, Green Grow the Lilacs; West Side Story introduced Anita and 41 Bernardo; and the writers of The Most Happy Fella created Cleo and Herman. "The contrapuntal secondary plot belongs almost exclusively to the musical theater and came about at its very inception. It is almost unknown in the non- 40 musical theater." One notable exception to the rule, as examined by Lehman Engle, is My Fair Lady, which has no ^ , 41 subplot. The quality of the libretto is a primary concern of most critics. According to John Gassner, "the libretto, or 'book,' has often been the weakest element in the melange of a musical. The 'book' has tended to be slipshod or 42 improvisatory." From a more positive view, Brooks Atkin son believes that "all good musicals had intelligent, cohe- 43 rent, and attractive books." Edmond Gagey concurs as he states that the excellence of musicals stems from "the use 44 of intelligent plots and.subjects." Lehman Engle points out that no matter how complimentary comments may be con cerning the music, scenery, costumes, voices, or dancing: "Behind it all, contributing to a feeling of over-all satis faction/ is always the book. The better it is the less it 45 may be noticed." The necessity for the inclusion of a strong libretto is a relatively recent occurrence in the musical theatre. 42 The two productions generally considered by historians as milestones in the development of the genre began this con sideration and it has continued to the present day. Show 46 Boat (1927) received praise for "strength of its plot," and Oklahoma I (1943) was considered a major advancement 47 because "its plot was reasonable." Particularly since Oklahoma I was presented, all musicals have been judged on the plausibility and strength of the libretto. Walter Kerr, in a pragmatic evaluation of the monetary investment required by musicals, stated: "The chances of recouping these costs are promptly cut in half when the musical elects to get along without a "book,* a „ 48 narrative line. The increasing importance of the book can be seen in the attraction to the form of a large number of serious writers— Maxwell Anderson, Lillian Heilman, Robert E. Sherwood, Truman Capote, S. N. Behrman, Arthur Laurents, Elmer R i c e . ^9 An additional feature which characterizes the libretto of the musical theatre production has been noted only in more recent publications. Musical theatre is con stantly referred to as an innovation of the American the atre. Commentaries in theatre histories are found only in 5 conjunction with the development of the American theatre. Deems Taylor pays a profound compliment to this peculiarly American genre of the theatre as he states: After all, there have only been three forms of musical stage entertainment in the history of Western culture that in their day have been huge money-makers and also perfected art forms. These are the Italian grand opera, the Viennese operetta, and the American musical comedy. We can be proud that one these belongs to us .51 Beyond this, "there is something about this genre 52 that reflects America as nothing else does." Investiga tion of the libretti will indicate that musicals also often 53 tend to "poke fun at some aspect of American life." Show ' Boat provides a picture of life in mid-America in the nine teenth century; Carousel, the bemused tragedy, is set in New England; The Music Man and The Most Happy Fella provide an amusing illusion of the American romantic past; Annie Get Your Gun and Paint Your Wagon bring to life the recent American westward movement; Fiddler on j:he Roof shows the American dream of European immigrants; Guys and Dolls and Pal Joey illustrate life in American big cities; The Pajama Game ridicules American labor-management relations; and West Side Story presents love and hope in New York City. The Pulitzer Prize winners in the musical theatre are thoroughly American in their libretti. Of Thee I Sing satirizes the political system; South Pacific presents the American Navy; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying takes to task the foibles of big business; and 44 Fiorellol presents a panorama of New York and the nation for 40 years. "Above all, the musical is a celebration of America, perhaps the best celebration we have." Musicals have "searched out and celebrated the strength, the zest, 54 and the faith that are still central in American life." Consideration of the evidence dictates that the libretto be intelligent and coherent, simple and explicit, compact and precise, endowed with at least one subplot, and concerned with an American concept or setting to be consid- 55 ered as an effective vehicle of the musical theatre. The Company In the musical production, tremendous importance is often given to the contribution of the star performer. Yet, a star in a musical vehicle is as unpredictable as many other factors. When Betty Hutton was hired to replace Carol Burnett in the sold-out production of Fade Out— Fade In, "ticket sales for the eight performances collapsed as 56 if the box office had been quarantined." Conversely, "while the librettist, composer, director, and producer are each of enormous importance in the putting together of a musical, the star, if indeed he or she is one, is also in- 57 calculably significant." 45 It cannot be denied that shows have been written with specific performers in mind for the starring roles. When the idea for Annie Get Your Gun became a reality, the producer "had the show written especially for Ethel Mer- • 5 8 man." With Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, although not written for Carol Channing, "the part has belonged to Carol Chan- ning, who became a star overnight playing Lorelei Lee, and who deserves the credit for the show's long run of 59 740 performances." A revival with the title of Lorelei, under the handicap of mixed critical notices, recently experienced a handsome run in New York due primarily to Miss Channing's presence. Similarly, Katherine Hepburn in Coco and Lauren Bacall in Applause provided the necessary impe tus for the public to attend and ensure the financial if not artistic success of the productions. No writer or composer is immune to the stimulation of a star performer. "It was a sad revision to a corny past: that Rodgers and Hammerstein had fought to destroy. But success smiled on their effort. With Mary Martin in the lead, the musical [The Sound of Music] ran for three c . a years." "A hit like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum or Funny Girl was pieced together the week before its arrival, but Zero Mostel and Plautus saved A Funny Thing 46 and Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl."^ Though Mary Martin could not save a lackluster Jennie, and Carol Channing lost the same battle in The Vamp, the odds in favor of the return of a considerable monetary investment are highly increased when there is a star whose name may be featured above the name of the pro duction. The advertising for one show consisted of four words, all in upper case letters: ROSALIND RUSSELL: WONDERFUL TOWN. The personnel requirement of the musical production is far more complex than the individual performer. Musi cals require the services of specialists from a variety of fields. More complex than the legitimate drama, it is "an entertainment requiring the integrated efforts of several people" the company. The possible individual contributions to the suc cess of an endeavor are virtually endless. However, of greatest import is the proper working relationship between the various artists of a production (musical director; choral director; technical director; scenic, costume, and lighting designers; stage manager; composer; lyricist; and librettist) in cooperation with the stage director. No other form of theatre requires the mutual respect and f ________________________________________ . ___________________________47. intimate working relationship between a large number of artists as does the musical theatre. Neil Simon attributed success in musicals to "having the right people." Bella Spewack, librettist for Kiss Me/ Kate stated: "Well, I think the first thing is that the people concerned . . . have compatibility. We must like each other . . . and have a 6 3 respect for each other's talent." The world is constantly aware of the partnership between librettists and composers such as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe, Dietz and Schwartz, and Bock and Harnick. However, the creative effort of teams of producing artists often escapes public notice. Combina tions such as Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, Joshua Logan and Jo Mielziner, Oliver Smith and Miles White, and Rouben Mamoulian and Agnes de Mille, in their cooperative ability, see to the proper interpretation and production of the basic material provided them; a vital service to the more famous teams of writers. The selection of the company, these highly talented and independently minded individuals, in total combination, is of greatest significance to the k 64 show. It is therefore suitable to conclude that effective musical theatre will only be achieved by a preponderance of 48 excellence in the contribution and cooperation of all participants, production team, writers, composers, support-I ing cast, and star, in the complex company effort which comprises the musical production.^ 7 Romance There is abundant evidence that romance must be a part of the musical theatre. The desire on the part of the audience to view romance prompted George Jean Nathan to remark that "the public has a persistent hunger for roman- 6 6 tic illusion," Lehman Engle to state that "in musicals 6 7 (in opera and operetta as well) romance is at the center," and Brooks Atkinson to vehemently announce: "Broadway had 6 8 no interest in a musical drama that lacked romance." One cannot turn to any discussion of the musical theatre without encountering the facet of romance at the core of the dramatic endeavor; in acting, "you cannot get - anywhere in romantic musical drama unless you hire romantic 69 actors to play and sing it"; "dancing must be basically 70 gay romantic fare"; "the love ballad,, always in newer and fresher guise, is one of the hallmarks of musical the- 71 72 atre"; and simply, "romance is present." This romantic interest is not ignored by composers and librettists. Many libretti feature a primary love story ________ 49_ between the leading characters, a secondary love interest ir. the supporting characters, and in isolated cases, a third romantic involvement in the context of the plot. "The King and I was unconventional in presenting two leading charac ters who did not have one love scene, or even one kiss. Yet, the musical did follow tradition by including the much 73 more romantic story of Tuptim and Lun Tha." Brigadoon included three love interests in the content of the book anc Abe Laufe indicates that "the romantic appeal of the story unquestionably pleased the audiences," in the setting of 74 "the romantic sleeping town." Brooks Atkinson referred to Show Boat as a "romantic 75 book," Howard Taubman accords the success of South Pacific 7 6 to its "romantic appeal," and Edmond Gagey lists romance 77 as the central element of Bloomer Girl. The single exception to the romantic interest as a main or subplot in the musical theatre's top ten shows in number of New York performances, as of 1968, is the 1938 production of Olsen 7 8 and Johnson's Hellzapoppin— a revue. The fact of romance is a common thread that runs through all of the stories of successful musical theatre and "musicals have explored the entire gamut from the usual 79 ending to efforts at mature romance and social realism." _______________ 50 This romance must consist of some variation on the love between a man and a woman, not too far removed from the possibilities of everyday life. Though it may be idealized as it is in The King and I and Man of La Mancha, it is understood and accepted by the public who are enamoured by romantic situations and characters. Love, is :invariably the issue which the composer, the lyricists, and the story writer surround with sweet ness and sentiment, fast moving comedy, perhaps some light ridiculing or a bit of moralizing, and hopefully a good story.^0 Fred Millet and Gerald Bentley make some most / arresting statements, by a comparison of musical theatre to Shakespeare's romantic comedies. They define one segment of musical theatre as . . . the more old-fashioned romantic musical comedies which tell a pretty love story, with songs and dances and a certain amount of miscellaneous nonsense, by the comedians. It is this . . . type, of course, which resembles Shakespeare's romantic comedy.81 At first glance this may seem surprising, because Shakespeare's romantic comedies are literary master pieces while musical comedies are quite insignificant as literature. Yet different as the two are in great ness of their achievement, the fact remains that they are designed to appeal to the same general type of interest in the audience. Though As You Like It is a classic, it is of the same comic type as The Student Prince and The Cat and the Fiddle.82 Based on the above information, it may be stated that a mandate for success in musical theatre is the 51 presence of romance, of a love story, either explicit or implicit, appealing to universally accepted romanticized ideals.^ Spectacle The presence-of spectacular devices on the stage, be they scenic splendor, masses of actors, strident voices, extravagant costumes, or individual virtuosity, is usually a positive means of engaging an audience. Throughout his tory, the public has been overwhelmed by the sight of such extremes as gladiatorial combat or revolving scenery. In the present day, musical theatre is "the last stronghold of 84 spectacle and extravaganza." "The relation of musicals to scenery has been extraordinary. No department of the theatre has been more active in exploring, devising and applying old and new 85 ideas in settings and design." Designers such as Donald Oenslager, Jo Mielziner, Joseph Urban, Boris Aronson, and endless others continually search for means by which the public may be entertained visually, and their success is often applauded as the curtain is raised and the lights reveal their art. But, as Eric Bentley puts it: "Who cares 86 who designs the scenery (so long as there's plentysof it)?" It is to the designer's good fortune that the musical, with 52 its vast array of scenic locales, continues to provide an unlimited number of opportunities for them to practice. In | no other theatrical form (if opera in this instance is I included in the genre of musical theatre) are there equiva- I 8 7 lent "opportunities for artistic decor." Even with the reduction in number of sets as in Man of La Mancha, inge nuity provided a show-stopping monstrous staircase, which I descended from blackness above the stage with awesome fore- ' boding, to the delight of audiences. The costumer has also been elevated in stature. One of the most surprising developments in the growth of the musical has been the importance given the cos tume designer. The stage is always a force in exploit ing a new style; and managers use this influence to boast [sic] their business.88 In Up in Central Park, according to Edmond Gagey, "much of the show's charm lay in the reminiscent costumes and man- ers, one number representing a series of Currier and Ives • ^ ,,89 prints. i The number of means with which producers seek to stun their audiences knows no limits. In Annie Get Your Gun, "Buffalo Bill's competition and final merger with the , Pawnee Bill show offer opportunity for spectacular 90 effects," in addition to the sharpshooting display done by Annie astride a roaring motorcycle. Lehman Engle has provided a partial list of the curiosities which visually will produce the desired effect: applause. Peter Pan "flying" is an assured provacateur. The appearance on stage of just anything that seems incon gruous is sure-fire: an automobile (my, didn't anyone ever see a car?), an old person or a fat one doing a dance routine (how does he do it?). Any child (aw, isn't she cute?) or any animal (just "aw").91 All of these ploys are considered to be justified if they proceed "directly from the narrative and constitute'an 92 artistic entity." However, often they do not. Cecil Smith has seen that "increasingly music, dance, light, decor, and costume are called in to strengthen a theatre 93 whose words alone do not entitle it to survive." When this phenomenon occurs, when the space-arts displace the time-arts, the theatre is in grave danger. Fortunately, the concept of unity is more often appreciated than ignored, and those incidents where spectacle is the singluar strength of a production are short-lived. Yet, the Barnum and Bailey concept of show business cannot be completely ignored. John Gassner finds of musi cal comedy: "It is essentially the variety show, with its frequent dazzling bits of virtuosity in performance that engage us,"94 and Gerald Weales points to the necessity "to see that the chief comic has at least one show-stopping 95 number." : Robert Moulton has concluded that musical comedy 54 dance is still designed to bring down the house— though 96 integration is the m a m talking point of choreographers, and Abe Laufe, while praising Agnes de Mille's dances in Brigadoon as well integrated into the plot, indicates that 97 she "also made them masterpieces of showmanship." Virtually every musical production' has its spec tacular facets. Staircases abound in Man of La Mancha, Hello, Dolly 1 and My Fair Lady; The Music Man features a train on stage; Cabaret has a musical number with a gorilla; Bye, Bye, Birdie injects Ed Sullivan and Shriners; The King and I reveals settings of exotic Siam; and Wish You Were Here unveils a $15,000 swimming pool for its finale. John Gassner provides a summation for the estab lishment of spectacle as a mandatory factor in providing good musical theatre productions. He states: "Their suc cess derives from the music, the choreography, the settings, the costumes, and the stage personalities— above all, from 9 8 song and spectacle." Spectacle, in the broadest sense of the word, to include scenic splendor, masses of actors, music, extrava gant costumes, individual virtuosity, and the curiously unusual, is an apt criterion for measuring the ability of 99 musical theatre to be affective. 55 Summary In the case of each criterion, quality, as defined in the preceding statements, is considered to be inherent, and in addition, each element is dependent upon the others to produce a unified whole in the production. Either the total exclusion of a single criterion, or the total depen dence of a production upon one criterion to the detriment of the others, may be considered as proper evidence for pronouncing a judgment. The essence of the criteria may be said to consist of the following: comedy, in the form of either farce or romantic comedy; integration exemplified by a logical con nection between all contributing elements; simple but intel ligent libretto with an American appeal; compatible and inventive persons in all areas of production; romantic involvement; and spectacle to entertain and divert the audience. Musical itheatre, therefore, is an integrated art form which combines all facets of the theatre with music and dance to make an original statement, utilizing comedy and romance in a libretto which has as its goal the communica tion of the statement, and is brought to fruition by the cooperative imagination and talent of several artists in a highly spectacular manner. 56 Notes Clyde W. Dow, An Introduction to Graduate Study ir Speech and Theatre (East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press, 1961), p. 83. 2 "Drama Desk Discusses Musicals," Show Business, June 13, 1974, p. 9. ^Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 Harold Clurman, "Theater," Nation, June 19, 1954, p. 530. ^Brooks Atkinson, Broadway (New York: Macmillan Co., 1971), p. 315. 7 Ibid., pp. 339-340. ^Ibid., p. 447. 9 Eric Bentley, "Theatre," New Republic, November 1, 1954, pp. 22-23. ^ ^Howard Taubman, The Making of the American The atre (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1965), pp. 361-362. ^David Ewen, The Story of America's Musical Theater- (Philadelphia: Chilton Book Co., 1968) , p. 198. 12 Bernard Sobel, "Musical Comedy: From Floradora to Hazel Flagg," Theatre Arts, February 1953, p. 84. 13 George Jean Nathan, The Theatre in the Fifties (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953), p. 250. 14 Otto Harbach, "It Takes More than Joe Miller and a. Line of Janes," Theatre Arts, September 1959, p. 24. Situ ation comedy is further clarified as farce in Frederick B. Shroyer and Louis Gardemal, Types of Drama (Glenview, Illi nois: Scott, Foresman & Co., 1970), pp. 22-23. 15 Lehman Engle, Words and Music (New York: Mac millan Co., 1972), p. 142. 57 16 Shroyer and Gardemal, Types of Drama, p. 19. 17Ibid., p. 27. 18 .... Further information concerning the criterion of comedy may be found in Walter J. Meserve, An Outline His tory of American Drama (Totowa, New Jersey: Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1965), Chapter 4; Garf B. Wilson, Three Hundred Years of American Drama and Theater: From "Ye Bear and Ye Cub" to "Hair" (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1973), Chapter 20; Walter Kerr, The Theater in Spite of Itself (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1963), pp. 22-38; and Frank M. Whiting, An Introduction to the Theatre (New York: Harper & Row, 1969), Chapter 4. 19 Elie Siegmeister, "Which Way the Musical," The atre Arts, April 1957, p. 74. 20 Allan Lewis, American Plays and Playwrights of the Contemporary Theatre (New York: Crown Publishers, 1970), p. 220. 2L, Ibid. 22 Engle, Words and Music, p. 19. 23Ibid., p. 177. 24 Gerald Weales, American Drama Since WWII (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1962), p. 122. 25 John Gassner, Theatre at the Crossroads (New York Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1960), p. 206. 2 6 Taubman, American Theatre, p. 271. 27Ibid., p. 255. 2 8 Atkinson, Broadway, p. 445. 29 Engle, Words and Music, p. 107. 30 Weales, American Drama, p. 121. 58 31 Robert Darrell Moulton, "Choreography in Musical Comedy and Revue on the New York Stage from 192 5 through 1950" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1957), p. 294. 32 Nathan, Fifties, p. 265. 33 Lehman Engle, Planning and Producing the Musical Show (New York: Crown Publishers, 1966), p. 88. 34 Edmond Gagey, Revolution in American Drama (New York: Columbia University Press, 1947), p. 255. 35 Elliot Norton, "Broadway after World War II," in The American Theater Today, ed. Alan S. Downer (New York: Basic Books, 1967), p. 44. 3 6 Weales, American Drama, p. 122. 37 Further information concerning the criterion of integration may be found in H. D. Albright, William P. Halsted, and Lee Mitchell, Principles of Theatre Art (Bos ton: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1968), Chapter 24; Meserve, American Drama, Chapters 4 and 5; Martin Gottfried, A Theater Divided (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1967); Brooks Atkinson, Broadway Scrapbook (New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1947), p. 284; Abe Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1969), p. 66; Richard Lewine and Alfred Simon, Encyclopedia of Theatre Music (New York: Random House, 1961), p. 18; George R. Kernodle, Invitation to the Theatre (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967), Chapter 2; Wilson, American Drama, Chapters 9, 18, and 20; and Edward A. Wright and Lenthiel H . . . Downs, A Primer for Playgoers, 2nd ed. (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1969), Chapter 6. 38 Engle, Words and Music, p 39 Ibid., P- 38 . 40., Ibid., P- 65. Ibid., P- 76. 42 John Gassner, Dramatic Soundings (New York: Crown Publishers, 1968), p. 350. 43 Atkinson, Broadway, p. 444. 44 Gagey, Revolution, p. 258. 45 Engle, Planning and Producing, p. 6. 46 Wilson, American Drama, p. 374. 47Ibid., p. 435. 48 Kerr, The Theater in Spite of Itself, p. 16. 49 Weales, American Drama, p. 122. 50 Examples may be found in Meserve, American Drama, and Oscar G. Brockett, History of the Theatre (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1968). 51 Kernodle, Invitation, p. 106. 52 Whiting, An Introduction to the Theatre, p. 87. ~*^Fred B. Millet and Gerald Eades Bentley, The Art of the Drama (New York: D. Appleton-Century Co., 1935), p. 113. 54 Kernodle, Invitation, p. 99. 55 Further information regarding the criterion of libretto may be found in Stanley Green, Ring Bells I Sing Songs’: Broadway Musicals of the 1930's (New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1971), Introduction; Kerr, The Theater in Spite of Itself, pp. 24-38; Shroyer and Gardemal, Types of Drama, Part I; and Bernard Sobel, ed., The New Theatre Handbook and Digest of Plays (New York: Crown Publishers, 1959), pp. 496-497. 5 6 Walter Wagner, "George Abbott," Diners1 Club Mag azine, November 1964, p. 61. 57 Engle, Words and Music, p. 283. 5 8 Laufe, Greatest Musicals, p. 92 59Ibid., p. 138. 60 60 Taubman, American Theatre, p. 312. 61Lewis, American Plays, pp. 220-221. 62 Meserve, American Drama, p. 356. 6 3 "Drama Desk Discusses Musicals," Show Business, June 13, 1974, p. 9. 64 Kernodle, Invitation, p. 88. ^Further information concerning the crtierion the company or combination of people may be found in Wilson, American Drama, Chapter 20; and Kerr, The Theatre in Spite of Itself, pp. 22-38 Nathan, Fifties, p. 251. 6 7 Engle, Words and Music, p. 21. 6 8 Atkinson, Broadway, p. 44 6. 69 Nathan, Fifties, p. 239. 70 Moulton, "Choreography," p. 295. 71 Engle, Words and Music, p. 14. 72 Gagey, Revolution, p. 260. 73 Laufe, Greatest Musicals, p. 159. ^Ibid. , p. 103 . 75 Atkinson, Broadway Scrapbook, p. 236 7 6 Taubman, American Theatre, p. 269. 77 Gagey, Revolution, p. 260. 7 8 Laufe, Greatest Musicals, p. 449. 79 Lewis, American Plays, pp. 224-225. 8 0 Meserve, American Drama, p. 355. 61 81 Millett and Bentley, The Art of the Drama, p. 113. 8 2 Ibid., p. 115. 8 3 Further information concerning the criterion of romance may be found in Kernodle, Invitation, Chapter 2; Kerr, The Theatre in Spite of Itself, pp. 22-38; and Tom F. Driver, Romantic Quest and Modern Query (New York: Delacourt Press, 1970), Chapter 12. 84 Lewis, American Plays, p. 216. 8 5 Sobel, "Musical Comedy," p. 21. ^Bentley, "Theatre," p. 22. 8 7 Gagey, Revolution, p. 258. O p Sobel, "Musical Comedy," p. 22. 89 Gagey, Revolution, p. 260. 90t1. , Ibid. 91 Engle, Words and Music, p. 187. 92 Atkinson, Scrapbook, p. 186. 93 Cecil Smith, "Wanted: A Modern Laocoon," Theatre Arts, September 1947, p. 39. 94 Gassner, Crossroads, p. 205. 95 Weales, American Drama, p. 121. 96 Moulton, "Choreography," pp. 281-283. 97 Laufe, Greatest Musicals, p. 103. 98 Gassner, Soundings, p. 349. 99 Further information concerning the criterion of spectacle may be found in Albright, Halstead, and Mitchell, Principles of Theatre Art, Chapter 15; Meserve, American Drama, Part I; and Whiting, An Introduction to the Theatre, Chapter 4. 62 CHAPTER IV THE BACKGROUND, PHILOSOPHY, AND TECHNIQUES OF GEORGE ABBOTT The theatrical career of George Abbott has spanned approximately sixty-four years. His introduction to the world of the theatre was at the University of Rochester. Interest in the theatre was heightened during 1911 and 1912 by attendance at the historically important and virtually legendary workshops conducted by George Pierce Baker at Harvard College. Following practical training in play- writing under Baker, Abbott became active as an author- actor in a Boston theatrical company, but moved to New York in August of 1913 to seek a professional career. From his first New York job as an actor in The Misleading Lady, which opened on November 25, 1913, to the present, he has been continually active as actor, playwright, director, and pro ducer in the professional theatre."*" George Abbott1s rise to success may in some degree be attributed to his personal philosophy. The most impor tant facets of his life are health, work, love, and play. 63 He admires inflexible rightness, looks upon obstacles as a means of strengthening character, and retains self- confidence from a maternal admonition to be "fearless, 2 aggressive, and to seek action in the world." The combination of work, love, and play is nowhere more evident than in the musicals for which he is currently noted. Musical theatre is work he practices seriously, but which he is genially accused of liking "because they [musi cals] are big marvelous machines, not a handful of neurotics; beating on their breasts." "'I think his musicals' says another observant admirer, 'are the way he wishes life and 3 people were.'" Everything Abbott does is based on the certainty that he is right. Failure can only occur when his correct decisions are incapable of rectifying inferior material. Perhaps his concept of right and his affinity for the imme diacy and vitality of the theatre are combined in his state- 4 ment: "Life doesn't always give us a second chance." Abbott is often characterized as the staunch prag matist of the Broadway stage. He is categorized as being 5 concerned only with those vehicles that will be salable. In actuality, it would be abnormal for him to be concerned with anything else. No producer, director, author, actor, _______________________________ 64 or even stagehand of sound mind is interested in working with a play that evidences certain failure. The theatre is always a business, a very expensive business, where fortunes are made, but perhaps even more fortunes are lost. To con demn an individual for being a pragmatist because of a suc cession of hit productions is simply illogical. The prag matism of George Abbott is his knowledge of what subject matter and style of presentation will appeal to the public he intends to entice into the theatre. Abbott is not opposed to novelty, adventure, or new ideas. He states: "It is the musicals that are growing, experimenting, expanding, searching for more valid 'presen tation. It is the straight plays that have settled into a g conventional form which holds them in a groove." This growth and expansion is an integral part of the immediacy of the musical theatre. Abbott*s productions exhibit vast differences in style and subject matter, and this variety provides the genre with continued growth and popularity. Unfortunately, though the music, a few dances, and perhaps some of the comic material may continue to live for years, the totality of a musical theatre production has a rela tively short life. Musicals must change with the times, and the times change because of the people; the people for 65 whom the works are written. "You could not possibly pick a musical done in 194 2 which would seem completely undated today."^ Any opposition that Abbott expresses against musi cals is not to inhibit growth, but is aimed toward those musicals which do not deal with reality. For Abbott, reality is the American scene, which is honestly depicted in the musicals which he has been associated with. He states: I say American musicals advisedly, for the musical as we know it is a distinctly American creation which has not been duplicated successfully anywhere else so far. Our current musicals are better in taste, are more legitimate and have more excitement than any others. Of these three elements, the most important is the legitimacy of the new musical, the honesty with which it treats its characters and its plots.® For Abbott, the art of the director, that of turning a printed script into a production, is not a simple matter. He stated: "I have learned that it is very difficult to translate the theory into practice even, in the art of mak- 9 ing plays out of scripts." The philosophy he followed was to learn from others the many facets of this particular craft, and he studied under both good and bad directors. Theatre as a process is often a succession of trials and errors, but if the errors of others may be observed and 66 absorbed, chance repetition of them is more limited and thereby the chance of success greatly improved. Directing theory hardly existed during Abbott's formative years as a director; therefore, his practical method of observation was not only most convenient, but a necessity. George Abbott was able to work with and observe the techniques of Guthrie McClintic, Augustus Duncan, David Belasco, and Winchell Smith. McClintic read and read the play, satisfying the underlying moods of the author's work, but physicalization was uncertain. Unmotivated movement which results from this uncertainty can cause uneasiness on * the part of the audience even though they may not be aware of the reason for their discomfort. Augustus Duncan, for reasons unexplained, is described by Abbott as incompe tent.10 However, Abbott did have the good fortune to study closely the technique of both David Belasco and Winchell Smith, and see the results each was able to obtain on the stage; excellent results, but for totally different rea sons. He recounted the reasons as follows: Winchell Smith was old fashioned in his handling of plot and situations. There was a lot of hokum in his pieces. But he had a . . . knowledge on how every day Americans behave. The little things he made his characters do were always right and audiences knew it. He would write lines that didn’t seem funny to the actors . . . but the minute an audience heard them it laughed. It understood them. 67 Belasco was a far better technician. He could take a play apart and put it together again at a rehearsal. At present many of our playwrights and directors are splendid technicians— but in Belasco*s day that was exceptional.H It is from these men that Abbott learned the values of detail and atmosphere, but behind these elements seen by an audience is his excellent command of the craft of the stage; the result of early practical experience and training as a playwright. Like Belasco, Abbott is a director capable of taking a play totally apart and reassembling it at a rehearsal. At best, it is difficult to evaluate the director's contribution to a production. Where does the work of the playwright, actor, or even designer leave off and that of the director become finally visible? Abbott's device for solving this problem is simple: watch the minor roles. If the minor characters are good, the director has done his job. If they are ill-defined or insignificant, he has failed. It is important to emphasize that he, the director, has failed, for although the directorial position, as pre viously defined in the context of a production, is one of collaboration, coordination, and combination, it is impera tive that there be one constant absolute authority. Though listening to suggestions from every conceivable expert under < 68 his command, the final decisions, and thereby the success or failure of any production, are the director's alone, despite the extent to which the blame may be placed upon something or someone else. The contributory forces to the vast process of mounting a musical are virtually endless: author, costume designer, press agent, business manager, principal actors, choreographer, choral director, musical director, singers, composer, orchestrator, lyricist, producer, dancers, scene designer, stage manager, and lighting designer, to name a reasonable number. To those who work with him, "the the atre is a process of a collaboration within a dictatorship, 12 and Abbott is the dictator." Yet, the precise determina tion of who did what in a production is not one which con cerns Abbott; it is only the result, the reaction to the product. In the July 1954 issue of Theatre Arts, Abbott wrote: This whole matter of credit and credits is overdone in the theatre. The point at which one person's con tribution to a show stops and another's begins is extremely vague and quite unimportant. Even such a simple statement as "costumes by Soandso" isn't usually true because some of Soandso's costumes may well have been thrown out and replaced by dresses bought at a store. A musical number is generally done by several people. There is a singing coach who works on it; there is a dance director who works on it. Everyone in the production may have some effect on this number; it 69 may be that the scene designer thinks of something which colors the total effect and certainly the director him self is responsible for the manner in which the number is integrated into the whole production. During rehear sals of Call Me Madam, Jay Blackton, the orchestra con ductor, made a suggestion about moving the "I Like Ike" number which solved the whole second act for us. It was an enormously important contribution in terms of the over-all effectiveness of the show, but there was no indication on the program that he had done this.13 Amid all of the change, substitution, alteration, revision, modification, and inspiration, the director is the final decision making body. He must be an imaginative, creative, and flexible guide, constantly adjusting to the continual input from his co-workers. But ultimately, he is the controlling force, the absolute authority in charge of all creative aspects of the production. When considering a script with the intent of pro duction, Abbott looks for an element which he stresses throughtout all of his theatrical enterprises: truth. There are, of course, other factors which enter into the evaluation of a script. Comments on well-known playwrights indicate some particulars Abbott regards as pertinent to a good script. O'Neill had "good ideas but very little gift with language; his words were wooden; Kaufman and Connelly were skillful but superficial; Philip Barry appealed to the 14 snob element but had no substance." Each commentary indi cates that there is missing from the script an ingredient _______________ 70 which would enable it to be labelled as truthful. Wooden words, superficiality, and lack of substance are each evi dent to an audience who then will not believe in the reality of the situation presented to them. The crux of the matter is reality: "You have to believe in the story and believe 15 in the characters, . . . or you're licked." If the element of truth is present, the first deci sion the director must make, when considering the script, is to accept the challenge of a good script, or to avoid the chaos of a poor one. "Flops are born of the desperate hope 16 of turning a poor script into a good show." As a playwright of accomplishment himself, it has not been unusual for Abbott to be called upon as a play doctor and he is additionally noted for revisions made in the scripts of shovrs he is directing. Script changes are within the prerogative and authority of the director. With Abbott these changes are not done with the air of a dictator, but in conference and consultation with the authors who may not, in their field of expertise as playwrights, be completely knowledgeable of the pragmatics and limitations of mounting the production onto the stage. Abbott is a "fixer." Scenes that are too long are cut, not too good are changed, not playing properly are interpolated into andther position in ______________________________ 71 the play. Fixing is done early in the production process, before rehearsals if possible, but continue throughout the rehearsal period until the show is "set." It is then tried out of town. Once performed before an audience, there is additional fixing to be done, to the point where "by the time he [Abbott] has finished fixing it up he has rewritten 17 enough of it to be called coauthor." Abbott has stated: "I don't know if I can make it good, but I can make it 1 8 better." Above everything else, Abbott, as a director, insists upon economy and taste in his productions. ' The two concepts are closely related to each other and to the changes that he makes in a show. In his definition of taste, he indicates the degree to which all of these ele ments are interdependent. Taste is "the decision as to just: how much to do or not to do, at what point to leave one scene and get into another, and for the actor, how much to 19 express and how much to imply." Although casting is one of the most crucial ele ments in the preparation of a production, Abbott reduces it to extreme simplicity. A director must evaluate an actor the moment he hears him read— either he is right or not. There is no hesitation or faltering possible in his 72 decision. Abbott also firmly believes that "type-casting 20 is the best way to cast a play," although he is not ad verse to the introduction of new faces into the business. A partial list of those he is credited with having given a start includes: Van Johnson, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Phillis Thaxter, Joan Caulfield, June Havoc, Ezra Stone, Nancy Walker, Shirley MacLaine, Tom Bosley, Elizabeth Ashley, Ron Husmann, Eileen Rogers, Gene Tierney, Carol 21 Haney, Lee Tracy, and Jose Ferrer. The philosophy of George Abbott regarding rehearsal proceedings is well defined in an article written by him 22 for Theatre Arts in April 1951. He approaches every show with an open mind, illustrating his knowledge that ideas and concepts capable of enhancing the production can be gleaned from all participants. He begins rehearsals by reading the play with the actors for a short period of time to find the characters' motivations, establish interrela tionships between the characters, and correct misreadings as their understanding of the play grows. He then moves to blocking, which is never preplanned in detail, but general ized according to his concept of the total production. It is a process of constant readjustment to the imagination of the creative forces at work. Abbott believes in accomplish- 73 ing the basic blocking phase quickly. He then prefers to have the actors become secure in their lines and firmly establish characterizations. As soon as the actors are true to the text, but free of the encumbering script in their hands, Abbott turns to the determination and delinea tion of timing and subtlety for which his shows have been 23 duly praised. Abbott1s knowledge of actors and acting is consid erable, due to his extensive theatrical background and his own successful acting career. He is respected by his actors, and the mutual respect of Abbott for them is one reason why many of his productions have repeatedly featured the same people. Actors are considered by Abbott as cre atively intelligent individuals. Every actor wants to be good. It is the responsibility of the director to tell or show the actor where the weakest elements in his perfor mance are so that he may fulfill his desire and potential. Abbott stresses reality in characterization and situation; an actor in love with his own voice is false, and one who anticipates situations confuses the audience. A strong factor in the clicking of productions is that his players don't mug, act as though they thought they were funny, steal lines or scenes. They must sub merge their personalities, their vanities, for the good of the show.^4 74 When a star or some individual facet is the only factor which accounts for the success of a production, that element is saving a bad director. The ability of Abbott to concisely and completely take charge of a production and produce an unusually large number of successes prompted Show Business to state that he has "the most efficient and economical ability in the 25 American theater." As a director, he is concise and explicit, far more brilliant and witty in rehearsal than off-stage. He has no theories, no formulas. If a scene being rehearsed bogs down and becomes confused, George will tell the cast to go on to the next. Next morning he will have thought out the bad scene and will explain it clearly to the cast. Unlike most directors he is very prompt. A rehearsal at 11 a.m. means 10:55 to him.26 ^ Hal Prince, the producer of several shows directed by Abbott, stated: He's the Calvinist of Musical Comedy. His standards are rigid and uncompromising, but they're made pal atable by the fact that he subscribes to them himself. No actor in an Abbott company ever comes late or unpre pared to a rehearsal. . . .27 David Ewen, in The Story of America's Musical Theater, devotes a chapter to George Abbott entitled "The George Abbott Touch," then proceeds, as others have done, to use the phrase without a definition of it. This de scriptive phrase has been used in conjunction with Abbott's 75 work from about 19 36 to the present. His admirers insist "the Abbott Touch" in a Broadway musical means vigor, directness, economy, freshness, vitality and biting insight, all the qualities that can be ascribed to Abbott himself. His detractors, on the other hand will tell you his hallmark is one of slickness, of shiny adamantine luster and unmatched technique. . . .28 The "Abbott Touch" has predominantly been equated to pace, because of the breakneck speed with which Abbott's shows 29 appear to move. Through the years Abbott has consistently attempted to qualify and correct this misconception with statements which illustrate a true understanding of the delineation of pace and speed. In 1936, Morton Eustis wrote of Abbott: As the arch apostle, so-called, of pace in performance, he would preface any remarks on direction with the firm observatin that tempo is not speed, that it has nothing to do with speed. . . . "Tempo," he says, "is variety. Better still, a compromise of surprise, variety and p o i s e ."30 In 19 37, Michel Mok offered this'understanding of the "Abbott Touch": His secret of pacing is to drop in soft, slow pas sages at such intervals that the customers think the whole thing is fast and furious. Contrast of tempo. Change. Variety.31 More recently, Melvin Maddocks received the same basic information in a 1962 interview with Abbott. "Pace is variety," the director says firmly. "It isn't speed. I get angry when I find one of my casts 76 going lickety-split, even in farce. Pace is contrast. It works the same on the stage as it does in music."32 Finally, in an interview in 1974, Abbott reiterated the same concept. He continues to assert that real pace in a production is in contrast, but always, the contrast, the pace, the speed must have reason and it must have good 33 taste. What is "The Abbott Touch?" Abbott answers: "I don’t know what that means, but whatever it is, I hope it „ 34 changes from year to year. Although Abbott finds that the critics are a great asset to Broadway, indeed even a necessity in ridding the stage of bad theatre that occurs in New York, his final, and in reality, only, criterion is the reaction of the audience to a particular show. In selection of script, casting, rehearsal, and directorial techniques that are utilized in preparation of a play or musical, all are in the interest of creating an excitement within the audience. An audience wants to give itself to the show. That's why it came— it hopes to be taken up by the action and carried ,o.ut of this world. However, if the show lets him down, if the man who has come to be entertained once drifts away from the story and back to outside matters, it is not easy to reclaim him.35 With this philosophy, it is easy to understand why the shows that have been produced, authored, or directed by George Abbott are well paced, in good taste, and oriented 77 toward keeping an audience entertained for an entire eve ning. Without the audience happily concerned only with the events on the stage during a production, there is no value in the enterprise. As in the case of the credit for the individual contributions made to the theatrical production, George Abbott is not concerned with labels. He stated: They used to say that I was a producer of kiddie shows. Before that I was a producer of gangster shows. Now they say that I'm a musical comedy man. I don't care what they call me as long as they come to the theatre.36 78 Notes Charles Moritz, ed., Current Biography Yearbook (New York: H. W. Wilson,Co., 1965), pp. 1-3. See also: Maxine Block, ed., Current Biography (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1940), p. 1; and George Abbott, Mister Abbott (New York: Random House, 1963). 2 Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 18. 3 Tom Prideaux, "The Perennial Hatcher of Hits and Talents," Life, Junaury 18, 1960, p. 61. 4 Abbott, Mrster Abbott, p. 9. 5 Howard Taubman, The Making of the American Theatre (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1965), p. 220. ^George Abbott, "The Musicals Take Over," Theatre Arts Monthly, July 1954, p. 95. "^Ibid. , p. 21. ^Ibid., p. 95. 9 George Abbott, "A. Director's Lot," New York Times Magazine, April 15, 1951, p. 19. ^Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 106. "^Helen Ormsbee, Sun (New York), Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, September 17, 1939. 12 Prideaux, "The Perennial Hatcher," p. 61. 13 Abbott, "The Musicals Take Over," p. 96. 14 Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 106. 15 Prideaux, "The Perennial Hatcher," p. 61. "^Michel Mok, "Portrait of a Laugh-Manufacturer," New York Post, July 7, 1937, p. 19. 17 "People: The Dean of Repairmen," Newsweek, May 16, 1960, p. 79. 79 X 8 Mel Gussow, "George Abbott Gets Set for Show No. 116," New York Times, Museum of the City of New York The atre Collection, n.d. 19 George Abbott, "Mister Abbott," Theatre Arts, January 1964, p. 27. 20 Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 104. 21 N.n., Brooklyn Eagle, May 9, 1954, and an un signed letter dated October 12, 1962 located in a George Abbott scrapbook in the Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection. 22 Abbott, "A Director's Lot," p. 19. 23 Also see Morton Eustis, "The Director Takes Command," Theatre Arts Monthly, February 1936, pp. 120-123. 24 Mok, "Portrait of a Laugh-Manufacturer," p. 19. 25 "George Abbott— the Penny Pincher," Show Business, January 31, 1955. 2 g Jo Chamberlain, "'It's a Success!'" New York Times, May 21, 1939, p. 17. 27 Neil Hickey, "Mr. Abbott, Sir!" American Weekly, May 15, 1960, p. 16. 28 , Ibid. 29 Douglas Gilbert, "George Abbott Hoots Directors Who 'Live' and 'Feel' Plays— Speeds Up Shows and Often Junks Jokes," New York World-Telegram, January 21, 1936. 30 Eustis, "The Director Takes Commandp. 120. 31 Mok, "Portrait of a Laugh-Manufacturer," p. 19. 32 'Melvin Maddocks, "George Abbott, the Ballet Masr: ter of Farce," Christian Science Monitor, December 21, 1962. 80 Garson Kanin, an interview of George Abbott videotaped for the Stanley Prager Memorial Collection of the Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, April 27, 1974. 34 Hickey, "Mr. Abbott, Sir!" p. 17. 35 Abbott, "Mister Abbott," p. 27. 3 6 "The Theater: New Musical in Manhattan," Time, May 24, 1954, p. 71. 81 CHAPTER V THE FORMATIVE YEARS: 1935-1943* In 1935, the leading musical productions were a constant reminder of the concepts of the age. Appeal was to the spectacular in most aspects, and continually acceded to the successful formula of comics, girls, and vast amounts of scenery, with the hope of a few memorable tunes from the composer— lyrics being too complex to remember from a single exposure. Various revues, though less numer ous than in preceding years, were still in evidence, but the operetta had all but given way to the wisecracks and chorus lines of the new ideal, musical comedy with emphasis on the comedy. The slight thrust forward that Show Boat had given to the concept of integrated musical theatre with coherent book and characters was all but forgotten in the * Quotations in this and following chapters which taken from libretti of musical theatre productions are pre sented verbatim in punctuation and syntax, even though they often disagree with accepted practice. These deviations are not individually noted as they have been utilized con sistently in the body of work under investigation. 82 rush to provide entertainment for a nation in the depths of a depression. It was with this theatrical philosophy that George Abbott began his musical theatre career. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart proposed to collab orate with Abbott on a musical production. It was the contention of Rodgers and Hart that they would furnish the music and lyrics, and Abbott would write the book in coop eration with them and direct the show. To prepare for the undertaking, Rodgers and Hart suggested that Abbott famil iarize himself with musical comedy technique by partici pating in another show that they had written, which was about to go into production. Abbott agreed, and became director of the book for the 1935 Billy Rose production of Jumbo. Jumbo Although Jumbo provided Abbott with the necessary foundation for working in musical theatre, it was far from the commonplace, formula musical that was the current vogue of the Broadway stage. Libretto The plot of the libretto was limited, in keeping with the standard of contemporary musical offerings, and 83 used merely to connect the excitement of the circus acts engaged for the production. The story is obvious, trite, and contrived. However, it is safe to assume that the patrons in the 4,500-seat Hippodrome Theater were as unin terested in the dramatic offering of dumbo as they had been in shows of past years. Matthew Mulligan and John A. Considine, once happy partners in the circus world, have become bitter rivals, for reasons not too clearly indicated. It is the task of Jimmy Durante, in the role of Claudius B. Bowers, to re unite the unhappy pair, and simultaneously reunite the off- sping of the fighting duo, Matt Mulligan, Jr., and Mickey Considine, whose love affair followed the path of their respective fathers' circus war. To achieve the reunion, Mr. Bowers, a press agent, commits continual blunders. Among the blunders are arson and the attempted theft of an elephant. After much hard luck with the ill-fated Consi dine Circus, Mickey agrees to marry Matt and the circuses combine to provide "the greatest show this side of obliv ion."1 "It is a story that Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht must have spent all of half a day jotting down bn scraps of paper. The scraps, I suspect, afterward blew out the win- 2 dow of their studio." 84 Comedy The story provides only slight fragments of comedy; however, "the ever-reliable and mad-cap Jimmy Durante adds to the gayety of the proceedings by his contagious energy, even when he has been given precious little to say or do 3 that is really funny." Durante's scenes with the elephant,. Jumbo, provide the basis for the comedic antics of the pro duction. As the Considine Circus has been closed down for nonpayment of taxes, Durante, as "Brainy" Bowers, attempts to smuggle the prize elephant out of the grounds. "The sheriff stops him. 'Hey, where ya goin' with that elepant?' he demands. Durante's face takes on the mask of an inno- 4 cent as he asks, 'What elephant?'" Later, to prove that he is the rightful owner of Jumbo, he allows her to pass her hoof over his nose as he lies prostrate on the floor of the center ring. Romance .-.The romance, represented by the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl formula, had been seen innumer able times by the theatre-going public, and provided nothing new, unusual, or worthy of comment. For one reviewer, the production succeeding in mixing the "love 5 interest with circus antics." However, most critics, and 85 Abbott himself, saw the romance of the book as completely lost in the vast interior of the Hippodrome. Spectacle The theatre had been completely refurbished to appear as a 4,500-seat circus tent for the production. John Anderson stated: The old stage had been pushed into a corner, the seats ripped out, and in the middle of the auditorium, beneath a canopy of trick lights, they have installed a full sized circus ring which can be closed when a circular curtain drops down for the intermission. Here is the stage, the scenery, and practically the plot.6 The perennial presence of the dream ballet provided spectacle in the production as Mickey Considine allows her thoughts to return to her childhood, and for a first act finale she conjures up the most spectacular circus ever to be seen. The circus she dreams is flamboyantly miraculous. There is a rhinestone clown which reaches to the roof and a blaze of dancing light which almost blinds the eyes. The ring is filled with crystal horses; over head crystal girls hang by their teeth and whirl. There are tightrope walkers done in diamonds and there are cut glass tumblers all over the place.^ The Company The major interest in Jumbo was neither the libret to, the music, love interest, comedy, nor even the scenic 86 spectacle, but the circus performers. Commentaries are consistent in their praise for the theatre, sets, and cos tumes, but overwhelming for the innumerable circus acts that performed nightly. Reviews constantly refer to The Kamris, trapeze artists; The Stonleys, acrobats; Poodles Hanneford; 75-year-old Josie DeMotte, equestrian; A. Robins, clown, plus bareback riders, wire-walkers, whip-snappers, jugglers, iron-jaw men, lion tamers, loop-the-loop girls, contortion ists, fire-eaters, and Paul Whiteman leading the orchestra while astride a giant white horse. The show belonged to the performers in the center ring, and not to the total production. The number of acts involved was so overwhelm ing that Actor's Equity determined that Jumbo was not a theatrical production, but a circus, and their union had no . 8 jurisdiction. George Abbott's contribution to the production appeared so insignificant, only five of the twelve reviews considered credit him with any mention, and all but one agreed that virtually anyone could have directed the insig nificant book. However, reviews are not without fallibilr ity. Abbott stated that he did stage a production number, the task attributed to John Murray Anderson by all avail able sources. In "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," _________87 the number referred to by Abbott, chorus members were to ride horses, which would parade in time to the music. Abbott, however, neglected to consider the fact that horses do not have a natural sense of rhythm, and the number was 9 eventually done without them. This incident indicates some small contribution from Abbott other than the plotting of the meagre book. The arrival of Jumbo at the Hippodrome was greeted with positive reviews from the press in general. Robert Garland of the New York World-Telegram said, "It's great, it's glamorous, it's gargantuan!"'*'0 Brooks Atkinson called it "handsome, original and happily endearing";'*'1 and Walter Winchell stated: "It is the town's outstanding entertain- 12 ment." However, the public was not as interested in the production as the critics thought they might be or should be. The show's value was as a circus, and theatre-goers were interested in theatre. Spectacle and performers alone were insufficient to sustain more than a five-month run on Broadway, and when the production was reopened in Dallas, Variety reported the dismal results: "'Jumbo' Disinte grates Into 50-cent Circus; Texas Date Another Flop, Ran 13 Show $30,000 Further Into Red." 88 Integration Integration of music and dance into a production [ was as yet a novelty, and even more a novelty in the pro duction of Jumbo. Since the primary impetus to the produc- i 1 ition was the circus acts, the songs and dances which the [principals delivered were totally without interest to the jpublic, and to the meagre libretto as well. Those produc tion numbers which were done in context of the circus parade may be considered to have been integrated; however, this was secondary to the circus performers who were uti- 'lized at every possible moment. Although Jumbo consisted of twenty-one principal I actors, seventy-four chorus members, thirty-one circus 14 15 'acts, and boasted to display a thousand animals, the spectacle did not overcome the deficiencies in other requi sites for affective musical theatre. From Jumbo"s 233 per formances, all that remains are three songs, "My Romance," i '"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," and "Little Girl I [ {Blue," all of which have become standards, and the signifi- -cance of introducing George Abbott to the world of musical theatre. 89 On Your Toes Libretto 16 "Book by Rodgers and Hart and George Abbott," is often the only mention of George Abbott in many reviews that were written for On Your Toes. On the surface, this contribution to the libretto may seem quite minimal, but as in the case of Jumbo, his actual interest was much more extensive. Abbott did collaborate with the composer and lyricist on the libretto of On Your Toes. This collabora tion consisted of taking the first draft of a script which Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart had written, and turning it into a workable theatre piece. Once Abbott had pursued the idea for a short time, Rodgers and Hart, realizing the competency of their collaborator, withdrew and allowed Abbott to complete the script on his own. Richard Rodgers stated: When the first draft of the book was finished we surveyed our work and found it not so good. Perhaps years of being denied the privilege of writing words without music had shaken our confidence or perhaps the book wasn't very good. Anyway, be it said to our ever lasting credit, we took the step of our own volition . . . and called in George Abbott.-*-7 Although considered slight in comparison to the complexities of plot lines in present-day musicals, On Your 90 Toes presented a far more believable story than had been the practice in the years preceding it, with the rare exception of shows such as the unique Show Boat. Bernard Sobel applauds the advancements made by the writers'of the libretto. The old-'fashioned "hackneyed story convention was shattered . . . in On Your Toes, they gave the plot a 18 fresh twist and a plausible theme." The major plot of the libretto is the love story which concerns Phillip Dolan III and Frankie Frayne. Their teacher-student relationship lasts for only a short period of time and eventually becomes the romance that is the basis of the plot, and is more suitably discussed under the sub heading of romance. There is a subplot to embellish the major story which concerns Peggy Porterfield, a rich lady who intends tc put her money into artistic enterprises like the Russian ballet, and the impresario of the ballet company, Sergei Alexandrovitch. Their relationship is not directly con nected to the major plot, but furnishes comedy and correla tive information regarding the connection of Dolan to the ballet. The setting of the story, which offers a look into the depression suffered by the United States during the 91 1930s and the presentation of a ballet, which has as its foundation the streets and the people of New York and is accompanied by music based on the American jazz idiom, provides adequate basis for the audience to relate to the drama. In addition, the inclusion of vaudeville, consid ered as an American institution in the early decades of : this century, and the contemporary view of the Russian bal let as seen through the eyes of the American public, pro vided sufficient impact to attract the nationalistic expec tations of the theatre clientele. Integration On Your Toes takes a major step toward the realiza tion of the well-integrated show as the librett<p allows for the logical inclusion of music and dance numbers, which more often than not grow out of the developing plot or characterizations. Phillip Dolan III, the protagonist, grew up on the vaudeville stage. The Dolan family had been in vaudeville for years; therefore, the opening on a vaudeville stage with the musical number "Two a Day for Keith's," is logical for the story and flamboyant enough to engage the audience. On the insistence of his parents, Dolan studied music and became a professor of theory and composition in a WPA 92 project music school. The school of music setting provides a reasonable progression into a musical number dealing with Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. However, the ambition to dance has never left the inveterate hoofer, and he soon is found involved with a ballet company. The connection is plausible because a composition of one of Dolan's students is to be utilized as the basis for a modern ballet, natu rally performed at the end of the second act of On Your Toes, which may become a part of the ballet company's rep ertoire. The ballet troupe, in addition to providing an outlet for student compositions, is seen in performance, leading to a comic ballet "Princesse Zenobia," near the end of the first act, and the "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue Bal let," which concludes Act Two. Throughout the production, the inclusion of music and dance are derived from the plot and character development, not imposed upon the show for their own values. Even Dolan's participation in the ballet productions evolves from the untimely desertion of one of the ballet company's principal dancers— coincidental, but logical. Romance The ever-present boy meets girl, boy loses girl, bo^ gets girl romantic plotting, seen previously in Jumbo, is ______ a3_ again used in the libretto, appealing to the romantic nature of the genre and the requisites placed upon it by the audiences. Phillip Dolan III meets Frankie Frayne on a professor-student basis in the music school and the rela tionship is considered by Dolan to be purely professional. Frankie, however, has other ideas from the beginning, though her prospects are dimmed by the eventual presence of the vivacious prima ballerina, Vera Barnova, who has also taken a liking to the gullible hero of the plot. Vera, a sophisticated woman of the world, has little problem divert ing Dolan's thoughts away from anyone or anything and toward her own private concerns. Yet, at the last moment, it is Frankie who saves Dolan's life and the two young lovers are united. For plot, the audiences expected no more, nor indeed wanted more. The simple plot idea of true love being consummated suited perfectly the needs of the age and the taste of the public. One would be hard-pressed to view Vera Barnova as the antagonist of the plot, yet she is the major block between the youthful couple, Phillip and Frankie. Any ani mosity felt toward her is easily dispelled when the final ballet is performed and the virtuosity of Vera as a dancer is displayed. Tamara Geva in the role of Vera received 94 nothing but the highest praise for her performance in the show and not one mention is made of her role as a seduc tress, since she is presented in the libretto with wit and charm, not malice, and as a clear statement of the charac ter of Vera: prima ballerina, with all the virtues and flaws of character which accompanied the contemporary notion of a Russian ballerina. The love story, and if one wishes, the love triangle, is the foundation of the plot of On Your Toes. Comedy The development of the characters and plot in the libretto provide two requirements of musical theatre:, romantic and farce comedy. Romantic comedy is seen in the complicated situations in which Dolan finds himself as he enters the dressing room of Vera Barnova, and his childlike infatuation with her. Farce is found in the guise of stereotyped gangsters, mistaken identity, and anacronism of a hoofer teaching music theory and composition. One excep tional combination of dance and farce is the Act I "Prin- cesse Zenobia" ballet-'-a satire on "Scheherazade." In the process of the ballet, Dolan, made up as a black Nubian slave, removes a huge cape to reveal a stark white body beneath a blackened head. Another incident occurs in the 95 "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet when he continually repeats a ballet sequence until police can be contacted and brought in to apprehend gunmen who, mistaking him for another dancer, intend to kill him at the ballet's conclu sion. Dolan eventually collapses from exhaustion. A variety of comic devices can be found in the script. There are topical references, lines with sexual double entendre, and typical puns of the era: Sergei: My name in papers--look! Peggy: Oh, what lovely space— right next to the Townsend Plan.19 Junior: Phillip Dolan the Third— my friends call me Junior. Vera: But I'll call you Phillip. I can't call you Junior. For very soon you will be a great big boy. (They both go into another embrace) (Blackout)20 Sergei: Lefsky! Peggy: Our Lefsky? Sergei: . . . — All afternoon we are waiting for him-- Peggy: Waiting for Lefsky!^1 Much of this comedic wit was considered sophisticated and highly original in its 1936 production, but when On Your Toes was revived in 1954, Abbott conceded, "of course, the 22 book has to be revised." Spectacle Abbott attributes some of the success of the 96 production to the fact that "in the 30's all ballet dancers were Russian and vaudeville was a lot more important 23 then," However, the major interest was generated by the spectacle of a ballet in a contemporary style. The greatest: share of the credit for this new implementation of dance in the musical theatre, by the inclusion of the "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet, is given to choreographer George Balanchine. However, it must be understood that the foun dation for the ballet, the blueprint for its inclusion in the production, was the story. Balanchine was responsible only for its design and execution— which is not to minimize the vast importance of that particular task. Numerous authorities have recognized and recorded the revolutionary aspects of this prominent event. David Ewen accords On Your Toes with the distinction of being the first musical to place such vast emphasis on the ballet. This ballet sequence, in a modern idiom and tempo, brings On Your Toes to its climax; it was the first important and successful effort by a Broadway musical to introduce serious dance. This was done so well that henceforth ballet and musical comedy would join hands in a happy partnership.24 Brooks Atkinson described On Your Toes as "a pioneering show that had an independent style. It included genuine ballet, staged by George Balanchine, . . . at a time when 25 ballet on Broadway was a coterie art-form." Robert 97 Moulton goes further in attributing to Balanchine the creditL for the inclusion of the dance with his statement: "In 1936 with On Your Toes, Balanchine integrated a dance into the plot of a musical comedy. In this case the dance and the 2 g plot were dependent upon each other for meaning." Howard Taubman further elucidated: On Your Toes was the precursor for the revolution for which Oklahoma! generally gets all the credit. Its low-down, violent jazz ballet, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," danced unforgettably by Ray Bolger and Tamara Geva, was not a careless injected interlude but a con centrated extension of the story.27 The distinction is evident. The choreography is a credit to Balanchine. The concept belongs to the authors. The Company "No matter how brilliant the authors may be, the immediate enjoyment of a musical show comes from the per- 28 formers" and the production team. The presence of Ray Bolger in the production was "a distinct standout, and to 29 him were awarded the premiere hurrahs." Bolger is praised in every review of the musical. In concert with him were the accolades accorded to Tamara Geva, Luella Gear, and Monty Woolley, but "Mr. Bolger, a jazz Nijinsky, and Astaire in mufti, is its savior and its star."'*0 It is conceivable that without the presence of Ray Bolger and his 98 unique and versatile talents, the production may not have reached its goals or its revolutionary achievements. The production team assembled by producer Dwight Winman also shared in the benefits bestowed by the critics: music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart, settings by Jo Mielziner, choreography by George Balanchine, costumes by Irene Sharaff, and direction by Worthington Minor. Searching for a simile for this nice word and that, I'd use "prodigal," "expensive," and "resplendent" where Forty-fifth Street's new arrival is concerned. It is an eye-feast for the patron of the song-and- dance, girl-and-glitter type of entertainment, rich in color, costume and lovely ladies.31 "A perfect cast, tip-top direction, a breathtaking chorus and costumes and settings that are joys." "'On Your Toes' 32 is one of the seven wonders of 1936." The direction of the production will inevitably be continually in doubt. Abbott's original commitment to the team of Rodgers, Hart, and Winman was not to end with the completion of the libretto, but with the direction of the total show. However, delays in scheduling rehearsals by the producer convinced Abbott that he should retire from the directorial aspect and Worthington Minor was hired to replace him. In the theatre, Abbott had acquired consid erable reputation as a play doctor, a director who could objectively locate and resolve production difficulties. ______________ 99 This talent was brought to bear during the Boston tryout of 33 On Your Toes. They [Minor, Rodgers, and Hart] went into rehearsal in February, but when they had troubles on the road they began to bombard me with appeals to come to the rescue. Winman wired me frantically, and then Dick Rodgers got on the phone and told me bluntly, "It's your show, and it's your obligation to protect it." Arriving in Boston, where On Your Toes was playing its final week, I found things in better shape than I had expected. . . . The book, however, was a mess; the story line had been destroyed by experimenting, and the actors were out of hand. I behaved ruthlessly to the cast to force them to play their parts instead of fighting the material, and I straightened the book out by the simple device of putting it back the way I had written it in the first place.34 The New York critics faithfully followed the program indication, credited Worthington Minor with the direction, and paid to him his earned praise. One review by Percy Hammond in the New York Herald Tribune, perhaps aware of the late revisions made in Boston, attributed all of the show to "the supervision of Mr. George Abbott, a master of convincing detail." He further stated, "the pictures are beautiful in their way, and the action, thanks perhaps to 35 Mr. Abbott, is reasonably credible," indicating a possible more than minor adjustment to the out-of-town performances. (Italics mine.) Despite any amount of controversy concerning the direction, George Abbott's contributions to the production 100 are indeed significant, and "with On Your Toes, we may have come unknowingly upon a successor to the old musical 3 6 form." On Your Toes possesses every requisite for the successful presentation of a musical theatre production, and the response of both the critics and the public pro vides ample evidence to support this contention. The Boys from Syracuse The Company The production team which brought On Your Toes to fame in 1936 was reassembled intact for the next venture of George Abbott, The Boys Erom Syracuse, which opened at the Alvin Theatre in November of 1938. The intimate working relationship established between these artists in their first show may well have provided a degree of insurance for their second attempt. The prominent difference in the co-. alition was the presence of Abbott as producer, sole play wright, and director. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart provided another 37 score at its musical and lyrical best. The particular hits of the production were "This Can't Be Love," and "Sing for Your Supper." Interestingly, "Falling in Love," which did not impress many reviewers, has become a perennial 101 favorite, while "Sing for Your Supper" has been all but lost. Spectacle Spectacle at its finest was provided by the inge nuity of Jo Mielziner. "Mr. Mielziner's settings were highly successful, especially the house rolled on to the scene, which was as right and as charming as those in the 3 8 Boscoreale frescoed room to be seen at the Metropolitan." Irene Sharaff produced costumes that were colorful, uncon ventional, and effective in a contemporary extension of 39 the classical mode. George Balanchine, the choreographer also received generous praise from the news media. Burns Mantle reported Balanchine as a man "who has done more with the dances than you would expect a ballet master to do. Balanchine has combined art as he knows it from his better ballet training with tap dancing interludes that have a « • „40 true Broadway swing. Comedy The libretto, based loosely on Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, which is an adaptation of Plautus' The Twin Menaechmi, purportedly the original comedy of mistaken identity, provides ample opportunity for romantic and farce 102 comedy. Twin brothers, with twin servants, separated at some undetermined time in years so long past that they are unknown to one another except by stories, coincidentally find themselves in the same neighborhood. The result is an uproar of confusion between husbands, wives, and lovers, providing excellent opportunity for the gifted pantomimic comedy of performers like Jimmy Savo and Teddy Hart, the twin servant Dromios. Romance is equally ridiculed, for one twin in each pair is married, the others are not, and nobody knows which is which. Clothes and jewelry ordered by one pair are delivered to the other, and the wives of one pair take into their homes the unmarried duo. George Abbott recognized in the basic plot a spicy comedy that would appeal to present-day audiences as it had for almost 2,000 years. The use of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, and the Plautus original, was simply for the basic idea. Only two of Shakespeare's original lines remain in the play. Jimmy Savo, as Dromio of Syracuse, properly credits them by announcing "Shakespeare" at the appropriate moments.^ Integration To some degree, the libretto does follow the pre scribed formula for contemporary musical theatre, but 103 generally lacks effective integration of musical and dance numbers. The exposition of The Boys From Syracuse is pre sented immediately and succinctly in the opening musical number of the show. Aegean, the father of the protagonists from Syracuse, having been apprehended in Ephesus and sen tenced to execution, pleads his case before the duke. In sixteen lines of song, he prepares the audience for the complications to come. I had twins who looked alike. Couldn't tell one from the other. They had two slaves who looked alike. Couldn't tell one from his brother. But on one unhappy day We went sailing on the sea. This was our blunder For our ship was torn assunder, One young twin went down with me. One went swimming with his mother. We were parted by the sea— Man and wife and slave and brother. Now my one remaining brave boy Went searching with his slave boy. Having lost my sons and wife too, I will gladly lose my life, too! This information is followed by a rousing chorus from the inhabitants of Ephesus proclaiming the excitement of the forthcoming execution and celebration. After a variety of musical interludes, the first act concludes with a ballet, an established custom of 104 musicals, in the house of a courtesan. The second act begins with another rousing chorus by the people of Ephesus which has nothing to do with the plot other than to present comics and girls to a restless audience, and ends with a reprise of the opening— another device neither original nor motivated, but acceptable to the audiences of the time. The integration of some of the musical numbers into the script is coherent and logical. However, the songs themselves often belie the intention indicated. "Dear Old Syracuse" is introduced by Antipholus of Syracuse as he yearns for the home he left seven years ago in search of his long lost brother. Though the thought indicates a warm reminiscent ballad, musically and lyrically it moves toward a sharp attitude rather than the romantic delight it requires. The lyric states: This is a terrible city. The people are cattle and swine. There isn't a girl I'd call pretty Nor a friend that I'd call mine. And the only decent place on earth Is the town that gave me birth.43 Later, the confused Antipholus of Syracuse becomes involved with Luciana, who loves him but believes him to be her sister's husband. Antipholus states: "For a second we thought we were in love. But we're not— we're too sane for 44 that." The statement leads into a love song, "This Can't 105 Be Love." The logic for a well-integrated song is evident, however, again the song is in contradiction to the romance present in the situation which discloses a young man and a young girl in love. The imaginations of Rodgers and Hart capitulated to comedy and harsh wit where warmth and under standing were called for. Despite the precedence of On Your Toes, where all songs lead genuinely from plot and character, those in The Boys From Syracuse are not of the same calibre. The only apparent reason for the song, "The Longest Night of the 45 Year," is the remark, "It should be set to music." This is certainly a somewhat shoddy manner of introducing a musical number, and one which is reminiscent of earlier and less sophisticated musicals. Romance There is the presence of a romantic interest in the relationship between Antipholus of Syracuse and Luciana. It is, however, virtually nonessential to the completion of the play and serves better as an illustration of a subplot. At the same time, it is inconclusive, for Antipholus seems little concerned with the necessity of pursuing Luciana when she rejects him. Antipholus merely accepts the situ ation and redoubles his efforts to return to his home. Nor 106 is the problem faced by Luciana totally illustrated. Even believing Antipholus to be her sister's husband, she too easily gives up and forgets a love which both have ardently declared to be genuine. As a result, one feels neither the reality of their love nor any pressing attempt to resolve the conflict which separates them as lovers. To the benefit of both the production and to the progress of romance in the musical theatre, author George Abbott has not literally taken the boy and girl formula situation so often seen on the musical stage and again per petrated it upon the public. Although the romance involves the overtones of adultery, which never occurs, there is a / new approach which indicates a maturing of the plotting of romance, even if this newness is thin and incomplete. Libretto The libretto is also beset with problems which provide reason behind the limited run of 2 35 performances for a show proclaimed as a hit by many critics. Walter Winchell, in his review of the show, appropriately summed up the difficulties: The book, which was borrowed in part from Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors," is so much Greek, but the Rodgers and Hart frequent interruptions are thoroughly Broadway, and that, of course, is the big-time idea. 107 When the plot (which is better described as pleasantly unexciting) seems leaden, they bring on the talented specialists, all of whom score. The search of Antipholus of Syracuse for his lost twin brother, Antipholus of Ephesus, is without honesty or a sense of urgency. The task is about to be given up at the beginning of the production, and the development of the plot deals with Antipholus' attempt to return home to Syracuse. The plot is filled with innumerable coincidences, as is the case with both of the older source materials from which the story was adapted. These include people being at the wrong place at the exact appropriate moment, constant mistaken identity, continual inability to explain the truth, and resolution by a . deus ex machina, who, at the very last possible moment, is revealed as the mother of the twin boys and the wife of the old man, Aegean, whom we met in the first act pleading for his lost sons, but not for his life. Of course, they are all reunited, and all is well. The story lacks logical action, cohesion, and sus pense. It is a sequence of moments, tied together by a slim thread of plot, for the purpose of presenting girls, comics, and musical numbers in as pleasant a setting as 108 possible- It is a reversion to a much earlier technique of musical comedy. Fundamentally, the script is too complex for a musical. It requires an excessive amount of detailed information and the attempt to condense the intricate plot into the time allotted, by the ‘necessity of the inclusion of musical numbers, creates much difficulty in following the diffuse and incoherent story line, and diminishes the impact of the show. Rehearsals and previews obviously provided no indi cation of the paucity of interest in the plotting of the story, its lack of clarity, or nonexistent integration. Abbott stated: I don't recall changing the order of any numbers or adding any material once we began to perform the play. I do recall that at a benefit performance on the night before we opened in New York, the show died a horrible death, and we all were sunk in gloom; but on the fol lowing night, it was a success with the first-nighters and the reviews were as fine as you could wish.^' However, with apocryphal wisdom, Abbott immediately added: "At this stage of my career musical comedy seemed very easy to me; I was as yet unaware of its trials and tribula- ,,48 tions. The Boys From Syracuse cannot be listed as a fail ure, but perhaps considered as a momentary pause, or even a slight step backward, in the development of integrated musical theatre. 109 Too Many Girls Although Too Many Girls was the first musical comedy by George Abbott to be purchased by a film company, and to be written and directed by Abbott for the screen, it has little distinction in the history of musical theatre. Occasional reference to the production occurs when Rodgers and Hart are discussed. A single statement usually consists; of "Too Many Girls (1939)," while most commentaries omit it completely. The Company The cast included Hal Leroy, Eddie Bracken, and Desi Arnaz, and for the production, George Abbott retained the services of Rodgers and Hart and Jo Mielziner, while adding the talents of Rao.ul Pene du Bois, from the techni cal team which presented Jumbo, as costumer, and Robert 49 Alton as choreographer, both of Ziegfeld Follies fame. Yet the show was unimpressive enough to last only a total of 2 33 performances. Spectacle The production followed the path established by many predecessors which exhibited a strong emphasis on youth, an element which Abbott was to emphasize in the 110 --------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _ — ----------— --------- — -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . i future with much greater success than he achieved in Too Many Girls. The collegiate age characters are found in the setting of Pottawotamie College in New Mexico, providing an outlet for Indian, Mexican, Cuban, and American sets, cos tumes, and musical numbers, with Alton, du Bois, and Mielziner providing appropriate spectacle with the variety of ethnic backgrounds. Libretto The libretto is characterized as "a wholly unimpor- 50 tant book by George Marion, Jr." The story is easily disposed of. A college coed> Consuelo Casey, is, at the insistence of her wealthy father, protected by four body guards, who just happen to be All-American football players. Everyone is registered at Pottawotamie College and gets involved in the local football season. The college crowd then sings and dances its way through two acts of love songs, Mexican and Cuban specialties— the first act ending with a wild Latin American number— and college songs. Romance Romance appears when Consuelo falls in love with the most lyrical of her four bodyguards, and to account for the other three on her staff, secondary love plots are 111 slimly established in the script. Fragile though these love interests are, they are visually vividly present in the minds of the audience throughout the show, by the necessity of pairing up the youngsters on the stage. For these three remaining football heroes, George Marion pro vides Eileen Eilers, Tallulah Lou, and Pepe, a Cuban cheer leader-all of whom wear beanies as a symbol of their vir ginity. The title even proves a bit misleading, for there are always just enough girls for the number of boys. Romance, however, is sadly lacking. Comedy The comedy that is present in the libretto takes the form of wisecracks instead of wit, and lowers its far cical techniques to the level of anatomical comment, neither ■ of which is acceptable to the success of musical theatre. Brighter comedy is available in the lyrics of Lorenz ;Hart. The college alumnae loudly proclaim that "any 51 little tot of me will go to Pottawatomie"; "The Sweet hearts of the Team" bemoans the fact that football players have neither the time nor the inclination for love; "I Like to Recognize the Tune" complains of the ruination of music by the big bands; "Spic and Spanish" is a constant bouncy play on words; and "Give It Back to the Indians" satirizes 112 the fate of New York and the Broadway stage. However, Richard Rodgers' score fails to keep up with the success of his lyricist. The plight of the composer is indicated by the comments of the critics who stated: He must be for- 52 given "a little esoteric music," "the score is not exactly 53 top-grade Rodgers," and he "has done a little better now 54 and then in the past." Integration An additional difficulty with the production is the lack of a genuine attempt at integration of the musical numbers into the show. Too Many Girls indicates a strong leaning toward the concept of earlier musical comedies where only the presence of comedy, production numbers, girls, and spectacle for the tired businessman were the concern of the production force. Too Many Girls succeeded with the critics despite its problems primarily because of the youthful exuberance of the cast— which provided pleasant entertainment. In a rare commentary on the production, Stanley Green stated: "The production had so much vitality and so many fine Rodgers and Hart songs that few were troubled by its old- fashioned book or the awkward way some of the numbers were 55 incorporated into it." Abbott himself sensed a problem 113 with the show in a statement he made when interviewed on September 17, 1939, about amonth before the opening date. When you direct a piece, you fall in love with it. You can't help yourself. At rehearsals you see it getting better from day to day— becoming more nearly what you want it to be— and then you're sure it's going to be good. Some times you're mistaken, however. When the public comes, it looks with a cold and fishy eye at this thing you thought nobody could resist.56 Viewed in the light of the general response to Too Many Girls, he seems to be prophesying its doom, which came before the first year of performances could be concluded. Too Many Girls lacked comedy and integration, and was founded upon a libretto with spineless romance that was incapable of sustaining the interest of an audience; more than enough reason for its demise. Youthful energy of the unknown cast and the imagination of the production team could not keep the show alive. Pal Joey Revolution in the development of the drama and the theatre is a rare phenomenon. Yet in scarcely over a decade, the musical theatre experienced spectacular innova tions with the integration of music and dance into a moral istic drama in Show Boat (1927); a biting, topical, polit ical satire in Of Thee I Sing (1931); a merging of ballet and musical comedy into a meaningful unit in On Your Toes 114 (1936); and on December 25, 1940, a musical with a book capable of standing on its own merits as an exceptional drama: Pal Joey. Unlike the unanimous praise and adulation showered upon the former innovative musicals, Pal Joey became the subject of intense controversy, even bitter indictment for its supposed flagrant disregard for the rules of the musical theatre and its abuse of the good taste expected by the patrons of this theatrical form. Simultaneously applauded and damned by public and press, Pal Joey went down in defeat after 374 performances, only to arise from its ashes in 1952, unchanged, undiluted, and intact, to earn labels like "a work of art, a masterpiece"; to receive six teen Donaldson awards, setting a new record; to cause the New York Drama Critics Circle to break its own rules, out lawing revivals for award contention, and to name it the best musical of the year; and to become the musical revival with the longest run in the history of the American 57 theatre. The unusual reception which greeted Pal Joey is due to the effect that special considerations, the limitations and beliefs of a particular culture, time period, or coun try, may have on the development of the drama. Conditioned ___________________________________________________________________ 115 by years of exposure to the musical formula of girls, gags, and triumph of good over evil, the presentation of a non- moral hero in an immoral setting, who is no worse off at the end of the play than he was at the beginning, proved to be more of a change than the current values of the theatri cal public could undergo. Twelve years later, in 1952, the level of "sophistication" had risen to the point where the audiences were able to accept the faults of a "Joey" and appreciate them in their glib innocence. In addition, per haps people in 19 5 2 saw this presentation of the seamier side of night club life in the 1940s as.a glimpse into the romance of the not too far distant past, and yearned for individual participation in the gay and uninhibited antics of the incredible put-upon little rascal who serves as the protagonist in this tale of the rise and fall of an untal- ented but fascinating underdog. Libretto Based upon letters, authored by John O'Hara for The New Yorker magazine, written by Joey Evans, an irascible: and naive small-town night club entertainer, the libretto of Pal Joey illustrates a short series of escapades during one of the more affluent periods of Joey's life. The abso lute opposite of the musical theatre heroes who preceded 116 him, Joey is uneducated, glib, shameless, cowardly, deceit ful, and selfish. The instincts of every normal human . being would be to detest the worthlessness of this man. However, these same instincts are the basis for the fond ness felt for him. The balance of the characters in the production are constantly taking this unsuspecting innocent for every little thing he possesses. Vera Simpson, Joey's rich patroness, buys him, and provides him with an apart ment, clothes, and his own night club— as long as she is curious enough to desire his presence. He is berated by club owners and managers, deceived by a some-time girl friend, Gladys; swindled and blackmailed by his personal business manager; and finally dumped into the street where he is ignored by the "old-fashioned nice girl" in the story who found out what he is and didn't like it. Attracted by the first girl he sees, the past is forgotten and a new beginning is foreseen. One may not approve of Joey, but John O'Hara's ingenious portrait of him has made disliking him an impos sibility. He is reminiscent of the adventurers of the past— a modern-day Tom Jones who cannot resist a boastful inventive story or a woman. He is compared to the sub- 58 59 marginal characters of Tobacco Road, Casanova, the 117 - gQ I highwayman from The Beggar's Opera, and other heels and scoundrels in history, literature, and theatre. Basically, the ill repute of the characters, and Joey in particular, is the foundation for the criticism of the production. Yet, even though he is a pretty miserable specimen, Joey is by no means unbearable as a musical comedy hero. There is something so naive about his cheap caddishness, he is so essentially an innocent boob, the simple prey of any smart operator, . . . that moral judgement becomes suspended and he emerges as ^ an object for Olympian amusement rather than hatred. The libretto of Pal Joey is one of constant devel opment of the central character. In the opening scene, Joey is displayed, discussed, and dissected by the people with whom he works. The manager and the chorus girls of a cheap night club provide the means by which the audience is introduced to Joey. He fabricates and connives, auditions to show his meagre talent, then banters and fights with the girls he believes he can master— but loses at almost every turn. Shortly after, he meets an old-fashioned girl, Linda, in front of a pet shop, and the audacious Joey romances her with invented stories that no individual with a modicum of common sense could believe, but Linda falls gullibly for the preposterous line, and Joey has made a conquest-r-his only one in the play. With the entrance of Vera Simpson, Joey loses 118 everything. Vera takes him over and sufficiently makes him over to be of interest to her. Joey, meanwhile, continues to believe that he has the upper hand in their relationship. With the power of Mrs. Simpson's money, he obtains a new apartment, clothes, and his own night club. He is invinr: cible. To Vera, he is merely a toy that will be played with until the novelty wears off, at which point she will on be gone and Joey will be back where he began. Later, Joey is conned by a bogus business manager, and taken for all that he possesses, which is little enough since the money is Vera's. And if the picture is not com plete enough, he talks himself into total transparency to a newspaper reporter who decides it would be better to make up her own lies about him .than to untangle the incredible mess he gives her in an interview. Through all of this tribulation, Joey sees nothing but the best and, to his credit, even when he is eventually back on his own, his thoughts do not rest on the past and the problems he has faced, nor does the future perturb him. He returns to the basis of his existence, the conquest of another "mouse," Joey's term for a girl. There are numerous subplots present in the script and, in every case, each is directly connected to the 119 further delineation of the part of Joey Evans. The main plot, as previously described, concerns the relationship of Joey and Vera. Of value to this central pattern are the connections between Linda and Joey, Gladys and Joey, and Gladys and Ludlow Lowell. The Linda-Joey subplot surfaces in several scenes. It is begun in front of the pet shop, reappears when Vera discovers the fact that Joey and Linda are acquainted, and ends when the two women decide that neither one wants him and each tells the other she is wel come to him in the song "Take Him." Gladys is well acquainted with Joey's past performance and reputation, and refuses him refuge at her place when he is fired from his job at the night club. Later Gladys finds herself happily involved in a get-rich-quick blackmail scheme with Ludlow Lowell, a character she has known in her past. These well- developed and centrally oriented subplots offer additional strength to the libretto by enhancing Joey's character. Protest has been made over the delayed entrance of Vera Simpson. A vital character in the play, she is not onstage until late in scene three. However, Vera is simp another factor in the process of the discovery of the character of Joey. The introduction of the business man ager in the second act is also contested as an afterthought. 120 However, Ludlow Lowell, like every other character in the play, is merely an aid in the development of Joey. John O'Hara has produced a fully developed three-dimensional character who is seen from every angle, and the fact that Joey is limited in his ethical or moral standards does not mean that he is limited in his grasp of life. Joey lives completely and continually, with zest and vigor that are as admirable as any hero in dramatic literature. Comedy It is also from Joey that the comedy of the piece radiates. The heeldom of Joey is thoroughly explored; from Mr. O'Hara's amusedly ruthless examination, Joey emerges as one of the most substantial, and one of the fun niest, characters ever to take the stand among the shadows of musical comedy. Much of the humor of the show, and it is occasionally rich, grows out of the irresistible Joey-ness of Joey.62 It is because of Joey that the audience is made privy to the delightful;inhabitants of a Class "C" night club on the south side of Chicago; to the chorus girls, waiters, hangers-on, managers, con artists, patrons, and, most impor tantly, the songs and dances of these people, which are expressed by the musical numbers of Rodgers and Hart. Gladys Bumps, one of the principal entertainers in the Chicago night club, is provided by Mr. O'Hara with a 121 bright, though slightly caustic wit, in addition to several comedic musical numbers. In a burlesque of Burlesque, Gladys and the girls of the chorus perform "That Terrific ! (Rainbow," which ridicules the "torch song," popular in the . 1930 musicals. Dressed in silver lame gowns, they literally turn purple with anger, green with envy, and burn with an ; ! . ; orange flame, as the lighting changes the stage on cue with ! jthe colorful lyrics. It "is a colossal, devastating com- i ' I mentary on the kind of a floor show that seems so magnifi- j 6 3 ■ cent after two drinks of Chez Joey's scotch." Later, in the second act, the girls all participate in a farcical | treatment of a Follies production number during "The Flower Garden of My Heart," appearing as scantily dressed imita- jtions of flowers as they are mentioned in the song--sung by * I jthe proverbial off-key tenor. A hard-nosed reporter, Melba Snyder, also contrib- ( 1 utes to the comedy as she describes the thoughts crossing i the mind of a well-known stripper while she is at work. Jean Casto, as Melba, "does the most chaste strip tease of the decade, retaining all her garments including a sweater, I coat and hat, but which leaves no doubt as to the technique j 64 : she is parodying." ; Romance Although romance is not prevalent in the script, it > I 'is not totally ignored. Scene two of Act One eventually j ! ! works up to a discovery that there may be a soft side to ! | i Joey when he tells Linda, "I Could Write a Book," based on j the things he has learned about her from their short meet ing. It is, however, not totally sincere. Linda responds that she, too, could write it, but in her heart. i Romance of a different sort is described by the troubled Vera who finds herself "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" by the young fool with whom she has become involved. Lyrically, she describes in intimate, but only suggestive, detail her feelings of being seventeen, dumb, and numb again in the presence of the man, Joey. Later in the show, Vera and Joey playfully discuss their life and 65 love together "in their little den of iniquity," which is I Joey's new apartment. Although the lyrics and procedures are frank and honest, they do not deserve George Freedley's J comments of "smutty," "cheap," and "unpleasant."^ Burns | Mantle counters with the statement: If we can't depend on the dramas this year we can at least extract some satisfaction from the discovery j that there are signs of life in the musicals. ! "Pal Joey" isn't exactly on the clean side. It ! will never make the White List. But neither is it j cheaply or slyly s m u t t y . I 123 | Joey and Vera "are at once romantic, 'serious,' and 6 8 funny." The lyrics are clever rather than crude, the dia logue is honest rather than diversionary, and the show is ! brittle but not bawdy. However, Pal Joey did not follow the1 i i prescribed path for the musical theatre. "Plays without j I I ! •music are not expected to have as characters only nice peo- j i iple. But somehow or other plays with music are. It is part! 69 of the tradition of the theater." Pal Joey broke the tra dition . Integration The manner in which the music and dance portions of the production are introduced provides a standard of excel lence to be followed for years in the musical theatre. There is honest purpose behind the presentation of every musical number. The fact that Pal Joey has for its setting a night club provides ample reason for the inclusion of (larger production numbers, which are staged both in rehearsal Lnd performance situations in the club. Even the dream < ballet which closes Act I is properly motivated, as Joey j foresees his new night club, the Chez Joey, in all of its | I i supposed splendor. Just preceding the ballet, Linda walks \ I out on Joey, who displays no concern, for he sees only the ! t future, independence, and an even more exciting time with j ,the women who will flock to his new enterprise: his club. Vera's songs, "What Is a Man?" and "Bewitched, ;Bothered and Bewildered," are used to illustrate the inner 'thoughts and problems faced by this middle-aged woman. i Cleverly, they provide the information which can only be stated in the privacy of one's mind, and articulated through; a soliloquy or a song. The single exception to the factor of total inte- ' gration in the show may be the inclusion of Melba Snyder's ! simulated strip tease in the song, "Zip." The role is that' of a short cameo, and could well be considered as the tradi-1 I tional second act show stopper. Yet, it provides informa- ' tion not only about the character of Melba, but illustrates the type of people who inhabit the third-class night club society; the attitudes of those who have remained there and those who have moved on to greater heights. Following her absurdly misleading discussion with Joey, Melba describes her adventures during an interview with a Minsky star by the I name of "Miss Lee," to indicate that nothing can bother her ; I after the experiences she has had in her past. Joey, to | ;her, is simply another inflated egotistical performer hiding I behind the pretense of humility, and through this informa- ! tion the audience is made privy to the widespread insecuri- ; i i 125 jties and facades which surround the members of this branch i of the entertainment profession. The song indicates that I ;Joey is no different than the rest of his compatriots; therefore, the song is about Joey, not "Miss Lee." j i In every instance, the song or production number advances the plot, provides new insight into character, or j gives further information regarding the environment which has produced Joey Evans. The score was purposely unsentimental and sardonic, allowing only one love song, "I Could Write a Book," and even that was an insincere expression. Throughout, there was a cohesion of mood between music and plot that was remarkable, though not all songs were used to ad^-r. • vance the action. . . . However, . . . all the songs j shed light on the smokey characters who sang them and about whom they were sung.^O Spectacle i Spectacle on a grand scale is found in the musical. The previously mentioned "The Flower Garden of My Heart" was "illustrated outrageously by June Havoc and John Koehig, who can think up some of the weirdest costumes anybody ever 71 saw," and the first act finale "presents an admirable dream ballet and pantomime. Joey's hopeful look into a purple future is lyrically danced by Mr. [Gene] Kelly. There is a kind of wry and wistful beauty to the spinning j I 72 figures of Mr. Alton's dance design," and "the scenery is 1 i 126 ;in Jo Mielziner's most entertaining mood."73 ~■ I j ! The Company j i The partnership of people who brought Pal Joey into ! existence found a perfect working relationship. The combination of Rodgers and Hart has always been a virtually perfect one, and now it is happily discovered; that O'Hara fits in with them splendidly. Particu larly is the spiritual kinship between Hart and O'Hara to be applauded. Of the two it is rather surprising ; to find that Mr. Hart is somewhat the rowdier, but they' do work together with wonderful success, so that the prose of one and the verse of the other seem delight fully complementary.74 1 i In addition, the cast members make the show unusually excit- i : ling. In the role of Joey, "Gene Kelly . . . fills the shoes I i of this unorthodox juvenile assignment in a way that makes ; 75 one enjoy watching him," but it is the combination of the understanding of Joey in the writing and the performance of 1 Kelly that makes the character not deplorable, but sympa- 7 6 thetic. Vivienne Segal brought to the show dignity in 77 acting, honesty, believability, and an outstanding voice, while the comedy was amply rewarded by the talents of June 78 Havoc, Jack Durant, and Jean Casto. Despite his comments regarding the humor of the : i show, George Freedley found the score of Rodgers and the 79 lyrics of Hart to be a complete success, well in accord i with every reviewer investigated. And not to be ignored, 127 ;George Abbott also scored heartily with his work. "Mr. Abbott, who seems to be happily at home in night clubs, has ^directed as expertly and as knowingly as he did when con fronted with a similar setting in the unforgettable 'Broad-' 80 way.'" As a producer, Mr. Abbott acquired the remarkable talents of a workable team. Abbott himself made the fol lowing observation: Jo Mielziner made a major contribution to the produc- : tion by suggesting that the curtain of Act One be a scene in which Joey envisions his future in the mag nificent club which his girl friend is going to buy himJ It cost ten thousand dollars to build the set, a good * deal of money in those days when a musical had a bud- get of one hundred thousand dollars, but I..accepted the suggestion unhesitatingly. This is a perfect illus4 tration of how many collaborators there really are in a musical comedy.81 * If Pal Joey is the revolutionary musical that it is; purported to be, it is such within the requisites of what 1 comprises successful musical theatre as well. The libretto provides comedy, romance, and the tension that is necessary for the development of any well-written drama. The setting: and story development provide and utilize the opportunities; for spectacle. All of the facets of the play spring from t I the characters, the plot, or _the environment, proving the , ! advantage of a well-integrated show, and the writers, actors, and production team combined to provide an excel- i lently staged and performed musical theatre experience. Pal Joey is already in the annals of theatrical history, j i and will remain a landmark for future observation and emulation. ' | i Best Foot Forward 1 Appealing to the perennial yearning for youth at the heart of the American public, George Abbott produced and directed Best Foot Forward, a musical romp through a ; i private Pennsylvania prep school named Winsocki. Immediate! ! recognition of the school name is often due to Hugh Martin ' and Ralph Blane1s rousing school song, "Buckle Down, ; ! Winsocki." Unfortunately, the memorable moments of musical! 1 i theatre will record no other musical milestones from the production of Best Foot Forward. i t Libretto Expectations for the quality of the libretto were high, due to the reputation of the playwright, John Cecil Holm, who had written the successful comedy, Three Men on a Horse. However, these expectations were unfulfilled. Mr. Holm's subject for the libretto is unusually simple. Bud | i Hooper, already committed to attend the school dance with j Helen Schlessinger, receives word that an invitation sent I on an impulse to Hollywood star, Gale Joy, inviting her to be his date, has been accepted by Miss Joy. The difficul- | | ties are how to get Miss Joy into the dance, since her name j iis not bn the "approved list," and how to appease the j I i jealous Helen who has arrived despite a note from Bud stat-j ing that he is ill. \ Miss Joy does get into the gymnasium for the dance, , but the male student population are so taken with her that > ; i |they abandon their respective dates, to the chagrin of the | l , i girls. Helen then makes an entrance, grabs a bow from the dress of Miss Joy as a souvenir, and soon all the students ! ! are grabbing and ripping in an effort to obtain souvenirs, j leaving Miss Joy scandalously attired in her underwear for I t the first act finale. The second act resolves the disreputable act by involving Mr. Reeber, the head of the school, in a compro mising picture with Miss Joy. The picture reinstates Bud into the school, obtains Miss Joy the desired publicity, and placates the bewildered Helen. In short, the book is no more than an excuse for the youngsters to exhibit their youth, enthusiasm, and | talent. Richard Watts, Jr., an ardent supporter of Abbott | I I musicals in the past, rejected the book of Best Foot Forward I as of little help to the production. Possibly Mr. Abbott's previous production, "Pal Joey," which had a narrative that could stand by itself, has spoiled us for anything so feeble as the libretto which John Cecil Holm offers about the fading film star who decides to get some publicity by accepting a j shy student's invitation to the school prom. Despite j "Pal Joey" I do not demand that the story of a musical comedy should be invariably sturdy, racy or dramatic. j In "Best Foot Forward," though, the book strikes me as going a little too far for comfort, in addition to rearing its dubious head far too often for the good of the show.8^ Romance ' Unless the puppy love of teenagers involved in the proceedings be considered as romance, there is no love ' interest in the development of the plot. The youngsters i i discuss the practical uses of the stadium at night, partici- I pate in the evils of entering a boy's room with no chaperon, and manage a few lines which state in essence: "You're the I only girl for me"; but there is no indication that any mature love can or will result from the discoveries of these children. Comedy Comedy is not only limited, but strained when it is , ; | t , utilized. The characters' names provide some indication of ; i | .'the direction the comedy takes: Hunk Hoyt, Goofy Clark, j i I i"01d Grad," "Blind Date," Minerva, Ethel, and Miss Ferguson. 1 131 ' i A waitress provides one early indication of the t Icomedy in Act One scene two as she states: j I I i ! j WAITRESS j They're having a wictory dinner. j i JACK ' What kind? WAITRESS Wictory. Ve vant a wictorious football team this year.®3 A short time later this conversation transpires: BLIND DATE But I came for a dance not a peep show. I only hope my mother doesn't hear about this. HUNK Why, I never even heard of a peep show. BLIND DATE You never met my mother, either. The comedy of the first act finale also leaves a great deal 1 I to be desired. FRESHMAN I'm going to get me a souvenir. (He rushes in and tears a piece off Gale's dress. The fever mounts. Others tear at her dress. The THREE BOYS try to fight them off, but the mob i spirit is too strong. CHESTER takes picture. The tempo increases until her dress is torn off and she ; has to run for her life.)®5 : i I Unfortunately, the comedy is as adolescent as the ! | ! | 'balance of the script, for the show has "no very funny lines 8 6 to enliven its not very funny situations." i Spectacle ! i | The production was based upon, and found one of its j j few admirable qualities in the youthfulness of the cast and their energetic performances. Richard Watts, Jr. entitled i i 8 7 his review of the production "Youth! Youth!" Burns Mantle headed his comments with "’Best Foot Forward' Is 8 8 Youth on a Musical Comedy Binge," and John O'Hara called ! 89 it "The Children's Hour." I The energies seemed to be oriented toward the danc ing in the production, for Gene Kelly's routines received the greatest share of the notices, while Jo Mielziner's ‘ settings were regarded as attractive and economical, and [ "kept the stage well cleared for what is obviously the 90 - chief business of the show— dancing." In this one aspect. the critics generally agreed, and although no particular dance number received notice, the dancing in general did. Unfortunately, youth and exuberance were not suffi cient to save an otherwise indifferent show from moderate t indifference on the part of the public. ! The Company i i ! In a nationwide search for the young talent needed to present Best Foot Forward, George Abbott had the good ; fortune to discover the natural comic talents of Nancy Walker. : For her audition, Miss Walker sang a "straight" ballad, and in the process convulsed Mr. Abbott with laugh ter. In the best tradition of utilizing valuable talent when he saw it, Abbott stated that while there was nothing in the book of Best Foot Forward for her, he would write in 91 a part to make use of her comic gifts. There was un doubtedly collaboration on the new development, and the result was unanimous praise for Miss Walker's performance, and roles in several subsequent Abbott productions. In addition, there were the accolades for choreog rapher Gene Kelly, who provided the main source of enter tainment in the production. There were, however, too many holes created by Holm's book, Miss Walker's standout performance in a sec ondary role, the inconsequential sets by Jo Mielziner, and the agreement that the only thing Abbott was able to get from the show was its childlike power. In general, there seemed to have been a lack of proper coordination between the major participants in the production. Integration If, indeed, integration of the music and dance into the production is a factor in the developing history of the musical theatre, it was forgotten in the presentation of ; Best Foot Forward. There are, of course, several dance .numbers which fit logically into the setting of the school I ! I jprom; however, the ability of the musical numbers to aid j t I I either plot or character stops there. Songs are inserted jby the presence of a line obviously placed to facilitate i ^ ' ; 'the forthcoming music. Production numbers are also at fault, exemplified I by the lack of reason behind the appearance of a stage full I of girls after the boys sing "Shady Lady Bird" to Helen. The illogical is more prevalent than the logical. Highly positive reviews of the production by Brooks I Atkinson and Burns Mantle may be somewhat tempered by the commentary of Louis Kronenberger, who seems to have had greater insight into the current state of affairs on the Broadway stage. Kronenberger looks back for a moment before, launching into his qualified praise. After feeding the slot machine over and over again without getting a red cent back, you don't have to hit the jackpot to have your spirits raised; and after what | we've been going through in the theatre since the night of Sept. 3, you don't have to encounter a masterpiece , to break out mildly in song. Best Foot Forward, which George Abbott offered last night as the season's first j musical is far from a masterpiece, but it deserves a j \ good many of the more conservative adjectives.92 i [ ' Kronenberger does continue at a later moment to indicate i 93 that "one act of this kind of thing is better than two," ' ( I 135 while another reviewer shortened the show's stability by stating: "Twenty minutes or half an hour of 'Best Foot I jForward' was enough for this department. The rest was 94 boredom." Beat the Band I Libretto j t The libretto by George Abbott and George Marion, | i Jr., for Beat the Band is so complex that the exposition requires practically the entire first act to be delineated. However, as some reason for the proceedings is necessary, the initial information is given in one speech by Damon Dillingham, the leader of band referred to in the title, and the juvenile lead of the show: Damon ( The guy who rented me the apartment is a very rich man named Erskine Higgins. While Hugo is living up there, a radiogram came for Higgins from some people who own an island in the Carribean. They wanted to send their little girl up for Higgins to take care of and offered a lot of money. Hugo answered the wire, signed it Higgins. Now there's some kid on the way up to this strange city from the West Indies, and Hugo confesses ! to having spent something like $1000 of their money. J Now what am I going to do with Hugo?95 ; lOf course, when the girl arrives, she turns out to be almostl twenty years old and beautiful. Not wanting to implicate i his brother, Damon poses as Higgins, naturally falls in love i i 136 with the girl, and after a few complications becomes engaged to her at the end of the second act. The love story is actually secondary to the main plot which concerns the Dillingham band— its troubles and treks around the country. It seems that Damon has a temper and a tendency to hit hotel managers whenever he feels the urge, thus getting the band's contracts cancelled. The band finally lands a job at the Savoy Perkins Hotel in Washington, D.C. After another fight, this time a problem of mistaken identity, the band is forced to play out the engagement in the boiler room, but it attracts so much publicity that it becomes an instant, overnight, main attraction. Querida, whom we now discover knew all along that Damon was not Higgins, follows the band to Washington because she is in love with Damon. However, Damon, now the thoughtful honest gentleman, believes Querida is too good for him and sets a marriage date with a long-standing fiance, Willow Willoughby. Querida knows that Willow will ■only marry Damon if he retains a job. Therefore, she con- ( spires with Hugo, the now reformed brother, and Buster De Costa, Damon's agent, to get the band fired from the hotel. She succeeds and wins her man. Since the love affair between Damon and Querida might be called a subplot, this requisite for effective ! i musical theatre does exist; however, the many other charac- | I ters who could provide substantial interest do not have suf-j ficient time to become interesting to an audience. The sub-j i I ordinate characters become excess baggage. Hugo shows an I interest in Willow during one song, "I'm Physical, You're ; Cultured," but it is then forgotten. Buster De Costa is utilized simply to feed information and participate in low comedy. Mr. Pirosh, a deaf music publisher, is involved with everyone in the production, but serves only as a run ning gag and is never developed into an engaging character. ■As the story progresses, it is obvious that there are no i characters, only shells created for the particular moment with no thought of reality or honesty. i The plot is so thin that the outcome can be fore- ! told after Damon's initial expository speech. There is nothing left to the imagination; no suspense, no surprise, i no conflict. Comedy I Comedy attempts to hold the plot together, but it is also thin and forced. The primary comic touches are almost invariably anatomical. Veronica is a dumb blonde who lives with Buster. 138 Buster Oh, that's veronica. She's a client of mine. Nice kid— never has a dime. We leave her stay here nights. Drummer What does she do— sing, dance? Buster 96 I'm afraid to find out. Another episode occurs with Hugo talking to Buster: i Hugo (He grabs Veronica's negligee. Veronica catches it and pulls it up again. Hugo keeps right on talking to Buster.) ....the two crews are neck and neck... everybody is rowing fast. (His hand lights on Veronica's hip.) .... stroke .... stroke .... stroke. (He suits the action to the word.) ....onward...onward.... onward.... faster.... faster.... faster.... stroke.... stroke...stroke. (Veronica is wide e y e d . )97 This last activity, though sufficient once, is unfortunately repeated in Act Two, while other comedy in a low farcical vein continues. Trumpet What do you say we go bowling to-night? Drummer To-night? I can't — I got a date with your wife. Trumpet 98 Why don't you try and get away later. 139 There are also constant one or two line references such as: "I'm very firm physically." "And slightly loose. ... 99 socially"; "She's my collaborator." "Is that what they call them now?"^-^ "She isn'<t immoral. She's just. . . generous"; and "You can't get horizontal ideas where 102 there's only space to live vertically." There are some attempts at honest farcical situa tions, but most of them fail because of the obviousness of the outcome. Good romantic and farce comedy are notice ably absent from the libretto. I Integration Integration of some of the musical numbers is logi cal and reasonable. The band is expected to play, and when they do, genuine entertainment is the result, but with lit“ tie plot or character development. Most of the music is only vaguely connected to the story, and the larger produc tion numbers are planted with the oldest of techniques. The opening of the show takes place in Buster De Costa's theatrical agency where an office full of girls complain of a lack of jobs as they sing "Down Thru the Agents." Comedy is attempted in the lyrics with rhymes such, as "Can't you give the Ballet Russe / One good goose," "You talk like a bunch of morons / You're not no Gertie Lawrons," 140 1 Jand finally the "French" word "raanana" is somehow rhymed 103 with "corner." The girls and the musical number have nothing to do with either the plot or the characters who ,will be involved in it. i j ! A ballad with a Spanish tone, "Song of Two Islands," |comes with no introduction, and Damon and Querida sing a love duet, "Keep It Casual," approximately ninety seconds after meeting. ' The comic, Buster De Costa, must have a musical number and is given a routine with the band, "Break It Up," i jwhich is both unreasonable and illogical, as he does it as an audition in the absence of Damon when a client wants to hear the musical abilities of the group. When this proce dure fails to sell the band, several other specialty num bers are done by band members which are reasonable, but hardly well integrated into the plot or character development. For the songs by Damon and Querida, the technique of introduction is to plant a line of dialogue that per tains to the title. "Let's Comb Beaches" is preceded by Querida stating: "Then let's run away - you know - and 104 become beachcombers." I t ; The Act One finale has little purpose, and explodes 1 * 141 from nowhere. When Damon, as Higgins, tells Querida that he must go to Washington on business, the band appears in the Higgins penthouse apartment and shortly thereafter, Querida ushers in all of the girls who were involved in the opening scene of Act One. Everyone on the stage then par ticipates in the finale which includes jive, swing style, a fiddle vamp into a square dance, a rhumba, boogie, a march, and finally a swing parade. It is an unusually animated seven-page finale which undoubtedly affected the audience with flashy dancing and mass singing, but is totally extra neous to anything that has preceded it. One production number which is integrated into the libretto occurs in Act Two as the band begins to play in the boiler room. At the manager's insistence, the band launches into one of their numbers, "The Steam Is on the Beam." People hear the sound and filter onto the stage, (and to the pounding shag rhythm, GUESTS and EMPLOYEES pour in, start jitterbugging, until the joint really jumps! The steam-pipes get red-hot, the Boiler Room is the hottest spot in town, as the curtains CLOSE IN.)!05 The success of the band means that Querida will lose Damon to Willow, and therefore moves the plot toward its con clusion. The Company Casting provided problems for Beat the Band. Susan Miller and Jack Whiting, in the roles of Querida and Damon, were both new to the Broadway stage and unable to carry the plotless book. Romo Vincent and Jerry Lester, both of night club fame, found themselves involved in routines that they could not control in the roles of Buster De Costa and Hugo Dillingham. The audiences expected Vincent and Lester to act and got night club routines instead. In this par ticular instance, George Abbott got too many new faces and gave them nothing to hold onto in the line' of a libretto. Spectacle Spectacle also suffered. Settings found mention in only one review. Costumes did slightly better by being commended by two reviewers. The large production numbers were generally appreciated, but for themselves and not in the context of the show as a totality. In short, the show existed for the purpose of getting from one big band number to another. George Abbott was not unaware of these problems, for he has stated: During this period [the 1940s] I had some dandy fail ures and the worst of these was Beat the Band. It was the poorest job of producing and directing that I ever . 143 did; I was guilty of mistake after mistake. The first mistake was in thinking that it was any good; the sec ond was in the casting; and the third and biggest was in not abandoning it when it obviously was a failure. I didn't realize what a disaster it was in New Haven. . . . After a bad opening in Boston, I telephoned Dick Rodgers and asked him if he could come up and give me a hand. He came, found the mess too deep-seated to be able to offer any constructive suggestions. . . . I continued to work at it and was able to make small improvements. But its basic flaws were impossible to correct and eventually it died, teaching me some valu able lessons.-*-^ It is obvious that the problems referred to are the culmination of the numerous problems discussed earlier. The libretto is nonexistent, romance is secondary, integra tion failed due to outmoded techniques, comedy is vulgar and neither farce nor romantic, there were no names or talents among the performers or the production team which could weld the show into a unit, and spectacle lagged con stantly. Without a single solid foundation to uphold it, it is not surprising that Beat the Band died as quickly as it did. 144 Notes ^Richard Lockridge, "The New Play," Sun (New York), November 18, 1935. 2 Burns Mantle, "'Jumbo,' A Handsome Hippodrome," Daily News (New York), November 18, 1935. 3 John Mason Brown, "Billy Rose's 'Jumbo' at the Hippodrome," New York Evening Post, November 18, 1935. 4 Stanley Green, Ring Bells! Sing Songs!: Broadway Musicals of the 1930's (New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1971), p. 122. 5 John Anderson, "Premiere of 'Jumbo,'" New York Evening Journal, November 18, 1935. ^Ibid. 7 Lockridge, "The New Play," g "Equity Decides Rose's 'Jumbo' Show Is a Circus," Daily Mirror (New York), Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, n.d. 9 George Abbott, "The Musicals Take Over," Theatre Arts Monthly, July 1954, p. 96. "^Robert Garland, "'Jumbo' Here at Last in the Hip podrome," New York World-Telegram, November 18, 1935. 11 Brooks Atkinson, "The Play: 'Jumbo' Finally Gets Under Way at the Hippodrome, With Actors, Acrobats, and Animals," New York Times, November 18, 1935. 12 Walter Winchell, "'Jumbo' Thrilling," Daily Mir ror (New York), November 18, 1935. 13 Green, Ring Bells 1 Sing Songs! p. 150. "^Ibid. , pp. 120-121. 15 David Ewen, New Complete Book of the American Musical Theater (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1970), . 269. 145 1 16 I Robert Garland, "'On Your Toes' Opens at Imperial 'Theatre," New York World-Telegram, April 13, 1936. ! 1 ^ y 1 Richard Rodgers, "Words Without Music," n.p., (Museum of the City of New York Theater Collection, n.d. ! Bernard Sobel, ed., The New Theatre Handbook and ( Digest of Plays (New York: Crown Publishers, 1959), p. 497. 19 George Abbott, "On Your Toes," prompt book, 1936, p. 1-31. (Manuscript.) 20 ' Ibid., p. 1-25. 3^Ibid., p. 1-40. 1 22 George Freedley, "'On Your Toes,'" New York Morning Telegraph, July 26, 1954. 23 Ibid. 24 David Ewen, The Story of America's Musical Theater (Philadelphia: Chilton Book Co., 1968), p. 170. 25 Justin Brooks Atkinson, Broadway (New York: Macmillan Co., 1971), p. 335. Robert Darrell Moulton, "Choreography in Musical ^Comedy and Revue on the New York Stage from 1925 through 1950" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1957), p. 28 2. 27 Howard Taubman, The Making of the American The- !atre (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1965), p. 220. I 2 8 ! Brooks Atkinson, "The Play: 'On Your Toes' Being a Musical Show With a Book and Tunes and a Sense of Humor," I New York Times, April 13, 1936. 2 9 "'On Your Toes,'" Variety, April 15, 1936. 3°Garland, "'On Your Toes' Opens at Imperial Theatre." ! 31Ibid. I ' 146 32 Robert Coleman, "Tunes and Jests at Imperial Are a Joy," Daily Mirror (New York), April 13, 1936. 33 Michel Mok, "Portrait of a Laugh-Manufacturer," New York Post, July 7, 1937. 34 George Abbott, Mister Abbott (New York: Random House, 1963), p. 177. 35 Percy Hammond, "The Theaters," New York Herald Tribune, April 13, 1936. 3 6 Edith J. R. Isaacs, "Broadway in Review," Theatre Arts Monthly, June 1936, p. 415. 37 John Anderson, "Jimmy Savo Bows On at the Alvin ir 'Boys From Syracuse,'" New York Journal-American, November 25, 1938. 3 8 Stark Young, "Theatre Review," New Republic, Museum of the City of New York Theatre Collection, December 14, 1938, n.p. 3 9 John Mason Brown, "'The Boys From Syracuse,'" New York Post, November 25, 1938. 4 0 Burns Mantle, "'The Boys From Syracuse' Scores More Hits Than Errors," Daily News (New York), November 24, 1938 . 41 George Abbott, The Boys From Syracuse (New York: Chappel & Co., 1965), p. 57. 4 2 4 3 Ibid., pp. 2-3. Ibid., p. 8. 4 4 45 Ibid., p. 24. Ibid., p. 21. 46Walter Winchell, "Comedy of Errors Provides a Cue for Broadway," Daily Mirror (New York), November 24, 1938. 47 Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 187. 48 Ibid. 4 9 Green, Ring Bells! Sing Songs 1 p. 364. 147 50 Sidney B. Whipple, "'Too Many Girls' Is Cheerful, Bright," New York World-Telegram, October 19, 1939. 51 Richard Lockridge, "'Too Many Girls,' an Abbott Musical, Opens at the Imperial Theater, " Sun (New York), October 19, 1939. 52 Brooks Atkinson, "'Too Many Girls' Opens With a Score by Rodgers and Hart Under George Abbott's Direction," New York Times, October 19, 1939. 53 Richard Watts, Jr., "College Days," New York Herald Tribune, October 19, 1939. 54 Lockridge, "'Too Many Girls, 1 an Abbott Musical. " 55 Stanley Green, The World of Musical Comedy (New York: Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., 1968), p. 155. ^Helen Ormsbee, Sun (New York), September 17, 1939 57 Ewen, Complete Book, p. 403. 5 8 Margaret Marshall, "Drama," Nation, January 18, 1941, p. 81. 59 Sidney B. Whipple, "'Pal Joey' Is a Bright, Gay, Tuneful, Novel Work," New York World-Telegram, December 26, 1940 . 6 0 Richard Watts, Jr., "The Theater: Pioneer Work ip Musicals," New York Herald Tribune, June 8, 1941. ^Richard Watts, Jr., "Night Club Portrait," New York Herald Tribune, December 26, 1940. 2 Richard Lockridge, "John O'Hara's 'Pal Joey1 Is Offered at the Barrymore Theater," Sun (New York), December 26, 1940. r o Whipple, "'Pal Joey' Is a Bright, Gay, Tuneful, Novel Work." 64 Richard P. Cooke, "The Theatre: Pal O'Hara," Wall Street Journal, December 27, 1940. 148 6 7 Burns Mantle, "'Pal Joey' Smart and Novel," Daily News (New York), December 26, 1940. 65 John O'Hara, Lorenz Hart, and Richard Rodgers, Pal Joey (New York: Random House, 1952), p. 101. 6 6 George Freedley, "John O'Hara's 'Pal Joey' Comes to Life in Musical Play at the Barrymore," New York Morning Telegraph, Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, n.d. 6 8 Lehman Engle, The American Musical Theatre: A Consideration (New York: Macmillan Co., 1967), p. 79. 69 Arthur Pollock, "Playthings: 'Pal Joey' Makes Something New and Strange of Musical Comedy," Brooklyn Eagle, December 29, 1940. 70 Green, Musical Comedy, pp. 155-157. 71 Lockridge, "John O'Hara's 'Pal Joey.'" 72 Brooks Atkinson, "Christmas Night Adds 'Pal Joey' to the Musical Stage," New York Times, December 26, 1940. ^Mantle, "'Pal Joey' Smart and Novel." 74 Watts, "Night Club Portrait." 75 Cooke, "The Theatre: Pal O'Hara." * 7 / - Watts, "Night Club Portrait." 77 Commentaries by a variety of reviewers related the stated response to Miss Segal. 7 8 Watts, "Night Club Portrait." 7 9 Freedley, "John O'Hara's 'Pal Joey' Comes to Life." 8 0 Richard Watts, Jr., "The Theater: No Longer a Winter of Discontent," New York Herald Tribune, December 27, 1940. 81 Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 195. 149 r 82 , Richard Watts, Jr., "Youth! Youth!" New York Herald Tribune, October 2, 1941. 8 3 ; John Cecil Holm, "Best Foot Forward," prompt script, 1941, p. 1-2-14. (Mimeographed.) 84 Ibid., p. 1-4-27. p 5 Ibid., p. 1-8-59. 86 John Anderson, "'Best Foot Forward' Opens at Barrymore," New York Journal American, October 2, 1941. 8 7 Watts, "Youth! Youth!" 8 8 Burns Mantle, "'Best Foot Forward* Is Youth on a Musical Comedy Binge," Daily News (New York), October 2, ,1941. ' ■ 89 John O'Hara, "The Children's Hour," Newsweek, October 13, 1941, p. 68. 90 ; Anderson, "'Best Foot Forward' Opens at Barry- 91 "Nancy's Jive Ballad Tryout Convulses Abbott, Wins Job." Courier Post (Camden, New Jersey), December 27, 1941. i 92 Louis Kronenberger, "The Best So Far Is Not So Bad," PM (New York), October 2, 1941. 93 Ibid. i 94 Wilella Wladorf, "'Best Foot Forward,' Season's First Musical, at the Barrymore," New York Post, October 2, 1941. 95 . George Marion, Jr., and George Abbott, "Beat the Band," typescript, 194 2, p. 1-1-6. (Mimeographed.) 96 97 Ibid., p. 1-1-2. Ibid., p. 1-1-8. 9 R 99 Ibid., p. 1-4-32. Ibid., p. 1-5-41. 150 '*'^Ibid., p. 2-2-4. ^^Ibid., p. 2-2-6. 102 103 Ibid., p. 2-5-23. Ibid., p. 1-1-2. 104Ibid., p. 1-5-45. 105Ibid., p. 2-4-20. ^Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 19 8. 151 CHAPTER VI YEARS OF FLUCTUATION AND GROWTH: 1944-1953 The theatrical season of 1942-43 provided what was to become a veritable legend in the annals of American musical theatre. On March 31, 194 3, Oklahoma I opened at the St. James Theater and provided a standard of production for musical theatre that was to be followed for a consider able time. For many years following this Theater Guild of New York production, all succeeding musicals were measured against the format Oklahoma! established. The impact of the show was so profound that it was designated as being innovative in many areas which had been investigated by earlier musicals: opening without the traditional full chorus number, ballets in character with the setting, and integrated music and lyrics that were consistently germane to the plot. The fact that these elements had appeared in past productions did not deter the heralding of Oklahoma! as the innovator, and Rodgers and Hammerstein as masters of 152 the musical form. Pal Joey, which two years earlier had attained the same level of integration, had been dismissed due to the substance of the story, and other earlier shows were disregarded because they had not achieved the level of sophistication that OklahomaI had attained. Nor did the label of "folk" musical, "folk" ballets, and "folk" story deter interest in the production. Oklahoma I was the American "folk" theatrical piece, and the American public took it to heart. Since Oklahoma I -was the new standard bearer, it is not surprising that the subsequent offerings in New York on the Broadway stage were to follow the established pattern of success. This is the same practice that has been the rule for the development of the theatre for centuries. On the Town The first musical with which Mr. George Abbott was concerned after the decisive "changes" made by Oklahoma ! was On the Town. In some remote aspects it did indeed follow the pattern, yet, innovative in its own way, it seemed to be not in the least concerned with the folksy Oklahoma 1 Wolcott Gibbs observed that On the Town "doesn't give a damn for 'Oklahoma!' or anybody else, and I had a wonderful time."^ 153 The difference is felt at once. This world becomes exciting rather than relaxing. It stimulates in stead of lulls. It pleases in new ways, not old; providing those alert pleasures which the familiar cannot yield, but which are the dividends of novelty. Let something like "Shuffle Along," "The Garrick Gaieties," "Chariot's Revue," "The Little Show," "I'd Rather be Right," "Pins and Needles," "Pal Joey," "I Married an Angel," "Oklahoma!," or this season's "On the Town" be produced, and the impact is inescapable. The change is welcome and invigor ating as if an individualist had stepped out from a long line of Rockettes. "Show Boat" would find its place upon such a list if only it had inaugurated a new tradition in stead of perfecting an old one. Certainly it lingers in the memory, along with "Oklahoma!" as the love liest musical comedy our theater has produced. But "Show Boat," though the finest flowering of a famil iar bush, did not bloom as a new variety. "Oklahoma!" was such a bloom. It is fresh in its innocence, sprung from the soil of the Southwest not the asphalt of Broadway. It is a folk play given the wingspread of song. It. is a folk play that, because of its simplicity, can serve every man as his opera; a folk play, radiant, lusty, and wonderfully Ameri can, that somehow manages to create indoors the feelings that each man knows is the presence of a sunrise. "On the Town" is another such bloom. It is dif ferent from "Oklahoma!"; as different as Manhattan is from the Southwest. But it is just as fresh in its approach to the city as "Oklahoma!" is in its approach to the soil.^ Parallels can be established in the openings of the two productions, but the libretto of On the Town quickly diverges from the Oklahoma! pattern. Oklahoma! utilizes a solo bal'lad-, "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' ," as its initial number, and On the Town begins with a single 154 dock worker bemoaning early morning blues by singing "I Feel Like I Ain't Out of Bed, Yet." At this point the openings and the shows move in their separate directions. Oklahoma I continues its folksy attitude, but in On the Town, three sailors on leave, ready for twenty-four hours on the town, burst onto the stage to discover "New York, New York," with the rousing vitality reminiscent of full choruses of years past, and set the mood for the balance of the evening. The interest of the trio is in the sights, lights, and nights that this exciting town has to offer, and through the magic of the theatre, they, and the audi ence, discover them all. On the Town broke the tradition of following the formula of what was successful at the moment, and moved beyond being an average musical. Unlike the play adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical which preceded it, On the Town .has as its foundation a lighthearted dance depicting the contem porary New.York scene called "Fancy Free." Devised by Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, and Oliver Smith for the Ballet Theatre, the success of this twenty minute vehicle stimulated the originating trio to attempt a full length musical. Jerome Robbins is credited with the "idea" for the musical, having designed 155 . . . the best American jazz ballet to date and just as easily the Ballet Theatre's reigning hit. "Fancy Free" had all that it took to describe three sailors on shore leave who were foot-loose— and fancy free. That the gobs were also "on the town" gave Robbins his idea for the current m u s i c a l . ^ Libretto The libretto, placed in the capable hands of Betty Coraden and Adolph Green, who had written for revues for many years, totally fulfills the requirements expected of it. The simple, highly condensed story contains two sub stantial subplots, which develop simultaneously to the main plot, and it deals with the subject of romance in an easily recognizable American setting filled by easily recognizable American characters: New York City and mem bers of the United States Navy. The quest of three sailors, Chip, Gabey, and Ozzie, for excitement and girls during their first twenty-four hour shore leave in the fascinating city of New York, is sidetracked by the infatu ation of Gabey with a model seen on a poster displaying the current Miss Turnstiles of the month in the local subway. So strong is this feeling, that Chip and Ozzie both agree to aid in the search for this particular Miss Turnstiles: Ivy Smith. Utilizing information describing her on the poster— "Ivy's a homeloving type who likes to go out night- 156 clubbing. She's not a career girl, but she is studying singing and ballet at Carnegie Hall and painting at the Museum. She is a frail and flowerlike girl— who's a cham- 4 pion at polo, tennis and shotput" — the trio split up m an attempt to find her, but agree to meet later regardless of their degree of success. The search leads them, independ ently and collectively through several subway rides, taxi rides, to the Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Hall, a couple of bedrooms, Times Square, three nightclubs, Coney Island, and finally back to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. De spite the confusion of locales, the story has one objective: the location of Miss Ivy Smith. The scenic tour of New York is also a necessity for the conclusion of the plot, and provides the atmosphere of the city. On the Town "sets out to capture the jangling, nerve-racking energy of New 5 York City, and it does exactly that." The quality of the book prompted Louis Kronenberger to state that it is "the g best musical comedy book since 'Pal Joey.'" Two subplots to the story provide additional in terest. A female cab drive, Brunhilde Esterhazy, failing to seduce Chip by means of her charms or her cooking, agrees to aid in the search for Ivy Smith and in the pro cess appropriates a cab for the duration of the undertaking. 157 This indiscretion adds the cab company supervisor, S. Up- perman, the police, and Hildy*s roommate, Lucy Schmeeler to the escapade. Meanwhile, Ozzie has wandered into the Museum of Natural History by mistake, and is mistaken by anthropologist Clair de Loon for a pithycanthropus erectus. Claire*s interest in Ozzie vacillates between academic and lust until the uncontrollable basic nature of her feelings wins over. During Claire's pursuit of Ozzie, the skeleton of a dinosaur is demolished, an incident which adds Profes sor Waldo Figment of the Museum staff and additional police to the compounding chase. Romance True to the time-honored tradition of the musical theatre, the romantic aspect follows the well“beaten path which has virtually never changed. Gabey finds Ivy Smith at her vocal lesson in Carnegie Hall, and after a modest, momentary hesitation, she agrees to a date with him. How ever, Ivy is forced to cancel the meeting when her vocal instructor, Madam Dilly, threatens to tell the subway people and the courts that Ivy earns her. living as a kootch dancer in a Coney Island sideshow, and is $56.00 in arrears for her voice lessons. Thus, boy meets girl, boy loses girl. 158 Believing him jilted, Gabey's friends take him on a whirl of New York night clubs to cheer him up. Once again Madam Dilly, whose major vice is alcohol, appears. This time she is in a state whereby she divulges information of Ivy's whereabouts. Gabey immediately leaves for Coney Island, and in pursuit of him are his friends and a consid erable entourage which the sailors have accumulated in their adventures around New York. The combined arrival of all concerned results in the arrest of the sailors, and the girls are held for questioning. The various escapades have resulted in some misdemeanors. All appears lost. However, an indiscretion on the part of a judge, one of the accusing parties, proves sufficient to reunite the young lovers at the final curtain. Three romantic entanglements are now involved in the libretto: Gabey and Ivy, Chip and Hildy, and Claire and Ozzie. Not content to terminate the romantic quest, Comden and Green add one further complication, the indis cretion which resolves the story. Claire's fiance, Judge Pitkin Bridgework, who has followed in the past and con tinues to follow and understand Claire's irrational behav ior, is linked by a slight mishap of fate to Lucy Schmeeler. Rather than risk any notoriety, the Judge is 159 I able, through money and position, to resolve all of the conflicts. Romance triumphs, as it should, in the resolu tion of four love interests. Comedy Romantic comedy, which ridicules the problems of love, is clearly evident in the plot condensation described above, and particulars in the script define it more exten sively. Broad romantic comedy exists in one scene between Hildy and Chip, which takes place in the front seat of Hildy's cab. HILDY What's your name? CHIP Un — John Offenblock -- but the fellas call me Chip. HILDY (Coquettishly) Chip, huh. Betcha can't guess my name. CHIP Guess it? Oh, that's ridiculous, Why, the law of averages --- HILDY O.K. You win! The name's Esterhazy. Brunhilde Esterhazy. (Slight pause) Kiss me I (SHE turns her face. HE doesn't believe it. HE turns his face to right. SHE grabs him. . THEY disappear in a clinch behind the steering wheel, and come up after a moment, HE, all flustered, and 160 SHE all aglow)^ In a similar fashion, Clair and Ozzie become hu morously involved in the Museum of Natural History. CLAIRE It was Pitkin who made me study anthropology. I made a clean breast to him of all my past and he understood. He said, "Claire, I understand." (Turns to Ozzie) "Just make a scientific study of man and know them objectively - and you'll get them out of your system." OZZIE Well, did it work? CLAIRE (Staring at him) Almost completely. (Makes a lunge for him. SHE grabs him in her arms and bends him over her knee in a passionate kiss. His hat falls off. THEY come out of it) Of course, sometimes I get carried away. In contrast to this comic style is the warm romantic comedy of Gabey1s relationship with Ivy. When he meets her at Carnegie Hall, his innocence and panic are related in a single speech. GABEY The name's Gabey. I'm pretty hot stuff in the Navy. I'm in town for one day, and I'm gonna do this old burg up brown. I'm a pretty special guy and I need a pretty special girl - and you're a pretty special girl - and we're gonna step out tonight - and — Goodbye. (HE rushes to the door in a panic) A short time later, with a little more honesty he states: 161 But all I wanted to say is - I'm glad to meet the famous Miss Turnstiles. You know - that really makes my day complete. I - I liked your picture first because I thought you looked like Minnie Frenchly - but you - don't look anything like her. You're much more beautiful - and to look like that and do all those things - opera^- sports - and oh, gee - You're wonderful. G'bye. Romantic comedy is abundant in the script. The presence of farce is best illustrated in a series of chase interludes which gather momentum and mag nitude as they are repeated throughout the libretto. The first chase is instigated because Gabey has taken a Miss Turnstiles poster from the subway and a Little Old Lady accuses him of vandalism. In scene two, "LITTLE OLD LADY runs Right looking for policeman,then Left, jumps up and 11 down, runs off Left"; scene four,"LITTLE OLD LADY finds a POLICEMAN, tells him about the vandalism, and THEY run 12 off"; scene five, "UPERMAN finds a cop, tells him about Hildy's taking the cab. THEY run off. LITTLE OLD LADY 13 and her COP follow in pursuit"; scene six, "The previous characters in the chase are now supplanted by FIGMENT who demands that the POLICEMAN run after Ozzie and Claire who have destroyed his dinosaur. The OTHERS stream by in hot 14 pursuit"; and Act Two scene ten, "FIGMENT sees PITKIN, demands arrest, runs off. POLICEMAN follows, UPERMAN fol lows in chase, followed by a COP. LITTLE OLD LADY tears 162 15 across, finally PITKIN and LUCY joxn in, exiting right." The chase finally ends with the collective arrival of all parties at Coney Island and the arrest of the pursued couples. This style of farce is reminiscent of earlier musical forms where the comedy was presented in its best light; however, each of the chase sequences is integral to the story, while developing on a comic level. Integration Integration of the music and dance numbers into the libretto is accomplished with ease and plausibility. "New York, New York" describes the aspirations of the three sailors as they look forward to their shore leave, and the sights they hope to see. "Come Up to My Place" and "I Get Carried Away" are delineations of the characters of Hildy and Claire, respectively, and further the plot by increasing the entanglement of Ozzie and Chip in their abortive attempt to search for Ivy Smith. The locales of Carnegie Hall and the various nightclubs that are visited offer ample oppor tunity for musical numbers, but in each case, these numbers have an effect upon the characters which forces them on to additional searching or sightseeing. This enforced trek around New York provides for the eventual meeting between 163 Gabey and Madam Dilly, whereby Gabey learns of Ivy's presence at Coney Island. The two appropriate major dance sequences in On the Town are the "Times Square Ballet" and the "Imaginary Coney Island." The "Times Square Ballet" is presented at the end of Act One as the principal characters, minus Ivy, decide that they will enjoy the evening and see New York. During the dande, New York, with all of its frenzy and fantasy, comes to them. In the "Imaginary Coney Island^'" also referred to in the script as the "Dream Ballet," the authors and Jerome Robbins, the choreographer, have utilized a device credited as being invented by Agnes de Mille in Oklahoma! where the young lovers see themselves in a dream. In On the Town, Gabey, on his way to Coney Island, finds the sub way transformed by the rhythmic patterns of the train and its occupants into a hazy, fluid, dreamy place. Ivy ap pears in the dream, but is carried off by a group of so phisticated men. Then, "the real GABEY goes off to one 16 side to see his dream counterpart enter." In the dance, Gabey sees himself, through his counterpart, ensnared by a conniving and grasping Ivy. He is finally rendered help less arid Ivy leaves him in triumph. Howard Barnes stated _______ 164 that the subway ride and the dance number blended "song, 17 dance and story with delight." With the exception of the music which accompanies the characters chased by the police in numerous crosses previously delineated, perhaps an older musical theatre technique and only circumstantially motivated into the otherwise smooth context of the libretto, there is logical integration throughout the production. Generally the crit ical reaction was that the "ballads and comedy numbers are wisely written to match the freshness of the enterprise rather than the durability of The Hit Parade," and "though ’On the Town' is filled with ballet, the audience is not overwhelmed with it as all the dances serve a purpose in 1 R the book." The Company The production team of On the Town proved not only impressive, but distinctive. Leonard Bernstein had re cently received the "Music Critics' annual prize for the 19 best new composition of the year," and his music for On the Town "is adventurous, written in an idiom uncommon along Broadway, and as fresh in its feeling as is the 20 production as a whole." The response to the choreog raphy of Jerome Robbins was similar. "'Overnight,' says 165 Robbins, 'I was being called by producers who used to 21 audition me for choruses.'" Oliver Smith was applauded for the designs as were Comden and Green for their libret to. Director George Abbott's most sincere compliments came from his co-workers, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In an interview they stated: "What we needed more than anything in the world, we realized, was a director— a man not only to stage the production but to corral and tie down the roaring egos involved. Came the miracle— George 22 Abbott." With producer Paul Feigay, a new package was formed, and the names were to be associated often in the following years. Spectacle For spectacle, the designs of Oliver Smith more than succeeded. The lone dissenting revue, from John Chapman, disagreed with most of the production but could not disregard the scenic thrills. "Mr. Smith's effects, even when they verge on the spectacular are achieved with remarkable economy." The scene "in which a subway train arrives at Coney Island and the whole wonderland of sky rides is revealed,.is an example of stage designing at its 23 best." But even Mr. Chapman could not remain in the 166 minority for very long. His initial review published on December 29, 194 4 was followed by another on August 5, 1945. The edition, the Sunday News, carried an article by Mr. Chapman entitled, "A Second Visit to the Musical 'On the Town* Results in a Change of Opinion," and concluded 24 with the statement, "Well, 'On the Town,' is a wow." Louis Kronenberger aptly summed up the positive side of the reviews, headed his column "Best Musical of the Year," and stated: This show that grew out of Leonard Bernstein's and Jerome Robbins' smash ballet number, "Fancy Free," should put Broadway— the Broadway of tasteless lavishness, of stale gags and stupid smut, of tired formulas and meaningless furbelows--in its place. For "On the Town" pumps energy and excitement and humor into the musical field; it spurns formulas; indeed it makes fun of them. In its youthfulness and bounce, and in the gaiety of its fooling, it gives you the kind of fun you got in the heyday of the intimate revue. Yet, and not simply because it is larger-scaled, it is something more than an inti mate revue. It has a unity of mood and movement: this yarn of three sailors on the town packs into two acts a lot of the spread and color of New Y o r k .25 The fulfillment of the criteria, in addition to critical and popular response, illustrates the outstanding achievements accomplished by On the Town. 167 Billion Dollar Baby Libretto Despite a libretto better- than normally expected for |a)ffective musical theatre, Billion Dollar Baby, which opened on December 21, 1945 and was billed as a "musical play of the terrific twenties," did not succeed. The un usually strong libretto for the production follows the as pirations, victories, and defeats of Maribelle Jones as she moves from a drab Staten Island home and dance mara thons through the riches and glory of Atlantic City, speakeasies, and Palm Beach. The opening scene in the Staten Island home of the Jones family establishes in concise and logical order the events to come. There is no opening song, no razzle- dazzle costumes and set, and no line of chorus girls to appeal to the tired businessman. Instead, a contemporary 19 20s living room appears, with a radio playing a song about a guy who would give all he owns for his million dollar baby. Humming along with the tune is Ma Jones as she prepares for reporters who will soon arrive to inter view her daughter, Maribelle, the current Miss New York on her way to Atlantic City as a Miss America hopeful. The exposition is completed as Maribelle mentions her desire to 168 marry the rich M. M. Montague; her wishes to see both the fabulous night spot, Chez Georgia, and its star, Georgia Motley; the aspirations of her ' (boyfriend, Champ, who wants to to enter and win the National Dance Marathon in Palm Beach; and the charms of her friend, Esme, who will play a part in one of the many destructive incidents that Mari belle will bring about in her lifetime. The audience also discovers the two sides to Maribelle's character— a syrupy sweet, helpless girl when she wants something, but a driving, relentless, hard-nosed she-devil when it is neces sary to obtain her goals. Although she loses the Miss America contest, Maribelle believes that she was not designed to be an ordinary wife, or lead an ordinary life. Her destiny is something better, and she is determined to obtain it by any means at her disposal. The first opportunity presents it self on the Staten Island Ferry, which is run by her boy friend, Champ. On the deck of the boat, Maribelle meets Jerry Bonanza, a dealer in illegal liquor during the pro hibition era. Discovering that Jerry knows both Georgia Motley and millionaire M. M. Montague, Maribelle goes with him to the Chez Georgia. At the nightclub, she is intro duced to Dapper Welch, a "small big-time gangster," who is 169 as taken with her as he is with every pretty face he sees. Although Georgia is really Dapper's girl, she understands his little flings and unfortunately ignores Dapper's in fatuation with the pretty young flirt. Dapper easily ar ranges to have Jerry Bonanza taken care of, and two gun shots are heard offstage. Also introduced in the scene is Rocky Barton, Dapper's right hand man who displays a bit too strongly his displeasure toward Maribelle, which fore shadows a fourth romantic entanglement in her short career. In Act One scene nine, M. M. Montague appears, and though the arrival is late, it is not of concern, since the character has been well prepared for by dialogue in the preceding scenes. A complication which creates a bit of complexity is Montague's proposal of marriage to Georgia, who refuses him. Georgia, despite her lack of moral stand in certain areas, will marry only for love, not money. As Maribelle rises in the attainment of her goals, the love between her and Rocky becomes apparent. Rocky must therefore dispose of Dapper, whom he shoots onstage during a performance of "The Jollities," the sensational show in which Maribelle is the star. Since Dapper's death must be avenged, Rocky is taken care of by the mob, leaving poor Maribelle sad, lonely and without a protector. 170 j Maribelle promptly leaves for Palm Beach to renew i jacquamtances with Champ who is entered in the National I ; Dance Marathon with Maribelle's friend, Esme. In Palm •Beach, it is only natural that Maribelle bump into t •Montague; but Georgia, wiser this time, keeps between them. Inside, at the marathon, Champ, spurred on by the arrival of Maribelle, wins; but almost immediately collapses on the jfloor, and it is Georgia who rushes to his rescue. Taking * ■advantage of every opportunity, Maribelle convinces iMontague that Georgia and Champ are having an affair, and the two commiserate, ending in an embrace. Maribelle promptly becomes engaged to Montague. Unfortunately for Maribell, Rocky shows up again. It seems he feigned death to avoid both the mob and the police. When he enters Maribelle's room, he sings of his love for her and how he has been sure of her love. Con versely, Maribelle sees no love and a life with Rocky on I I the run from mobsters and the police that is also not for I i ,her. I ' Up until this point, Maribelle has been ruthless, I !but never cruel or deadly; she has used people, but their |end has been their own doing. With many of the factors |that made Joey Evans of Pal Joey a likeable sort, Maribelle f 171 is admirable in the forthright manner in which she is ful filling the destiny that she stated for herself in the opening scenes. Now the evil in her surfaces. She calls in the police who kill Rocky, the one man who loved her for herself, and whom she honestly loved. No more is left with which an audience can empathize or even sympathize. The only possible resolution is retribution. The retribution does come, but it is shallow. dust as Maribelle is married to Montague, the news is released that the stock market has crashed and Montague is penniless. Unfortunately, her comeuppance is insignificant compared to the damage which she has been able to inflict upon others, particularly Rocky, in her short lifetime. The result is a feeling of hostility toward Maribelle and the authors for their inability to resolve the problem satisfactorily. The bitter taste is not in keeping with the stan dards of musical theatre demanded by the. public, and in herent in the genre. In Pal Joey, Joey is neither better nor worse off in the end than in the beginning, but Joey never perpetrated any harm upon anyone, though he was in deed a parasite. Maribelle was not only a parasite, but a destructive one, leaving in her path ruined lives and dead bodies. The only sentence she received was to be married 172 to a penniless man, neither a just nor fitting punishment for the crimes committed in the name of achieving her goals. Disregarding the problematic ending, the libretto lives up to the requirements for the presentation of Ef fective musical theatre. Though seemingly complex in the retelling, the story is in fact simple and concise; pre sented smoothly and understandably; and logical in the development of the plot. It involves a subplot with Champ and Esme, which aids the main plot line. The coherent story of a small town girl's race for a better life--a rags to riches tale— fits well into the American scene, which is also represented by the Miss. ^America contest (a national institution), and the setting in the 1920s, a period well known to all Americans due to the flamboyant style of living which culminated in ;^the stock market crash and the depression. The libretto is innovative and strong but of a style which could not be accepted by a public % which demanded heroes and heroines of pure virtue and romantic inclinations. Comedy The unusual paucity of farce and romantic comedy and the ^trident use of satiric comedy, radically impair _____________ 173 the effectiveness of the production. As stated in Chapter III, satire has been effective only rarely in the musical theatre. The problem was cited by John Chapman who stated: "It looks upon these things with a not too critical eye, for the authors, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, are not yet old enough to assay the Era of Wonderful Nonsense with the 2 6 cold judgment of historians," and Burton Rascoe saw that "the authors of "Billion Dollar Baby' have satirized only its surface aspects, which have been satirized over and 27 over again." The satirical investigation of the decade only twenty years past, utilized as a comic device, was not funny. An example of one excellent farcical moment does occur at the end of Act One, when Maribelle appears as a star of "The Jollities." In this scene, which parodies a Ziegfeld finale as brilliantly as the authors of "Pal Joey" dealt with a night club, two grave and beautiful girls are sus pended in the air in flowered swings, while below them others, proud in feathers, fur, and precious stones, pose on the marble stairs and sing "A Lovely Girl is Like a Lovely Bird." It is a moment of particular splendor, and its climax, when a couple of gunmen begin to shoot it out on the set and the brave, childish voices go right on singing, is one of the comic highlights of the season.28 It is, however, a rare moment of affective comedy in a genre which demands a substantial amount. Subsequently, 174 Act Two, which opens with a funeral and closes with the crash of the stock market, "shows signs that the authors were fatigued; satiric inspiration lags; there is no sur prise; and comedy, anemic in the first place, gives up 29 altogether." Romance Romance, as defined for purposes of this study, does not exist at any point or in any manner in the libretto or the production. Integration Reversing the negative trend, integration of songs, dances, and production numbers, is logical and reasonable; proceeds directly from the script; and provides either valuable information for the development of the plot or insight into.the characters. The opening scene contains only one musical number which comes from the radio in the living room of the Jones family. Indirectly, this device indicates the goals to which Maribelle will aspire and adequately prepares the audience for the story and for Maribelle herself. - The Miss America Contest in Atlantic City provides ample opportunity and reason for the girls to perform, and ____________________ 175. the song, "Gonna Win" illustrates their thoughts, their hopes, and their determination to demolish all of the com petition. Maribelle, defeated by Miss Texas, displays her determination to succeed in "Make My Dreams Come True" which develops into a dream sequence which exemplifies her desire for wealth and fame. The "Charleston Number" recreates the frantic pace of the 1920s and provides a transition into the setting of the Chez Georgia nightclub. Georgia Motley, as a star of "The Jollities," moves the plot forward with a song de scribing the rise to fame and decline of a Broadway star, foreshadowing the forthcoming rise and fall of Maribelle. "Pals," sung in the club by Dapper Welch and Jerry Bonanza, motivates the necessary disposal of Jerry; "There I'd Be" envisions a future life with the wealth of M. M. Montague; "One Track Mind," though sung by Champ and Esme with refer ence to their decision to enter and win the National Dance Marathon Contest, applies admirably to Maribelle, and is reprised by her as she takes over control of Montague; "Bad Timing" discusses the difficulty and futility of love between Rocky and Maribelle while Dapper is still alive; and even the Act One finale presentation of "The Jollities" is integrated as the gunmen fight it out onstage amid the 176 expensively, but scantily clad girls. To the credit of the authors and composer, all of the several additional musical numbers in the production find their reason in character or plot. Although they aid in the spectacle of the produc tion, they are not extraneous to that singular end. The Company The difficulties which otherwise encumbered the production did not impair the efforts of the production team. George Abbott won the Donaldson Award for direction, due in part to the authenticity of the 1920s reproduced in mood and pace, for Abbott was the only one of the produc tion team who could speak with any authority on the period. Considering that neither the authors, the pro ducers, the composer nor the choreographer (Jerome Robbins), can possibly remember what the prohibi tion and speakeasy era was like, their success in reproducing it on the stage is pretty frightening and is likely to startle their contemporaries, as it frightens their elders, who suddenly find them selves confronted with vivid representations of an embarrassingly unlovely period in our country's history. . . . Irene Sharaff's costumes are masterpieces of ingenious unbecomingness; and equally in period are Jerome Robbins' reproduction of the dreadful Charleston; George Abbott1s skillful direction of the speakeasy and marathon scenes; and Oliver Smith's handsome sets.30 Any success achieved by Billion Dollar Baby belongs to its production team, and existed on their ability to 177 create vivid spectacle. The fine combination of spectacu lar elements which they were able to assemble made the show, for many, a delightful escapade. But this singular factor was insufficient for the show to be widely ac claimed when balanced against the opposing elements. Abbott stated in retrospect that there were problems with the production. "The show had enough merit, however, to 31 be a passable success." It was that at its best. Barefoot Boy With Cheek The libretto of Barefoot Boy With Cheek is not only reminiscent of the musicals of the 19 30s, but had it been presented during that earlier period, its success easily may have exceeded that which it experienced in 1947. Fol lowing in the footsteps of Babes in Arms, Too Many Girls, and Best Foot Forward, this George Abbott production has as its basis, youth on a college campus. Libretto The plot, which is simple enough to qualify for a musical, does contain romance, farce, subplots, and an American orientation. However, the simplicity is so ex treme as to render the story without substance. Roger Hailfellow, president of Alpha Cholera, and Syster Fiscal, _______ 178 treasurer, utilize the presence of Eino Fflliikkiinnenn, an exceptional but dumb college athlete, to ensnare freshmen with sufficient money into their fraternity. Asa Hearthrug, son of a Minnesota druggist, is their primary target. i^sa is wooed and won. In the process, Asa is also wooed by Noblesse Oblige, a sorority girl, Clothilde Pfefferkorn, a studious coed, and Yetta Samovar, a political reactionary, and one of the first characters to satirize communism in the American musical theatre. A campus election for stu dent body president provides the suspense and tension for the story. It is won by Asa, a freshman, which is an un heard of accomplishment, thus completing the story of the libretto. Romance The romance of the production revolves around one decision: who, among the three girls previously mentioned, will receive Asa's fraternity pin. Each of them has a scene with Asa, and each attempts to seduce the pin from him in her personal manner. Yetta uses the most direct approach. YETTA. Asa, my answer is yes. I will go steady. ASA. Who asked you? YETTA. Put it here. (Points to her bodice.) 179 ASA. Put what there? YETTA. Your fraternity pin, comrade. What else? ASA. But, Yetta, you can't be serious. We've known each other such a short time. YETTA. Time I A capitalist invention. Especially overtime. Gimme the pin. (She pulls pin from his coat; they struggle over pin.)32 Noblesse uses the more romantic setting of a coffee house and her personal concept of what romance is. NOBLESSE. Well, a toast Aha. (They lift their cups.) To us. This is the way it's always going to be, Asa. Funny little coffee. ^houses, dinners in crazy little cafes, dancing in screwy little ballrooms. What nutty little lives we're going to lead, Asa. (She puts her arms around him.) We two, together, for always. (She grabs his head, thrusts it down on table and kisses him.) You may give me your pin now, dear. ASA. Now, wait a minute--- NOBLESSE. This is the way I've always imagined it — a quaint romantic spot, soft lights. I'm just mad about this quaint, old-world atmosphere. ASA. Look, Noblesse, you're jumping at conclusions. In both cases, Asa uses the excuse that the clasp is bent and must be fixed before he can present the pin to the young lady. Clothilde finally wins the pin.from Asa, but only after stating that she doesn't want it. However, her conversation is limited to marriage, marriage licenses, medical exams, and finally statistics on the size of the 180 freshman class, which leads Asa into believing that he can win the upcoming election. Since Clothilde provided the information, it is natural that Asa ask her to wear his fraternity pin. Romance never exceeds this miniscule and childlike situation and can be said to exist only in a tentative sense. Barefoot Boy With Cheek can never meet the require ment of a romantic story for it never blossoms into love or ■ * retreats into the romantic concept of the long ago and far away. The play is presented in contemporary terms and, as the situation in Best Foot Forward, puppy love provides the greatest entanglement. By 1947, audiences had been exposed to highly sophisticated musicals with depth, maturity, and vitality, to the romantic involvement. Barefoot Boy With Cheek offers vitality, but lacks reality, honesty, dimension, and romance. Comedy Comedy also suffers in the show, not only because of the innocence and youth of the protagonists, but the limitations of the .plotting of the play. The comic element is confined to the flimsiest types of farce and anatomical references. 181 Farce is attempted at the fraternity dance where Eino, the less than bright athlete, is given the job of collecting tickets and stamping the hands of each individ ual attending. When Muskie Pike and his two musicians ar rive to play for the function, Eino stops them. EINO. Tickets. MUSKIE. We don't need no tickets, shorty. We're the band. EINO. Tickets. MUSKIE. I just told you. We’re the band. We play the notes, shorty. EINO. Tickets. SHY. It's all right, Eino, let them in. They don't need tickets. They're the band. (Muskie and MUSICIANS start to enter. EINO pushes them back with his left arm.) EINO. Stamp hands. SHY. That's not necessary, Eino. 34 EINO. Stamp hands. At this point the musicians allow their hands to be stamped, with such force that instruments are dropped and hands are almost smashed. The anatomical references are both naive and pro fuse. Professor Schultz opens Act One scene eight with the following speech, which has nothing to do with the scene that follows it. 182 Co-education is a farce. Consider you take a group of boys and girls who have just emerged from puberty. You allow them to mingle freely. Can you expect them to take their hot eyes off each other and pay attention to me? No, the only way— the only way— to make coeducation work is by surgery.35 There are also exchanges such as: CLOTHILDE. You see, emotions are controlled by the ductless glands— endocrines, they're called— and our endocrines have only recently matured. ASA. Uh, huh. Clothilde, I can see your endocinres, but where are mine?36 Integration The positioning of the songs also follows the established pre-1943 style which is often not concerned with integration. Act One opens with the full men's chorus singing "Here's a Toast to Alpha Cholera," which neither sets the mood nor provides any information that might be considered as exposition for.the play. Act One closes with a fraternity dance, and the musical number is noted in the 37 script as "General dance number to curtain." Act Two also opens and closes with company numbers. Since there is no comic, there is no comedy number in the second act--which may well have aided the production. The song which comes closes to being a true comedy is Yetta's new found determination to desert the party in "Little Yetta's Gonna Getta Man." Needless to say, none of 183 the musical numbers became individually successful or reached the audience with much impact. Under the definition of integration as used in this study, only one song, "I Knew I'd Know" sung by Clothilde, provides any insight into character, and none of them fur ther the story. The Company For the most part, the individuals who devised and presented the production also critically failed. The finest reports on the musical are in the form of praise for the performance of Nancy Walker. Miss Walker, seen in Best Foot Forward and On the Town, continued "to grow in the 38 finest traditions of clowns," and Brooks Atkinson found her as one of the few fresh items in the show, as he stated: "No one in her weight class knows more about crisp timing, the value of a quick gesture, the hilarious ness of the deadpan and the eloquence of a tough shrug of 39 the shoulder." Other than for Miss Walker, few individual acco lades were awarded by the press, and Mr. Abbott fared rather badly. Critics agreed that the performance was lively, well paced, and youthful, but generally saw that, Considering all that is new-fangled in this world _____________________________________________________________184 of song and dance stage, Abbott's exhibit might ac tually be considered old-fashioned. . . . "Barefoot Boy With Cheek" is a collegiate musical comedy with the two ingredients, youth and speed, that are to be expected in an Abbott-directed song and dance show.40 But it kind of wears me down. Even with its best foot forward, it seems more forced than funny, more collegiate than charming, more anacronistic than necessary. Even George Abbott can't kid his old stuff into new. High Button Shoes Libretto Profound doctoring of the script was attempted to resolve the problem of a major lack of substance when the libretto for High Button Shoes was presented to George Abbott. Abbott stated: When I was sent the final script on the day before rehearsals started, I realized that I had let my self in for something difficult. The book, by Stephen Longstreet, wasn't really finished. During rehearsals I had to rewrite the show with the help of Phil Silvers, who had a great many funny things to suggest. The producers, Joe Kipness and Monty Proser, with the Shuberts in the background, paid me author's royalties, which was a generous thing to do, since there was nothing in my contract re quiring it and since Longstreet had refused to take any cut. Later, Silvers is said to have told him "you’d better be careful— some night we might play your original version. "42 Despite the work of both Abbott and Phil Silvers, who played the leading role of Harrison Floy, Robert.Coleman 185 observed of the final version of the book: "It is amazing how adroitly Stephen Longstreet writes for the printed page 43 and how ineptly for the stage." The story deals with the pandemonium which can ensue when a slick con-man, Harrison Floy, descends upon his hometown, New Brunswick, New Jersey; becomes involved in a real estate swindle; runs off to Atlantic City with a very aware young lady, who incidentally has all the loot; and then returns to the scene of the crime to discover that the swamp land he was peddling is valuable for its sulphur and minerals. That is the plot--the libretto. Romance There is a slight romantic complication in the plotting of the book, a requisite somewhat followed by the authors in their attempt at affective musical theatre. It is, however, so totally secondary, that it need not exist for the production to be complete. Fran Longstreet is in trigued and fascinated by Harrison Floy, to the annoyance of her intended, Hubert Ogglethorpe. Fran runs off with Floy to Atlantic City, although Floy has no intention of a romantic entanglement— Fran is used as a pawn in the real estate swindle that Floy has managed, and happens to have all of the money. Fran and Hubert are reunited by the 1-8 -6 - finale, but all 6f the escapades which occur in the process of the production would be logical and necessary despite the simplistic romantic involvement of the juveniles. The introduction of the romance is almost foreign to the straight line plotting necessary in the development of musical theatre librettos. Integration Integration suffers as Mr. Abbott presses into use the Rutgers College campus and football team, among numer ous other extraneous individuals and situations. Naturally Rutgers must play Princeton before the evening is over, and just as naturally, there is the ever present collegiate song whose only purpose is excitement. In the total show, however, Abbott manages to inject three musical numbers of this type. "On the Banks of the Old Raritan" provides a cover for Floy when he is about the fight Hubert Oggle- thorpe, the juvenile lead and football hero; "Bird Watcher's Song" belongs to the local ladies' bird watching society; and finally, in the lockerroom during half-time of the Rutgers-Princeton football game, Floy, who has bet on Princeton, pleads with the Rutgers players to take it easy on the field in "Nobody Ever Died for Dear Old Rutgers." Add to the previous high-jinks, a misbehaving Model _______ 187 T Ford automobile, a picnic in a swamp, a Keystone Cops chase, a beach scene in Atlantic City, and Floy selling thirty-five cent gold watches, Patagonian diamonds, and snake oil, and the difficulty of creating unity radically increases. High Button Shoes becomes more of a vaudeville show than integrated musical comedy. Every idea that was plausible, funny, or worthy of song or dance seems to have come to life in a scene written for the idea, or a scene that could be turned into the idea at a moment's notice. Songs are inserted, dances tacked on, and production num bers created for the sole enjoyment of the public. George Jean Nathan looked upon these fancies as a semi-positive aspect of the show. Another item on the credit side is the haphazard nature of the show, at least in my book. What with so many of our contemporary musicals straining for so-called integration and in the process losing that quality of abandon so welcome in the species of en tertainment, it is pleasant to get one for a change, let its langours be however manifold, that does not give a hoot for strict, logical form and just throws itself carelessly around. . The aforesaid integration business, which has lately spread over our musical stage in alarming proportions, is despite the seeming current convic tion approximately as new as a Grover Cleveland but ton .... All this, however, is just by the way. The im mediate point is that, while the integrating business is quite all right critically, I am a bit worried about its future. It begins to look as if it may go too far and as if the time will come when the inte- 188 grating may become so excessive that our musicals will be as inscrutable to the average customer and as difficult for him to decipher as Pirandello. . . . I may at times be a little tired of the uninte grated shows in which the ballet dancers suddenly enter the hero's father's steel factory and inter rupt a meeting of the board of directors by perform ing Gaite Pariesienne. I may also at times be rather sick of the coloratura who promptly bursts into song about the beauty of love under the Venetian stars upon observing that Porfirio Katz, the inn-keeper, has ripped his breeches in the rear. And I may no longer be delighted beyond all bounds when a team of acrobats, costumed as the heroine's butler and footmen, come on and do their act in her boudoir. I may, in short, be ready to call it a day for all such shows which apparently have been written and staged by a vaudeville agent in collaboration with a discharged carpenter. . . . What we ask for is just some of the old natural and easy and wonderfully entertaining absurdity, some of the old happy-go-lucky inconsequence, and less of the studiously ordered and determined diversion which we are doubtless due to be in for. That we will not get it is more or less certain. That what we will get will probably in some cases be critically worthy is equally certain. But I have a feeling that how ever critically worthy it may be, it won't be much real fun.44 Though Mr. Nathan found High Button Shoes guilty of some of the impertinences mentioned, the public was more oblivious of them and attended 727 performances of the production. Spectacle Spectacle, in terms of the settings and costumes by Oliver Smith and Miles White, respectively, were found to be adequate, but not sufficiently interesting to add 189 45 substantially to the effectiveness of the production. However, the production numbers, and in particular the "Mack Sennet Ballet," which will be discussed further as a comedic attribute, were lavish and impressive. One factor thereby balances the other, leaving the.spectacle of High Button Shoes as neither success nor failure. Comedy Affective musical theatre comedy is so completely and intelligently represented, that it forms an exception ally strong foundation for the unusual success of the production. To locate this comedy, which is primarily farce, but combined with burlesque and vaudeville routines, it is not necessary to look far. It is apparent in almost every scene. Act One scene one opens with Harrison Floy making a pitch for gold watches: FLOY (Holding up watches) Here you are — take one, take a dozen -- a solid gold colored watch, which if we advertised it in the Saturday Evening Post would cost fifty dollars. Instead we pass the saving direct to you. Thirty- five cents while they last. You'll wonder how I can make the sacrifice..Because I have eliminated the expense...I have eliminated the middle man - the whole saler...I have eliminated the publicity. Now, who’s going to have one? PONTDUE I'll take two. 190 FLOY There's a man going to take two. MAN (Buying watch) Hey I There are no works in here! FLOY Another one of the things I have eliminated! (Police whistles are heard - chase music starts up - FLOY folds his layout into a case and runs off (R) followed by PONTDUE - chased by a KEYSTONE COP.) (BLACKOUT)46 The farcical chase sequence is an integral part of the production, and is utilized three times in scene one alone. The scene does, however, set the tempo and comic mood for the balance of the evening, as there is little other than the pace, and the comedy, and Phil Silvers. For additional farce, George Abbott and Phil Silvers incorporated many, gimmicks from both the vaudeville and burlesque stages, and the trade marks of Silvers, to be seen and heard in later years in his television appear ances, are abundantly found throughout the script. "How are ya'?" "Beautiful— beautiful!" "Funny?" and "Sweet!" are quips which are far more indicative of Silvers than Floy, but then, perhaps Mr. Silvers was never intended to be any thing other than himself— the top banana, of an extended burlesque routine. 191 Each scene with Harrison Floy, and that includes a majority of the show, is marked with the distinct Silvers wit, such as his first entrance into the Longstreet home in New Jersey: Mama Mr. Floy is a perfect gentleman. (There is a crash. Bay window S.R. opens, and FLOY jumps in. EVERYONE rises and turns) Floy (Xing R of C) Lovely Day I Mama Mr. Floy! F1°y 47 I hate doors - they're so conspicuous After beginning an automobile scheme he rationalizes: Pontdue But I don't understand... Floy What do we care - as long as we get the down payment. (Xing to Shirley) Good afternoon.- Beautiful - Beautiful! (To Elmer) How are ya?^ When Floy is about to become involved in a fight with a football player, he turns to the rest of the team and has them sing the Alma .Mater Hymn: 192 Floy Well, sing, you fools, before this boy loses his head and hurts his hand. (FLOY blows pitch pipe, and leads the boys singing: "ON THE BANKS OF THE OLD RARITAN") Oggle (After 1st line of song) It'll be a pleasure to hurt this hand. Floy That's right. Think of your own pleasures. Never mind the school and the game against Princeton. (Still conducting) I can see it now. Softer, softer. (Players hum)49 Floy attempts to talk his way out of the fight, but must finally resort to brass knuckles and wins. In passing his associate, Pontdue, off as a friend of Henry Ford and a Wall Street tycoon, Floy states: He's terribly amusing...full of fun...you wouldn't think a tycoon of such vast rubber holdings could be so jovial...the life of the party. Say some thing funny. (PONTDUE laughs) He's the life of every party...so witty...so brilliant -- Say something in Algebra! Pontdue I'll take two. (FLOY slaps PONTDUE. THEY get their hats switched as THEY AND MAMA exit L) Act.One scene six is appropriately titled "Sneeze scene." Its sole purpose is to offer Floy and Pontdue, played by Joey Faye, the opportunity of doing a burlesque 193 routine wherein every time Floy mentions a flower, Pontdue, who has hay fever, sneezes. Another burlesque act is inserted as Floy addresses the local ladies' bird watching society. Floy And.now,, Ladies, won't you come with me on a mythical trip into birdland...Shut your eyes. (EVERYONE shuts eyes. To mama) You're peeking... (PONTDUE blows whistle) The nightengale! (EVERYONE opens eyes) You've been to merry England and back I Shirley Oh, how thrilling! Isn't that delightful! Floy Now, suppose you don't want to go so far - (Honks) The Candadian Goose! (Knocks) The Woodpecker! (Meows) The Cat Bird! (Looks at PONTDUE who is not paying attention. Kicks PONTDUE who screams) The Peacock! (PONTDUE whistles) The Australian Thrush! (PONTDUE blows whistle, making no sound) This bird is extinct! (PONTDUE whistles) The Brazilian Bobolinkl (PONTDUE blows police whistle by mistake. FLOY and PONTDUE grab valises and stand, and start to exit through door U.R. They realize their mistake and come back) I know you'll pardon my enthusiasm. For a moment I thought I saw a vulture 151 Of course, there are innumerable moments of nonsense from ____________ 194 burlesque such as: "How's crops? Well...I haven't shot ^ ,,52 crops since Friday." All of these, both moments and extended scenes, are examples of the constant personal comedy of Phil Silvers which pervades the entire show, and proved successful despite their incongruence. The lyrics of several songs also indicate a farcica’l style of comedy. When Fran vacillates between a romance with Hubert Ogglethorpe or Harrison Floy, the ladies of her town tell her to look for security, with themselves as examples. (Ronnie) I married a local banker He's very ugly - I'm being frank And while he thinks that I love only him (Mama) She only loves the bank! (Carole) I married a man of eighty He counts his money to get a thrill It's so romantic to watch him count it (Mama) 53 Because she's read his will! In the musical number "Tango," there are no lyrics, as it is a farcical attempt by Nancy and Willie to learn this new dance. However, dialogue indicated in the script to be spoken during the number indicates the comic atmosphere it evokes. 195 DIALOGUE during TANGO Willie Nice, isn't it? Nancy Mmmmmm...it's so Spanish. Nancy i(Bumping knee) Ouch! Willie Come on, Nancy. Willie Now, the innovation. Nancy Awfully difficult, isn't it? Willie Mmmmmmmm...No hands I Willie What are you doing, Nancy? Nancy That's what Theda Bara does! Willie Come on! Nancy I can't get up!... What comes next? . _ . Willie 54 The Lulu Fadoo. Although the tango arrived some twenty to thirty years after 196 the turn-of-the-century setting of High Button Shoes, it was readily accepted in this comic atmosphere. The highlight of comedy in dance was Jerome Robbins' "Mack Sennett Ballet." It was described by John Martin in the New York Times as: . . . surely . . . the longest dance number ever presented in a musical. During the first half: of the foolery, when it follows the Mack Sennett tradition fairly closely, it may not cause you to break any ribs laughing, but when it gets along toward the end and goes berserk in a tradition nearer to Dali than Sennett, it becomes cock-eyedly c c ; hilarious. John Chapman added further description in his review of the production. The pursuit had the first-nighters almost paralyzed with delight, for Jerome Robbins, who can be a very tony choreographer when he wishes, has staged a hilarious melee involving the Keystone Komedy Kops, Gloria Swanson and the rest of the Sennett bathing beauties, life guards., a horrifying trio of crooks, an ape, and, of course, Silvers and his mournful stooge, Joey Faye. I don11 know how Robbins ever managed to get so many people to do so many crazy things— all of them right out of those wonderful Sennett one reelers— without getting hurt or in each other's way. But he does it, and the ballet is a masterpiece.^ George Abbott saw the development of Robbins' work and commented that "Robbins was growing more sure of himself each year and he did a wonderful job with High Button Shoes. Anyone who saw it is bound to remember the Mack 57 Sennett ballet." ______________197 The Company Although it was Phil Silvers who undoubtedly stood in the limelight of the performance, it was the collabora tive work of Abbott, Robbins, and Silvers that was the backbone of the show. Robbins recognized the value of this combined effort in a production in the following statement by him: Working in the Broadway theatre is a question of flexibility and collaboration. Now, the higher the standards of the people that you work with and the better taste they have, the more enjoyable it is. If you work with people who do not have good taste andhhave different aims, then it is not en joyable, but that's life. As far as performers are concerned they are either good or bad perform ers .... But in doing a Broadway show the idea is that you're not there just to do your job. You're there to make a complete picture as a collaborator in all senses of the word. The true sense of the word implies that you cannot be selfish, and you cannot be narrowminded. You have to be able to see the whole picture. Quite often people object to that limitation and to that flexibility, and you find the biggest yells come from those who are sometimes the most stubborn.58 In the case of High Button Shoes, Abbott, Robbins, and Silvers obviously worked together well, for the com bination proved to be the catalyst that produced a hit when other factors were against the success of the production. 198 Look, Ma, I'm Danein'! Libretto The uninteresting and virtually plotless libretto of Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I deals with the difficulties en countered by a young choreographer who is besieged by an untalented but wealthy beer company heiress whose ambition is to dance with a ballet company. Although she has no proclivity for dance, the heiress buys her way into roles with the otherwise destitute company. The story then pro ceeds to follow the company across the country from New York to Joplin, Missouri, to Amarillo, Texas, to Phoenix, Arizona, to Los Angeles and Glendale, California, and ends in Des Moines, Iowa. The company has its greatest triumph, which is inglorious at best, at the Los Angeles Philhar monic Auditorium. -Since the plot is primarily concerned with the heiress, Lily Malloy, the success of the chore ographer and his company is relegated to secondary concern, but is rectified by Miss Malloy as.she realizes her proper place and allows the group to begin its climb to success with only her financial support. Romance Romance, a necessary ingredient for affective __________________________________ 199 musical theatre, is included as a subplot, which is also miniscule in its development. Eddie Winkler is the not thoroughly likable young choreographer, whose desertion of classical ballet in favor of more contemporary, but com mercially unacceptable forms, creates personality problems for him. The leading dancer in his company is in love with him, but cannot *kbide his practice of blaming dancers when a production fails, and taking all of the credit when one succeeds. A modicum of advice from Miss Malloy teaches Eddie a bit of modesty and the young couple are united in love. Believing that it is true love requires great imag ination, for the characters are so poorly and shallowly developed, they appear as only shadows of reality. Integration Integrating many styles of dance into a libretto which concerns a ballet company was a comparatively easy job, but providing an opportunity for a dance company to sing required more inventiveness than the authors, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee were able to supply. The major devices utilized to support the large vocal numbers were either an expression of exuberance, which eventually tires, or the imposition of lyrics into a dance number, which was incongruous. 200 Comedy The comedy devised for Nancy Walker in the role of Lily Malloy was George Abbott's only major achievement in Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I although the comedy was not affec tive for musical theatre. Abbott provided Miss Walker with burlesque and vaudeville routines which were totally ex traneous to the plot. The laughter they garnered was out of context with the total production and thereby ineffec tive as a productive element in the show. Spectacle The attempt at effective spectacle also failed. Hugh Martin, who first worked with Mr. Abbott in Best Foot Forward, achieved the same results with the music and lyrics of Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I as he did with the earlier show--little of value. The production numbers, according to Louis Kronenberger, are finished by the time the first 59 act is over. George Jean Nathan neatly finishes off the balance of the show with his comments: . The settings by Oliver Smith are commonplace, and for extra measure include the one in a Pullman sleeper with the transparent curtains. The costumes by John Pratt look as if they cost at least fifty dollars in totq. Harold Lang is an agreeable juvenile and apt with his feet, but the rest of the troupe, which may have hidden'talents, successfully conceal them.6 0 201 The Company According to George. Abbott, because of Nancy Walker, the star, Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I "was almost a great show— but not quite,"^ but the critics were not as kind, and a box score reveals that three called it a hit, two were modest in its reception, and six found it sadly lack ing. The reason that it did not quite make the mark, ac cording to Mr. Abbott, was the constant illness of the star, Nancy Walker. The necessity of substituting her understudy over a long period of time discouraged the public at the box office— audiences were unwilling to accept any thing other than the dynamic talent of Miss Walker— and therefore the show closed. Despite the problematic ill ness, reviews indicate that the story of a ballet company touring the United States, with their varied problems being exposed and solved, did not lend itself to the antics of Miss Walker, nor was she apparently dynamic enough to over come the lack of a strong libretto and the sundry other deficiencies with which the show was burdened. Where's Charley? The Company Column headings of the reviews concerned with the 202 New York opening of Where's Charley? provide an excellent indication of the primary factor which assured the show its considerable run of 792 performances— "Ray Bolger Tries 6 2 Nobly in ’Where's Charley'"; "Main Query in 'Where's /* Charley?' Is Where's Bolger?— He's There!" "An Old 64 65 Ritual Plus Ray Bolger"; "Here's Bolger"; "Ray Bolger 6 6 . . . Very Little Else"; "Ray Bolger's Big Hit, But 6 7 'Where's Charley?'" and "An Amusing Musical With Ray 6 8 Bolger" — while content of the articles indicated per sonnel weaknesses. Without exception, the press agreed that Where's Charley? would not have been the engaging musical it became without the benefit of Bolger's talents. They also agreed that Frank Loesser's score, David Folkes1 sets and costumes, and George Abbott's writing and direc tion were all lacking in imagination. Vitality was pres ent, a primary feature in every Abbott production, but the youthful vigor of the performers was unable to infuse life into worn out material encumbered with commonplace trappings. Integration The structure of Where's Charley? is a radical departure from the accepted formula of the contemporary 203 musicals of the 1940s causing, severe integration problems. Act ...One has only four scenes, of which two (scene two and scene four) consist simply of one production number. The locale of scene two is a street on which the musical number "The New Ashmolean Marching Society and Student's Conservatory Band" takes place. It is a parade which is supposedly part of the graduation exercises about to be held at Oxford University, the school which Charley attends. The scene and production number are presented for their own sake and that of enabling a scene change. No plot or character development is enhanced. The extraneous interlude does, however, fulfill the necessity of present ing a full company production number. Twenty-ethree pages of dialogue in scene one preceding "The New Ashmolean Marching Society and Student's Conservatory Band" make it a decidedly imperative moment of relief. The musical num ber is allocated one and one-half pages of manuscript which consist of lyrics, into which Loesser was able to work the entire title of the song, and an indication which says 69 simple "DANCE." Scene four of Act One is similar in structure. It consists of a dream sequence, song, and dance— ' a device long practiced in musicals, but in this particular case, 204 totally without reason in the libretto. The song is "Pernambuco," a mythical South American location invented by Charley while posing as his aunt, and offers the audi ence another large production number— this time with a Latin flavor and beat, the current rage— to close the first act. Scene three consists of thirty pages of dialogue and five musical numbers: two solos, two duets; all of which are reasonably integrated into the story, and one romantic song heralding the virtues of love in the spring, which is reasonable until the chorus all manage to wander onto the stage singing identical praises to love. Unfortunately none of the large numbers in Act One is logical, reducing their impact, and focusing attention on themselves as unnecessary baggage. Where's Charley? may have been the first step in the direction of a well- integrated intimate musical if the large production num bers had been eliminated from the production. Act Two follows the pattern established by Act One. The opening scene is an exuberant song and dance performed by the men graduating from Oxford, which serves the purpose of quieting and regaining the attention of the audience. Secondarily, it is also the title song, "Where's Charley?" ______________________________________________ 205 which ponders Charley's whereabouts for the class picture about to be taken. To compound the illogic of the presen tation in the show, the photographer is foiled in his at tempts to take the picture as a curtain is drawn; at which point he turns upon the audience and photographs them. This musical number is followed by a street scene during which Charley and Amy declare their love, and upon Amy's exit, Charley begins the song "Once in Love With Amy," the most notable song from the-entire score. The chance occasion of a child in the audience of the original production who began to sing with Ray Bolger has prompted the now mandatory section during which the audience sings along with Charley. This device is now written into the number and becomes a live version of "follow the bouncing ball" for a sing along. The song itself is a reasonable development of the exuberance felt by Charley. However, the inclusion of the sing-along, Charley conducting the orchestra in portions of the "Poet and Peasant" -Overture, and a jazz improvisation ending, extend the musical number beyond its capacity of an extension or development of the character of Charley to a vaudeville routine performed for the audience's entertainment. Scene three of Act Two is in the tradition of the 206 cross-over to allow for a scene change. Jack Chesney and Kitty Verdun begin the number "At the Red Rose Cotillion," and when the number is established by the duo, a ballroom is revealed and the stage is flooded with waltzing dancers. The show closes with a reprise of "My Darling, My Darling," a love ballad sung as a duet in Act One. .In short, the show could be produced without, or at best with very few of the musical numbers. Romance The story is completely concerned with matters of love, and the trials which social conventions of the turn- of-the-century caused to young lovers. Charley and Amy are in love, but cannot even meet, much less marry, due to objections of Amy's father, Mr. Spettigue.. Jack and Kitty are in the same position, for Mr. Spettigue is Kitty's guardian. Only when the possession of Charley's aunt's fortune is used as bait does Spettigue consent to the weddings. During this time,.the real aunt, Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez, has also been falling in love with an old acquaintance, who incidentally is the father of Jack, Charley's roommate. Love does conquer all, and the entire evening is a romp through the problems of love. 201 Libretto One of the major difficulties with the libretto is its complexity and excessive amount of dialogue, most of which is a constant stream of exposition. The story re quires an unusual amount of information to make sense, and continual complicating situations require the arduous, though farcical, explanations. Although the show contains thirteen musical numbers, with reprises of some of these at strategic points, the dialogue still has the feeling of being interminable, and not appropriate to the simple highly condensed requirements for librettos of the musical theatre. Although set in England, written by an Englishman, and concerned with the manners and mores of the English, the story has the ability to transcend the space of the ocean and become applicable to the American scene as well. Of course, the time-honored device of looking into the past has often romanced audiences into a receptive mood, but more than that, Oxford could be any college, youth is al ways youth, and Victorian morals were as prevalent in the United States during the early 1900s as they were in England. 208 Spectacle Without the spectacle of scenery changing rapidly and often, as is customary with the majority of musicals, the production has the appearance of being unspectacular and sluggish. Where's Charley? remains in a student's study for a major part of the first act and in a garden for most of Act Two. Visually, but only from the point of view of the settings, there is little to attract the eye, and the spectacle therefore depends on the pace and change which the script is able to afford the viewer. Fortunately, Abbott was aware of the demands of the audience, and did inject the large production numbers il lustrated earlier, and although they have little effect on plot or character, they have a profound effect on produc tion which requires spectacle as a necessary ingredient. Although these additions are extraneous in the context of the plot, the fate of the show, despite the performance of Bolger, may have been more failure than success without them. However, the dominant view of the direction was expressed by Richard Watts, Jr., who stated that Mr. Abbott did not produce the "inventive staging for which he 70 has shown such talent m the past." 209 Where's Charley? is as close to a one-man vehicle as has been seen to this point in the career of George Abbott. Even William Hawkins, who in a minority view gave the production the most consistently positive review, praising every aspect of the show from playwriting to talented ensemble, recognized the Bolger contribution to the show. Ray Bolger reaches new heights as the young student who has to pretend he is his own aunt, in order to assure his marriage. The star plays with an ease and assurance, a real polished effortlessness, that makes him a joy every moment he is on the stage.71 The fortunate irony is that Bolger, as Charley,or as Charley's aunt, is virtually never off the stage. Where's Charley? provided fine farce which sur rounded a romantically comic situation. The libretto has a strong foundation and love is the central theme. It has the ability to transcend its English orientation and origin to be applicable and acceptable to American audiences. However, it lacks true and viable spectacle from the visual as well as the production values, follows little, if at all, the factors which lead to good integration of music and dance into the story, and the story itself is complex and c u m b e r s o m e r a t h e r than simple and condensed, requiring an excessive amount of information for the audience to follow 210 the plot. As has been evident in the past, one element is sometimes capable of overcoming deficiencies, and in the case of this particular show, that element was the person able and dynamic performance of Ray Bolger, who provided the production with the impetus it needed to attain its success. Call Me Madam The Company Ethel Merman is viewed as a substantial reason for the success of the 1950 George Abbott offering, Call Me Madam. Every reference to the production includes lengthy discussions of her ability as a musical comedy actress. She charmed audiences with brash, uninhibited, hard-working, good-natured, personalized singing, dancing, and humor. When Miss Merman.left the show, it closed. References to the production in the press were to "Ethel Merman's show," rather than to the title of Call Me Madam. Gerald Weales 72 refers to the show as an Ethel Merman vehicle, George Jean Nathan argues that the entire show rested on the 73 talents of Miss Merman, and Abe Laufe states that Merman "made Call Me Madam her third show to run more than 500 performances. 211 There is, however, more to the show than Ethel Merman, for the play is a fine satiric comedy. The libret to enjoys ridiculing the President of the United States, Harry Truman, and his family, the foreign policy of the 1950s, and the method of selection of ambassadors of the United States. Although in later years the producers found it prudent to update the libretto to include the in cumbent president rather than retain the delightful refer ences to Truman, much of the original satire remains ef fective. When a topical subject is utilized, and a man- made institution such as politics is ridiculed in a script, the primary comic attitude is that of satire. Satire, then, is a dominant comic vehicle in Call Me Madam, but a generous amount of both farce and romantic comedy are also included. Libretto The well-constructed book details the adventures of an unusual American diplomat. Mrs. Sally Adams is an out spoken, down-to-earth, honest, rich individual who, because of patronage to the administration and the parties she or ganizes, is given the post of Ambassador to Lichtenburg, a mythical European country. (From the beginning it is obvious that Mrs. Sally Adams is in reality Pearl Mesta and 212 the country is Luxembourg; however, these facts are em- 75 phatically denied by Lindsay and Crouse in a program note. ) Mrs. Adams invades Lichtenburg with her aide, Kenneth Gibson. Upon their arrival, they discover the Duchy of Lichtenburg government in one of its virtually constant states of change. The heads of government change as rapidly as is necessary to implement a new policy desired by one of them. The current difficulty concerns the in debtedness and poverty of the country and two warring political factions, one for and one against monetary aid from the United States. Although Mrs. Adams has been in structed not to agree to any monetary loan, she immediately falls in love with the foreign minister, Cosmo Constatine, and offers him any amount he wants. Cosmo, however, is of the opinion that Lichtenburg must find its own way out of the financial problem and refuses any loan. Mrs. Adams therefore offers her own money rather than that of the United States. Enough is accepted by Cosmo, as a token of good will, to afford the opening of the annual Lichtenburg fair. When the opposition forces, who desire money, ap proach her, Mrs. Adams states that she will see to it that any amount of money is made available if Cosmo is made Prime Minister of Lichtenburg. This error of interference 213 in the political decisions of a foreign nation costs Mrs. Adams her position and she is forced to return to Washing ton. Upon her return she throws one of the parties for which she is famous, and in the process discovers that all turned out well in Lichtenburg and that Cosmo has come to the United States to ask for her hand in marriage. The story is simple and highly condensed providing a script which functions successfully. Romance The romance of the libretto concerns Kenneth Gibson and Maria, the daughter of the Grand Duke and Duchess of Lichtenburg. In the course of the action, the obvious occurs; the Princess and Kenneth meet and fall in love. When the Grand Duke and Duchess learn that Maria has been seeing Kenneth, they forbid her any further connection with either Kenneth or Mrs. Adams. Secretly, the love in terest is continued through the use of an old passageway between the palace and the United States Embassy. Late in the play, the Grand Duke and Duchess pay a visit on Mrs. Adams and discover Maria and Kenneth again together. This time the Grand Duchess indicates that the new policies, instituted by Prime Minister Cosmo Constatine, declare that all people are free and that no one can be considered as ________________ 214 unworthy of another. She states that the young couple may marry, but Maria must do the asking, which she promptly does. The love.interests of both Kenneth and Maria and that between Mrs. Adams and Cosmo end happily as the second act curtain falls. Comedy Farce and romantic comedy are found liberally used throughout the proceedings. One example occurs when Mrs. Adams gets lost in Europe while looking for Lichtenburg. Mrs. Adams has this explanation for the Charge d'Affaire of the American Embassy. This is supposed to be Rand McNally's latest map of Europe. Take a look at this. Now there's Lichtenburg. It's green, isn't it? And there's Italy. That's yellow. Well, let me tell you something Rand McNally doesn't s.eern to know. Italy isn't yellow. It's green.?6 Another affective incident illustrates use of farce as Mrs. Adams is about to be introduced to the Grand Duke and Duchess. Sally "curtseys once, steps forward, starts a 77 second curtsey, and falls flat on her behind." The comedy of romance is also illustrated in the difficulty an ambassador has in discussing money, a major problem, with a Prime Minister with whom she is in love. Protocol takes a back seat to the forthright Mrs. Adams 215 who is willing to do anything to secure the hand of Cosmo Constatine, and finally love conquers all. Integration Integration of the music and dance portions of the production is periodically well executed, but at times falls quite short of the necessary requirements. "Mrs. Sally Adams," in scene two, provides vital information on the facets which make up the central character in the play. When Kenneth Gibson asks how she came to be appointed Am bassador to Lichtenburg, Mrs. Adams replies honestly, in song, that the reason lies in the fact that she is the "Hostess'-with the-Mostes 1 . " Act One scene four introduces the audience to Lichtenburg in song and dance as Cosmo Constatine and the people of Lichtenburg discuss their country and its problems, which prepares for the arrival of Mrs. Adams and the difficulties she will encounter. When Mrs. Adams meets Cosmo, she falls in love with him and im mediately asks "Can You Use Any Money Today?" She not only offers the reserves of the United States, but all of her own money as well, while stating that the reason is Cosmo himself. Cosmo, replies that no one should make such offers, particularly when love is inferred. He is an old-fashioned man and believes in "Marrying for Love." Later Mrs. Adams - 21 counters that regardless of money matters, "The Best Thing for Me Would Be You." There are several instances where music is inserted for the express purpose of presenting itself as entertain ment without regard for the development of the story or the characters. "The Ocarina" is a part of the Lichtenburg iFair, and as such merely provides the chorus with a reason i for being onstage. The chorus is also given reason for being in "Something to Dance About" during a party in the Embassy garden. In both cases, the songs do nothing for the story. As Kenneth is pursuing Maria, the audience well understands the love which exists between the two of them. The authors, however, found it necessary to include an extraneous love song, "It's a Lovely Day Today," and in serted it in the action by giving Maria the line: "It so 78 happens that I have many, many things to do." Later in the same scene, the song is reprised by the entire popula tion of Lichtenburg, and a ballet, following the song, also has no valid purpose. Early in the production, at the first party given by Mrs. Adams, the hostess attempts to break up a verbal political battle by launching the "Washington Square Dance," a lively and fun bit of .pure entertainment which does __________________. ________________________________________________217__ nothing for plot or character, but is loved by the audi ence. Most of the music and dance which occurs in the process of any of the three parties which occupy the stage are either situated to give Ethel Merman as Mrs. Sally Adams an opportunity to display her ability as a song and dance artist, or provide the spectacle of large groups singing and dancing, an element expected and demanded by audiences. One of the best integrated musical sequences in the show is "You're Just in Love." Kenneth believes himself to be seeing and hearing Maria constantly, and as a result walks about in a dream state. When Sally notices this she asks what has happened, and Kenneth explains and Mrs. Adams answers: Kenneth I hear singing and ther's no one there I smell blossoms and the trees are bare All day long I seem to walk on air I wonder why I wonder why . . . Mrs. Adams There is nothing you can take To relieve that pleasant ache ^ You're not sick you're just in love. The wonderful irony of the situation is that Mrs. Adams is in the same condition with regard to Cosmo, and knows it well. : . 218 The song "I Like Ike" was an extremely topical show stopper done in the original production by several politi cians. The song's popularity was such that it was adopted by Eisenhower as a campaign song when he ran for the pres idency. However, because of the topical nature of the lyrics, it was subsequently eliminated from the score and script. The fact that the show is frequently done without the number indicates the lack of necessity for it in the development of the script, and as such, provides an indi cation of the amount of integration it employed. People will always be entertained by amusing and well-presented musical interludes, and accept them whether they are im portant to the script or not. However, those that are pertinent to either character or story as well as amusing and well done, and not quite so topical as to render them unnecessary or impossible to do in later years, will suc ceed with far greater probability. "Marrying for Love" and "You're Just in Love" can still be occasionally heard and remembered, while "I Like Ike" has totally disappeared. Call Me Madam was a smash hit. The run was limited only by the presence of Merman. The producers were prob ably quite correct in not attempting to find a replacement for her, as the show was tailored to her particular char- _________________________________________________________________________ 2X9- acteristics. Every critic was impressed by the production, but mainly impressed by Miss Merman. The book is somewhat old-fashioned, not as sophisticated as audiences were be ginning to demand, nor as totally integrated as some of its predecessors had been. Yet it is a giant step forward from the Merman shows of the past. If you were to see some of the old Ethel Merman shows today, you'd be shocked at the lack of honest characters. There were no people in musicals then, only types.80 In Call Me Madam these problems have been solved by pre senting honest, real people in a believable situation and surrounding them with good music and amusing lyrics which, for the most part, accomplish their proposed end of pro viding insight into the characters or forwarding the plot. There are occasional slips into spectacular dance arrange ments and the occasional comedy song to highlight a partic ular moment, but the libretto does have the ability to re gain and retain the audience with a constantly developing story based on romance. Call Me Madam is not a milestone in the history of musical theatre, but is certainly a solid rock in the continuing fight of the musical to become an accepted art form. . ; 220 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Libretto The adaptation of Betty Smith's novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,into the musical libretto was accomplished by Miss Smith in conjunction with George Abbott. At the opening of the production, Johnny and his cronies invade the local pawn shop on payday to retrieve items they had to part with during the previous week. The entire neighborhood is introduced in the., scene as the weekly Saturday ritual is performed— all of the people re deem their valuables. When Johnny emerges, he is joined by Hildy and her friend Katie. An immediate romance is begun between Katie and Johnny. Later that night, Johnny and Katie are seen together and the romance takes on the warmth and beauty that is concomitant with the turn-of-the- century concept and setting of the play. The scene then shifts to the home of Cissy and Harry, where Katie is staying. Though Cissy and Harry are not married, there is no indication of illicit behavior due the the well-handled and controlled romantic and.farcical humor which pervades the household. The strength and tenderness of Cissy is immediately apparent and she be comes the focal point, which is even more emphasized when 221 the character is portrayed by an actress the calibre of Shirley Booth. Suddenly, the story of Katie and Johnny becomes secondary to the boisterous, devilish, warmth radiated by Cissy. When Johnny arrives, Cissy and Harry leave the youngsters alone, but from the point of meeting Cissy, she is never out of the minds of the audience. Johnny has been offered a job singing for six months in a local pub and celebrates by asking Katie to marry him. Cissy, spurred on by Katie's engagement, asks Harry to marry her and adopt a child. However, Harry wants only his own flesh and blood to carry on his name. Since this is not forthcoming, Cissy remains resigned to her station in life— having always a beau, never a husband. As a grim indication of the future, Johnny is next seen in a drunken state of celebration which is extended into the scene where Katie and Johnny are buying, their first piece of furniture, a bed. As Johnny's money has all been spent on drink, Katie must pay for the bed. One year later the young couple is behind on payments due to Johnny's drinking and Katie is forced to take a job as a janitor to support their child, Francie. At this point, Cissy has decided that she is going to adopt a baby and tell Harry that it is really his. 2_22_ Three successive scenes are devoted to the comic problem of Cissy pretending to be pregnant, preparing for the baby, and finally the delivery. The beautifully designed farce has Cissy moaning, Harry running to get anything that Cissy wants, and Katie and Johnny sneaking in a four-day- old baby that was born illegitimately in the nearby slums. All are exhausted, but ecstatically happy. Katie succumbs to depression. After disappearing for several days, Johnny returns home with promises to re form and provide a beautiful life for Katie in the future. "For awhile KATIE rests and dreams wishing all he said could come true. But she knows the promises are just 81 pretty words. ' She goes back to her scrubbing." In Act Two, twelve years later, Cissy announces that her first gentleman caller, Harry, after whom she named all her subsequent beaux, is about to visit. She paints the picture of her dream man, but when Harry Swanswine enters, "alas for dreams and fond, memories. His thick wavy hair is sparse and gray. His six-foot-three muscled build is spare and bony, and the biggest pair of brown eyes you ever saw are small and dim behind pince- 82 nez." In addition, he is hard of hearing which creates farcical scene of misunderstanding and confusion. Cissy's ______ 223 current Harry happens upon the scene, announces that he's leaving her, and promptly gets drunk. Johnny has now descended to working as a piano player and singer at "Mae's Place," the local brothel, but is even thrown out of there. He returns to tell Francie I and Katie that he is a failure, but will try again as a J s jlaborer. He takes a construction job, but is soon killed, I |leaving Katie to care for her child alone. i Cissy finds Harry, .and upon announcing that she is going to have a baby— an honest one this time--they are reconciled. The following summer finds Harry pushing a new baby carriage and Francie about -to graduate from grade school, the first diploma in the Nolan family. For the graduation exercises, Cissy has seen to it that Francie has a bouquet of roses, arranged for by Johnny before his death, and a dance of celebration ends the show. (KATIE stands alone without a partner. But she has Johnny's roses and FRANCIE1s diploma.- The lights on the Brooklyn Bridge come on. Of course it is only a coincidence, but somehow it seems like a sort of tribute to KATIE ROMMELY NOLAN.) The unusual ability of the script to combine both comedy and pathos into a single unit, while incorporating all of the music and dance required for affective musical theatre, makes A Tree Grows in Brooklyn an interesting and 224 satisfying experience in the musical theatre. The book welds together two simple, concise stories with a nostalgic and romantic period of American history in the presentation of endurable love interests between two couples: Katie and Johnny, and Cissy and Harry. However, the focus shifts be tween the two couples, creating the illusion that there are two equally important plots running simultaneously. All four individuals are equally well developed as characters and either romance, could easily be a primary plot by itself. The difficulty in the libretto lies in the inability of the authors to retain the subplot as simply that. While the major thrust is on the courtship, marriage,, and married life of Katie and Johnny Nolan, the introduction of Cissy, and Harry, throws a great deal of emphasis and strength on this couple who should be only a supporting theme for the primary characters. Instead .of remaining in a supportive capacity, Cissy and Harry take on proportions as large as Katie and Johnny, although from a more humorous aspect than that of the "major" characters, but nonetheless of a size that dominates the script in many instances. Only the presence of two major forces attracting equal attention and requiring equal time mars the otherwise beautifully conceived libretto. This single flaw, however, _________________________________________ 225 is sufficient to confuse an audience, and leave them to enjoy the production in fragments. Comedy The two radically different couples 'also provide the two required types of comedy: romantic and farce. Romantic comedy is encountered when Johnny kisses Katie while mistaking her for Hildy. The resulting em barrassment of both grows into love. The nervous Johnny later asks for Katie's address and permission to call on her, becomes tongue-tied, and falls over both :the words and her. When the young couple is out to purchase furniture, they cannot bring themselves to try the bed together in front of many on-lookers. Cissy creates a farcical moment as she gets onto the bed with Johnny to the delight of all present. Romantic comedy ends with the birth of the child, Francie, and the knowledge that Katie is married to a con firmed drunkard. From that moment, which is near the close of Act One, only farce created by Cissy is left as a comic tone. Farce is abundantly present. Pleasant drunks popu late the opening scene with everyone caring for his cherish ed, now out-of-pawn, items. At one point, an art lover 226 emerges from the pawn show with a redeemed nude painting. A short time later, it is "the art lover, now drunk, who staggers out of the saloon and lunges into the pawn shop to 84 repawn his beloved nude." The finest farce, in both word and deed, is pro vided by the scenes between Cissy and Harry. Both are honest and funny at the same time. HARRY Things don't look too good. (Making his decision) I guess I'll be a Republican. CISSY Why? HARRY Well, I ought to be something. Don't you think so? CISSY Oh, I don't know. Why don't you just be nothing and keep everybody guessing? And stop thinking, Harry. HARRY Listen Cissy, I told you before. CISSY What? HARRY Don't call me Harry! CISSY I call all ray husbands Harry. It's an honor. HARRY (Reasonably) It ain't my name. 227 CISSY But Harry's such a nice name in the dark. HARRY Never mind that. Ain't you ashamed calling all them different men Harry? CISSY The first one's name really was Harry. . . . HARRY You should-a stood with him. CISSY 85 He had to go back to his wife. Later, as Cissy is about to give birth to her adopted baby, she sends Harry on continual errands for absurd reasons. As Katie and Johnny approach with the baby, Cissy tells Harry she wants anbther drink to get him out of the room. CISSY (She calls to him as he goes out into the kitchen) And put a lot of brandy in it this time. (Shouting) And look good for those cookies. (After making sure Harry is occupied in the kitchen, she jumps out of bed, runs to the door and opens it to let JOHNNY and KATIE in. JOHNNY is carrying the baby, wrapped in the gift blanket, very carefully. KATIE follows with a nursing bottle full of milk. CISSY gets back into bed and JOHNNY places the baby in her arms. KATIE tucks the bottle away. JOHNNY sits down as though suddenly weak and mops his brow.) 223. JOHNNY Boy, do I ever need a drink! That's the first time I ever delivered a baby. . . . KATIE Harry's coming! (CISSY lets out a blood-curdling scream and collapses back on the bed in exhaustion) HARRY (Runs in, his arms outstretched in terror) Where? CISSY (Weakly) Here. (Gingerly, HARRY approaches the bed, leans over it, then stands up. He smiles fondly, then exhausted by father hood, he faints.)®^ The encounter of Cissy with her first beau, the antics of Mae and raffling the brothel piano, and Hildy's well made match with Aloysius all add to the flavor of the production and sufficiently fill the libretto with comedy. Integration The integration of music and dance is admirably achieved. "Payday" and "Mine Till Monday" introduce the people of Brooklyn in their boisterous and fun-loving at titude toward life and their cherished, pawned possessions. As a weekly ritual, it is natural for them to break into song and dance to celebrate payday. Later, when Johnny's friends inform him that they have been hired to sing for six months, Johnny refuses to celebrate stating that "I'm ________________________229 Like a New Broom," and going to turn over a new leaf, in viting the others to do the same. In the song the men for ward the plot by indicating that Johnny will be a perfect husband for Katie. When they go to purchase the new bed, Katie's exuberant spirits cannot be dampened.by. Johnny's lack of money. She bursts into a dance at the prospect of marriage and the entire neighborhood joins in with "Look Who's Dancing." The song and dance on the street segue into the wedding scene and continue the same uninhibited attitude of the friendly Brooklynites. Cissy brings all of the women in the story into the song as she discusses her forthcoming baby, telling them "Love is the Reason" for it all, and they all agree. The first act finale is a comment on the condition of Katie who doesn't know where her husband is. A popular song of the day, entitled "If You Haven't Got a Sweetheart," is sung by neighbors gathered on the tenement roof. Soon everyone is paired off in song and dance, leaving Katie to continue her scrubbing alone. The songs "He Had Refinement" and "Is That My Prince," sung by Cissy in reference to her first Harry, provide dimension and information about Cissy and her dreams. 230 Every song is worked into the libretto to aid the plot development or to give insight into the characters. The dances are also reasonable and logical outgrowths of the exuberance * of the -individuals or the crowds who collect on the Brooklyn streets* In the case of the Halloween ballet, the audience is given a nightmarish view of the problems on Johnny's mind. Nothing is forced or extraneous to the plotting of the story. The Company The collaboration of talented individuals who pack aged the production of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn proved that when the proper working relationship of imaginative people is assembled, success can come with a greater degree of probability. Only familiar names are in the production team, and most of the names have worked together in pre vious shows. Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields provided music and lyrics, settings were by Jo Mielziner, costumes by Irene Scharaff, and choreography by Herbert Roos. Work ing with this group onstage were a seasoned cast including Shirley Booth, who received some of the finest notices of her career, Johnny Johnston, Nathaniel Frey, and only one newcomer, who played Katie: Marcia Van Dyke. Even the members of the singing and dancing chorus were selected 231 because of their previous experience in the musical theatre, besides the inevitable type casting which goes 8 7 with practically any commercial production. The reviews for all concerned were generally highly complimentary. The critics who reacted on the negative side saw similar flaws in the production. The script vacillates between two major story lines, and it is patently untrue to the original novel written by Miss Smith. Those who were familiar with the novel expected a great deal more than they got. However, these same critics may well have cried in opposition if the complex novel had been completely transported to the stage. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is in reality two musicals that run simultaneously and two that run consecutively. The simultaneous ones have been discussed with the two con currently developing major plots. The two which run con secutively are the comic musical in the first act and the musical with a tragic tone which pervades the second act. It is certainly not unheard of for a musical to be both deeply moving and glitteringly gay. Such is the case with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It is another step in the growth of the musical genre whereby proof is offered that the musical can tackle profound as well- as superficial subject 232 matter. It may also be proof that audiences are still slightly unwilling to accept them, as Mr. Abbott's A Tree 8 8 Grows in Brooklyn lasted for only 267 performances. Wonderful Town The Company Joseph Fields and Jerome Chordorov provided the adaptation of their own play, My Sister Eileen, for the libretto of Wonderful Town. Although their working rela tionship with Leonard Bernstein, composer, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyricists, Donald Saddler, choreographer— with a helping hand from Jerome Robbins who received no credit for the show— and George Abbott, director, was not always of the most congenial nature, the finished produc tion was more than well received by both the critics and the public. Fields and Chodorov were concerned about the tone of the show when some of the musical numbers began to take on a more sophisticated look at both the protagonists and the era of the libretto than they had originally in tended. Abbott indicated that the authors were in a state of shock at the final dress rehearsal and proceeded to in sist upon radical changes in the show--which were impossible to institute at that time even if director Abbott had agreed _____________________________________________________________________ 2_33__ that they were either correct or necessary. The insecurity of the authors was increased by the fact that it was Abbott, in consultation with them and the already hired star, Rosalind Russell, who determined that the men engaged to write the music and lyrics had not progressed as rapidly as was felt necessary, and the Bernstein, Coraden, and Green trio, of On The Town fame, was hired. The combination produced "more hysterical debate, more acrimony, more ten sion and more screaming . . . than with any other show I 89 was ever connected with." According to George Jean Nathan, Abbott's directing style also changed with this production. As theatregoers need not be reminded, it has often seemed that his directorial technique has confused mere outward speed with inner vivacity and that in stead of stimulating the senses he has consequently rather only tired the attention. Here, however, he has substituted a well-considered pace for the former arbitrary hustle and bustle, and the result is salubrious.90 In addition to the magnetic name of Rosalind Russell, who had been absent from the Broadway stage for eighteen years but retained such presence that audiences 91 overlooked her problems in singing and dancing, the cast included Dody Goodman, Edith Adams, Nathaniel Frey, and Chris Alexander. The production team also included a list ' of illuminaries in the musical theatre: Lehman Engle, 234 Raoul de Bois, Peggy Clark, Don Walker, and Main Bocher. Despite the tensions, the production proved to be highly entertaining to sold-out houses during both the preview runs in New Haven and Boston as well as the New York run of 556 performances. The value of Rosalind Russell can be easily seen, for the production closed a short few weeks after she left the show and was replaced by Carol Channing. Libretto The brilliantly affective libretto develops the difficulties encountered by Ruth and Eileen Sherwood when they arrive in New York, ready to take the city by storm— Ruth as a writer and Eileen as an actress. Weary from traveling and wandering the streets looking for a place to stay, the girls become trapped into living in a hovel below street level, on Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village, only to discover that a subway is being blasted out beneath them from six A.M. to midnight every day. While Eileen, the pretty one, has little trouble making friends, to include a local drugstore manager, a sleazy nightclub entrepreneur, and a newspaper reporter, Ruth encounters numerous problems in finding anyone with whom she can communicate— her one success is Robert Baker, ____________________ 23_5_ an editor for the Manhatter, a New York magazine. Eileen, however, in her oversimplistic romantic naivete, finds a romantic involvement with everyone. The reporter, Chick Clark, devises a phoney story which sends Ruth to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to interview the Brazilian Navy, so that he can be alone with Eileen. When Ruth returns, the entire Brazilian Admiralty is following her, which eventually results in Eileen landing in jail. When the proceedings have been explained, Eileen makes headlines and is hired by Speedy Valenti to sing in his nightclub.. Meanwhile, Ruth's artidle on the Brazilians has interested Baker, who promp.tly gets himself fired for in sisting that the article be published in his magazine. In the end, it is the devious Chick Clark who obtains a job for Ruth on his newspaper. As the show closes, Ruth has found both her job and romance with Baker, while Eileen, still too young to be permanently involved with a man, is happily pursuing her singing career. But it remains obvious that she will have no trouble finding the right man in the near future, so all ends well. The story is reasonable and simple, involves sev eral people, but always strides toward a romantic ending of ___________________ _______________________________________236 happiness for the principals, not only in their love lives, but in the work which they went to New York to seek. The libretto presents all of the escapades in a highly con densed form, as all the scenes proceed directly from one to another in a continuing time pattern. There is little or no loss of time for the audience to adjust to. Although the libretto treats both sisters simul taneously, there is no conflict of plot and subplot as the main story is of the girls together, not two stories running and developing in parallel. Behind the singular plot there are several subplots which augment the plight and forth coming solution of the Sherwoods' problem. Helen and Wreck are an unmarried couple living upstairs of the girls, who have a difficulty because Helen's mother is coming to visit and doesn't know of, much less approve of, her living arrangements. Therefore, Wreck moves in with Ruth and Eileen for a few days and is eventually introduced to Helen's mother, Mrs. Wade, as an art critic. Finally,- it is Mrs. Wade who insists that Helen meet and take up with this fine, cultured, young man. Appopulous, the landlord, also fits nicely into the picture as a budding artist who not only paints Mrs. Wade's portrait, but pops in and out of the girls' apartment keeping track of the girls and his ___________________ 2 37 his property. Spectacle The original play was done in one set, the girls' apartment, while the musical, to achieve the required visual spectacle, leads the audience through Greenwich Village, the girls' apartment, Baker's office, the back yard of the apartment complex, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the local police station, the front of The Village Vortex nightclub, and finally the interior of the club, but al ways in a strictly continuing time sequence. The produc tion begins in front of a curtain which is "a semi-abstract 92 impression of Greenwich Village," and opens to reveal Christopher Street. "The scene looks like a cheery post card of Greenwich Village, with Village characters exhibit ing their paintings, grouped in a tableau under a banner 93 which reads 'Greenwich Village Art Contest, 1935,'" In the process of this opening segment, many of the secondary characters are introduced, and prepare the way for the entrance of Ruth and Eileen. The mood, tempo, and atmo sphere for the show are established by the presence of Appopolous, the landlord; Violet, the prostitute whose apartment Ruth and Eileen will rent; Lonigan, the local 94 cop; Valenti, with his "skeet--skat— skattle-ee-o-do" 238 newly found language; plus poets, dancers, writers, actors, and tourists. The opening is an honest picture of the environment. The housing for Ruth and Eileen provides great visual and atmospheric factors in the production. The back yard is "a dismal place, sunk deep among the tenements that surround it. There are a moldy tree, a couple of chairs and a bench. Across from the girls' kitchen we see the 95 back entrance of Nino1s, an Italian restaurant." The yard is the scene of the girls' first disastrous dinner party, and also the place invaded by the Brazilian Navy and the balance of the population of Christopher Street as an uninhibited conga is danced in wild abandon, leading to the arrest of poor Eileen for inadvertently assaulting an officer. The Brooklyn Navy Yard provides great spectacle as it is the locale in which Ruth first becomes involved in the conga that virtually destroys the apartment. In the process Of attempting to obtain an interview with the Brazilian officers, Ruth is continually interrupted in order to teach them the American dance, the conga. Having learned it, they refuse to stop and finally involve Ruth in the melee. "She is whirled about piggy-back in Conga 239 rhythm, her hat is over her eyes— and finally lifted aloft 96 and carried off stage." When she returns home, the Admirals follow and lead up to the first act finale. In an attempt to lose the Admirals, Eileen takes them on a conga line to the street. Ruth is suddenly confronted by an astonished Mr. Baker. BAKER Ruth, what's going on? RUTH (Looks at him and starts to Conga by herself) Oh, a few friends dropped in. We're losing our inhibitions! (She grabs a piece of celery from WAITER, puts it between her teeth, starts to Conga wildly. She starts her own line with CHEF, arid WAITERS following. As they gp off they are met by Eileen coming back, still followed by the ADMIRALS and a high snake line of mixed VILLAGERS. RUTH backs away, in dismay.) EILEEN I couldn't lose them! (MRS. WADE comes on with LONIGAN and another cop. Whistles are blown by LONIGAN. Meanwhile, RUTH has been hoisted up in the air by ADMIRALS. COP makes a grab for EILEEN, picks her up. She turns in the air, kicks LONIGAN in the stomach. He drags her off. MRS. WADE has made for the stairs and stands on the first landing, motioning wildly. RUTH gets down from her perch and desperately starts to run across for EILEEN. She is grabbed by one of the ADMIRALS, carried, slid back and overhead by the ADMIRALS. BAKER runs after EILEEN as RUTH is congaed aloft amidst a swirl _____________________ : _____________________________________________2JjQl_ of village figures, all caught up in the frenzy of the Conga rhythm.) 97 (Curtain) In an attempt to top the first act finale, the show provides for the final scene in The Village Vortex. The Village Vortex, a surrealistic night club, hung with paintings from every artist who couldn't pay his tab, and dominated by a huge revolving mobile, hung from the ceiling. VALENTI leads the band with his clarinet as the crowd dances a slow, writhing jitterbug, packed tightly together like anchovies.^ Into this atmosphere arrive Eileen and Ruth for Eileen's debut as a singer. When Eileen is too frightened to go on alone, Ruth volunteers to do a sister act with her to a song they learned long ago in Ohio, the "Wrong Note Rag," which incidentally, the onstage band just happens to know. At the end of the song, "the break out into a corny rag time dance, and the couples at the Vortex, loving it, pick up the steps and join them, building the number to a high- . . 99 spxrxted fxnxsh." Comedy Comedy, in the shape of farce, is evident in "Conga," and farce in a slightly different tone can be found in other musical numbers in Wonderful Town. As the girls contemplate musically why they ever left their home, in the ballad, "Ohio," the subway blasts beneath them, 241 sending them scurrying together to finish the song singing hysterically. When Ruth discovers that her greatest at tribute is her ability to discourage a man, she sings of her "new best-seller," One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man. Ruth also acts out a series of vignettes as Robert Baker reads the articles she has submitted for publication. Each is more impossible, improbable, and disastrous than the one preceding it. Ruth is first a seductive African hunter involved in a mad passionate love affair with her guide, then a pregnant, poverty-stricken girl living in a Brooklyn cold-water tenement, and finally a glamorous actress. Ruth believes she has written the characters honestly, but each heroine is a bad caricature of reality providing excellent farce in both word and action. Romantic comedy is exhibited in the scenes with Eileen and her many male friends, each of whom believes himself the only one in her life. Ruth, on the other hand, has only an interest in Baker, and the confrontations be tween the two generally end up in a fight rather than en dearing terms, but the warmth of romantic comedy pervades each scene despite the flares of temperament. Integration Of the fifteen musical numbers in the production, ________ 242 all but three of them are well integrated into the context of the story by either furthering the plot or contributing new insight into the characters who sing them. Those most often criticized are "One Hundred Easy Ways" "My Darlin' Eileen," and "It's Love." "One Hundred Easy Ways" is Ruth's dissertation on how she manages to alienate a man with her caustic tongue. Because she is aware of this prob lem, the audience is invited to see Ruth as an intelligent woman, capable of laughing at herself and her shortcomings. She knows herself well, and proves it in the song. "My Darlin' Eileen" is impossible to substantiate in the con text of the story. The song occurs in the police station where Eileen is seen being befriended by the entire local police force, all of whom happen to be Irish. They are smitten by her beauty and her name and sing of the inevita bility of her being Irish. Even when she protests that "Mother's a Swede and Father's a Scot— / And so Irish I'm not— And I never have been— they refuse to believe her. It remains the most blatantly outstanding example of necessity rather than integration. The third song, "It's Love," is sung by Eileen and Baker, as Eileen attempts to convince Baker that what he feels for Ruth is not gentle manly concern, but love. Eileen, a self-appointed authority 243 on love, finally manages to get Baker to try and say it, and when he does, he realizes that it is true. This fact is a large step in aiding the progress of the libretto, for without the realization, Baker neither would nor could make the sacrifice of his job for Ruth, nor have the strength to tell her Of his feelings in the final scene. An example of excellent integration is "Conversa tion Piece." Eileen has invited three gentlemen to a party, which causes no small amount of friction and dif ficulty in beginning a conversation. Small talk is pro vided in the lyrics as each member of the party attempts to break the ice with a tidbit that interests no one. Ruth tries to save the day, but her attempt is futile. The counterpoint is in the chorus, sung by all. RUTH I was rereading Moby Dick the other day and Oh, I haven't read it since I'm sure none of us has It's worth picking up again It's about this whale. CHORUS Nice talk, nice people— It's friendly, it's gay To sit around this way. What more do you need? Just talk and people. For that can suffice When both the talk and people are so nice It's nice.^-01 Finally they turn to having a drink. Nothing works. 244 The honesty of the lyrics in some -of the numbers and some points of the dialogue have been challenged, in particular those that deal with the swing era. Though in its infancy, the "Skeet-skat-skattle-ee-o-do" talk of Speedy Valenti was prevalent. It grew up in the Village. The newness is emphasized by Ruth as she begins the musical number, "Swing!" Having been given a flyer and instructed to get a mob of people around her with the spiel, she makes an attempt. RUTH (Tentatively) Yes, sir— hep. (Reading from flyer— very tentatively to passers-by) Step up-step up— (Embarassed) Get hep-- get hep— (Suddenly loudly) Step Up! (Rhythm starts in orchestra. RUTH still reading from flyer, giving a very "square" rendition.) Step up! Step up! Get hep I Get hep! (While she reads a crowd of ’ 30's hepcats gathers around her.) Come on down to The Village Vortex Home of the new jazz rage— Swing 1^-02 After faltering through one chorus, the hepcats help her out until she is transported to another world, the world of "Swing!" Integration is accomplished in almost every in stance and though it is contested by some, including a 103 critical analysis done in a doctoral -dissertation, ' 245 George Jean Nathan has stated that the show has: Lyrics by Betty Coraden and Adolph Green that are not only independently alive but that further the story and stage action. . . . In this case [the dances]uat least fit relevantly into the show's pattern and movement and are not mechanically in serted into it. .. -.104 as has been the case with so many other productions. Me and Juliet Libretto The libretto for Me and Juliet is a complex love story which is continually interrupted by a company per forming an abstract dance-drama. The musical is struc tured as a musical within a musical. The title, Me and Juliet, refers to the title of the play within the play, hereafter referred to in quotation marks, and although there is some correlative between it and the main plot, a violent love story concerning Jeanie, a chorus girl, and two men, Bob and Larry, it imposes itself upon the outer play rather than aiding in the development of the primary story. Because of this unfortunate circumstance, there are two shows developing simultaneously, and neither of them has sufficient strength or depth to be able to stand alone. In the radically complex libretto, the "Me and Juliet" show within the show has been in production for 246 some time, and the events of the musical all take place during rehearsal and performance of this internal stage production. Jeanie, a member of the chorus, is being tutored by Larry, the Assistant Stage Manager, as a second understudy for one of the principal roles. Bob is an electrician on the same show. These three people, in the extremely close surroundings of their work, provide the primary plot. Bob and Jeanie have apparently been going together for some time, Jeanie putting up with Bob's in considerate lateness and violent temper. At the same time, Larry, while working with and coaching Jeanie, has fallen in love with her. Bob is extremely possessive and jealous of Jeanie and has warned Larry that any interest in her had better be purely professional. Nonetheless, Larry con tinues to see Jeanie and eventually marries her, an event of which Bob knows nothing. When Bob sees Larry kissing Jeanie, melodrama breaks out with a vengeance. Bob focuses his spotlight on the couple and his temper flares. He fol lows Jeanie with the light, and when he drops a sandbag which narrowly misses killing Jeanie in the middle of a performance, the Stage Manager, Mac, and the Company Man ager, Ruby, manage to seclude Larry and Jeanie in Ruby's office. Bob locates them and manages to. break in through _____________ 247 a window. Larry is paralyzed with fear until Bob touches Jeanie, at which time he throws himself upon Bob with abandon. Mac and Ruby enter and a brawl ensues with the villain, Bob, in command. Another member of the company, Betty, comes in through the same window Bob had smashed and throws herself into the mob scene. Finally, Bob hits his head on a radiator and is knocked out. Everyone goes back to finish the performance in progress, leaving Mac and Ruby to control Bob. When Bob recovers he is told that Larry and Jeanie are married, goes backstage, where the performance is over, and apologizes. All ends well. Woven rather .erratically throughout this blatant sentimental melodrama is the abstract "Me and Juliet." This show within the show makes little sense. The prin cipal characters consist of "Me," Juliet, Carmen, and Don Juan. As the curtain rises on the "Me and Juliet" dance- drama, Juliet is seen in a spotlight. VOICES Where is this? JULIET It doesn't matter. The scene of the play Is neither here nor there. All the things. About to happen Are things that are always happening everywhere. ___________________________________________ 248 VOICES When is this? JULIET It doesn't matter. The time of the play Is neither now nor then. Every year The world is changing— But women remain the same— (A spot hits CARMEN) And so do men,! (A spot hits DON JUAN. He is surrounded by girls.)105 Unfortunately, the story never becomes any clearer. Yet there is some vague indication that "Me" is a counterpart of Larry, being shy and interested in true love, while Don Juan refers in some remote way to Bob because of a mutual easy way with women, although this is not totally true in Bob's case. Juliet is probably a secondary indication of Jeanie, and by stretching a point to absurdity, Carmen might be said to be related to the character of Betty. Complicating this unreasonably complex story are a multitude of other characters, all with problems. Lily (Juliet) wants to sing opera,-. Jim and Susie (Carmen) are going to have a baby, therefore Betty is brought in to play the role of Carmen. Betty and Mac are in love, but Mac will have nothing to do with a girl in a company he com mands. Sidney is an electrician who has problems with his jwife, and who both angers and gets angry at Bob. Herbie, _________________________ 249. the candy counter boy, has put together a trio from the company which he intends to get on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts." Dario, the conductor, has been sent gardenias and love notes by Mac, the Stage Manager, in order to interest Dario in an unknown admirer and keep him with the show. Mr. Harrison, the producer, and Miss Davenport, the chores ographer, are brought in for a short scene to view prospec tive replacements for Susie (Carmen), who is going to have the baby. Charlie ("Me") is an egotistical actor who de lights in discovering new talent and antagonizing the con ductor. George, the Second Assistant Stage Manager, Monica, a chorus dancer, Chris, Milton, Hilda, Marcia, Buzz, bit players, ushers, and patrons all get an oppor tunity to confuse and compound the cumbersome book with comments and problems. Ferreting out the principal plot line becomes a burden. George Abbott was not happy upon reading the script of Me and Juliet, but hoped for some possibility of magic moments in it. In addition, he stated that "Despite all my doubts, I did not feel that I could afford to turn down an opportunity to work with these men."'*'^ Abbott remembered the innovative "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" which Rodgers had done years before and thought that perhaps a new form 250 may have been in the making. Unfortunately, it was not to be forthcoming. Romance Romance manages to surface on occasion, but most of the time it succumbs to melodrama. There is suspense as one wonders whether or not Bob will kill Larry or Jeanie or both, and the story might well have improved if a tragic ending, comparable to the '.Romeo, and Juliet tragedy, had been utilized. In the end, the hero stands up for his rights, but the ftillain is not defeated, merely diluted. Comedy The slight comedy of which the script can boast has no connection with the primary plot, and is in the form of farce. Farce is utilized as Dario, the conductor, is look ing for the' secret admirer while presenting the overture for "Me and Juliet." As he mounts the stand he gazes around the audience, obviously trying to spot the lady of the gardenia. . . . For a while he concentrates on the music. Then, at a sentimental part, he turns around again and takes a chance that the lady of the gardenia is watching him. He lowers his nose and smells his gardenia passionately. He goes back to conducting, then as the orchestra starts to build to its climax, he looks around to make sure she is watching his magnificent 251 gyrations. After he brings his baton down on the last beat of the overture, he turns and takes . ’ . a bow and takes advantage of the bowing to look again for his "lady of the gardenia" and to blow a kiss at her, wherever she may be.1^7 Another moment of farce occurs when Mac chastises Betty for becoming lewd in a scene in "Me and Juliet." She states that it is being done as the authors indicated it, and insists upon rehearsing it with an unwilling Mac. Finding himself in constant compromising situations and positions with Betty, Mac finally succumbs to Betty, but is brought to his senses,by the sudden presence of Ruby, and storms off the stage. These and a few other rare moments,are insufficient to bring about any sense of real comedy in the script, and being unrelated to the primary goal of the story appear as irrational rather than honestly funny. Integration The show business story would seem to be a logical setting for the integration of music and dance. The fail ure of the writers to succeed is again due to the complex ities of the script, with its resulting difficulty in fusing anything into a solid unit. In the context of an abstract dance-drama, the presence of a pop tune like "Marriage Type Love" is totally out of context for the _______________: ____________________ 2-52 established mood. At another point, Bob, insisting that he cannot be heard from the light bridge, begins to sing the song "Keep It Gay," a total incongruity for his character, perhaps done because of that distinction. The connection between the song and the plot is the fact that the number fits into the production of "Me and Juliet." The beautiful romantic statement of "No Other Love Have I" is lost, though presented three times in the production, because it is done primarily in a rehearsal situation.- There is an attempt to bring characters together by means of the song but the subtlety fails to emerge from the morass of a puzzle that has been created, and integration fails. The Company Brooks Atkinson reviewed the production and stated that the show was "populated with nothing but thorough- 10 8 breds. Rodgers and Hairimerstein naturally lead the list of celebrity names connected with Me and Juliet. In con cert with them are George Abbott, Robert Alton, Jo Mielziner, and Irene Sharaff— probably one of the strongest production teams that could be assembled for this particu- lar type of show. The cast also succeeded in their roles, a factor all but assured by such individuals as Isabel Bigley, Ray Walston, JOan McCracken, Bill Hayes, Mark _ _ _ _________ 233 - Dawson, and a chorus of a calibre that it contains the name of Shirley MacLaine. Nine reviewers were all compli mentary in their appreciation of this impressive talented group of individuals to entertain and obtain every bit of energy possible out of the unimpressive book. Rodgers and Hammerstein were the recipients of the harsh blows dealt by the press, and deservedly so. Spectacle Spectacle designed by the production team could not save the erratic show. Split stages slipping on and off stage, light bridges being raised and lowered, double and triple sets, lavish costumes, huge production numbers, and expertly paced direction all failed when the book was not comprehended. George Abbott had the proper foresight, which he did not heed, and in hindsight, he correctly condensed the problem. What fatally handicapped the play, however, was the nebulous play within a play. No one had thought it out; Oscar, who wrote the book, was almost sphinx- like about it. He probably hoped that the choreog rapher would invent something, but Alton, completely at a loss, just devised some Altonesque dances. The audience was baffled and indifferent at these inter polations; the story was lost on them. Me and Juliet did not fail violently— its advance was too large for that— it just died g e n t l y . 109 254 Me and Juliet was Rodgers and Hammerstein1s tribute to the theatre and all that the theatre had done for them. Unfortunately the tribute was lavish and dull, not at all what was expected of the most respected team of writers the Broadway stage was experiencing. 255 Notes- ^"Wolcott Gibbs, "The Theatre: Full Week," The New Yorker, January 6, 1945, p. 40. 2 John Mason Brown, "Seeing Things: 'On the Town,'" The Saturday Review, February 17, 1945, p. 26. 3 "Theater: Big Time in the Big Town," Newsweek, January 8 , 1945, p. 74. 4 Betty Comden and Adolph Green, "On the Town," prompt script, 1944, p. 1-2-7. (Mimeographed.) 5 John Hobart, "The Musical Becomes an American . Art," San Francisco Chronicle, January 13, 1946. ^Louis Kronenberger, "Best Musical of the Year," PM (New York), December 19, 1944. ^Comden and[ Green, "On the Town," P- 1-5-16. 3Ibid., P- 1-6-28. ^Ibid., P- 1-8-38. 10 . Ibid., p. 1-8-39. 11Ibid., P* 1-2-8 . 1 2 T . Ibid., P- 1-4-13. 13Ibid., P- 1-5-21. 14Ibid., p. 1-6-31. 15 . _ Ibid., p. 2-10-16. 16Ibid., P* 2-3-18. ^^Howard Barnes, "Fresh New Musical 1 1 New York Herald Tribune, December 29, 1944. X 8 "Theatre: Big Time in the. Big Town," p. 74. 19 Lewis Nichols, "'On the Town,'" New York Times, December 29, 1944. 20 Brown, "Seeing Things: 'On the Town,'" p. 26. 21 "Theatre: Big Time in the Big Town," p. 74. 256 22 Betty Comden and Adolph Green, "A Pair of 'book makers' Tell All," New York Times, March 18, 1945. 23 John Chapman, "'On the Town' is Not as Carefree and Gay as Its Title Hopes It Is," Daily News (New York), December 29, 1944. 24 John Chapman, "A Second Visit to the Musical 'On the Town' Results in a Change of Opinion," Daily News (New York), August 5, 1945. 25 Louis Kronenberger, "Best Musical of the Year," PM (New York), December 29, 1944. 2 6 John Chapman, "'Billion Dollar Baby' an Engaging Musical About Speakeasy Days,” Daily News (New York), December 22, 1945. 27 Burton Rascoe, "'Billion Dollar Baby' So-So Satire of the ’20s," New York World-Telegram, December 22, 1945. 28 Wolcott Gibbs, "The Theatre: When You and I Were Young," The New Yorker, January 5, 1945, p. 38. 29 Rascoe, "Billion Dollar Baby," December 22, 1945. 30 Elinor Hughes, "'Billion Dollar Baby': A Provoc ative Musical Play," Boston Herald, November 25, ,1945. 31 George Abbott, Mister Abbott (New York: Random House, 1963), p. 209. 32 Max Shulman, Barefoot Boy With Cheek (Chicago: Publishing Co. , 1947), p. 36. 33 Ibid., p. 44. 34 - Ibid., p. 64. ^~*Ibid. , p. 52. "^Ibid. , p. 59. Ibid., p. 69. 38 William Hawkins , "'Barefoot Boy ' Is Same Campus Humor," New York World-Telegram, April 4, 1947. 39 Brooks Atkinson, "Abbott's Musical Comedy at the 257 Martin Beck Seen as Another Class Reunion on a Dear Old College Campus," New York Times, April 4, 1947. 40 Ward Morehouse, "'Barefoot Boy With Cheek' Brisk Musical Play, Done in the Abbott Style," Sun (New York), April 4, 1947. 41 Robert Garland, "'Barefoot Boy' Treads Martin Beck Stage," New York Journal American, April 4, 1947. ^Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 219. 43 Robert Coleman, "'High Button Shoes' Doesn't Add Up," Daily Mirror (New York), October 10, 1947. 44 George Jean Nathan, The Theatre Book of the Year 1947-1948 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1948), pp. 96-99. 4 5 Douglas Watt, "Theater Column," Daily News (New York), October 6, 1947. 46 Stephen Longstreet, "High Button Shoes," type- hed.) 48. Ibid., p. 1-5-43. 1947, p. 1-1- 47 Ibid. , p. 1 49 Ibid. , p. 1 51,.. Ibid., p. 1 53, . . Ibid. / PP- 54 Ibid. , p. 1 55 , John Martin Ibid., p. 1-3-15 50. 52Ibid., p. 2-1-5 Times, November 9, 1947. 5 6 John Chapman, "Uproarious Mack Sennett Ballet High Spot of 'High Button Shoes,"' Daily News (New York), October 10, 1947. ^Abbott, Mister Abbott, pp. 219-220. 5 8 Robert Darrell Moulton, "Choreography in Musical Comedy and Revue on the New York Stage from 1925 through 1950" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1957), p. 257. 258 I 59 I Louis Kronenberger, "A Joke About Ballet Falls iSomewhat Flat," PM (New York), February 1, 1948. i ! Nathan, Year 1947-1948, pp. 47-48. 61 ; Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 221. 62 I Richard Watts, Jr., "Ray Bolger Tries Nobly in ,'Where's Charley?'" New York Post, October 12, 1948. 63 John Chapman, "Main Query in 'Where's Charley?' Is Where's Bolger?--He's There!" Daily News (New York), October 12, 1948. 64 John Lardner, "An Old Ritual Plus Ray Bolger," New York Star, October 13, 1948. ^^Howard Barnes, "Here's Bolger," New York Herald Tribune, October 12, 1948. 1 66 ! Ward Morehouse, "Ray Bolger . . . Very Little !Else," Sun (New York), October 12, 1948. i 6 7 Robert Coleman, "Ray Bolger's Big Hit, But :'Where's Charley?'" Daily Mirror (New York), October 13, i1948. i ! g 0 Robert Garland, "An Amusing Musical with Ray Bolger," New York Journal American, October 12, 1948. 69 George Abbott, "Where's Charley?" typescript, 1948, p. 1-2-25. (Mimeographed.) 70 Watts, "Ray Bolger Tries Nobly," October 12, 194 8. ^William Hawkins, "'Where's Charley?' Out of This World," New York World-Telegram, October 12, 1948. i ; 72 Gerald Weales, American Drama Since WWII (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1962), p. 139. 7 3 George Jean Nathan, The Theatre Book of the Year 1950-1951 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951), pp. 64-66. 259 74 Abe Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1969), p. 139. 75 Ibid. 76 Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse,"Call Me Madam," promptbook, 1950, p. r-5-24.1 77 78 Ibid., 1-8-54. Ibid., p. 1-7-45. 79 Ibid., 2-3-19. 8 0 George Abbott, "The Musicals Take Over," Theatre Arts Monthly, July 1954, p. 95. 81 Betty Smith and George Abbott, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (New York: Harper & Bros., 1951), pp. 103-104. 82 83 Ibid., pp. 131-132. Ibid., p. 179. 8 3 s 5* Ibid., p. 18. Ibid., pp. 24-26. ^Ibid. , pp." 91-92. 8 7 Carol Taylor, "A Show is Born: Skinny, Stacked, V-Necked— The Girls Ran Like Ants To Chorus Call for 'Tree,'" New York World-Telegram, April 30, 1951. 8 8 Smith and Abbott, Tree, n.p. 89 Abbott, Mister Abbott, pp. 232-234. 90 George Jean Nathan, The Theatre in the Fifties (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953), p. 266. 91 Stanley Green, The World of Musical Comedy (New York: Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., 1960), p. 267. 92 Joseph Fields et al., Wonderful Town (New York: Random House, 19 53), p. 3. 93 94 Ibid., p. 4. Ibid., p. 9. 95t1 . _ _, 9 6 Ibid., p. 61. Ibid., p. 109. 97 9 8 Ibid., p. 115. Ibid., p. 165. 260 99 100. Ibid., p. 171. Ibid., p. 133. ■*"^Ibid., p. 83.. ^ 2Ibid. , pp. 140-141. 103 Richard Albert Lane, "A Critical Analysis of the Treatment of Selected American Drama in Musical Adapta tion" (Ph.D. dissertation, Washington State University, 1974) . 104 Nathan, Theatre in the Fifties, p. 265. 105 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, II, Me and Juliet (New York: Random House, 1953), pp. 30-31. 10 6 Abbott, Mister Abbott, pp. 243-244. 10 7 Rodgers and Hammerstein, Me and Juliet. , p. 29. 10 8 Brooks Atkinson, "'Me and Juliet' Is a Valentine to the Theatre by Rodgers and Hammerstein," New York Times, May 29, 19 53. 109 Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 247. 261 CHAPTER VII SUCCESS AND DECLINE: 1954-1969 By the year 1953, only eight musical productions had been successful enough to sustain a run of over 1,000 performances in New York. As of 1973, the total had reached twenty-four, triple the number in a short twenty years. Included in the original eight are two revues, Hellzapoppin (1938) and Pins and Needles (1937) ; three Rodgers and Ham merstein musicals, Oklahomai (1943), South Pacific (1949) , and The King and I (1951) , with the former two still in the top ten in 1973; and Guys and Dolls (1950), Annie Get Your Gun (1946), and Kiss Me Kate (1948). In the two years to follow George Abbott was to add two more names to this list: The Pajama Game (1954) with 1,063 performances, and Damn Yankees (1955) with 1,-019.'*' The Pajama Game Libretto With tongue-in-cheek, the libretto of The Pajama Game opens with a speech indicating: 262 This is a very serious drama. It's kind of a problem play. It's about Capital and Labor. I wouldn't bother to make such a point of all this except later on if you happen to see a lot of naked women being chased through the woods, I don't want you to get the wrong impres sion. This play is full of symbolism.2 It takes very little time for the audience to realize that (1) it is not a serious drama; (2) it is not a problem play, (3) it is about Capital and Labor, but not seriously so; (4) there are no naked women running through the woods; and (5) there is no symbolism. The book concerns itself with labor union problems in the Sleep Tite Pajama Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The union representatives are determined to obtain a 7^-cent raise which will put them in line with the balance of the industry. The "villain" is Mr. Hasler, the president of the company, who insists that the raise is impracticable at the present time. The principal advocates of opposing sides; are Sid Sorokin, the factory superintendent, and Babe Wil liams, the single member of the union Grievance Committee. The differences of principle interfere with their personal lives, and it is not until Sid is able to gain the key to the company books and threaten Hasler that the company gives in and all ends well. The thankful workers return to their jobs in high spirits, though spirit has never left the production. The story is one continual thrust toward 263 the resolution of a single problem: settle the wage dis pute . The libretto, by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, is an adaptation of Bissell* s book, 7% Cents, and leads the characters on a merry-go-round of activity in the factory workroom, Babe's home, a picnic ground, the union hall, various offices and corridors in the factory, and, finally, the famous night spot: Hernando's Hideaway. Although the plot line of the book is slightly over- simplistic, and the setting seemingly a bit plebian, the show moves with such pace and vitality that these minor inadequacies are forgotten in the interest of excitement and fun. The appeal is in the ability of all audiences to empathize with the protagonists, and with management and labor constantly in the headlines of contemporary papers, they can enjoy the machinations of both sides of the con troversy. In an article by George Abbott published in July of 1954, shortly after the May opening of The Pajama Game, he comments on the legitimacy of the contemporary musical, offering a definition of legitimacy as "the honesty with 3 which it treats the characters and plots." In The Pajama Game, there is constant and reasonable development of the 264 plot. The opening establishes the conflict between the opposing forces, management and Sid versus labor and Babe. Though handled in a comic manner, as befits the musical form, the situation is nevertheless honest and reaslistic. Each side is presented fully. The workers need the money and the company must retain a level of production and a certain percentage of profits for the stockholders. Simul taneously, the character development of the principals is equally well delineated. Sid, a newcomer to both the city and the factory, has problems making friends, but will not allow this to interfere with his doing the best possible job he was hired to do. His determination is expressed in the song, "A New Town Is a Blue TOwn," where he states that no town is going to get the better of him. He'll stay and make it his town. Later, when Babe has turned down his suggestion of a date, Sid rationalizes the situation and tells himself to forget her in "Hey There," but eventually concedes that it won't work. Babe, on the other hand, insists to the girls she works with that "I'm Not at All in Love," though constantly realizing that she is. When Sid and Babe finally manage to be alone, they admit their love to one another, but their ideals as far as the factory is concerned haven't changed. The solving of the labor 265 relations problem by Sid provides the logical reason for Sid and Babe to resolve their romantic interests, since neither one of them has to compromise in their principles. Subplots are in evidence with Hines, a time-study man, and his jealousy over Gladys, Hasler's secretary. An old vaudeville knife-thrower, Hines reacts violently when ever Gladys even speaks to another man. When Sid approaches; Gladys to get the keys to Hasler's books, Hines chases Sid and knives are flung in every direction. His purpose, he states, is merely to scare the man he believes is taking liberties with "his" girl. Once explanations have been made, Hines is reconciled with Gladys. The other important secondary characters are Prez, the president of the union local, and his female companion, Mae, another worker in the factory. Prez is the instigator of the factory slow-down and the advocate of a strike. How ever, he is only bombastic in his approach to the situation when he is backed by the whole union membership, and in par ticular Babe, but cannot in any sense be considered as an agitator. Romance The fact that Sid is new to the town and Babe is single and interested in him provides the romance of The 266 Pajama Game, despite their ideological differences. Each is attracted to the other early in the libretto, but they con tinue the conflict over money for the workers which causes romantic problems. The romantic aspect of the play is handled in a slightly different aspect than has been the norm. In this case, it happens that boy meets girl and boy gets girl. Somehow, in The Pajama Game, he never manages to have time to lose.; her. -in the central section. They are, however, united completely only at the final curtain. i Comedy All of the seemingly inane simplicity is the source of the comedy of the play. When Sid gives a lazy helper a push,, the man goes sprawling and accuses Sid of slugging him and hurting his weak arm. The company nurse determines that it isn't even bruised, but the incident introduces Sid and Babe when the helper takes the situation to the Griev ance Committee. Mismatched pajama tops and bottoms insti gated by Prez create an obvious problem for the sales force, to say nothing of buttons which pop off when anyone takes a deep breath— the latter difficulty is demonstrated by Hines, upon orders from Hasler, in a very embarrassing fashion. A slow-down in production also involves the meticulously time- saving minded Hines as he frantically attempts to speed up 267 the people and machines, both running at half-speed. Integration The ability of the libretto to integrate the musical numbers is divided between the quite well done and the poorest possible attempts. The previously mentioned "A New Town Is a Blue Town" and "Hey There" work well in the con text of the script. Surprisingly, several of the large production numbers are among those which are well integrated into the plot. "Racing With the Clock," sung by the factory workers, provides not only an energetic opening for the show, but an exceptional amount of exposition regarding the forthcoming conflict between the workers and the company. GIRLS Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up Can't waste time, can't waste time, can't waste time, can't waste time. When you're racing with the clock When you're racing with the clock And the second hand doesn't understand That your back may break and your fingers ache And your constitution isn't made of rock. It's a losing race when you're racing with the Racing, racing Racing with the clock. . . . When will old man Hasler break down And come up with our seven and a half cent raise? SECOND MALE How in hell can I buy me a swell new second hand car On that salary he pays? 268 first girl What do you think of the new superintendent? SECOND GIRL (Spoken) He's cute. THIRD GIRL (Spoken) He'll never last. Ha! With this information and more, the audience is quickly and effortlessly made aware of the problem and the main pro tagonist. At the yearly union picnic, a standard procedure at many manufacturing firms, the workers shout and play in a giant free-for-all on their "Once a Year Day." Just before their proposed strike, the union leader, Prez, talks to the members, insisting that "Seven and One Half Cents" is not too much to ask. In addition, only five years later, each will have earned "Eight hundred and fifty two dollars and seventy four cents, [and] that's enough for me to be livin' 5 like a king." In contrast, one of the most popular moments in the show, "Hernando's Hideaway," a long and intricate song and dance number done by the entire company, unfortunately pro vides only entertainment and atmosphere, and offers no addi tional information regarding either plot or character. 269 jDespite this fact, the critics and public alike gave it great response. Generally, the comedy songs are least well inte grated into the production. Hines receives the greatest share, including the title song, "The Pajama Game," a character song, "I'll Never Be Jealous Again," and a second act show stopper, "Think of the Time I'll Save," which un fortunately did not stop the show. None of these are vital to the production, and could easily be eliminated, leaving the totality unhindered. To do so would remove much of the comedy and as a result do harm to a necessary production value, which indicates the songs' primary and, possibly, sole purpose. The Company The ability of these problematic music interpola tions to be critically accepted, as they were, may in great part be due to the expert handling of them by the produc tion team. With this particular team there is one fascinat ing factor which must be considered. Following the frequent pattern of George Abbott musi cals, most of the people responsible for the production were newcomers to the theatre— including the producers (Griffith and Prince had been stage managers for many of Abbott's productions) and choreographer Bob Fosse. Apart from Abbott, the only other experienced member 270 of the staff was Jerome Robbins, the co-director, though this marked his first assignment directing an entire show.6 It becomes evident that the work of George Abbott was to be of vital importance to the production. Both the direction and the choreography received acclaims, which accounts for some of the unusual success. "The Pajama Game" has been staged by Mr. Abbott and Jerome Robbins, both of whom like motion on the stage. That may account for the lightness and friskiness of the performance. And that may also explain why Bob Fosse's ballets and improvised dance turns seem to come so spontaneously out of the story.7 These compliments are further expanded to include the prowess of the performers of this lightness: Carol Haney, Buzz Miller, and Peter Genaro. The feeling of vigor and vitality which pervaded the production caused Richard Watts, Jr., in noting the delivery of songs by John Raitt, Janis Paige, and Eddie Foy, Jr., to state: "All the songs, if they are not altogether masterpieces, have the commend able quality of gay liveliness, and they are offered with a gusto and relish that brings out the best that is in them." In an unpretentious show, it is the lack of pretension that ingratiated the critics and the public. Spectacle The visual spectacle demanded from a musical was amply achieved despite the inauspicious settings of a 271 factory with numerous offices and corridors. The costumes and scenery are by Lemual Ayers, who can make even a factory workroom look theatrical. There is a union picnic for purposes of festive spec tacle in the first act, and a restaurant called Her nando's Hideaway where the second act goes pleasantly insane.® This insanity was the result of highly original music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, translated to the stage by choreographer Bob Fosse and directors Abbott and Robbins. The inhabitants of Hernando's Hideaway work in total darkness in which matches are lit as people attempt to find one another in the darkened Bohemian locale. The Pajama Game is a combination of what might be termed the "old" and the "new" techniques. The opening, although integrated, is a large production number designed to attract the attention of the audience. Musical numbers and scenes designated as "comedy" are carried by secondary characters and do not fit well into the story. Typical are the songs of Hines and Prez, and scenes concerning the same two gentlemen and their girl friends. The second act has two comic "showstoppers," both of which involve Hines, played by Eddie Foy, Jr., one of which is the perennial dream ballet, "Jealousy Ballet," in which Hines' jealousy for Gladys is epitomized. The production does utilize a story that is reasonable and the characters are honestly 272 drawn with a clear development throughout the plot. Obviously, The Pajama Game is not innovative. It depends on too many devices reflecting the past. It is not old- fashioned, for it incorporates too many of the ideals of the present. It is not transitional, because the transition is past, and musical theatre is already into the require ment of total integration. The production cannot be said to be one thing or another, but the unusually fine reception of it is an indication of the desire of the public and the critics to be presented with polished entertainment, without, inordinate concern for splitting hairs over what must or must not be. The Pajama Game fits into a category which might be termed a "slick" musical, and as such, it requires the total attention of the best professionals to bring about a top Broadway show. The libretto is neither innovative nor exceptionally strong? many of the musical numbers are ordi nary in themselves and require versatility, imagination, anc. talent to bring them to fruition; and the comedy is not of the Mack Sennett variety, thereby demanding wit and skill tc deliver. The capable hands of the new but fanciful company provided the eloquence and knowledge necessary for the foundation. The execution was placed in the effectual care 273 of John Raitt, Janis Paige, Carol Haney, and Eddie Foy, Jr., who provided performances that combined to elevate The Pajama Game to hit status and achieve its illustrious posi tion in the over 1,000 performance category. Damn Yankees The Company One week less than a year after the opening of The i I Pajama Game, Frederick Brisson, Robert E. Griffith, and Harold Prince repeated their success in that show by again engaging a more than competent staff and cast. The group included George Abbott as co-author and director, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross as composer and lyricist, and Bob Fosse as choreographer for the production of Damn Yankees, which is very close to duplication of its predecessor. Where Abbott collaborated with Richard Bissell in the adaptation of The Pajama Game, this time he worked with Douglass Wallop, the author of The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, The newcomers to the production staff were William and Jean Ekhart: .for the costume and scenic design. Since The Pajama Game was still in production, in competition with the new effort, a different cast was . necessary. However, the professionalism which dominated 274 the earlier show was equally evident in the cast for Damn Yankees. Included in the lineup were Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston, Stephen Douglass, Jean Stapleton, and old standby Abbott performers Nathaniel Frey and Albert Linville. Each of the individuals succeeded in his given area as compe tently as those who preceded them in the original blueprint for this "sad carbon copy of The Pajama Game."^ Although many comparisons have been made between The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees to the detriment of the show and the chagrin of those connected with it, there have been a few writers who saw something in the production. When Abbott is at his best— and he is at his best in Damn Yankees . . . there is a feeling of perpetual motion created by the adroit multiplication of hundreds of large and small movements. Everything is fluid. Everything moves. When one character has to divulge a bit of information to another, they do it either strolling, or jumping, or running. A show like Damn Yankees has about it a fascination of a fine Byzantine mosaic. At a distance it is a gaudy pageant. Regarded closely, it becomes an artfully assembled design in which many small pieces have been fitted together by a master craftsman. - * v Unfortunately, this is a minority opinion, and the rela tively equal economics in terms of length of run cannot com pensate for the obvious duplication of effort. In the professional theatre, one expects more than duplication. Originality and imagination are the standards by which a product must be judged. 275 Libretto The libretto of Damn Yankees consists of a modern version of the Faust legend, surrounded by the greatest of all American pastimes— baseball- Joe Boyd, a middle-aged, fanatical fan of the Washington Senators baseball team, makes the statement that he would give his soul if the Senators could beat those "damn Yankees" and win the pen nant. Luckily, Satan, in the guise of Mr. Applegate is on hand to provide Boyd with the means not only to see the Senators win, but make Boyd an outstanding young player who infuses the team with the will and ability to win. Boyd agrees to sell his soul, but insists upon an escape clause in the contract. He is unsure that he would enjoy being the servant of this man--who is at no time in the script referred to by any name other than Applegate, though the inferences are obvious— throughout eternity. Joe is very much in love with his wife; the model woman who is loving, cheerful, kind, and understanding of Joe's preoccupation with baseball. Joe Boyd, under the ministrations of Mr. Applegate, is changed into Joe Hardy, the youthful, ulti mate baseball player— as long as Mr. Applegate is around to assure his prowess. Hardy's immediate acceptance by the Senators' manager skyrockets the team to contention for the pennant. 276 As the season progresses, Joe becomes homesick and finally asks to exercise the escape clause. To deter him, Applegate calls on his best seductress, Lola. Lola works her wiles on the impressionable Joe Hardy, but to no avail. The existence of Joe Boyd is too strong, and Boyd's love for his wife is too deep to be divagated. As much as Boyd loves the Senators and baseball, he cannot forsake his wife, Meg. Lola proceeds to fall in love with Joe Hardy, and knowing that Applegate will circumvent the implementation of the escape clause, she elects to lend her support to Joe. Tragically, their efforts are futile and at midnight on the appointed date the escape clause expires and Joe Boyd must remain Joe Hardy forever. Realizing that Joe will never be allowed to win the game and the pennant regardless of contracts, Lola drugs Applegate, who arrives for the game just as the final ball has been hit by the Yankees, which, if successful, would mean the series for them. In a fit of anger, Applegate turns Joe Hardy back into Joe Boyd in the middle of the play. Boyd summons sufficient strength to catch .the ball, complete the play, and win the pennant for the Senators. His only alternative is then to leave the field and the part, before being discovered. Joe Boyd returns to his wife, 277 only to find Applegate there to tempt him again, but true love wins and Boyd is determined to remain middle-aged and happy at home. The story is delightfully simple and though perhaps far-fetched, it is no more so than many of the numerous applications of the Faust legend which have followed its inception. The simplistic nature of the desires of Joe Boyd admirably suit the requirements of musical theatre and simultaneously provide the audience with America's favorite pastime, a version of the local boy makes good, and the warmth of an honest love story. Criticized for postulating that Joe could possibly want to return to his ordinary wife when Lola and fame await him, the story amply indicates that Joe is aware of the consequences if he does not return, and the evil in which he would participate if he remained Joe Hardy forever. His decision is based on solid moral prin ciples and ethically sound conscience. In addition, Apple gate is shown to be a bumbler, albeit an evil bumbler, whose plans are easily predicated. Joe's decision is well applauded by all audiences who are interested in the triumph of good over evil, and that factor is often integral to the proper conclusion in affective musical theatre. The role of Lola is considered to be the major 278 feminine lead in the production, and is indeed the singular large female role. However, her entrance is delayed until scene six of Act One in order to provide the necessary exposition. At that time, her character as a protege of Applegate is established. The next appearance is in scene nine in which she attempts and fails at the seduction of Joe Hardy, who has already expressed his desire to return to normal life. The next entrance is late in scene ten. At this point Lola has turned to Joe's side and even orga nized a fan club. There is, unfortunately, no transition provided to establish this radical change of view, and the juxtaposition is a major flaw in the development of the character and the book. Lola's next appearance is Act Two scene three, a very short interjection in which she is chastised by Applegate. From there she goes to see Joe and since the escape clause has expired, they commiserate, both being in the same situation. Finally, Joe agrees to take Lola out for a last fling, which is slight enough reason for the ensuing nightclub scene and the song and dance which accompany it. Subsequently it is stated that Lola spiked Applegate's drink, and when Applegate finally awakens, he vents his wrath on Lola. For a short time she becomes her real self, an ugly old crone; however, all is resolved, 279 although she is still in the employ of Applegate. The role of Lola is a vehicle, integral to the plot, but neither well nor logically developed. Its primary pur pose is to afford musical numbers for the actress playing the role--that actress originally being the talented Gwen Verdon. It is also unfortunate that the characters who rep resent the evil in the moral battle being fought are the more engaging of the combatants, but it is usually so in real life as well. As the production progresses, the scales; become more balanced with Lola's capitulation to the side of good and right, for Joe Boyd and Meg are hardly strong enough to succeed against both Applegate and Lola, but with Lola's aid, good triumphs. Because Joe depends completely upon Applegate to see him through all of the trials and tribulations that inevitably accompany this magical phenomenon which actually threatens to bring the pennant to Washington, Joe does not develop as a complete character either. All of the indi viduals who populate the play are therefore shallow and somewhat valueless. The simplicity of Joe's desire to return to his wife, creating an ethical and moral stand which is admirable, is not sufficient definition for a 280 character to be considered three dimensional and believable. Since the action is totally concerned with Joe Hardy, there is no subplot in the libretto. In short, the libretto has more faults than can normally be accepted as a vehicle for affective musical theatre. Integration In its structure, Damn Yankees follows the formula established by The Pajama Game. The opening, as previously mentioned, is simple in its opening lines, and then expands into a complete production number involving all members of the chorus who argue and banter over the pros and cons of marriage during the all-consuming baseball season. Like the situation in the pajama factory, the conflict is estab lished. "Whatever Lola Wants" is a comic seduction song comparable to "Her Is"; "Who's Got the Pain," performed at ja rally for Joe Hardy, is the equivalent of "Steam Heat," lone at a union meeting; "Two Lost Souls" utilizes a night club which erupts in a manner similar to "Hernando's Hide away"; "Those Were the Good Old Days" is the second act comedy number by Applegate which replaces Hines' "Think of the Time I Save"; and "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal Mo.," per formed by the players as a baseball game in dance is 281 identical in construction to "One a Year Day," The Pajama Game's picnic. The parallels are so evident as to be con sidered a direct copy, creating the most blatant duplica tion of style and effort seen since the multiple productions on a single theme created for the audiences of the 1920s and 1930s. / Because of this duplication, integration suffers more in Damn Yankees than it did in its predecessor, and the comedy numbers suffer the most. "Heart," an expression of the need for drive and desire to win, is sung by four mem bers of the Senators' team and is logical, but does nothing to aid character or plot. "A Little Brains— A Little Talent," "Whatever Lola Wants," and "Who's Got the Pain" are all simply vehicles for Miss Verdon, and furnish no vital or even interesting information. "The Game" is the second act opening, only done by men rather than girls. The single exception, which is an example of a meaningful song in the production, is Joe Boyd's "Goodbye, Old Girl," which he sings as he writes a note to his wife, telling her that he is going away for a while and not to worry. The balance of the musical numbers are entertainment, but entertainment which certainly paid off, for the critics took no notice of the fact that they are, almost without exception, totally 282 extraneous to the plot or character development. Romance Romance takes on a slightly different approach in Damn Yankees than has been seen in other musicals. Although the common love story is present in the relationship of Joe and Meg, the middle-aged couple are not the average hero and iheroine of the musical theatre. This fact may also have had something to do with the success of the production, for the average theatregoer is said to be in the same age bracket as the initial protagonists, thereby creating an empathic atmo sphere which does not usually exist. All exigencies are covered in this tale, for Joe Boyd exists only for a short period of time at the opening and again in the closing scene. The balance of the production exhibits young, virile, handsome Stephen Douglass as the romantic figure of Joe Hardy. To retain unity, the authors ensure against audience amnesia by retaining the presence of Meg in the story as a living symbol for Joe's love. She becomes Joe Hardy's landlady and later his most ardent supporter in time of need. Romance also exists in the relationship between Joe and Lola. Although Joe has no love for her, he is compas sionate toward her, particularly upon discovering that she 283 is an agent of Applegate and was previously the ugliest woman in the state of Rhode Island. Her seeming indiffer ence to seducing men into suicide and watching empires tumble is a facade, and Joe Hardy brings out the true woman in her. Lola honestly falls in love with Joe and risks her life in eternity as an unrivalled beauty to help him outwit Applegate. The triumph of right, not in the form of melo drama, but realistically presented within the frame of the fairy tale, reinforces the romantic atmosphere of the li bretto . Comedy The comedy is handled in a fashion similar to that of The Pajama Game. With the exception of Lola, the second ary characters carry it in its totality. The relation of Joe and Meg to comedy is nonexistent. Applegate performs an integral amount of the comedy despite the fact that the onlj trick he can bring off is to produce a lighted cigarette 12 from thin air. His comment is, "I'm handy with fire." When Joe and Applegate agree on the terms of the contract, they shake left hands, which puzzles Joe. Applegate responds, "What do you expect to do, sign your name in 13 blood, or some phoney stunt like that?" Applegate's characteristic cynicism pervades every scene he is in, but 284 in a comic manner. When Lola arrives for instructions on her assignment to seduce Joe, the conversation is as fol lows : APPLEGATE Have a good trip? LOLA Perfect. The plane crashed in Cleveland. APPLEGATE Good, good. Now how about that job in Chicago? LOLA Cleared the whole thing up before I left. I got the old boy to embezzle $100,000 and lost it for him at the race track. Then his wife left him and he took to drink. I told him I was through and he jumped out of the window. Twenty second story. . . . APPLEGATE This is a straight seduction job. Look, Lola, here's the tie-up. This is a mass torture deal like the thirty years war. I've got thousands of Washington fans drooling under the illusion that the Senators are going to win the pennant. LOLA (Enthusiastically) Oh, Chief, that's awfully good. There'll be suicides, heart attacks and apoplexy. Just like the good old days.14 Additional comedy is provided by members of the baseball team, who are portrayed as caricatures of athletes rather than honest human beings. They are pictured as not too intelligent individuals who think only about the sim plest and most mundane matters. Though each team member is 285 endowed with different attributes, all remain as comic statements rather than characters. Spectacle For spectacle, scenic artists William and Jean Ekhart provided sets that were described as accurate and handsome rather than in more vivid terms. Their finest device was the gimmick of turning baseball lights into the audience and playing a game as though the audience were stting somewhere between home plate and the pitcher's mound. The satisfaction of being blinded during the climax of the show may have been an unsettling proposition, but necessary when all else failed. The spectacle was obviously in the performance and the staging. The greatest accolades were for director George Abbott, choreographer Bob Fosse, and "a couple of 15 first-rate performers. ..." Mr. Fosse, with Miss Verdon1s aid, is one of the eve ning's heros. His dance numbers are full of fun and vitality. In "Whatever Lola Wants," there is a first- class gem in which music, lyrics, and dance combine to make a memorable episode of the femme fatale operating on the hapless male. "Who's Got the Pain" involved Miss Verdon and Eddie Phillips in a marabo and "Two Lost Souls" puts on a torrid and rowdy bachannal just to prove everybody's versatility.-^ Versatility, however, is an item which should have departed with the demise of vaudeville and burlesque. 286 George Abbott not only provided the fast-moving script, which contains complete scenes in the place of the normal crossovers to cover changes of scenery, but also con tributed the "punch, pace and polish for which he's 17 famous," and musical numbers which are "blockbusters in ; 18 the best George Abbott tradition." Finally, there is Gwen Verdon, who is a spectacular show by herself. There can be little doubt that a major factor in the ability of Damn Yankees to continue for 1,019 performances is due to the phenomenal vitality and talent of this distinguished performer. In the production, "Miss Verdon appears as a splendid comedienne, and extraordinary 19 dancer and a just plain fascinating person." "Go and see the most glamorous woman on the local stage make wild and 20 expert fun of everything she appears to be." Any problem that the show may seem to have is completely obliterated by the presence of Miss Verdon, and of course, the direction she received from both her director and choreographer. No star is capable of standing completely alone, but according to Richard Watts, Jr.: I would say that the chief reason for enthusiasm over the evening':s proceedings is that Gwen Verdon, who was merely sensational in "Can-Can" several seasons ago, is even more completely wonderful in her second leading 287 role on Broadway. For "Damn Yankees" has a way of fal tering from time to time, but Miss Verdon is:unf ailing .21 The value of a talent of unusual dimension must never be over- or underestimated. New Girl in Town Libretto As an adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie, any similarity between New Girl in Town and the play on which it is based lies solely in the use of the same charac ters and the basic relationships that they have to one another. A few of the original O'Neill lines remain, but scattered in quite limited amount throughout the libretto. The period was changed from 1921 in the original to 1900 for the musical. Depth of characterization was sacrificed for the inevitable inclusion of music and dance, which, as indi cated in Chapter III, requires an exhorbitant amount of time in presentation. It is expected that any play or novel will undergo changes, some radical, in the development of a musical. In the case of Anna Christie, the changes became a practical destruction of the original pattern in tone and mood. Since it is not the purpose of this study to investigate the source and compare it to the resultant production, these 288 factors must be limited to peripheral examination and con centration placed on the viability of the musical as it reached the New York stage. Yet, it is imperative that notice be made of the problem, for expectations of the pub lic are often fondly based on knowledge of the material which forms the foundation for a musical, particularly when it is as widely known and fervently acclaimed as the O'Neill classic. When the result fails to live up to these expectations, difficulties ensue, and those who expected 22 Anna Christie literally got a "new girl." When questioned for the reasons behind the changes made in the adaptation, author-director George Abbott pro vided several answers. Prostitution was not the problem in 1957, when New Girl in Town was written, that it had been in other periods, negating an updated version. "A girl couldn't be driven into such a life by economic necessity in 23 these times; any girl can make a living nowadays." Plac ing the story in 1900 makes Anna's difficulty more believ able. With regard to the material itself, Abbott defends the use of any good story. The growth of the musical the atre and its current lack of stereotype, which was a part of the genre in years past, precludes any censorship. There's lots of serious material on the musical stage today. "Pal Joey" is serious material. "Carousel" is. 289 American musicals have progressed far beyond the musical comedy stage; a musical comedy implies a kind of "Fol lies" atmosphere. The trend of our musicals is to try to give honest characters and an honest story and have the musical development come out of that story. There can be added pleasure at a musical from the feeling that the people are real and their situations are those which you have an empathy for.^ Fortunately, there is some "Follies" atmosphere in New Girl in Town, for without it, the production could well have been opera, and closed long before it did on the Broad way stage. In addition, the combination is a fitting one, for the setting of Anna Christie as envisioned by Abbott does not tamper with the characters or the story, only with the mood of the production which is a necessary change in the process of adaptation. The result was a new world for the characters, but they retain their identities as three individuals. Anna, her father, Chris, and the lovable braggart, Mat, reveal themselves as people who constantly try to communicate, but consistently fail. There is strong evidence of the indom itable will and pride in each member of the trio that must not be tampered with. For Chris, it is the pride in his daughter; Anna's pride requires the acceptance of society; and Mat's pride is challenged by the deception of Anna, the prostitute, all well in accord with the people drawn by O'Neill in his original play. Simply because their world 290 is not one of constant depression is no reason to believe that all of Anna Christie has been shelved. Without the original characters, there would be no New Girl in Town, and in both cases, she is a new girl, through her trans formation . Integration The integration of music and dance into the li bretto has both positive and negative facets. The most reasonable means of investigation is to illustrate the integration as the numbers occur through a synopsis of the libretto. New Girl in Town opens with a brass band atmosphere of sailors ;returning from a long period at sea. Since the story is of the men of the sea, the opening is logical. The first characters encountered are three trollops, Lily, Katie, and Moll, discussing the sailors who are in the process of arriving. When the men explode onto the scene, sailors and girls list the activities which will not be explored. First a lecture at da Academy Den a trip to da public library, Da aquarium is fun we hear. Don't anybody want a beer? Gonna read a book 'cause it's such a thrill, Gonna pick some flowers on da hill, 291 Den off to da park to feed a Squirrel. Don't anybody want a girl? I A girl, a girl, 25 1 Don't anybody want a girl? At the conclusion of the number, Marthy, "a be- jdraggled harridan wearing oversized man's sweater and men's 2 6 ishoes," enters. She is Chris' woman. Chris and Marthy .immediately embark on one of their obviously continual, good-1 f t 'natured fights, with Marthy as the aggressor. This time her * [reason is genuine. A letter announcing Anna's arrival had come, and Marthy opened and read it. As Marthy steers Chris home to sober up for the meeting with Anna, he sings an overly 'sentimental ballad to the now-crumpled letter from Anna. Anna Lilia, Anna Lilia, Anna Lilia mine, Alvays in my heart you shine. You vant your pa— You vant your pa. Like good gel should, you love your pa. Anna, your papa loves you. Anna Lilia, Anna Lilia, Anna Lilia t mine. Could you maybe say, "Pa, Ay vant to stay"? Anna Mine.2 7 I Though the song expresses both the simplicity and the con- jcern of Chris, the oversimplistic lyrics and sentimentality !can only be attributed to his supposed drunkenness rather than to originality or imagination on the part of composer- lyricst Bob Merrill. I Johnny-the-Priest's saloon provides delightful gay nineties atmosphere, where a ragtime, nickelodeon piano plunks out a popular tune of the day, "Sunshine Girl." Sung by the inhabitants of the saloon, it provides an op portunity for a specialty "good-natured dance" by Pete. The lively number has no apparent purpose, for the scene which follows is the entrance of Anna. Recognition by Marthy is immediate and obvious. Anna is worn and hard; infected with an attitude and dressed in a manner that is definitive of the "world's oldest profession." Anna con fides to Marthy her latest problems, and her total disgust with men. Her attitude is one of bitterness and hatred. Chris arrives, but sees only Anna's beauty and finery. So stricken with his daughter, he hardly hears the caustic words used to describe the hell she has been through on the farm her father sent her to. Incongruously, Anna states that she'll tell Chris about it sometime, and promptly pro ceeds to detail the experiences. Country butter, eggs by the dozens, Gettin' grabbed by all the cousins, In the barn with Uncle Jake, If ya squeal, ya get the rake, Mary was a little lamb, till everybody caught 'er, Mary took it on the lamb, 'cause lambs get led to slaughter, On the farm, on the farm, any girl is safe from harm, With those vicious sons of bitches on the farm.28 Realizing that Chris has not heard a word of her diatribe, 293 and seeing his warm, expectant nature, Anna resolves to attempt the part of the lady Chris expects of her, but the bitterness never leaves. With no transitional information, a new Anna is seen on Chris' barge. Now she is cleansed of her former self. Looking at the world as a candy store, she sings, "It's Good to Be Alive," one of two songs well integrated into the story. The transition is so complete that when she encounters Mat, she begins to fall in love with him despite his attempts to grab and fondle her. As the action progresses, Chris is made to appear more and more as a bumbling obstacle for Anna, in his desire to keep her for himself. His anxiety over Mat is expressed in a comic deprecation of Mat's new fame for having saved two of his shipmates from drowning. Chris' weaknesses are more evident as he pleads with Anna to stay | away from sailors and to understand this poor old man. Before the two can regain some common ground, Mat enters, surrounded by reporters and townspeople. Pressed for his story, he concocts a fantastic tale of sharks, whales, mountainous waves, and a mermaid, which he relates with exaggerated bravado in song. The referent for the mermaid is obviously Anna, and all he can do for the present 294 is "Look at 'er," the second of the two songs which forward the story and enrich the characters. Eventually, Mat expresses his admiration and worship for Anna. She falters, changes the subject, but becomes more and more involved with his childlike infatuation with her. The ultimate act occurs when Mat has "Anna" tattooed on him. Overcome by his honesty and sincerity, Anna kisses him. When they part, they sing. But the lyrics are again burdened with repeti tive sentimenality. Did you close your eyes when we kissed, like me? Did you close your eyes when we kissed? Did you close your eyes when we kissed? Did you close your eyes when we kissed, like me, like me, like me?^ The romantic scene is interrupted by Chris who instantly argues with Mat over his advances toward Anna. The dispute over possession of Anna is climaxed by Anna's announcement that she will make her own decisions. A change of subject to the forthcoming ball ends the argument as all parties agree that things can be decided on the morrow. At the "Check Apron Ball," Anna achieves a goal. She is accepted by society and becomes the center of atten tion. Marthy, who vowed to be respectable, succumbs to jealousy, and drink loosens her tongue regarding Anna's 295 disreputable background. The first act curtain falls as Anna gaily dances with the stylish people at the ball, oblivious to the tension built up in Marthy and the inevi tability of disaster. Act Two picks up precisely as Act One left off, in the middle of the dance at the ball, requiring no adapta tion on the part of the audience to regain the thread of the story. Enjoyment and tension both increase as a comic waltz is performed by Chris and Anna, to the displeasure of Marthy. Marthy finally blurts out the truth to Mat, real izes the damage that she has done, but too late, and she passes out from the abundance of liquor she has consumed. Mat confronts Anna who reaffirms the statements, but vows she has reformed, and has never honestly loved before. Her pleading is to no avail. Mat's pride has been shattered, he has been made a fool of and his mind is incapable of adjusting to something so degrading, and he leaves. With Mat gone and her reputation known, Anna pre pares to leave without knowing where to go. As she searches for a decision, the inevitable dream ballet, a worn-out device, presents one alternative. In her mind ANNA sees a group of ladies of the evening sprawled lazily in a brothel. ANNA joins them, and in 296 the ballet relives the experience with the MASHER, who carries her upstairs to the derisive laughter of the ladies.30 The other alternative literally materializes, as if by magic out of the fog, in the character of Henry, a big, lumbering farmer, who offers to escort the lady back to a place of safety. Without transition or explanation, the scene shifts to one year later. Anna has been living on Staten Island, working on Henry's farm; Mat has just returned from a long voyage; and Mat, Anna, and Chris meet. The conversation is guarded at first, particularly when Mat believes that Anna has forgotten him so soon. When he learns differently, he takes the initiative, and upon discovering that Anna merely works for Henry and is not married, he asks to see her again. She agrees, to the confused disconcertment of Chris and the two are united in a fashion that indicates that the future will bring happiness to both of them. There is a supporting plot which concerns Chris and Marthy. It is well defined and provides most of the comic atmosphere for the production. Marthy is constantly in trouble of one form or another, and the conversations between her and Chris consist of fighting, but in a good- natured fashion. Early in the libretto, Marthy shows her 297 awareness of the relationship as she sings of "Flings" which must be flung by the young, although they still are fun. However, this aspect of her character has already been made plain by attitude and dialogue. Her antics at the ball, where she gets progressively drunk, are comic until the point where her bitterness and jealousy over Anna ruins the evening. Unfortunately, author Abbott has Marthy, the inveterate drinker, take the pledge, after innumerable years at the bar, and become a member of the Seaman's Home delegation, preaching temperance. The change is too great to be real or believable. In addition, the fortunes of Chris and Marthy are also left unresolved. While Anna and Mat are presumed to be reunited, Marthy and Chris fade away without a final statement or decision. Though the script indicates that they are physically near one another at the final curtain, their future is totally ignored. Comedy With the exception of the antics of Marthy and the absurdly interpolated musical numbers which have no bearing oh the plot or character development, there is little comedy in the progress of the libretto. Relief from the tension is available in the large production numbers, and 298 occasional witticisms, but comic characters are either the caustic trollops, or drunken sailors, whose comedy is barbed, and short-lived. The comedy of romance is virtually avoided. Bantering by Chris and Marthy may in some small i degree fulfill the requirement, but it exists only in the first act, the second act being devoted to the falling out and final reunion of Mat and Anna. Romance The story of New Girl in Town is the story of a * romance that has the same basic complications as any of those encountered in the musicals of the 1930s. The dif ference with this particular situation is that the charac ters are now real instead of stereotypes. No longer is the poor little dishwasher pursued by the glamorous millionaire, instead, a reformed prostitute is courted by a common sea man, but both are honest and directly responsible to them selves for they are created as living human beings. Both Mat and Anna have faults as well as attributes. They are not continually likeable, nor are they as desperate as those characters found in opera. Both fit well into the musical theatre world. The ending of the libretto is romanticized, but it is also believable. There is no indication that all will 299 run smoothly in the lives of Mat and Anna— there is not ever a positive indication that marriage will be in the offing, although assumptions are made in that direction. Instead, the concluding remarks are left to the members of the audience who have participated in a period in the lives of these headstrong people. Because the medium of the musical theatre is one of romance that is consumated, it is safe to assume that the majority will see Mat and Anna safely and happily married in short order, all in perfect alignment with the requisites of the production of affective musicals. The Company Among the most important people, but not of note in the ordinary musical, is the author of the original mate rial from which the libretto was adapted. Eugene O'Neill's name in connection with a musical could not have other than a positive effect on the public, despite the virtually unanimous agreement that the use of the O'Neill book is slight at best. It was an O'Neill year in New York. Long Dayls Journey Into Night, The Iceman Cometh, and Moon for the Misbegotten had all been revived, bringing the O'Neill name back into the bright lights, and New Girl in Town may well have reaped some of the rewards from this revival. 300 Producers Brisson, Griffith, and Prince, who already had. two hits to their credit— The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees— hoped for another by utilizing the talents of George Abbott as author-director. The trials and tribula tions of the author have been delineated, but the abilities of Abbott the director lived up to every expectation. The show moved quickly and easily from one concept to another with an unfailing pace. In addition, it presented com pelling drama, a major thrust forward compared to its pre decessors. The colorful turn-of-the-century backing amply aided the spectacular aspects expected of the musical stage by providing the boisterousness of the sailors and their tarts in conjunction with the local high society at the "Check Apron Ball," and the impressionistic ballet in the bordello. There is no hard quality about the people despite their bitterness or coarseness. The entirety is handled with verve and vitality. Gwen Verdon, as the embittered and truculent Anna, posed a problem to the producers and director. In the early tryouts of the production, the prominent complaint was the lack of Miss Verdon1s famous dancing. Audiences were unful filled seeing her in a singing and acting role. The result was the necessary inclusion of additional numbers in which ________________ 301 her fame could be properly exploited. The bordello ballet, which was redone several times to suit the impeccable taste of Mr. Abbott, was alternately in and out of the show, until virtually forced in by public demand. Properly motivating the dances of Miss Verdon was an additional problem, solved by expressing the sorrowful Anna's new-found life in the exuberance of dance. Miss Verdon's acting performance was applauded, for previously typed as a dancer with a passable voice, she became an actress of stature with strength and honesty in the performance of the part. Everyone knows about her tremendous ability to be vivid, exciting and alluring on a stage, her skill at putting over a song, and her brilliance as a dancer. But she is also a gifted emotional actress, who can be genuinely touching, and she possesses an electric dramatic presence, which enables her to make even her first entrance as the sad, beaten, defensive prostitute tingle with unspoken tragedy.31 Others shared the limelight with Miss Verdon. Thelma Ritter was the obstreperous Marthy. Constantly humorous as well as human, she never allowed Marthy to become pitiful, playing her instead with bright, hilarious fun— constantly getting into trouble, even when her inten tions were the best. For the part of Chris, an established actor made his first, and a most successful, attempt in 302 musical theatre, Cameron Prud'homme. Populating a musical with three non-singers, the cast was completed with George Wallace as Mat, whose dramatic part may have lacked inten sity, but whose voice was a dominant factor in the produc tion. Other Abbott favorites, Eddie Phillips, Del Ander son, and Mark Dawson also received admirable attention from the critics and the public. The choreography of Bob Fosse was skillful and 32 imaginative. The difficulty was in the interpolation of the unnecessary dances and specialty routines into scenes where they didn't belong. This has no effect’on the quality of the dances or: the dancers, but places a burden upon the total intelligibility of the evening. The questionable dream sequence found more than one mention in critical columns, but only aided the spectacular factor. The open ing is termed by the libretto as a rowdy dance, "Sun-Shine Girl" has its "good-natured goofy dance," and during the "Check Apron Ball," "First ANNA and two of the sailors do a soft shoe; then the entire assemblage; and then ANNA lets her hair down and dances her joy at finally being accepted. 3 3 All of the guests high step to a cake walk." The dances were integral, though not integrated. 303 Spectacle Spectacle was aided by the settings and costumes which represented the color and flash of the early twentieth century. For the ball, the brewery was decorated in great style and waiters in loud check aprons moved constantly among the guests assembled in their best finery. Chris' room is a visual explosion, "all bright and gaudy, with mementos of his many journeys across the sea— a Japanese umbrella, an ancient gramophone— and influenced strongly by 34 MARTHY's distinctive feminine touch." Though out of the ordinary in musical theatre, Chris' barge also provides spectacle as well as mood. In the foreground is the barge with a coil of rope downstage and the cabin right, a dim light showing through its window. In the background is the sea; and far away a passing ship makes a light which rises and falls gently on the horizon. There is the sound of the waves washing against the barge, as if pulled through the water, and the sound of the wind. A tug which is pulling the barge is offstage, left, and we hear, on occasion, its warning signal as it plows through the:fog.35 It is in this atmosphere that Anna's profound transformation takes place. The final musical number also provides both spec tacle and humor as Marthy and four "proper" women enter in uniforms of the "Seaman's Home," to sing of the hobbies, 304 crafts, chess, checkers, and Gospel singing available to the weary seamen. The conversion of Marthy is complete, though not completely believable, and she leads the group in solic iting funds for the home. With romance as its basis, populated with talented performers, and in spectacular settings and dress, New Girl in Town succeeded. But as in her previous productions, the principle reason was Gwen Verdon. Once Upon a Mattress A broad departure from the standard musical theatre libretto produced a musical based on an old fairy tale, "The Princess and the Pea." The original story tells of the test a princess must pass to prove she really is a princess. Sensitivity is the keynote, and the local Queen determines that if the Princess' sleep is disturbed by a pea placed beneath a feather mattress, she is authentic and will win the hand of the local Prince in marriage. Libretto In creating the libretto for Once Upon a Mattress, playwrights Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, and Dean Fuller have added their own uninhibited comic interpretation, a bit of trickery, artifice, and chicanery, a large portion of 305 inability to create a unit, and emerged with a somewhat pre cocious and unstable musical. In a fifteenth century mythical kingdom, twelve princesses have recently failed tests, administered by Queen Aggravain, in their bid to wed her overprotected son, Prince Dauntless. The failure lies heavy on the kingdom, for the Queen has declared that no one shall marry until Dauntless is wed. The frantic search for another princess of royal blood is on again. Not frantic, but somewhat anxious, Sir Harry, Chivalric Knight of the Herald, embarks upon a quest when he learns that his beloved, Lady Larken, is going to have a baby. Hurriedly preceding him when he (returns is Princess Winnifred, who appears dripping wet— it seems she swam the moat in her haste to find the eligible Prince Dauntless. In fact, she manages to swim it three times. Not your average Princess, Winnifred, "Fred" to her friends, mourns for her home in the swamps (only the poor people live on land), is mistaken for a scrub woman, is able to lift weights that confound strongmen, eats grapes which decorate her gown, and wrestles and "throws" Prince Daunt less no less than four times. Somewhat depressed as she studies for the forthcoming examinations, she complains that Cinderella had a "crazy lady with a wand," Snow White had 306 practically a regiment of little men, and Rapunzel had her "platinum tresses that were double the length of her dresses." Fred has no one, but she is determined to go on. After devising the sensitivity test with one pea under twenty downy mattresses, the Queen attempts to ensure Fred's sleep by giving a ball demanding exhaustive dancing, using an hypnotic mirror, wafting poppy and mandragora incense, force feeding her opium and warm milk, and order ing the Nightingale of Samarkand to sing Fred to sleep. Thoroughly worn out, Fred climbs to the top of the twenty soft, downy mattresses, only to discover them incredibly uncomfortable, and sleep impossible, whereupon she begins to count sheep. The next morning, still counting sheep, she appears before the Queen and the court, is claimed by Dauntless, and promptly drops off to sleep on the breakfast table. The set then revolves to reveal the mischief. Without the knowledge of the Queen, the Minstrel, the Jester, and the King stuffed the top mattress with the Minstrel's lute, helmets, spears, and assorted hard and spiked instruments in their plot to keep Fred awake, win her for Dauntless, and free the kingdom from the Queen's decree which banned marriage. 307 Despite this pleasant entertainment, which is in itself simply stated and highly condensed, the libretto con tains a number of scenes and an excess of information which is either repetitive or not essential to the forward move ment of the plot. Although in some instances these inter ludes provide comedy, it is not indigenous comedy. One lengthy scene occurs between the Minstrel, the Jester, and the King (who cannot speak and must communicate in panto mime) . The sole statement is that Lady Larken is pregnant, a fact stated earlier. At another point, Queen Aggravain indulges in a tedious monologue which states that she has only her son's interest at heart, and although it is well known that her only interest is selfish, her commentary is endless. The scene were Lady Larken mistakes Princess Winnifred for a scrubwoman serves no purpose, for the out ward garb of Winnifred has already been seen and commented upon by most of the members of the court. In an extended scene with the Minstrel and the Jester, Lady Larken tells of her decision to leave the court, and they conspire to help her. Yet the scene is far too involved. Short scenes played downstage of the curtain to facilitate scenic changes are inserted for that sole purpose and bear little, if any, relationship to the plot. The only purpose that 308 many of these scenes serve is to lengthen the production to fill a complete evening's entertainment. The main subplot is also one romantic interest of the libretto. Although overstated, and tending toward the comic, as does the entire show, the presence of a subplot does fulfill one of the requisites for affective musical theatre. The parties to the romance are Sir Harry and Lady Larken. Sir Harry is the embodiment of the legendary knight, although he lacks the shining armor, and Lady Larken is the exquisite Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, who evidently did not wait long enough, as she is pregnant and must marry Sir Harry soon or the news will be evident. It is for this reason that Sir Harry goes upon his quest to find the thirteenth princess and returns with Winnifred. The characters of both Harry and Larken are stereotyped to perfection: he is somewhat doltish, though strong, brave, and handsome; she is beautiful, innocent, and not extremely intelligent. Their love is pictured as idyllic, yet it remains a poorly developed and partially comic subplot. Romance The main romantic involvement is between Prince Dauntless and Princess Winifred. However, Dauntless is practically a dunce, and Winnifred an apt counterpart. She 309 is outspoken to the point of absurdity, and as previously enumerated, swims the moat, lifts weights, and wrestles with Dauntless. In preparation for the tests, Dauntless coaches her 'in spelling, wherein "summer" emerges as s-u-m-e-r. Earlier as she loudly proclaims to be "shy," she attempts to tackle and marry any man in the court. Romance takes on a different aspect from the average love relationship in the musical theatre, but the mood and atmosphere of the totality of the production makes it acceptable. One of the primary reasons for the acceptability of the deviations from the norm is the fairy tale foundation for the libretto. The universal quality of the story, told in its broad, childlike manner, and filled with all of the characters known to mankind from any slight exposure to children's literature, renders disbelief of these irra tional people impossible. The musical version of the days of old invites everyone to return to childhood and relive the experiences which occurred only in books and dreams. It would be difficult for anyone to resist. Comedy Comedy is provided in the styles of slapstick and vaudeville. Two examples of slapstick occur, as does most 310 of the broad comedy, in connection with Princess Winnifred. Not having met Winnifred, Lady Larken enters Winnifred's chamber where she sees her trying to dab up some water with a handkerchief. Larken Gramercy, my dear, you can't possibly clean the floor with such a tiny patch— (Goes to chair where WINNIFRED'S dress is lying) You need a good big wet ragl Here, what's this? Winnifred That's my raspberry . . Larken Use this old thing. (As SHE tears off a good big wet pice of WINNIFRED'£ dress and hands it down to WINNIFRED) Ugh—-look at that table! It's dripping wet. Here I'll use this. (Goes to chair holding WINNIFRED'S dress) I can't bear to see the delicate beauty of my Royal Mistress in such a messy place. (SHE rips another piece of WINNIFRED'S dress— wipes table. WINNIFRED picks up rest of the dress and mops floor. The Bell rings.) 36 Get, that, please. Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick! The pantomime for Winnifred's attempt to sleep on the twenty down mattresses is completely delineated in the script as a slapstick comedy routine. WINNIFRED lies on her back for a moment. The bird cage is behind her, and SHE arches her back so that SHE can see the bird. Slowly, SHE sits up and stares at the bird and says: What are you . . . some kinda nut? SHE stares in fascination and slowly begins to move rhythmically with the beat of the lullaby. Almost with-’ out knowing SHE'S doing it SHE begins to conduct the 311 lullaby. SHE gives a vicious cut-off, and the BIRD stops with a squawk. Slowly WINNIFRED'S head drops to the mattress so that only it and her knees support her arched body. But there is something hard under her head. SHE pokes it and finds other protuberances. SHE then smooths the bed and flops down. SHE changes her position several times . .-..then stands on the bed. SHE warns: All right, lumps, watch out. With a growl SHE springs to one corner of the bed and curls up in a hard knot. But her eyes pop open. SHE flails about and lands in several rapidly changing and highly improbable positions . . . the last of which has her hanging upside down facing the audience. SHE says: All right, we'll take it from the top. The BIRD begins to sing again. WINNIFRED gets off the bed onto the floor, addresses the room generally: Goodnight, everybody . . . sleep well. SHE starts up the ladder: What a beautiful bed! Twenty soft downy mattresses. Oh, I'm going to sleep like a baby. SHE folds herself ever so gracefully into a languid position and closes her eyes. And pop’ s them open. SHE screams: Quiet. SHE half-heartedly tries a few more positions, including spinning around on one shoulder while lying down. Giv ing up, SHE sits on the edge of the bed and says: All right sheep . . . I'm ready when you are! As SHE starts to count the music swells and the LIGHTS FADE37 Vaudeville routines abound, with the repetitive nature of Queen Aggravain at the center. Harry But, Madame, I plan to head North, over the mountains. Queen Over the mountains? Harry . . . across the Badlands. 312 Queen Across the Badlands? Harry . . . and into the marshlands where the beautiful Swamp Lily grows. Queen 3g Into the marshland? Are you out of your mind? The Queen also interrogates Winnifred': Winnifred Actually I swam the moat. But never mind. If I just stand right here, there's a nice draft. I'll be dry in no time. Queen You swam the moat. (WINNIFRED nods pleasantly) Knight We tried to stop her, but she wouldn't wait for the drawbridge. Queen You swam the moat! Knight She seemed determined to arrive as soon as possible. .Another Knight We had to get a rope and pull her out. Queen You swam the moat? Winnifred All right, I was a little anxious. . . . Queen You swam the moat? Winnifred Doesn't she ever say anything except "You swam the moat?"39 313 To round out the vaudevillian fare, the Minstrel, the Jester, and the King do a mutual admiration society trio called: "The Minstrel, the Jester, and I"; the "Song of Love" includes lyrics such as: "With an "F" and an "R" 40 and an "E" and a "D," And an "F” "R" "E" "D", Fred! Yea!” and the Jester performs his very own soft shoe to "Very Soft Shoes." Integration From the preceding descriptions, it can easily be discerned that if any integration of song or dance does occur, it is purely by coincidence. Spectacle The greatest contributing factors to the spectacle of the evening were the sets and costumes of William and 41 Jean Ekhart. This design team was mentioned favorably m every review of the production for their ability to make a few set pieces and drapes pass for the sumptuousness of their previous sets. The production numbers, on the other hand, were merely adequate, but the critical press took notice of the experimental locale, the Phoenix Theatre, an off-Broadway house, and tempered their reactions with that reasoning. 314 The Company The most exciting accomplishment of the production was the ability of George Abbott to give shape and pace to the slightly erratic production and produce a star in the musical field: Carol Burnett. Making her Broadway debut in musicals, Miss Burnett overwhelmed the audiences by mak ing the songs and dances sound and look much better than they were, and with a solid foundation in night club work, she was able to carry off the vaudevillian and burlesque routines with expertise. The balance of the company, including Mary Rodgers, composer; Joe Layton, choreographer; and actors Matt Maddox, Jane White, and Jack Gilford, were engaging and efficient, but without extraordinary prowess. Originally done as an amateur production under the title of Princess and the Pea at Camp Tamiment in Pennsyl vania, the show was transformed by George Abbott into a professional production which opened at the Phoenix Theatre 42 on May 11, 1959. The expansion could have worked against the show with the obvious interpolation of unnecessary scenes, but definite markings of vaudeville, an ample amount: of unobjectional burlesque, the use of broad humor in stage directions, dialogue, and song, and the irrational quality of the story itself, allowed Once Upon a Mattress to 315 deviate from the normal standards of musical theatre and be accepted outside the normal development of the genre. FiorelloI Libretto The libretto for FiorelloI is the biography of a period in the life of Fiorello H. LaGuardia. A virtual legend in his own time, the story is concerned with the man, although his political achievements, campaign victo ries, and defeats play a dominant part in both his life and the development of the libretto. Fiorello is introduced during one of his many piquant exercises, reading the fun nies to the children of New York City over the radio during a newspaper strike which affected the city while he held thei position of mayor. The particular sequence he is reading leads him to reminisce. The scene flashes back to his first law office shortly before World War I. The clients who flood the office are the tired and ;the poor; those who could find no other source of aid due to their inability to pay. As a result, Fiorello's staff--Neil, his law clerk, Morris the office manager, and Marie, his secretary— often went unpaid also, but their dedication to the idealistic lawyer and the principles for which he stands keeps them at his side. 316 Fiorello, exasperated by the corruption of the Tammany Hall machine, decides to run as a Republican candi date for congressman in the forthcoming election in his fourteenth district. His campaign is waged in the streets, with the people who have been dominated by the tyrannical party bosses as his primary supporters. He aids a group of underpaid seamstresses who, when striking for a living wage, are arrested for soliciting. He meets Thea, who rallies the: girls to his support, when he properly organizes the demon stration. Fiorello takes the campaign to various neighbor hoods where he addresses the assmbled crowds in English, Italian, and Yiddish. To the amazement of all, including the district Republican Committee, he wins. In Washington, Fiorello is one of the first to back the new Draft Act as the United States enters the First World War, and enlists himself in the armed service. Before leaving for overseas, he proposes to Thea, but must wait until the war is over for an answer. The war is fought and won, singlehandedly if the newsreels are to be believed, and Fiorello returns home to Thea. Ten years later and still a congressman, Fiorello decides that the domination of Mayor Jimmy Walker and Tam many Hall must end. Despite the advice of his closest 317 friends, he enters the campaign against Walker. During his campaigning, his wife, Thea, dies, and to compound the problem, Fiorello loses the election by a vast majority. Defeated but not destroyed, Fiorello is content to remain a lawyer and fight for the people he loves in the courts. Though his losses often outnumber his victories, he persists, until members of the Tammany crowd are brought to justice. He is then convinced by his supporters to run for mayor again. As he accepts the challenge, he finally manages to see Marie, the secretary whom he has taken for granted for years, and who has stayed by him from the beginning, as the real woman in his life, and he proposes to her. Her years of devotion to the man are sufficient answer. The announcement to embark upon the mayoral cam paign ends the story, for the rest is history. FiorelloI is the simple story of a simple man who has as his goals the institution of the rights of every man, woman, and child in the nation. The more immediate goal is the reconstruction of the city of New York, and deposing the machines that have run the city for years. However, the libretto deals with the manner in which these goals are accomplished through honesty, generosity, and truth. It is the delineation of a legend, but beyond his 318 political accomplishments, the libretto presents the nostal gia which the name evokes, the warmth and feeling he ema nated, the simplicity of a physically small but dynamically irrepressible man. The portrait is not of a saint, for the angry, headstrong, unreasonable Fiorello is pictured as vivdly as the man who read the funnies. The detail is complete and truthful. Its purpose is not to create a martyr, but represent a vital human being. The libretto moves rapidly, but coherently through the extensive situations which comprise the story. A cam paign for congressiin one scene is followed by commentary on the results of the election in the next. World War I and the Draft Act are announced and, after a short interlude, soldiers depart, fight and win the war, and return home, all in the process of one scene. Two political campaigns are delineated and run in the process of the second act, and Fiorello experiences marriage, the death of his first wife, and proposes to his second wife in the same act. This diversity does not detract from the constant factor that the libretto is a total description of the man, not a detailing of his political exploits or his love life. The biography is concerned with the facets that combined to be Fiorello H. LaGuardia, not a banner for victorious credits. It is 319 this end which is achieved by the skillful condensation of the innumerable events of his extensive and active life. • Because ..the libretto of Fiorello 1 is a character study, subplots are provided by each individual who comes into contact with Fiorello and adds to the information and dimension of the man. As such, each subplot and each indi vidual has a pertinent connection to the main story. Fio rello 's constant companions provide the most information and are also the most completely delineated in their own development. The office manager, Morris, constantly on the run attempting to keep abreast of the law cases the office is handling, brings out many of the comic elements of Fio rello. Neil, the overworked law clerk, battles as strongly as Fiorello himself, creating a mirror image of the central character. Dora, one of the seamstresses who instigated the strike, falls in love with and marries the rather dense, flatfooted cop who arrested Thea during the demonstration. Dora remains a supporter of Fiorello, but her husband, Floyd, moves up in the Tammany machine from policeman, to sewerage, to garbage, to graft, which provides the couple with a penthouse apartment which becomes the base for the Walker campaign in the second act. Ben Marino is the head of the Fourteenth District Republican Committee and although 320 he offered no aid to Fiorello in the first seemingly dis astrous campaign which Fiorello. won, he becomes an invalu able aide during future forays into the political arena. Finally, there is Marie, who is best characterized by George Abbott's commentary: "Shortly after I began work, I became convinced that the second wife, Marie, was the principle woman character and the love story should center 43 around her life-long devotion to the Little Flower." Romance Romance is evident and integral to Fiorello1 and to the character as a direct result. Fiorello's first encounter with Thea is one of immediate infatuation. He breaks a date with Marie to see Thea, who falls in love with him as completely as he does with her. It is, however, as Abbott stated, the love of Marie for Fiorello that is the central point of the story. In every way, Marie is hopeful and helpful to encourage some response from the unselfishly dedicated man. His work is what prevents him from seeing Marie's true identity. She is closer to him than any other individual, knowing not only his work, but his feelings and moods as well. The many years of dedication which Marie gives to Fiorello are taken by him as appreciation for what he is doing, and although this is true, it is only part of 321 the fact. There is no one who is simultaneously sadder and happier than Marie when the wedding with Thea takes place. Despite the knowledge that her love will never be returned, she continues to remain at Fiorello*s side through the years. As a last resort, when Thea has gone, she finally declares that his ingratitude, expressed when she connives to have him run a second time for mayor, is the end of the waiting period. She vows to marry the very next man who asks her. Fortunately, the man who asks is Fiorello. Having deviated from the standard love affair, the authors have created a greater sense of reality and pathos, both in the sense of Thea's death and the desperate longing felt by Marie. Had either of the characters been less well defined, or less worthy of the man, the romantic interest could not have attained its ability to affect the audiences as completely as it did. The romance of Fiorello! achieves the legitimacy of affective musical theatre toward which George Abbott strives. Integration Integration reaches new heights in the ability of every musical number to proceed directly from the plot and forward the action. "On the Side of the Angeles" is sung by Morris, Neil, and Marie in Fiorello*s law office where they 322 all declare their pride in being allowed to work with this man. They are joined in counterpoint by the people who come to seek the aid of Fiorello, ending by declaring that this man is on the side of the angels. "Politics and Poker" is an ingenious combination of a political discussion, and a poker game, which cannot be interrupted for the mun dane problem of selecting a candidate for the Republican ticket who is willing to lose the election as has continu ally happened in the past. When Ben Marino, the leader of the local, and his cronies cannot come up with a suitable individual, the door is opened for Fiorello. When he wins, the Republican coalition lament the fact that "The Bum Won," they did not support him, there may be no patronage, and he may become an independent. The campaign for congress is conducted in song, delivering speeches on street corners in English, Italian, and Yiddish, which deplore the conduct of the "double- crossing, / double-talking / Double-dyed duplicity / of 44 Tammany Hall," and typical street dances break out to celebrate the new candidate. It is the dependence upon the people in his district that wins the congressional seat for Fiorello. In contrast, the campaign song of Jimmy Walker, presented later in the production, is oriented toward the 323 entertainment of the political bosses and consists of the "star" of a new revue on Broadway and a line of chorines, who extol the superficial virtues of "Gentleman Jimmy." Not surprisingly, it is the slick professionalism of the Walker machine, typified by the campaign song, that wins the mayoral election and defeats the Little Flower, Fiorello. i When Fiorello learns of a strike and the arrest of the seamstresses who work in the sweatshops, he teaches them the foundations of demonstrations in "Unfair," which the girls then use loud and clear to win their fight for a living wage. The first act finale is conducted in two parts, both of which are integrated into the story. As Fiorello and the soldiers are about to embark for the war, the good byes are said in "Till Tomorrow," which becomes a hesitation waltz at a party for their final evening at home. It is also the indication that Thea will marry Fiorello when that tomorrow comes. Shortly thereafter, the soldiers return "Home Again" from the war and into the arms of those waiting for them. As Fiorello tells how great it is to be home, Thea says "yes" to the proposal. 324 Three solo songs are also worked logically into the action. Watching Fiorello leave their home for the last time, and knowing that she is ill, Thea asks herself, "When Did I Fall in Love," and answers that it doesn't matter— all that matters is that it is there. The second leans toward the comic element as Dora declares to Marie, "I Love a Cop." The unfortunate factor is that it is the same cop who arrested Thea, her best friend, for soliciting. Finally, there is Marie's determined vow to marry "The Very Next Man" who asks her. Fortune ismiles, and it is Fiorello. The most complex and interesting number the produc tion is a farcical parody of the trials which have broken the back of the Walker regime. Ben Marino and his gang, using the newspaper accounts, reenact the courtroom scenes where officials had been called to testify how they had • managed to accumulate huge sums of money, stocks, yachts, cars, etc. Each defendant indicated that on a salary of a few thousand dollars a year, he managed to save up his pennies in a "Little Tin Box," until it overflowed and pro vided him with all the luxuries previously mentioned. Comedy Comedy is a constant factor in the libretto. The irrational forcefulness of Fiorello himself becomes comic, 325 and when coupled with the harried office force, Neil and Morris, the comedy increases. At one point, the group dis covers that their political rally is going to be disrupted by someone turning in a false fire alarm in the neighborhood and another individual is said to be ready to dump a baby carriage full of bricks onto Fiorello in the midst of his speech. Assigned to protect their boss, Neil and Morris fail, though only due to the news that Thea has died. Sirens flood the stage and the auditorium with the dual effects of comedy and pathos. Neil and Morris await the entrance of Fiorello at the office. Comically, he enters, ragged, dirty, and bruised, but unharmed— only to hear the news of Thea. The combination is immensely effective. To make his point that the Draft Act is necessary, Fiorello goes into Congress with a ripped shirt, a set of false teeth, and a pork chop--all designed to call attention to the seriousness of the situation, but the explanation to his secretary is indeed comic. Comedy is also a factor in the work Fiorello does with the striking girls, the delivery of campaign speeches in foreign languages, and in his handl ing of his regular customers who are almost always ready to land in jail. The comedy of romance is the province of Dora, 326 Marie, and Morris. Dora's problems have been enumerated, being married to Floyd the policeman who is promoted to supervision of garbage. For Marie, her sense of humor is her only means of remaining stable while carrying her love for Fiorello for some twenty years. In "Marie's Law," she confides to Morris that she would change laws to make it unlawful for a man to break a date with a woman, to outlaw bachelorhood, and assure every girl a honeymoon which will last for at least a year. The romantic comedy of Morris concerns his wife, Shirley, who never appears on the stage. Morris communicates with her only by phone, telling her that he will be late, he doesn't know what to do with the child ren, he won't be home, or not to start the roast for another hour. The beleaguered Shirley deserves an award for the most understanding wife of the year. Spectacle Spectacle of the production was provided by the designers, William and Jean Ekhart, the staging of George Abbott, and the choreography of Peter Genaro. For the cam paign on the streets, the Ekharts designed revolving sets which could change neighborhoods quickly and easily and involved signs that flipped over from English to Italian to Yiddish. For the first act finale, the set begins in the 327 interior of the Ben Marino Association, opens to reveal a backyard decorated for a going-away party for the soldiers. Then a screen comes into place to show Pathe News of Fiorello's exploits in the war. Finally the screen dis solves into a real gang-plank, a stage full of returning soldiers, and a huge crowd waiting to welcome them. To 45 top the finale off, flags wave and confetti falls. Abbott provided a vivid picture of the workings of the political inhabitants of the Marino association as well as his inevitable precise pacing, while Genaro added the street dances during the campaign, :the Jimmy Walker razzle- dazzle penthouse party, and the "Till Tomorrow" hesitation waltz. The periods of time moving from pre-World War I through the 1920s and into the 1930s provided romance, atmosphere, and flavor of many eras, brought to life by the designs of the Ekharts. The Company The cooperative venture received praise as a com plete unit. No single individual was praised to the detri ment of the production or the neglect of another person. There was a collaboration which worked totally. Abbott him self complimented his cohorts: 328 Many changes were made during the tryout periods but all of them were accomplished without friction among us. The actors turned out to be a troupe of very skillful and flexible people. FiorelloI came close to my picture of what it should be, and when it won all the awards in sight, I felt it deserved them.46 Attesting to the calibre of the production of Fiorello1 are the major awards which the musical did win during the 1959-1960 New York theatrical season: The Crit ics' Circle award for the best musical of the season, the Tony Award, and the coveted Pulitzer Prize for drama. Only the third musical in history to be so recognized, preceded by Of Thee I Sing in 1936 and South Pacific in 1949, it is of import to note that the Pulitzer Prize is not given for a musical, but for the best drama, in competition with the entire balance of the theatrical offerings for the year. The best was Fiorello1 Tenderloin Comedy Tenderloin defines itself in the libretto as "A 47 New Musical Comedy," but it unfortunately displays a total lack of a vital ingredient for the achievement of affective musical theatre: comedy. According to Walter Kerr's report, "It begins with a hymn in a Park Avenue church, and 48 thereafter gets soberer and soberer and soberer." The 329 fight of Reverend Brock to close down New York's Tenderloin district only proved that virtue is dull and colorless. The most humorous lines in the first act occur when Rev erend Brock states: "The Dutch and the Scotch are the stuffiest people in the world, and I come from both of 49 them," and later when a youthful member of the church 50 chooses to pronounce bordello as "bordeloo." There is some fun in the scenes which depict the raucous activity in the various haunts of the prostitutes who frequent the Tenderloin district, but the hard-edged humor is unfortunately tasteless and embarrasing. The introduction to "Clark':s," one of the more uninhibited establishments, displays a horse race, where the prostitutes; gallop around the saloon riding their clients. During the race, one of the girls, indicated as naked according to the script, makes periodic entrances to inquire who won the race. The utilization of comedy is lowered to its basest level as girls proposition drunks who pass out before they can answer, Mickey Finns are widely used, pockets are picked, and in general, what might have been a good bawdy entertainment becomes a display of the lowest levels of society in the most vivid terms. When one of the church members slips into the local brothel, he passes out a 330 diamond ring, and proposes marriage to the first tart he meets. Intended as humor, it remains simply incongruous and irrational. Some comedy may be discovered in the duplicity of the leading juvenile, Tommy Howatt, who manages to lie about literally everything and plays both ends against the mid dle; giving information to the Reverend Brock about the police on the take from the prostitutes and information to the police about Brock. However, the double-cross is more ill-conceived than humorous. Libretto The lack of comedy and the bad taste of the bordello scenes strongly affect the ability of the libretto to engage an audience. Reverend Brock is on a crusade to clean up New York1s Tenderloin district. In fact, there happens to be a bordello just two blocks from the church. The righ teous have not only the law on their side, but moral stan dards as well. Tommy Howatt ingratiates himself with Brock to become aware of the moves that Brock will make and when they will be made. These he promptly reports to the corrupt local police so they can be prepared. Brock sees through some of the chicanery of Tommy, but not all of it. Playing both sides of the street, Tommy sings at "Clark's" and 331 also in the church choir. Brock manages to close down "Spanish Anna's" place for a short time, but it is not until he is able to get the governor and the district attorney into action that the Tenderloin is made free from the evil influences of vice. There are further complications, but they amount to very little, and at the final curtain, Brock is mounting a new siege in Detroit. Curiously, he was requested by his own parishioners to leave and return the church to the peace; and quiet it knew before the reformer came to New York. Romance There is a subplot of romance as Tommy becomes involved with one of the local girls from the church. Caught by her in lie after lie, he manages to reform slightly, brings her a poem to which he claims authorship, but she recognizes it as one by Lord Byron. Although both parties express their love, it is juvenile and incomplete. Justly, the young couple is separated by the final curtain. Due to the trouble he has caused to the police in providing information to Brock, Tommy finds it necessary to leave town. In the fulfillment of the requisites for affective musical theatre, the libretto is highly condensed, simple 332 in its plot, American in setting, and endowed with a roman tic subplot. It is also exceedingly boring. There is sup posedly a moral to the story and it is unfortunately placed completely in the second act. The authors found it neces sary to "lump together all the sentimentality and sudden moral earnestness in uncontrollable and uncomfortable pro portions."^ Even more unfortunate is the change from the dubious fun of the vice-ridden first act to the deadly moralizing of the second. The three scripts investigated, dated January 1960, June 1960, and the published copy, pre sumably the version utilized for the October 1960 opening, are each more succinct as they progress. This indicates an ardent interest on the part of the authors to effectively condense the libretto. The effort was of little value, as the published edition has the same basic flaws as the earliest manuscript available. Integration Integration of the music and dance of this "musical comedy" is attempted, but rarely achieved. The hymns may be appropriate to establish mood and atmosphere, but offer no valuable information on character or plot, and three of the first four numbers fall into this category. When the guady and unpredictable girls of the streets are presented, 333 they sing not the sightly bawdy songs that might be , expected, but a satirical ditty entitled "Reform." "The Army of the Just" admirably suits the benevolent church goers , but merely repeats what has been previously estab lished, and a church outing at the beach is enlivened by "Good Clean Fun," which seems to excite no one. Spectacle Nor did the spectacle of the production excite the critics. Robert Coleman rather harshly summed up the work of the designer. Cecil Beaton's sets and costumes are disappointing. The former are on the drab side, splashed with small and large dots like a kid with the measles. And who ever made up the choristers must have been on a Dali binge. The denizens of the dives looked like refugees from a Surrealistic masquerade ball.52 Joe Layton's choreography was evidently not impress ive, for a ballet indicated in the libretto, a parody of the trial of Reverend Brock, which "builds to orgiastic propor- 53 . . . tions" received no comment from the critics. There is mention that the dances were lively and frisky, but also indications that they were pedestrian and unimaginative. The Company With the exception of Ron Husmann, who was recog nized by most viewers as a young man with a nice voice and 334 an ingratiating style, the balance of the entire population of Tenderloin came away with little in the line of positive comment, including Maurice Evans as Reverend Brock. The George Abbott, Jerome Weidman, Jerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick quartet who created the vital and exciting FiorelloI somehow failed find either situation or song which could mold Tenderloin into a workable piece of theatre. Set in the nostalgic era of historical New York, Tenderloin is a story of good versus evil— unfortunately, nobody won. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Libretto According to Ann Corio, the author of This Was Bur lesque, Abe Laufe, David Ewen, and other authorities in the field of the musical theatre, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (hereafter referred to simply as Forum) is a burlesque, and as such the libretto is slight enough to simply provide the comedians an opportunity to romp through an evening of inventive, raucous, and rowdy comedy. The story, despite innumerable complications included for come dic purposes, is elementarily simple. In exchange for his freedom, Pseudolus, a Roman slave, is charged with obtaining a certain beautiful and incredibly stupid virgin for his 335 master, Hero. Lycus, the local procurer, has already sold Philia, the virgin, to warrior captain Miles Gloriosus, and she feels bound to fulfill her contract to him. After hilarious deviations, Philia and Miles Gloriosus are deter mined to be long-lost brother and sister, siblings of neigh bor Erronius, which opens the way for the union of the lovers. The libretto is the product of authors Bert Sheve- love and Larry Gelbart, who pressed the combined works of Plautus and their own imaginations into one single episode. Their efforts were confused and frenetic, attested to by several versions of the script. When George Abbott entered into the venture, he found a jumbled and muddled morass of dialogue and situation. He stated: "I took all the scripts up to the country and made such savage cuts that I feared my new associates would be horrified. Instead, I received 54 . . heart-warming words of thanks." The complexities were reduced to the simplicity required for the production of affective musical theatre. Unlike The Boys Erom Syracuse, an early adaptation of Plautus by Abbott, Forum developed its characters hon estly and with a purpose toward which they valiantly strive throughout the libretto. Hero's efforts to locate and 336 retain Philia are singular in purpose. Pseudolus1 activi ties to gain his freedom by obtaining the courtesan for his master are no less resolute, and it is upon these two cen tral characters that the legitimacy of the plotting rests. Without their honesty of intention, the libretto would col lapse. The comic devices invented by the authors may have been sufficient to entertain for an evening, but a founda tion, even lacking literary quality, is of great sig nificance . Romance Romance is the central theme of the libretto with the antics of Pseudolus devising means of keeping the two lovers together providing the subplots. When Lycus informs the prospective buyers that Philia has already been sold, Pseudolus concocts a tale of a disastrous plague on Philia's home island of Crete. Pseudolus, naturally being immune to the plague, offers to take care of the girl until the cap tain who bought her arrives, to avert infection of the other girls in the house of Lycus. Secreting Philia in his mas ter's home, Hero's father, Senex, unexpectedly arrives,and, believing this man to be the captain who bought her, Philia offers herself to the pleasantly surprised and bewildered Senex. Father and son now become rivals for the affections 337 of the lovely maiden. The task of separating and uniting the pair properly again falls to Pseudolus, who gains time by pouring mare's sweat on the infatuated Senex and sug gesting a bath in neighboring Erronious' house. When Erronious appears on the scene, he is told by Pseudolus that by making seven trips around the seven hills of Rome, he will find his long-lost son and daughter. No sooner has Erronious taken his leave when the captain, Miles Gloriosus, appears to claim his bride. When she is not immediately produced, he threatens Pseudolus with his life, but the fast-talking, fast-thinking slave informs him that the girl has died of the plague. At the insistence of the captain, a funeral is planned. To provide a body, Pseudolus blackmails a fellow slave, Hysterium, into dressing up and posing as the dead Philia. All goes well until the captain insists on giving the body one last kiss, which erupts Hysterium into activity and he runs off the stage. This unsettling action produces the most complex and genuinely hilarious chase sequence, in and out of doors, windows, houses, on and off stage, involving the entire company, all in pursuit of the real Philia, Hysterium dressed as Philia, and Domina, Senex's wife who is similarly dressed. The chaos is accom plished with an exquisite frenzy. The proceedings are 338 brought to a halt by Erronious who, on his last trip around the seven hills, happens to notice similar jewelry on both the captain and Philia which identifies them as his lost children. To label this intertwined and complicated activity as a subplot, several subplots, or even subplotting at all may be stretching definitions.. All of the action is, how ever, subsidiary to the main romance, and integral to its successful conclusion, thereby fitting the requirements of the criteria. Comedy The comedy of Forum is continuous and endless. To delineate it totally is to relate the entire script. Some of the most successful routines of burlesque are utilized and performances by professional comedians proved them as viable in the present as they were in their original state, be that either the Plautine era of Rome, the development of comedy on the burlesque stage, or its expansion into slap stick. Farcical dialogue and situation occur on practically every page of the libretto. Pseudolus, accused of cheating at dice, is commanded to return the money he won— nine minae. 339 Hero: Give them nine. Pseudolus: (Handing coins to CITIZENS) One, two, three, four— I am being cheated out of the money I won fairly. Hero: Pseudolus! Pseudolus: (Giving CITIZENS coins) seven eight. First Citizen: What happened to five and six? (Hero glares at Pseudolus.) Pseudolus: I'm coming to them. Nine, five, six! Whe Hysterium threatens to tell Hero's parents of Pseiidolus' actions in obtaining a courtesan for their son, Pseudolus counters with "I think it might be of interest to the family that their slave-in-chief, their pillar of virtue, has secreted within the confines of his cubicle Rome's most 56 extensive and diversified collection of erotic pottery," at which point Hysterium agrees to keep silent. There are also simple old-fashioned jokes such as: "You'll never 57 learn. You'll be a eunuch all your life," and, Pseudolus: You know Gusto, the body snatcher? (Hysterium nods .) He died this morning. Hysterium: No! I saw him only yesterday. When is he to be buried? Pseudolus: They don’t know. Someone snatched the body.5 8 At other moments, burlesque comes to life in full fashion. As Pseudolus and Hero look for Philia, they inspect each of Lycus' girls. The names of the girls indi cate the dance that each does to show her wares, but the description by Lycus is virtually out of a script direct from burlesque. 340 Lycus: Behold— Tintinabula. Out of the East, with the face of an idol . . . the arms of a willow tree . . . and the pelvis of a camel. . . .May I present Panacea. . . . Panacea, with a face that holds a thousand promises, and a body that stands behind each promise. . . . Consider the Geminae. A matched pair. Either one a divinely assembled woman, to gether an infinite number of mathematical possi bilities. They're flawless. . . . Vibrata. Exotic as a desert bloom . . . wondrous as a flamingo . . . lithe as a tigress . . . for the man whose inter est is wild life. . . . May I present Gymnasia. Gymnasia— a giant stage on which a thousand dramas can be played.59 With each girl, Pseudolus is more maddeningly captivated, ready to move at a moment's notice, but his freedom to be gained upon locating Philia deters his more primitive instincts. The descriptions and dances are suggestive, but the comedic abilities of Zero Mostel as Pseudolus turned the affair into hilarious comedy rather than an embarrassing 6 0 situation for the audience. What could have been lechery turned out to be amusing instead. When Pseudolus pawns Philia off as the new maid to the unexpectedly returned Senex, Senex begins the song "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid," which grows as Pseudolus joins him, then Hysterium and finally a quartet of comedians cavort about as Lycus enters into the entertainment. A burlesque routine is performed as they innocently and bash fully sing: "Wouldn't she be delightful, / Sweeping out, 61 sleeping in?" However, all the ribaldry is in fun, as 341 the additional complications defeat any sexual encounter. The comedy of romance is depicted honestly in the Hero and Philia relationship and farcically with the imper sonation of Hysterium as the dead Philia. The meeting of Philia and Hero takes true romance to task in comedy. Philia: My name is Philia. Hero: Yes. Philia: I do not know your name, but you have beauti ful legs. ' Hero: My name is Hero and . . . uh . . . you have beautiful legs, I imagine. Philia: I would show them to you but they are sold. Hero: I know. Philia: Along with the rest of me. I cost 500 minae. Is that a lot of money? Hero: Oh, yes. Philia: More than 300? Hero: Nearly twice as much. Philia: Those are the two numbers that mix me up, three and five. I hope the captain doesn't expect me to do a lot of adding. Hero: You can't add? Philia: We are taught beauty and grace, and no more. I cannot add, spell, or anything. I have but one talent. "Lovely" I'm lovely, All I am is lovely, g2 Lovely is the one thing I can do. Romance continues through the play on that one level of beautifully ignorant simplicity, which is so absurd that it has only one effect, that of humor. The farce of romance is revealed in the reprise of "Lovely" sung by Pseudolus to Hysterium to convince him that 342 he can impersonate a dead girl. Hysterium, at first defi ant, acquieses as Pseudolus sings to him: Now Venus will seem tame, Helen and her thousand ships Will have to die of shame. You're so lovely, Frighteningly lovely, ^ That the world will never seem the same. The disguised Hysterium is so effective that at the funeral ceremony, Miles Gloriosus wails and blubbers over the body of his beloved, "Oh, her bridal bower becomes a burial bier 6 4 of bitter bereavement," and other suitable farcical nonsense. Integration Surprisingly well integrated into the libretto are the musical numbers written by Stephen Sondheim. "Comedy Tonight" fully prepares the audience for the familiar, peculiar, appealing, appalling, aesthetic, frenetic, gaudy, and bawdy comedy which will be exhibited in the production. With this type of unabashed opening, delivered directly to the audience by the complete cast, it is not unusual for Hero to subsequently speak directly to them as well, as he takes them into his confidence to declare that "Love I Hear" makes one feel the way that he does. Pseudolus' exuberance at the possibility of being "Free" is aptly expressed in 343 song, as is Philia's description of herself in "Lovely." "Pretty Little Picture" provides pertinent plot information as Pseudolus outlines the manner in which Hero and Philia will escape from Rome and the captain by means of a little boat. Even the comedy songs such as Hysterium1s unconvinc ing "I'm Calm," Domina's lament over Senex's philandering in "That Dirty Old Man," and the incredibly comic "Funeral" performed by the company over the disguised body of Hyster ium, are all either integral to the plot, or logically aid the development of character. In fact, the Sondheim score is so well integrated that out of the context, the musical numbers lose their impact and meaning. Dances are at a minimum in the production, limited to the courtesans' gyrations, but in the context of showing their wares, the exhibitions are both practical and plaus ible . Spectacle Although the single setting of three houses per manently on stage and the costumes, or lack of them in the case of the courtesans, do enhance the spectacle, it is in the madcap direction of George Abbott that spectacle finds its greatest asset. There is rarely a moment when the stage is not overflowing with monumental devices designed to 344 create laughter. The few moments of relaxation during the love scenes and songs are merely sufficient to allow the audience restoration of enough energy to proceed with laugh ter again. All else may be forgotten in the show, "but what is not to be forgotten is that George Abbott has staged it with such speed and continuous comic invention, and its forthright comedians go through their outrageous antics with such relish, that there is no time to worry about details."^' John Chapman states in his review that Abbott simply turned loose the various burlesquers in the production, but the requirements of split-second timing in the staging of mate rial which moves as quickly as that in Forum requires the demanding attention of a master craftsman. The spectacle is in the constant presence of people in absurd situations creating the illusion of chaos, but constantly in a state of firm organization, utilizing all of their abilities to make you laugh without giving you time to think. The Company John Chapman's "burlesquers" refers to a quartet of fine comic and tragic actors who pull out all the stops in combining with the balance of the company to create a uni fied riot. Besides Mr. Abbott, tribute was paid to David Burns, Jack Gilford, John Carradine, and the perpetrator of 345 of most of the merriment, Zero Mostel as Pseudolus. Except for Carradine, the members of the quartet have their comic background in work in burlesque, and use it to distinct advantage in Forum. No single director is capable of devis ing a complete evening of farcical antics and nonsense, so it is reasonable to assume that the training of these mem bers of the company, and others, became of great value in the collaborative effort which produced the hit that Forum came to be. Since a comic scene is funny only if played properly and a song is only as good as the stylist who sings it, it is assumed that the people who presented Forum saw to it that the greatest amount of response was evoked from every line and every note. Admittedly, the script lacks as a piece of litera ture, and the Sondheim score was not as widely applauded as those of Richard Rodgers in the past, but the combined effort produced a galloping run of 964 performances and brought "Tony Awards to Zero Mostel and David Burns as best performers in a musical, to Harold Prince as best producer, to Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart as best authors of a 6 6 musical, and to George Abbott as best director." 346 Fade Out— Fade In Libretto The libretto for Fade Out— Fade In utilizes the age- old story of an usherette's rise to Hollywood stardom that has been heard, seen, and discussed so completely and so often that after the first half of the first act of the musical has transpired, there is little interest left in the plot. The heroine of the rags-to-riches tale is Hope Springfield, an usherette from New York City, who was selected, in error, by the head of the F.F.F. Studios to star in a new film musical with Hollywood's greatest leading man, Byron Prong. Her success is unquestionable as she triumphs beyond everyone's dreams in the role of a violinist in love with a prize fighter, who happens to be a singer as well, in "The Fiddler and the Fighter." That is what every one expected and is exactly what occurred. By this time, interest in the plot has waned, but the libretto does con tinue with some complications. When the error in selection and casting is discovered, Hope, renamed Lila Tremaine for films, is fired, reduced to being a waitress, a manicurist, and finally a walking billboard for a drama school. She is eventually reinstated as the true star that she is, ending by permanently endowing the cement in front of Grauman's 347 Chinese Theatre with her smile. A more predictable plot could hardly be devised. There is neither honesty nor reality to the plot or the characters, who fit into very small stereotypes and who are surrounded by smaller stereotypes in every part in the script. Lionel Z. Governor, "L.Z." to the Hollywood crowd, is the blustery, bust-minded movie mogul who owns F.F.F. Studios, and created the blunder by mistakenly having Hope flown to Hollywood instead of the voluptuous blonde standing next to her. The studio executives, six nephews of L.Z., proceed to make the picture with Hope. Upon L.Z.'s return, and the realization of the error, 736 people lose their jobs. The girl originally designed for the role, Gloria Currie, arrives and is naturally the world's greatest dis aster as an actress. One of the six nephews, naturally the quiet, stupid one, believes in Hope, falls in love with Hope, and saves Hope's career by retaining the film she made: when ordered by his uncle to destroy it. When the preview is announced, it is Hope's film that is seen; reviewers > . rave, and she is acclaimed as the glorious star that every one knew she was all along. A rather ignoble subplot lurks in the libretto from time to time dealing with L.Z. and his psychiatrist. 348 Though often preoccupied with sexual fantasies, as only a Viennese psychiatrist can be, Dr. Traurig discerns that L.Z. is afraid of nephew number four, Ralph, who does in fact desire to take over the movie empire. Later, the doctor determines that the presence of Hope in the dreams of L.Z. is a fear that is blocking his sexuality in some manner, but the cure in this case is to fire the psychiatrist. Although plebian.and somewhat overdone, the libretto is simple and highly condensed, and as American as Hollywood. It is rise to fame and fortune that attracts the basic de sires of every American in this great land of opportunity, and the American way is loudly and strongly proclaimed in the libretto. If nothing else, the story states that cre ating a picture takes no time and little talent, and nothing shines like the spangles of Hollywood, U.S.A. Integration The few musical numbers that are integrated into the libretto serve primarily to give character delineation, rarely plot advancement, and the balance are for pure enter tainment. The filming of a Hollywood musical on the Broad way stage provides ample opportunity for the inclusion of large production numbers, but they are as pertinent to the plot of the libretto as the musical numbers of the average 349 1930 movie musical. The solo songs allow the characters to either encourage themselves or delineate their state of mind, but rarely is the additional information of value. Hope announces her arrivel in Hollywood by singing "It's Good to Be Back Home," although she has never been in the city before. It is, however, a vehicle for the performer, without additional purpose. There are two songs which do have pertinence to the development of the plot. Early in Act One, the six Governor nephews sing "Fear." Through song, they establish quite clearly the relationship between themselves and Uncle L.Z., as they state: We live in mortal terror That we'll commit an error And though we seem so firmly rooted We can suddenly be booted Out on our ear! We're cowards!^ The nephews' time is spent trying to appear indispensable and collectively unified, but the overriding concern of their lives is fear. The other moderately integrated musical number is a duet between Hope and Lou Williams, another member of the unemployed from F.F.F. Studios. As the two march about in sandwich boards advertising "Madame Barrymore's Kiddy Kareer School" and "Madame Barrymore's Dancing School— Hollywood's 350 Temple of Terpischore," they console one another in a Shirley Temple and Bojangles parody, "You Mustn't Be Dis couraged." Together they cheer each other up with the realization that "Whenever you're lower than low / There's 6 8 always one step further down you can go!" Romance Romance is treated realistically between Hope and Rudolph Governor. Although Hope is thoroughly infatuated with Byron Prong, the glamorous movie star, it is Rudolph who admires her and seeks her out when she has been fired from the studio. He finally proposes and they are married. In the final scene, ten years after her success in "The Fiddler and the Fighter," as she is about to be immortalized in cement, she announces in the best tradition of Janet Gaynor in A Star Is Born, "This is...Mrs. Rudolph Gover- ,,69 nor. " Romance is also found at the farcical level of the libretto. Upon hearing that the next leading man to star with Hope Springfield is to be Fred Astaire, Byron Prong arrives at Hope's studio cottage with champagne and his unmatched charm. His amorous advances require little effort, as Hope is ready and willing. 351 BYRON You know...I've been watching you...feeling you... You're a budding new star— but I've had such great experience. I could teach you so much... HOPE (Turns to him) When does school start? BYRON Now. (Takes her in his arms, kisses her) HOPE Can we skip a grade? (They indulge in a series of quick kisses, nose to nose)70 Moments later, Byron is informed by phone that Hope has been dropped by the studio, and he just as quickly drops her, takes the balance of his champagne, and departs. Romance as an integral part of the libretto is merely a passing thought, and a means of ensuring the ending by arranging the love affair between Hope and Rudolph, for which reason he saves a copy of the film she made to be shown when Hope's replacement is also replaced. Comedy One major effort of the libretto is the creation of comedy in the best farcical tradition, most of it oriented toward Hope, but ridiculing all of the members of the movie profession in the process. In a conference with Custer 352 Corkley, the film director, and Max Welch, the writer for "The Fiddler and the Fighter"— "original idea by Max Welch. Screenplay by Aldous Huxley, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Additional dialogue by W. Somerset Maugham, Thomas Mann and Fannie Hurst. Final screenplay by Max 71 Welch" — the director discovers that only the scene which introduces the two principal characters has been written. The indomitable Hope foresees the entire plot and proceeds to detail the balance of ;the screenplay which Welch has been unable to discern. HOPE Well, as Kid Bercovico says in the scene to Griselda Swann...well, he feels that their worlds can never meet. So the story must be that he's from the Lower East Side and he thinks that she's upper crust, but then he finds out that she was poor, too, and before she got famous she studied violin with the Federal Music Project... on the WPA. And then of course, it's all about putting on this big show.^2 After detailing the show, a benefit for the families of destitute boxers, the Kid, who vowed to give up boxing, gets involved with gamblers and needs money. He arranges to box again. Furious, Griselda decides to do a concert the same night the Kid is to box, but on that night she hears that he is losing the fight, goes to his side playing her violin, and is followed down the aisles of Madison Square Garden by the entire Philharmonic Orchestra from Carnegie Hall, where 353 they are reunited. To complete the scenario requires two pages of virtual monologue with complications more numerous and ludicrous than mentioned, much of it acted out by Hope, but all well in tune with the "reality" of films in the 1930s. Hope also has an encounter with Dora Daily, an unfortunate stereotype of the Hollywood columnist. DORA I'll announce your new name on my program next Sunday . .. Lulu... HOPE Lila... DORA (Rises, preparing to leave) Bless you! I'm your friend... And anything that hap pens concerning romance or career... just you tele phone silly old Dora— first! ... Or your name will be mud in this town! HOPE Oh, Dora! (At C, they hug each other) DORA Goodbye. . . Lilly Ptomaine. . . ^ There are naturally the little comic bits that inevitably fill the libretto with physical farce: Hope gets her fingers caught in the elbow of Byron's arm and has to yank them out, Byron gestures trying to hit his palm with his fist and misses, Hope gestures with a champagne glass and spills champagne all over and finally ends up putting 354 the last drop of champagne behind her ear like perfume, and these are only a few of the endless antics described in the libretto. Once Gloria Currie, Hope's replacement, is on the set, she drives the entire studio to exasperation. Stupid but beautiful, she can hardly read, much less act. The phrase "nearly a year" continues to come out "yearly a near," and she confuses the aristocrats and the commoners, though they are obviously costumed in formals and rags, respectively. When the final scene of the production is about to be shot, a huge wedding cake is wheeled onto the set. Gloria, standing near the cake, whispers words of encouragement to Bryon to put their friendship on a more intimate basis. Byron is cautious. BYRON Shh! Watch it! L.Z.'s got spies all over the joint... , GLORIA (Loudly) Oh, I don't need L.Z. anymore — I'm a star! He's a stupid, boring, dirty old man!! (L.Z.'s head appears through the top of the cake — there is a semblance of frosting in his hair. He is wild-eyed and gestures furiously) L.Z. (Roars) SURPRISE!! (GLORIA and BYRON leap back from the .cake) You dirty rat! Out! Out! O u t ! 74 355 Comedy is constant, and although it does bog down slightly in the sentimental scenes and the scenes between L.Z. and the psychiatrist, the general feeling is one of continuous farce, with constant surprises. Spectacle Topping the comedic aspect of the production is the incredible spectacle demanded by the outrageous libretto. It may well be necessary to go back as far as the Follies to find comparable requirements placed upon the scenic and costume designers. Hope's entrance into the studio proper in Act One, scene two, places her in the center of the incredible activity of this imaginary movie studio. She encounters endless characters in the following order: Mae West, Oberon and Davis, Nelson and Jeanette, Jean Harlow, Garbo, Dracula, Tarzan, Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, Astaire and Rodgers, the Marx Brothers, Clark Cable, plus stagehands, bellboys, dancers, singers, an aviator, and an % overwhelming amount of scenery for a stunning display of movieland.^ While performing as Griselda Swann, Hope is required to play the violin. She does a "Paganini bit" with the aid of men in black suits and hoods, each with one white glove, who stand behind her but in front of a black backing. As 356 Hope conceals her hands behind her, the two men do the bow ing and fingering. Hope just stands amazed. At the end, she finds herself with "the violin in her own hands, looks 7 6 thunderstruck as man steps back leaving her at Center." The "I'm With You" dance is done with three turn tables in the best Hollywood style, and the illusion of a cast of hundreds. As Hope and Byron rehearse the number with a piano and stage hands in view, a shift takes place. (As HOPE and BYRON are revolved offstage, the equiva lent of a movie "dissolve" takes place, as we see the finished number as it will appear on the screen — in full costume, and in all the black and white splendor of musical extravaganza of the mid-1930's. CORKLEY exits L, as - magically - the platforms revolve to become a grand curved staircase... a drop of glittering rain-fringe...a series of arches shaped like the out lines of violins either descend or move on from the wings...as chairs, light bridge, scenery flats revolve off) ^ Dancers and singers are preset on the stairs and platforms and begin to move and glide down the stairs. There are solo dances and couples dancing. Pour showgirls appear dressed as instruments revolving into position: a harp, piano, banjo, and lute. The showgirls on the stairs are lighted up, dancers light the violins and bows, and in the most resplendent of costumes, Hope and Byron enter down the staircase, singing of their happiness together even if they only have a dime to live on. 357 Spectacular insanity reaches its height in the ballent "L.Z. in Quest of His Youth." (In L.Z.'s nightmare, he is constantly frustrated in his pursuit of GLORIA by the appearance of HOPE in her place. Assisted by CUPID and SATAN (LEAD DANCERS), and encouraged by the example of NYMPHS and SATYRS and sur rounded by SHOWGIRLS dressed as trees — L.Z. does indeed find himself in one of his movie production num bers, and the dream ends in screaming pandemonium.)^ The nightmare ballet received the most commentary from the critical press, which was not overly extensive, but which was properly credited, considering the extensive require ments for absolute chaos that the authors have demanded from the choreographer. An ordinary musical could easily exist on one of the: spectacular scenes described, but Fade Out— Fade In does not. even end there, for there are three additional production numbers, all of which require the services of magicians and miracle workers from the leading characters to the lowliest of floor sweepers connected with the production. The Company Populating this gargantuan spectacular was a cast and production team equal to the requirements demanded of them. George Abbott managed somehow to control the possibles anarchy on the stage and produce a well-paced and smoothly running production with his cast of thousands. William and 358 Jean Ekhart provided the sumptuous scenery and Donald Brooks designed sufficient costumes to service several Hollywood musicals. Although Ernest Flatt's dances were characterized as routine, the immense puzzle of moving people on and off the stages would possibly qualify him for mathematician of the year. Through all of the spectacle and glamour, the show still managed to belong to one person, Carol Burnett, in the role of Hope Springfield. Her ability tc? be continually enthusiastic and zestful overpowered the scenic shifts and huge choruses and overcame the trivialities of the book. Her presence as an engaging individual, if not a character, was noticed by all. Critics did not slight the support given to Miss Burnett and the production by Jack Cassidy as Byron, Tina Louise as Gloria, and Lou Jacobi as L.Z., but the gifted comedienne played to the heart of the audience with gusto, sympathy, or hearty humor as the situation demanded and earned for herself an extraordinary reception. Miss Burnett managed to carry the weight of the production, lacking a libretto, romance, integration, and popular song and dance. Health forced her to leave the production and the show closed after a short 199 performances and a loss of $500,000.79 359 Flora/ the Red Menace Libretto Although the libretto of Flora/ the Red Menace is centered on a period of American life that is well known to virtually the entire population, the depression of the . 1930s, it cannot be easily appreciated because it is a period often better forgotten. Hardly an era which is remembered with much romance, the libretto pictures the depression as a time of Communist infiltration and a lack of money. At the center of the particular incidents in Flora, the Red Menace is Flora Meszaros, an ambitious young com mercial artist. Upon graduation from high school, Flora seeks a job and encounters Harry Toukarian, another budding artist and avid communist, who recruits her into the Com munist Party. Flora, impressionable and slightly idealis tic, buys every article of the dogma and is soon an ardent follower of the doctrine— but with a simplicity and devotion that indicates only superficial interest and knowledge of the situation in which she has placed herself. Her inter est in the party is the need for a cause, not an understand ing of the tenets for which it stands. Cheerily, Flora goes about becoming involved with distribution of The Daily Worker, antagonizing the police, 360 and stirring up radicals. At the base of the activity lies a special interest in Harry, for whom she decides she would do anything, even compromise her morals and walk into his apartment to spend the night. This escapade is short-lived, I as she discovers Comrade Charlotte is already there, and subsequently Flora dismisses Harry from her life. Char lotte, discovering that she is really a substitute for Flora, manages to get Flora fired from her $30.00 per week job, then has the effrontery to invade Flora's studio, a hotel ballroom which Flora rents and sublets to other aspir ing artists. Flora finally summons the strength of her con victions and throws the entire group out of her studio- bal1room-apartment. In the process, she regains her job, due to the explanation of an anonymous phone caller, who incidentally stutters just as Harry does. This news re unites Flora and Harry. In the short space of six final pages of dialogue, all of the secondary characters find their problems have also been solved, to a degree if not completely. The script is inconsistent in its structure. The first three scenes of Act One are reasonably representa tional, that is, they are complete within themselves, and although there is the constant presentational situation 361 that inevitably accompanies songs and production numbers, direct contact with the audience is avoided. In scene four, the attack changes and the convention is broken. The audi ence is suddenly forced to accept direct confrontation with characters who speak at them in an effort to quickly estab lish their identities and functions in the production with out the use of lengthy conversational dialogue. It is a means to an end. It reduces the necessary expository dia logue, but in the process fragments the production by intro ducing this new convention which has not been prepared for in the earlier scenes. From this point on, the script vacillates between the presentational and representational approach, with the obvious result of forcing an audience in two directions. | There are subplots in the libretto which are con nected to, but not imperative to, the central plot. Nor are they well developed. Lady and Cowboy are in continual ! rehearsal for an appearance on Major Bowes' radio program, and aside from a budding romance between Cowboy and Comrade Ada, that is their sole function. The only connection with the main plot is the presence of the rehearsals in Flora's studio. The Cowboy and Ada relationship is no better in its development. They are presented together for the singular 362 purpose of creating a situation which will produce some comedy. The balance of the characters are merely shadows who are available when needed. A purpose or moral to the libretto may have been to interest the audience in the theory that America is the melting pot of ideas. The result is. a collage of ethnic backgrounds thrown together with two possible common goals: get a job or convert the society to Communism. In either event, the purpose fails. Flora, the extrovert, gets a job through dumb luck, and the Communists are all stereotyped as unthinking, irrational people with no knowledge of their needs or goals. Romance Being the most simplistic of love entanglements, with little or no unusual twist or suspense, there is little tension in the romance of the libretto. It is the often repeated boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl for mula. Only the setting is different. Although the script is an accurate portrait of the 1930s, it is also a lampoon of the era, the people, and the problems that the depression afforded to everyone. There fore, trying to create a romantic atmosphere in a time when there is only the recollection of breadlines, lack of work, 363 and other hardships is a difficult task at best. In Flora, the Red Menace, the difficulty is compounded by the fact that Harry is not the sympathetic hero, but a nonentity, a dud, and a puppet of the Communist Party, hardly the man that the stable creative Flora deserves. The romance re mains an inconclusive element; evident, but without sub stance . Comedy The use of comedy is strained and slight. An obvious running gag is Harry's stuttering— a poor choice when a speech deformity is the root of a comic technique. Harry strives to learn proper speech by putting pebbles in his mouth like his idol, Demosthenes, but finds he merely mutters unintelligibly. Not satisfied to present this un fortunate business in dialogue, the authors incorporate it into a love song, "Oh, Waves," with agonizing sympathy as the result. Farce does not enter the scene until Act Two, when Charlotte, Flora's rival for Harry's affections, does a strip while musically urging Harry to "Express Yourself." The finale to this particular scene finds Harry bewildered and confused, falling into the bathtub, and knocking him self out. 364 Satire, the bane of musical theatre, is utilized in an incredible ballet which proposes to symbolize "The Tree of Life," as seen through the Communist doctrine. It is complex and diffused, combining the worst excesses of parody on Greek dancing with poetry, music, song, and symbolic costuming, resulting in failure. Integration Integration of the musical numbers is either uti lized or ignored, as the situation warrants. In scene one, the bedraggled workers waiting in the breadline combine with Flora's high school class to sing of their optimistic out look on life as being unconditionally unafraid, showing the parallel between those who have been beaten and those about to embark on a new future. Equally well integrated into the story and advancing the thematic line of hope is a' number done by Flora and several aspirants applying for jobs. As they fill out the applications, they sing "All I Need Is One Good Break." Conversely, at a Communist Party meeting, which is uninterrupted by comedy or purpose, but which could well lend itself to a comic attitude, Ada sings "Flame." She tells of her exploits for the Party in the song, which is comic in manner, but serious in tone, and reveals nothing of either character or plot. Fortunately, it provides 365 relief in an otherwise tedious scene. "Palomino Pal," the song in preparation for the Major Bowes audition, is totally unessential, but again a comedy number. Though it satirizes the ineptitude of contestants on the amateur hour, it does nothing else. Adding to its injurious presence is a reprise in the second act, with Cowboy singing it standing on his head— a preview of the encore to be done on the radio program. The Company The production team received only the weakest of reports for their work on the show. In a Boston paper, Elliot Norton provided the indication which was followed by a majority of the New York reviewers. George Abbot staged "Flora, the Red Menace," which has suitable settings by William and Jean Ekhart, proper costumes of the '30*s by Donald Brooks and rea sonable lighting by Tharon Musser. They have all collaborated effectively on a show that is, at its best, very entertaining, but which needs a great deal of pruning and trimming to make it much brisker, brighter and more satisfying.80 The show was evidently chiefly interesting as a showcase for the talents of Liza Minnelli. Displaying per sonality, talent, and poise in the unrewarding role of Flora, Miss Minnelli obviously worked with a professionalism that ingratiated the critics. 366 For the show as a totality, the fact that the love affair was with an ideal rather than a man, and the lack of faith in the dedication of the participants in their ideals combined to provide a lackluster production. Fred Ebb and jjohn Kandor provided an adequate score, but the talents of i [director George Abbott and producer Hal Prince couldn't Ipull Flora, the Red Menace, who was never either a "red" or i ; 'a "menace," out of its depression. The 87 performances [existed only because of the interest in Miss Minnelli. Anffa I ^Libretto j ■ The libretto of Anya follows the play from which it was adapted, Anastasia, as closely as any adaptation is i i iable, due to the necessary interpolation of music, dance, I |and spectacle that is demanded by the public. The differ- I ence lies in the addition of characters and settings to create the masses of people and the diversity of color and mood which provide the spectacular offerings. The story is I [changed only to the extent that a romantic interest is incorporated into the originally singular dramatic develop ment of the central figure in Anastasia, supposed daughter of the Czar Nicholas and heir to the Romanoff fortune. 367 Although Anastasia, Anya in the musical version, is still the central figure, General Bounine, a Russian ex patriot become cab driver, takes on a greater role than in ■the play in that there eventually evolves a romantic in volvement with Anya. Having told the Russians in exile that. |he has found the missing Anastasia, with a minimum of proof i and a maximum of bravado, Bounine has raised a considerable |amount of money with which he intends to present this Anya t I as the rightful heir to the fortune. The claimant must merely establish proper proof of descendancy from the Czar. The necessary proof appears to be the acceptance of this |individual by the exiled aristocracy. The most vital wit nesses to the cause are Prince Paul, to whom Princess Ana- jstasia was betrothed, and the Dowager Empress, grandmother jto Anastasia. It is Bounine1s plan to educate the young i iwoman he found in a hospital mental ward in the ways and ;knowledge of Princess Anastasia and thereby gain access to the fortune. By a strange coincidence, the woman Bounine chose had been in the hospital for some time and in an unstable state often spoke of being the same Anastasia that she will be tutored to become. It is an interesting paradox that :throughout the development of the libretto, there is a | i I 368 constant indication that the Anya is learning too easily? there may be a hidden memory which has been released and the actual facts are being remembered. In every instance, it is quickly covered with the possibility of learned knowledge instead of actuality, creating a mood of uncertainty and [suspense. As early as scene three of Act One, Anya dis- jplays intuitive information and manner that insinuates that I [she is the rightful heir, particularly as she reenacts an jentrance to the Russian Winter Palace. i | Scene four first introduces the transformed raga muffin to Prince Paul, who is easily persuaded to accept her ;in return for an interest in the fortune, and then the pea- ! isants who knew Anastasia as a girl are brought to her, and as remembrance increases, curiosity increases. Clues to her [being the actual Anastasia are hinted at but then disre- i jgarded. Hopes change continually. She too quickly recog nizes a Fabrege egg with a "snow bird" in it, but later i [claims to have seen it in one of Bounine1s books, i As her own fortitude increases, Anya begins to take command of the situation and her displeasure with Bounine is jexpressed in demands made of him. Finally she is presented i i jto the aristocracy in exile who have underwritten the ex- ! jpenses for the charade, the engagement to Prince Paul is i > l I 369 announced and only one additional obstacle remains— the acceptance by the Dowager Empress. Unfortunately, at this point Anya, angered by Bounine, reveals the fact that she is [an imposter to the congregated Russian hopefuls. This leads I I IBounine first to anger and then to an expression of his love for Anya, as the first act curtain falls. The second act of Anya is tedious but simple. Anya [recants her previous statements, meets with the Dowager Empress and convinces her of the authenticity of her parent age. But rumors are heard concerning Anya's possible second renouncement of the fortune and of Bounine's love for her. With the blessings of the Dowager Empress, and without clar ification of the authenticity of the pretender to the for tune, Bounine and Anya leave together and the Dowager Em- jress announces the latest development to the reassembled I Ithrong. The money spent on the education of Anya is not I ilost, for the Dowager Empress has conveniently relinquished several jewels which will repay those who believed or invested in Anya. The libretto is neither simple nor easy to follow. i [There are too many questions asked and left unanswered. There are also too many loose ends which are not conve- . . . niently accounted for; Prince Paul, the fortune, the motives 370 of Bounine, the belief of the Dowager Empress, and most of all, the authenticity of Anya. However, by the end of the rather lengthy and somewhat boring production, no one par ticularly cares. It is not beyond the realm of speculation that an affective musical theatre libretto be based upon a drama which is also a mystery, but Anya fits more properly into the realm of operetta, if not opera. Since all of the thrust is toward the establishment I of the reality of Anastasia, there are no subplots in the libretto. Romance Romance enters the story only at the very end of j lAct One, although it has been hinted at in preceding scenes. i I !The problem with the romance is the reversal of the role of i Bounine from fortune-hunter to the understanding lover who i will live in poverty with Anya. The change is improbable I !and unbelievable. Since there was no love between Prince jpaul and Anastasia— an engagement of convenience— no romance I is involved. In short, the viable romantic nature of the libretto is limited to the reminiscence of the days of Russia before the revolution and the gala existence of the aristocracy. 371 Comedy Comedy is attempted by the presentation of a few characters who are now in exile and of the same financial j status as Bounine, poor to bankrupt. Their comedy is that ! ! of the common people and indulged in at the local tavern, j i but limited to Act One scene one. The setting then shifts j i ! to the rooms rented by Bounine and never again returns to j the tavern. A few feeble starts are made at comic songs, i 1 but they fail to bring any lightness to the preponderance ' f of extremely heavy music. j I I ! I Integration j I ♦ The integration of musical numbers into the plot or : 1 in the aid of the characters, who develop at an excessively slow speed, is an afterthought that was possibly never regarded. The Robert Wright and George Forrest adaptation I j of themes of Rachmaninoff that fill the musical portion of the evening are as heavy, burdensome, and out of place as i the libretto, the comedy, and the romantic nature of the production. "The Snowbird Song," performed in a touching J scene in which a blind old man who served the Princess Anastasia comes to remember her by touch and sound, turns I an elegant room into a shoddy place with a group of ill- j f mannered peasants cavorting about. The saving grace of the | I ______________________ 372 | second act is the appearance of the Dowager Empress who, thankfully, recites lines to a Rachmaninoff melody rather than prostitute the music to a medium in which it does not belong. Puritanism has nothing to do with the fact that the musical numbers do not lend themselves to the ordinary and predictable lyrics or the presentation on the stage. Spectacle If there was any spectacle in the production of Anya, it escaped the entire critical press. There are indi cations in the libretto that call for lavish presentation in the decoration of the ballroom where Anya is to be pre sented and the Act One finale, "The Two Waltzes," turns into a dream sequence which returns Anya and Bounine to the last ball at the Winter Palace with the stage flooded with dancers and gaiety. However, the segment was evidently not impressive enough to warrant mention by the press. Aside from that single episode, there is little indication that any other spectacular devices were to be employed in the production. The Company George Abbott, who co-authored the libretto with Guy Bolton, and directed the production, evidently delved 373 into a new area for the musical theatre, an adventure he is j i 'prone to embark upon. The drama is evident, but the charac ters come to life honestly only in the confrontation scene l between Anya and the Dowager Empress in Act Two. Constance ; Towers as Anya and Lillian Gish as the Dowager Empress man- , i aged to salvage that one scene in an otherwise pointless j evening. Abbott, known for his driving pace and unaltering ' dedication to provocative musical theatre, moved in favor of t j : operetta or opera over musical theatre and nostalgia over j point of view. The result was 16 very expensive perfor- ! i mances of Anya. J i How Now, Dow Jones i r " ' I Romance : A musical that is entitled How Now, Dow Jones is 'Obviously going to have something to do with Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, but Max Shulman, author of the libretto, knew that a little romance, a little sex, and a i lot of comedy would far better suit the demands of the the- i atregoing public than a lecture on how to succeed in the ■manipulation of stocks. The ticker tape locale and the fact that the characters are in Wall Street is merely a ■framework upon which to place a slightly different version I i ; 374 jof the usual boy meets girl story that has been haunting i jthe musical stage for far too long a period of time. i Libretto ' Set in contemporary New York's financial district, the libretto relates the problems of Kate, the girl who announces the Dow Jones averages over the radio, and her 'friend Cynthia, a guide in the Stock Exchange, who bemoan 'the inamorous nature of the men in their lives. Kate has been engaged to a junior stock broker, Herbert, for years, 'but the marriage must wait for the Dow Jones Average to hit i i ilOOO. Cynthia cannot attract anyone. When Kate has been j !ignored again by Herbert, she meets Charley, has a night on i the town and in bed with him, and ends up pregnant. Not ! I :wishing to disturb Charley's new handsome career selling !stocks to widows and orphans, and his engagement to Sue I Ellen from upstate New York, Kate falsely announces the Dow I Jones at 1000 so that the baby will have a father. When the I i !actual news is known, Herbert breaks the engagement, and the nation faces financial disaster. However, Kate finds Wall street's oldest and obviously richest man, Charley con vinces him to buy on the market, whereby everyone else buys, |the nation is saved, and Charley marries Kate. The fragile ,'plot has the dubious honor of utilizing one of the few, if ; ______________ 375 jnot the only, unmarried, pregnant heroines of the musical i jtheatre, up to 1967. i ‘ Providing a subplot, with a reasonable amount of comedy, Kate's friend Cynthia boldly enters the office of 'successful tycoon, William Wingate, who offers to set her up in an apartment as his mistress. Infatuated with the man under any circumstances, Cynthia agrees. Wingate's failing is his forgetfulness, and he manages not only to forget that Cynthia is available, but her name and face as I well. When he finally does visit her for the first time, facing bankruptcy in the radically falling market due to Kate's announcement, Cynthia is elated, and then refuses to fulfill her part of the bargain. It seems that she isn't that type of girl after all. The understanding Wingate asks her to simply stay by his side as he goes back to the office .and his ruin. The ruin turns into a bonanza as the market turns upward when wise, old "A.K." enters, with attendant I ;and wheelchair, to bail everyone out. Although How Now, Dow Jones has all of the requi sites for an affective libretto, a highly condensed story, simple plotting, a subplot with dimension, and an American setting that can be appreciated if not understood by the public, it lacks legitimacy, honesty of character, and 376 believability of plot. There is no solid redeeming feature to Kate, who is uncommitted to anything except obtaining a l I father for her baby. The cost of her actions in falsifying I the announcement could not be unknown to her, working so i ! closely with the market, even though she merely reads the .figures off a piece of paper. The character of Charley is just as weak. His answer to failure in a few jobs is sui- icide, saved from that by Wingate, who places him in charge i of selling stocks to widows and orphans because of his ability to say "shucks," and the tousle of his hair. t . .Charley's success is correctly based on his ability, which iis nothing. He does manage to do the right thing by marry- ;ing Kate, and drops fiance Sue Ellen, who conveniently dis- iappears. Wingate is stereotyped as the blustering official I who worked his way up from nothing, with nothing, and still knows nothing. Cynthia is just another dumb girl. Four ineffectual people cannot gain either empathy or sympathy i |from an audience, leaving the book a rather bare piece of I I situation on which to hang musical numbers and comic lines. i ’Comedy The comedy of farce is primarily utilized in the scenes with Wingage and Cynthia. Forgetful Wingate and dumb Cynthia are a natural pair. When Wingate proposes the 377 [arrangement, Cynthia says "yes" immediately, she is that [anxious about Wingate. WINGATE Come here. You understand, we'll have to be very descreet. t I CYNTHIA I understand. Not even my hairdresser will know for ; sure. j WINGATE 1 Now what about the financial arrangements? i | CYNTHIA (Nods head) ; Well, I couldn't afford to pay much at first. ! WINGATE No, no, I'11 take care of that. CYNTHIA Oh, that's right. The man pays. . . . WINGATE You're very charming, Miss uh ... CYNTHIA It's something like that. Miss something. I'm so excited I can't think straight. I'll check with per sonnel and call you later.81 Farce is also utilized in scenes with the Widows' j !Investment Club. At one meeting, Charley tries to explain : • i ;the little he knows about the market, but the ladies are only concerned about refreshments, Charley's measurements so they can make him a present, and whether the president of a company looks honest in his pictures. 378 MRS. MILLHAUSER (Triumphantly) : Aha! Who does he think he's kidding, take a picture without glasses. I'm sorry girls, but I don't buy companies with sneaky presidents. MRS. HARRIS She's right. A man of sixty wears glasses. MRS. RAGOSA What are you talking about sixty? Fifty wears glasses. Forty-five wears glasses. MRS. CALLAHAN And younger too, college kids. High school. Every body wears glasses today. CHARLEY Wait a minute, ladies, I've got it! Buy American Optical!82 In deciding to buy one share, the ladies not only ridicule the wonderfully logical mind of the public, but the power of .elements that convince people to buy a product. Unfortu nately, the comedy is too sporadic and is not functional. 'It rarely has any connection with the plot and hardly man ages to entertain. The results are obvious interruptions of Ithe development of the libretto. I i i ' Integration i Generally, the musical numbers aid in the develop ment of the characters or forward the plot. The opening is a guided tour of the New York Stock Exchange, which explains some basic Wall Street terms and introduces the main charac- 379 |ters. Kate and Cynthia express their problem with inamo- I Irous men in "They Don't Make 'em Like That Anymore." "Live I a Little" is the musical number which eventually gets Kate : in a family way. "A Little Investigation" is a comedy num- I her done by Wingate and the Wall Street tycoons, who try to I dissuade a United States senator from investigating the Exchange. Although it has little to do with the main plot, it does indicate some of the machinations that surround the i ' !stock market. "Walk Away" is Kate's answer to Charley after 1 their night together, for she believes that he will never be i anything other than a failure and she wants the security of 'someone like Herbert, even if she doesn't love him. Each of !the numbers— solos and large production numbers--fits into |the scheme devised for the libretto. In fact, the inherent weakness of the libretto is radically improved by the addi tion and support of the well-integrated music and lyrics. Spectacle I The spectacle created by the production team failed : to live up to the expectations of the public and the press. The staging of the large chorus numbers and dances was pre- 8 3 'dictable and old-fashioned. Lines of people singing j directly into the footlights left the theatre in the 1930s, ;only to return in the 1967 production of How Now, Dow Jones. 380 ;A night on the town dance sequence, Charley and Kate's sup posed first date and last fling, which holds great possibil- i I , ities from indications in the libretto, failed to gain notice by the press. The large, middle-aged women of i ! Charley's investment club were noticed as they tap-danced their way into a chorus line, but an ensemble number, "Panic," illustrating the forthcoming stock market crash, left the critics with no feeling of excitement. Oliver Smith's sets were slow-moving and unimagina tive in conjunction with the plebian costumes by Robert : 84 Macintosh. Even the ticker tape of moving lights indi cated as a part of the rousing second act finale did not arouse the interest of a single critic. George Abbott's !direction attempted to get everything out of the libretto, but his first duty should have been to attempt to put some more into it. The result was superficiality, and the speed I and polish of the director was evident when there was no ! ■substance beneath it. I The finest review of the production came from I Richard P. Cook, and was printed in the Wall Street Jour- o t r ■nal. Calling the production a "Fiscal Frolic," Cooke :probably did the greatest amount of good possible by prais ing the show in a newspaper read by the people who were 381 'being ridiculed. The rest of the reviewers managed to :rather correctly discourage enough people, and the produc- I tion closed with a reasonably respectable 221 performances. The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N Libretto The unusually strong and warmly entertaining li bretto for The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N presents the story of a proud, Jewish immigrant studying faithfully, if not too successfully, for his citizenship in the United States, and falling in love with another student, Rose .Mitnick, while studying for the tests. Having failed the previous year, Hyman Kaplan is back in night school to make ;his second try at becoming an American citizen. Although he tends to confuse facts— Hyman manages to get both Macbeth and Julius Caesar into the same play--the ardor he feels for his new land is expressed by the stars, in the form of iasterisks, which he places between the letters of his name. Enthusiastic, somewhat overly talkative, and anxious for f attention, Hyman is the most ambitiously expressive member I of Mr. Parkhill's class in "English and American History for :Foreigners." His ambition does not improve either his gram mar or his knowledge and he is continually corrected by Rose iMitnick, the smartest girl in the .class. Hyman defends i jhimself loudly, but courts the shy Rose after class. Even- f t tually, Hyman decides to buy a vacant store and open a I tailor shop. With the papers in his hand, he asks Rose to I share his life with him, only to discover that Rose and her mother are in America by the grace of Yissel Fishbein, who i ,paid for their passage across the ocean, and to whom Rose became engaged in return for the money. Rose feels that she must stand behind the contract. Since Yissel is due to arrive the following spring, Hyman tries to delay the season by wearing an overcoat as the flowers begin to bloom. Yissel arrives and is the model of conceit as he i demands that Rose leave school and serve him at home in the manner befitting a wife. Rose becomes further upset, for her education has given her not only knowledge, but a cer tain independence as well. j I When a party is given for Yissel, Hyman feigns sick ness. While Hyman is at home, a young acquaintance, an anarchist, pays a visit and leaves some incriminating pam phlets in his flat. Known for consorting with the young anarchist, Jimmy, Hyman falls victim to a notorious Palmer rRaid conducted by an ambitious attorney general who picked : ,up immigrants almost at random and deported them without j jreason or judicial process. To the rescue of Hyman and t I (several others unjustly accused comes his friend and teacher, Mr. Parkhill, whose father happens to be a very good friend of an influential judge. Once the proceedings have been i (straightened out, Hyman is freed. i ! Before the news of Hyman's release reaches Rose, she decides to be free also and flatly refuses to marry Yissel. Hyman arrives as the news is broken to the amazed I Yissel, but before sentimentality can become overbearing, .they are hustled off for their citizenship test. Hyman i (manages to keep his orations to a minimum and passes, the (witnesses give their recommendations, and the show ends with (Hyman and his class pledging allegiance to the flag of the iUnited States of America. The libretto is the simple story of a simple man dedicated to the principle of becoming a good and productive citizen in his new land. It is unpretentious and completely ;captivating in the telling, and the characters are endearing 1 iin their mutual struggle to attain their goal. The story resists the temptation to ramble over the (lives of many of the students in Hyman's class and stays 'tightly concerned with the warm-hearted little man who i struggles so valiantly. The supporting characters are not 384 ■ignored or slighted in their roles, but they serve only as c. jmeans of understanding Hyman better and loving him more. I | The subplots are so closely connected to the devel- ! Jopment of the major themes that they emerge more as support ing factors than independently developed plots. Jimmy, the I • ■young anarchist, provides one important theme that radically ‘ affects the life of Human. As Jimmy stands on street cor ners advocating anarchy, Hyman listens, and when police I 'attempt to silence Jimmy, it is Hyman who reminds the police ; of the rights of free speech and assembly. Hyman never advocates anarchy, but listens to all points of view as he has been taught by Mr. Parkhill. The literature Jimmy later leaves for Hyman to look at is evidence sufficient for Hyman to be deported. The other supportive plot is introduced by the pres ence of Yissel, Rose's fiance. He is a smug, handsome man who has old-fashioned ideas about women and their proper place in the home. Rose bows to his decisions because of the arrangement made by her mother. Yissel's constant sub ject of conversation is his irresistibility to women and the necessity of his marrying into the right family. Although Yiessel is comic, his presence poses a serious threat to !the future of Hyman. But it is the education of Rose LMitnick that solves the problem. Romance i After the education for citizenship, the main con- I pern of the libretto is the delineation of the love story i between Hyman and Rose. The romance is handled to perfec tion. It does not become trite or heavy-handed, but gently makes itself known, slowly develops, and finally blooms into a fully matured adult relationship that will last a life time. There is doubt only when Hyman's deportation and Rose's engagement stand as obstacles, but the romantic nature of the tale never allows the doubt to grow beyond i that. There is an awareness that somehow the two cannot be i 'separated for any lengthy period of time. i i Comedy Most of the comedy in The Education of H*Y*M*A*N j K*A*P*L*A*N, enjoyed by some but irritating to others, is in the language difficulties experienced by the immigrants. To I illustrate, the teachers compare examples of grammar used b^ their students. Listing words that mean the opposite of j one another, they got: Fresh— canned. Nightmare--daymare. New--second hand. . . . Give the comparative of good and bad. Good-- better— high class. Bad— worse— rotten. Conjugate the verb 'to fail'— fail, fouled, bankrupt. . . . Give i 386 ! the present, past and future of the verb 'to die.' ! Die— dead— a funeral.8 6 |A speech delivered by Hyman is as follows: * Because it's recitation and speech time, so I'll be talking about mine summer vacation— (MITNICK raises • her hand.)— no, my, my, my vacation. So is the name I of mine little speech: My vacation. First, I want to tell you about my hobo. My hobo. is. . . . Hau ; kay, so is not my hobo. Is my hobby.87 J a composition written by Hyman reads: febr. 10; 1919 ' Halo Max!!! I im byink all kinds buks on amarican histore; ! if yr eye falls on a bargin plizz pik it op. i * 8 8 H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N The major argument which follows is whether please has one or two z's. There is also the comedy of romance, but instead of .sexual overtones, the romantic comedy is genuine. The warmth and good feeling evokes smiles and contentment, not ^raucous laughter. The meeting between Rose and Hyman on ^Ellis Island just prior to his departure is filled with I .honest and valid humor. He gives Rose the deed to his shop, but demands one-half of the profits when he returns. Hyman i also states that Yissel, who will jump at the opportunity, can be a partner only if Rose can finish school. 387 ! i Integration i ! j Integration is complete. The problem with language ! is turned into song as the students sing "Ooee Ooee" in a .valiant effort to correctly pronounce the word "we." ;"Teachers on Parade" expresses the frustrations as well as the love teachers feel for their jobs and their students. ."Loving You" is integrated when Hyman asks Mr. Parkhill to help in translating a song from Yiddish into English, for he intends to send it to Rose in the proper language. "An Old-fashioned Husband" is Yissel's song which pompously i describes how he will control his wife, and how all wives are to be controlled. On Ellis Island, Hyman and the people incarcerated there sing "I Never Felt Better in My Life," just knowing that they are alive and able to enjoy that little fact. They also sing of coming back to this great land as soon as possible. | The music and dance are so well integrated into the jlibretto that without the context of the story they are of .little value. The musical score is not a brilliant one, but I ^exemplifies the kind of selflessness necessary for the I effective integration of musical numbers into a libretto. 388 ‘ The Company i The cast and production team received admirable notices from the press; the dissenting opinions were pri- i marily in regard to the simplicity of the libretto and the I 'comic devices. Leading the cast to victory was Tom Bosley as the ingratiating Hyman, a role perfect for the talented 8 9 comic. Unimposing in stature, but of enormous dynamics and warmth, Bosley was unanimously applauded. Hal Linden as the conceited Yissel also scored well, despite his mini mal role and one song. The balance of the cast, including iNathaniel Frey, an Abbott regular, and newcomer Barbara !Minkus, who played Rose, were well received. Director George Abbott's direction had the production well paced and moving, but those who found fault with the libretto as small and thin also experienced intermittent lulls, which occurred too frequently. Unfortunately for these critics, the lulls were merely a desire for activity when dramatic jaction was being delivered. l jSpectacle [ The critics also found fault with the visual spec tacle and the lack of the established presentational musical format which was in force on Broadway at the time. The - smallness of The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, not in Joutlook or statement, but in sheer physical size, dealing !with friendly little people in the settings of a schoolroom, I I ,an empty shop, Ellis Island, Kaplan's flat, and a New York street, could not keep pace with the competition. Running i concurrently with the little musical, from the past and cur rent seasons, were Hello,:Dolly 1 Fiddler on the Roof, I Do, I Do, Cabaret, Man of LaMancha, Hair, and Promises, Prom ises; all on Broadway at the same time. Unfortunately, i |Hyman Kaplan was crushed by the sheer weight of the compe tition. It was a new and unaccustomed approach to the musical theatre. George Abbott attributed a major part of the failure: of the production to the news of the death of Martin Luther King which was discovered by the opening night audience dur ing the first act and authenticated during the intermis- 90 sion. News of such import may well have dampened the response to a show which depends upon a warmly receptive anci cheerful audience. But more than that, the death of King ;was during a period of ethnic struggle, and the substance 'o£ The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N is a humorous ethnic orientation. The groans which accompany out-of place humor may well have been the major sound in the the atre as the ethnic background of Hyman was exploited. The result was a short 28 performance run. ! 390 I The Fig Leaves Are Falling i t iLibretto t — . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t t The libretto of The Fig Leaves Are Falling begins i ■with a caustic indictment of marriage, home, romance, and I Jlove, proceeds through a series of tasteless attempts to make adultery seem palatable, offers the audience an oppor- I tunity to vote by a show of hands whether the adulterous male should go back to his wife or stay with the pretty young thing he is playing with, moves into a parody of love jand marriage, raffles off a plucked chicken to a paying cus- i itomer, gets a decision-making envelope in a parody of the lOscar ceremonies, and ends by reminiscing about a first date i on fraternity row. The extremely complex plot is detailed in 18 scenes with 9 additional vignettes, each of which appears to strive for its own point without touching the scenes which surround it. There is a plot buried among the leaves that never fall; the story may be tasteless, but not pornographic. Harry begins by direct statement to the audience, a conven tion firmly established and continued incessantly through out the show. "It began at our 2 5th anniversary party— just a few months ago. I was so innocent then, I held the 91 world's marital-fidelity record." Meanwhile, at Harry's 391 office, Charlie, a good friend, makes a bet with Pookie, a I i jyoung secretary, that she can't get Harry into bed with her. ;Pookie goes to work on Harry and manages to obtain an invi tation to lunch- Harry begins to loosen up as Pookie ;enlightens him to the new morality. Harry becomes enchanted with the young girl, and finally goes to her apartment. He 'spends the night, and shortly thereafter, Pookie shows up ipregnant. Harry's life becomes a nightmare, depicted in a i i dream sequence for lack of a better device. Finally he I [decides to leave his wife and teenage children to live with Pookie. Charlie tries to patch things up between Harry and •his wife, Lillian, and invades Pookie's "pad" with "The I Marriage Marines"— everyone Harry has known in his past— in :an elaborate attempt to get him to return to his wife, which he does. Not content to leave bad enough alone, Harry I ; insists upon rewriting the ending to include a reminiscence of his first meeting with Lillian on fraternity row. Fi- jnally, he picks her up and heads for the bedroom. I | To compound the plot, there are scenes of a party at. (Harry's home in Larchmont, a scene of Harry and Lillian in I jbed when he feels sexy and she's too tired, breakfast with |the children, a vacation trip, slides of the trip upon re- ;turn, an extensive look at Pookie's liberated and peculiar i I j 392 [friends, a free-for-all in Central Park, Harry and Pookie i living together, learning karate, and discussing all 118 positions of the Kama Sutra, Lillian at the gym, and many speeches to the audience. Although the setting of the Harry i 'Stone home is in Larchmont, New York, the story is universal I ! enough to be totally disclaimed by the population of that icity. ! The libretto lacks a subplot, for it is centered on i 'the singular activity of Harry's sexual adventures with I Lillian and Pookie. Romance I There are moments when the script attempts to take j romance seriously, but the depiction of the harried middle- aged couple's marriage on the rocks lends itself to anything but romance. Although Pookie claims she is in love with Harry, it is unbelievable, as is his desertion of her and iher return to an old boyfriend. . Comedy Comedy is stretched and strained to the utmost. ■Known for parody, Allan Sherman, the author, utilizes it 'often. One speech of Harry's is as follows: To be married or not to be married? Oh, boy, is that a question. Is it so noble to stick with the dear old 393 I wife and kids and spend your whole life doing outrageous | things to make a fortune? Or do you take arms against i the life in Larchmont? To sleep— to go to Larchmont to ; sleep? And who do you sleep with? You sleep with Lillian, but perchance you dream— of Pookie. Hell, I can't s l e e p . ^2 i Other comedy consists of such blatancies as Lillian I packing for Harry as he prepares to leave, and announcing: "I found this in the back of the drawer between your Supp- \ hose and your abdominal supports. . . . I packed your truss 93 between your kidney pills and your asthma spray." Accord ing to Newsweek: ! The show's book is filled with offensive, unfunny chortles about the Kama Sutra, homosexuals, venereal disease, orgies, burning crosses in front of synagogues, Negroes moving in next door, and other subjects middle- aged squares should leave alone.^ Among the feeble comedy attempts, the drawing of ticket stubs for a chicken every night and its presentation to an unsuspecting, embarrassed member of the audience I rated almost as high as the spotlights trying to pick out members of the audience who had not had an extramarital affair. Integration With the presentational style of modernized musi cals— the actors talked to the audience almost as much as they talked to each other— the integration of musical num- 394 jbers was nonexistent^Whenever a song was wanted or neededJ jit was placed there to fill a gap or to pick up a scene. iThe reason was not important, and the songs are for the 95 jmost part forgettable. The Company The show proved to be not as exasperating as it sounds, due basically to the professional performances of the cast and the well-organized direction. Barry Nelson and Dorothy Loudon, in the roles of Harry and Lillian, man aged to be likable most of the time, although Harry is not ;the most sympathetic of roles. Miss Loudon generated the imost excitement of the evening with an excellent singing voice and the most honest portrayal of a character. She received a good deal of sympathy as the wronged Lillian, but 96 surfaced above that as a gifted singing actress. George |Abbott worked ardently to give the evening a point of view, 'but the libretto defeated that possibility. As a result, J f either he or Allan Sherman, the author, was "forced to fill it in with some astonishing obviousness, from chit-chatting 97 with the audience to blithe irrelevance." The more they 'worked at it, the worse it got. 395 Spectacle With a monumental task of providing scenery for the i various locales, William and Jean Ekhart achieved astonish- i ment without overpowering the actors. They occasionally .stretched a single point of view by moving from real to 'surreal, but the libretto shifts as radically. ; The most spectacular moment of the evening, and the ,only one mentioned in reviews, is the free-for-all in Cen tral Park, to the tune of "Light One Candle," which turned into a romp eventually including an assortment of 1960s hippies and yippies, and Queen Victoria and Mary of Scot- ' . . 98 land. Irrelevant, but pleasantly entertaining. When the one witty moment in a production is a black actor announcing that he is the compulsory Negro in the show, things are bleak. They were, in fact, bleak enough to close the production after four performances. 396 j Notes I l i 1 ! Abe Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals {New York: ;Funk & Wagnalls, 1973), pp. 421-434. ; 2 George Abbott and Richard Bissell, "The Pajama Game," prompt book, 1954, p. 1-1-1. (Mimeographed.) ' 3 ; George Abbott, "The Musicals Take Over," Theatre Arts Monthly, July 1954, p. 95. I 4 Abbott and Bissell, "The Pajama Game," pp. 1-2-5 land 1-2-6 . ■ 5 i Ibid., pp. 2-9-47 and 2-9-48. ' 6 Stanley Green, The World of Musical Comedy (New ;York: Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., 1968), p. 303. i 7 ! Brooks Atkinson, "Theatre in Review: 'Pajama ■Game,New York Times, May 15, 1954. 8 I Richard Watts, Jr., "Factory Life in Musical :Comedy," New York Post, May 14, 1954. i 9 i Atkinson, "Theatre in Review: 'Pajama Game.'" I “ ^Gerald Weales, American Drama Since WWII (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1962), p. 141. "^David Ewen, New Complete Book of the American Musical Theater (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1970), p. 104. 12 George Abbott et al., Damn Yankees (New York: Random House, 1956), p. 13. ! 13 Ibid., p. 19. 14 Ibid., pp. 61-63. 15 Walter F. Kerr, "Theater: 'Damn Yankees,'" New York Herald Tribune, May 6 , 1955. 397 16 J Lewis Funke, "Theatre: The Devil Seeks a Soul: Damn Yankees' Is a Baseball Musical," New York Times, May i 6, 1955. i 17 John McClain, "This Musical Tremendous!: Bril- i . ; liant Song and Dancer Breathes Punch and Polish by George Abbott," New York Journal American, May 6, 1955. 1 18 ; Kerr, "Theater: 'Damn Yankees.'" 19 John Chapman, "'Damn Yankees' a Championship Musi cal and Gwen Verdon's a Doll," Daily News (New York), May 6, 1955. 20 William Hawkins, "Gwen Bats 1.000 in 'Damn Yan kees,'" New York World-Telegram, May 6, 1955. 21 Richard Watts, Jr., "When Satan Took Over Base ball," New York Post, May 6, 1955. 22 For further analysis see Richard Albert Lane, "A Critical Analysis of the Treatment of Selected American Drama in Musical Adaptation" (Ph.D. dissertation, Washington jState University, 1974). 23 I Seymour Peck, "'Anna Christie' Sings," New York Times, May 12, 1957. 24 ; Ibid. 25 George Abbott and Bob Merrill, New Girl m Town ;(New York: Random House, 1958), pp. 7-8. j ^Ibid., p. 8. ^^Ibid., pp. 14-15. ’ 2 8 2 9 j Ibid., pp. 28-29. Ibid., p. 79. i "^Ibid., p . 124. 31 Richard Watts, Jr., "Two on the Aisle: Another Triumph for Gwen Verdon," New York Post, May 15, 1957. i 32 John McClain, "New Musical Well-Paced and Zest ful," New York Journal American, May 15, 1957. I 398 1 3 3 ! Abbott and Merrill, New Girl in Town, p. 95. ; 34 ! Ibid., p . 73 . I ^Ibid . , p. 39 . 3 6 Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, and Dean Fuller, '"Once Upon a Mattress," prompt script, 1959, p. 30. (Mimeo graphed .) ^Ibid., p. 63. ^Ibid., p. 11. 39 40 Ibid., pp. 13-15. Ibid., p. 41. 41 Richard Watts, Jr., "Two on the Aisle: Story of the Sensitivity Princess," New York Post, May 12, 1959. 42 Ewen, Complete Book, p. 387. 43 George Abbott, Mister Abbott (New York: Random House, 1963), p. 263. 44 Jerome Weidman et al., FiorelloI (New York: 'Random House, 1960), p. 53. 45 , Ibid., p. 84. | j ^Abbott, Mister Abbott, p. 263. | 4 7 Jerome Weidman et al., Tenderloin (New York: .Random House, 1961), frontispiece. 48 Walter Kerr, "First Night Report: 'Tenderloin,'" New York Herald Tribune, October 18, 1960. 4 9 Weidman, Tenderloin, p. 25. 50T, . j A1 Ibid., p. 41. 51 Richard Watts, Jr., "Two on the Aisle: Framing a Clergyman to Music," New York Post, October 18, 1960. 5 2 Robert Coleman, "Robert Coleman's Theatre: 'Ten derloin' Comes Up More Like Meatballs," Daily Mirror (New York), October 18, 1960. I 399 53 Weidman, Tenderloin, p. 125. I 54 ; George Abbott, "Mister Abbott," Theatre Arts, ^January 1964, p. 26. i 55Burt Shevelove, Larry Gelbart, and Stephen 'Sondheim, A Funny Thing Happened oni the Way to the Forum (New lYork: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1963), p. 12. | 36Ibid., p. 26. 57Ibid., p. 17. ■ 58 59 , Ibid., p. 62. Ibid., pp. 18-19. J 6 0 Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals, p. 295. p. 33. ^'*'Shevelove, Gelbart, and Sondheim, Funny Thing! ^Ibid. , p. 23 . ^3Ibid., p. 66. 64 | Ibid., p. 68. 65 Richard Watts, Jr., "Two on the Aisle: Riotous ; Life of the Old Romans," New York Post, May 9, 19 62. 6 6 Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals, p. 297. 6 7 Betty Comden and Adolph Green, "Fade Out— Fade jln," typescript, 1964, p. 1-3-14. (Mimeographed.) ; 68Ibid., p. 2-3-18. 69Ibid., p. 2-7-42. ! 7°Ibid., p. 1-10-67. 71Ibid., p. 1-5-34. I j 72Ibid., p. 1-5-35. 73Ibid., pp. 1-10-64, 1-10-65 74Ibid., p. 2-5-36. 73Ibid., pp. 1-2-9 through 1-2—11. 7^Ibid., p. 1-5-42. i 77Ibid., p. 1-8-50. i I 400 78Ibid., p. 2-4-25. 79 i Elinor Hughes, "'The Red Menace' Needs Some Work," ' Boston Herald, April 18, 1965. ' 8 0 Elliot Norton, "Liza Minnelli Delights in New Musical Show," Boston Post, Lincoln Center Library Theatre |Collection, n.d. ' ^Max Shulman, "How Now, Dow Jones," prompt script, |l967, pp. 1-3-24 and 1-3-25. (Mimeographed.) o o j Ibid., p. 1-8-51. ■ 83 Clive Barnes, "The Theatre': 'How Now, Dow Jones' |at the Lunt-Fontanne," New York Times, December 8, 1967. 84 Ibid. Q C Richard P. Cooke, "The Theater: Fiscal Frolic," : Wall Street Journal, December 11, 1967. I g g i Benjamin Bernard Zavin, The Education of H*Y*M*A*2S K*A*P*L*A*N (Chicago: Dramatic Publishing Co., 1968), .p. 25. ; 87Ibid., pp. 32-33. O O Ibid., p. 50. 8 9 John Chapman, "An Offbeat Musical, 'Education of ! Hyman Kaplan," at the Alvin," Daily News (New York), April 5, 1968. 90 George Abbott, letter to the author, dated July 25, 1973. 91 : Allan Sherman, "The Fig Leaves Are Falling," type script, January 2, 1969, p. 1-1-4. (Mimeographed.) i 92 J Ibid., p. 2-1-3. | j ^Ibid., p. 2-2-7. 94 .. Mel Gussow, "Theatre: Under the Fig Leaves, ' Newsweek, January 13, 1969, p. 86. 401 95 I Clive Barnes, "Theater: 'Fig Leaves Are Falling,'" ; New York Times, January 3, 1969. 96 George Oppenheimer, "Abbott's Judgement Falls With 'Leaves,'" Newsday, January 3, 1969. 97 , Martin Gottfried. "Theatre: 'Fig Leaves Are Falling,'" Women's Wear Daily, January 3, 1969. ’ 98 ! John Chapman, "'Fig Leaves' Pleasant Musical," ■Daily News (New York), January 3, 1969. I 402 CHAPTER VIII SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Although criteria are a means of judging excellence, success and excellence do not always go hand in hand. There are times when, with the innumerable variables involved in the world of live theatre, success occurs in spite of a lack of excellence and vice versa. Therefore, the criteria that have been utilized do not necessarily result in suc cess merely what is considered to be excellence in the content, preparation, and performance of the musical theatre productions- investigated in this study. In sum mary, it will be necessary to determine the shows that were a success from some arbitrary point of view to shape a con clusion of the success as well as excellence of George Abbott in his work in the musical theatre. Success is ordinarily determined in terms of mone tary return on an investment. ' Unfortunately, all of this information is not available for the productions under con sideration. Therefore, a number of performances which can stand as a representative number, for the period under dis- _______________ -__________________________4-0 3 cussion, which "might" have returned a reasonable invest ment in a musical will be utilized. Abe Laufe, in his book Broadway's Greatest Musicals, determined that success of the "greatest" musicals is based upon a run of 500 performances in New York— but states that the number is absolutely arbitrary; there is no basis in fact for its use. Working from the opposite pole, it is reasonable to state that any production which runs under 100 performances is certain not to return a substantial amount of the initial investment due to. the high costs of mounting a musical, and may therefore be considered a fail ure. When a production is funded, the producing agency considers the return based upon a specific percentage of the house being sold for a period of one year in order to return the approximate amount of funds invested.'*' As such, up to approximately 365 performances, the public has been sufficiently interested to at least attempt to pay for the show, and it may be accounted for as moderately successful. Over 365 performances must then be considered as a success, for the profits may then begin to flow. There is no guarantee in this formula, nor is there to the arbitary figure of Abe Laufe, as he admits that many musicals have broken the 500 performance mark without re 404 turning any money to their investors, in fact certain pro ductions have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars even 2 after breaking through his magic barrier. To review, 365 performances and above is sufficient to consider the pro duction a success; 100 to 365 is moderately successful; below 100 is failure. Admittedly, the figures are arbitrary and to some, perhaps capricious, but no more so than any other means of judging success— not excellence. There is no possible way that two productions can be said to have either succeeded or failed for the same reason or reasons. The variables which continually effect the development of the theatre change from day to day, if not the minute to minute changes which occur within each performance. This is one of the most important and fascin ating factors which makes the theatre the living art that it is. It is, therefore, true that each of the 30 produc tions directed by George Abbott discussed in the preceding chapters succeeded or failed on its own independent merits or faults, which have been discussed in connection with each show. There are, however, some similarities to the productions when considered in the combinations of those which succeeded, those with moderate success, and those which failed. 405 The productions which can be classified as failures 3 are Beat the Band (67 performances); Flora, the Red Men ace (87); Anya (16); The Education of H*Y*M*A*N* K*A*P*L*A*F (28); and The Fig Leaves Are Falling (4); and the common denominator for all of these productions is the lack of proper comedy in each libretto. This is, however, the only factor which pertains to all of the shows under considera tion in this category. Beat the Band was in the unfortunate position of being produced during the gigantic reorganization of the priorities of the musical theatre in the early 1940s. If the 1930s saw the infancy of integration, the 1940s saw it through adolescence and into maturity. Unfortunately, Beat the .Band, did not begin to mature. It lost its footing by reverting to the earlier trend and relying on the gags, girls, and spectacle school of thought. Abbott had appar ently forgotten the development that both On Your Toes and Pal Joey, despite a slight difference with some critics, had brought about in this maturation process. As a result, Beat the Band was not only out of date, but failed in every possible manner to fulfill the criteria set for the proper and affective production of musical theatre. Flora, the Red Menace is the only failure for which 406 Abbott appeared as author, or in this particular case co author, as well as director. It is lacking in the areas of comedy, romance, spectacle, and integration. In addition, the libretto deals with the depression of the 1930s which could not evoke much of the nostalgia for which the musical theatre is famous. The treatment given this period in the libretto offered only a look at the hardships of life with- j out the glamour and color that successful musicals have at their foundation regardless of the serious nature of the plot. It also appears that the production may have been a vehicle for the talents, at that time unproved, of Liza Minnelli. George Abbott has admitted his fascination with her and her abilities, and the reputation accorded Miss Minnelli today indicates that his expectancies may have been well placed. However, in those early days of her career, she was not able to singlehandedly bring the show up to the standards demanded when one of the sole attri butes was her presence. (Although George Abbott is too knowledgeable in the ways of the musical theatre to depend completely upon the abilities of the star, it must be noted that Flora, the Red Menace was written and directed at the beginning of what might be considered as the twilight of his career as four out of the last five of his produc ___________ _________________________________ ____________________407 tions are considered as total failures.) Anya and The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N are similar because they are both out of their milieu on the stage of the Broadway musical theatre. The success of Anya may have been more properly assured if written for the opera stage, which lends itself more readily to a tragic orientation. The romance that it contains is virtually violently thrust into the libretto without reason or justi fication. Lacking romance, comedy, and spectacle, and frustrated by the presence of the heaviness of the music, Anya could not engage or delight an audience, continually treading too slowly and to diligently through a complicated and often boring story. The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N stumbled in its production for it was too small during a period when the stage was flooded with the spectacle of monstrous pro ductions utilizing gaudy and oversized staircases, large choruses, lavish costumes, and a greater aesthetic distance for the viewer than the reality which is depicted by the author in this fragment from the life of Hyman Kaplan. It is an intimate musical.. The age of the intimate musical was present, but that presence was felt in the. Off-Broadway theatres, with Broadway as yet unwilling to agree to it. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 14 -0 -8 - The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N tried to become as large and lavish as those musicals with which it was in competition by including scenes which demanded large sing ing and dancing groups, but these proved to be extraneous to the simple and straightforward story of a simple little man. In the production of Where's Charley? Abbott succeed- i ed in presenting the audience with an intimate musical with lavish attachments, but Tom Bosley as Hyman could not measure up to Ray Bolger as Charley. As with Anya, it is a case of being at the wrong place' and the wrong time. Whether the announcement of the death of Martin Luther King did have a disastrous effect upon the production as Abbott indicates, is dubious. Conversely, the presence of the criteria in excellent proportion and execution, with minor exception, may give one reason to pause and reconsider the validity of the musical before completely discarding it, making moderate success a possibility. The Fig Leaves Are Falling requires and, deserves little attention.. It destroyed itself through the not un likely method of parodying the foundation on which it based its libretto— romance— and by a total disregard for all of the basic principles which the public demands of affective musical theatre, or for that matter, all theatre, 409 the most obvious of which is good taste. Thirteen George Abbott productions achieved moder ate success, but borderline cases, and those with certain other problems or attributes tend to place several, more appropriately, in other categories. The productions in this category are: Jumbo (233 performances); On Your Toes (315); The Boys From Syracuse (235); Too Many Girls (196); Best Foot Forward (326); Billion Dollar Baby (219); Bare foot Boy With Cheek (108); Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I (188); A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (267) ; Me and Juliet (358) ; Ten^-, derloin (217); Fade Out— Fade In (199); and How Now, Dow Jones (221). Five of' these, Jumbo, The Boys From Syracuse, Bil lion Dollar Baby, Fade Out— Fade In, and How. Now,. Dow Jones, were dependent upon spectacle as their foremost feature, but were old-fashioned in their overall design. Four were copies of earlier successful formulas: Too Many Girls, Best Foot Forward, Barefoot Boy With. Cheek, and Tenderloin. Two evidence a love affair of the authors with the material they were dealing with— A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Me and Juliet— and sacrificed librettos to this end. One, Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I was a -performer's vehicle, and the last was quite unusual in its presence as a dominant force in 410 the growth of the musical theatre— On Your Toes. From 1929 to 1939 there was no single musical that surpassed Abe Laufe1s 500 performance minimum for inclu sion in his book. In fact/ only four musicals managed to achieve over 400 performances. Therefore, it is not un usual for a production of 315 performances to be considered as out of the ordinary during this particular period of barren existence in the live theatre. On Your Toes succeeded in its 315 performances, and should be considered as successful rather than qualified in its rating. The mitigating circumstance is the period of lagging box office receipts which affected every production. Had the show been produced in later years, with the recov ery of the economy, its success may well have been as tounding, for this show amply illustrates the excellent use of each of the criteria required for excellence, and pro vided entertainment that was universally acclaimed by press and public. Although, as indicated earlier, Abbott's directorial contribution is in question, the validity of the simple plot which integrates all of the criteria of musical theatre into a unified whole was an astonishing accomplishment in 1936, far surpassing any of the produc tions which preceded it, including the highly acclaimed 411 Show Boat. The reservations which are held for Show Boat are due mainly to the use of a plot which is more serious than that of On Your Toes, but the criteria fit the latter far better than its earlier counterpart. In addition, the presentation of a ballet as an integral part of the libretto, germane, to the development and conclusion of the plot, the "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet, was the first time that dance and libretto were welded into a unified whole, in the history of the musical theatre. Earlier shows had utilized ballet to great ad vantage, but On Your Toes proved that it could be indige nous to the plot— a factor copied by succeeding writers and finally recognized and attributed to Agnes de Mille with her work in Oklahoma I The only star vehicle, Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I was apparently written for the talents of Nancy Walker, under the tutelage of George Abbott. Although the musical fails » to correspond to many of the criteria, namely the requi sites of libretto, comedy, integration, and romance, it did have the dynamic Miss Walker and, as has been seen in other examples, it is possible for a star to save an otherwise inconsequential show. In this particular case, the star could not. Whether it was indeed due to Miss Walker's 412 illness or whether the problems of the libretto caused the early closure of the show will be continually in doubt, but the more obvious reasoning is the latter. In the first love affair with a libretto, Me and Juliet, the author was unable to infuse the story with any substance. Called a valentine for the theatre by Rodgers and Hammerstein, it was unfortunately more bizarre than lovely. This production would also fit better into the failure category, for without the incredible drawing power of the Rodgers and Hammerstein names and the fantastic ad vance sale that their shows were able to command, the show would have closed much earlier. The run of only 358 per formances is extremely minimal for the popular writing team. The company discovered that nothing could be done to rectify the material that offered itself as a libretto, and George Abbott found himself committed to a hopeless morass of confusion. The other love story was that of George Abbott and Betty Smith with the book of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Pos sibly blinded in the same manner as the authors of Me and Juliet, Abbott and Smith attempted to remain true to the novel and produced a musical with two plots and two direc tions, neither one of which was capable of standing alone. 413 The resulting confusion could not be condoned by the audiences. It has rarely been the case that a copy of a pre- vously presented show could come anywhere near the success achieved by its predecessor. (Damn Yankees following The Pajama Game is an outstanding exception.) Four of the Abbctt productions achieving some popularity were blatant copies of formulas which had preceded them and the result was only limited success. Too. Many Girls, Best Foot For ward, and Barefoot Boy With Cheek all find their foundation in earlier productions dealing with youngsters on some kind of spree, such as the earlier Rodgers and Hart show Babes in Arms. Youth was the salient feature, but was insuffi cient to sustain an audience that was more interested in the new developing and maturing genre. Too Many Girls was the earliest copy and, therefore, the most reasonable, but it lacked inspiration and inventiveness. Best Foot Forward followed the innovative Pal Joey and may have been a reac tion to the somewhat negative response given that show for its sophisticated plot and characters, but Barefoot Boy With Cheek, produced in 1947, long after more intelligent musicals were the standard fare, was an error. The error is reflected in the 108 performances of the production which 414 could and should be placed in the failure category without hesitation. The fourth copy, Tenderloin, was an obvious attempt on the part of George Abbott and his co-workers to dupli cate the success of the Pulitzer Prize winning Fiorello! by utilizing another era of the New York scene and adapting another historical figure, who was also a reformer, onto the musical stage. They managed to squeeze 217 perfor mances from the production. The plausibility of this num ber of performances is only valid on the basis of the success of the preceding show and the name of Maurice Evans, a noted Shakespearian actor, in a leading Broadway musical role. The unromantic situation, nonintegrated musical num bers, lack of proper comedy, and the presence of comedy in bad taste eventually closed the production. Five of the moderately successful productions find their basis in spectacle. The implementation of one cri terion is not likely to assure success. The most highly spectacular was Jumbo, with circus performers, Paul White man on a horse, and an elephant on the stage. Unfortunate ly, it was only a circus, and as an example of musical theatre it must be placed outside of the normal realm of the genre. In addition, because its run of 2 33 perfor 415 mances depended upon the circus aspect, its true classifi cation must be as a failure. The Boys From Syracuse, Bil lion Dollar Baby, and Fade Out--Fade In were particularly interested in the spectacular aspects of the musical to the disadvantage of the other requisites. None of the three had well-developed librettos, they lacked consistent ro mance, and the authors did not utilize integration of the musical numbers into the text. Fade Qut— Fade In did have an additional advantage by starring Carol Burnett, which proved to be the factor which brought that show into the moderately successful category. Yet, all three were de cidedly old-fashioned, in their use of the musical format, and avoided the requirements which were expected of them. Finally, there -is How Now, Dow Jones, which had little of substantial value in any category, but managed to live on the spectacular aspect of presenting a segment of society that had not been previously seen on the Broadway musical stage; the manipulators of Wall Street. With that special quality it was kept alive and its run placed it in the mod erately successful group. There is no doubt that each of the five productions had serious defects in many of the desired areas, and were sustained because each affectively presented the audience 416 with some single unusual experience, either visual or in the content of the production. However, the experience was neither valid nor capable of counteracting the obvious omissions. The run of twelve productions directed by George Abbott designates them as successful: Pal Joey (54 0 per formances) ; On The Town (462); High Button Shoes (727); Where's Charley? (792); Gall Me Madam (644); Wonderful Town (556); The Pajama Game (1063); Damn Yankees (1019); New Girl in Town (556); Once Upon a Mattress (406); FiorellpI (796); and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (966). Two that Abbott authored alone are Where's Charley? i - and New Girl in Town, and the three for which he served also as co-author are The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, and FiorelloI The hit shows fall basically into two categories: those which admirably fulfill every criterion established for the production of affective musical theatre, and those which utilized some of the criteria, but were more eminent ly bolstered by the presence Of one individual whose talent, in combination with the talents of George Abbott and others behind the scenes, saw the show through to unusual success despite otherwise possible problematic situations. 417 The simplicity of discussing the successful produc tions from the point of view of utilization of all criteria is evident. Nothing more need be said other than the fact that Pal Joey, . On The Town, Call Me Madam, Wonderful Town, The Pajama Game, and Fiorello! fulfilled the requisites, and also resulted in successful productions. Although the criteria do not guarantee the proper response from the press and public, the effectiveness of compliance with the requi sites is more valid when seen as cooperative in the result. Fiorello! arrived in New York with little advance notice and less advertising by word of mouth. However, before being awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the values of the show were recognized and it reached the status of success be cause of its stunning combination of all the necessary In the case of both Call Me Madam and Wonderful Town, there was the additional factor of the use of a star, Ethel Merman and Rosalind - Russell, respectively , that heightened the interest in the production,. Due to the individual dynamics of each star, it was impossible to fol low either with another personality— no one could duplicate the performances that audiences had been led to expect. However, the capability of the actor does not diminish the 418 quality of the show or its ability to live up to the cri teria which have been substantiated as proper judgment of excellence. The six remaining productions have somewhat varied reasons for their successes, for ithey did not fulfill all of the requisites, but still succeeded, mainly because of the individual dynamics of a specific performer which over came the otherwise detrimental absence of necessary ele ments. High Button Shoes exemplifies a show that should have been a failure, but the combined efforts of Phil Sil vers, George Abbott, and Jerome Robbins proved to be suf ficient to make an otherwise indifferent script with no integration or romance into a highly successful vehicle for the indubitable Silvers. Where's Charley? with a most er ratic book, incredible amounts of complexities, total lack of integration and little in the line of spectacle, was awarded success by the combined efforts of Ray Bolger, George Abbott, and George Balanchine. Damn Yankees, a sad copy of the formula.of The Pajama Game, lacked a strong libretto, integration, and a solidified romance, but achieved success through the combination of Gwen Verdon, George Abbott, and Bob Fosse, who were also the trio who managed to sustain the run for New Girl in Town despite the __________________________________________________ ___: ___4-1-9- heaviness of the libretto, and the almost total lack of comedy in the script. Once Upon a Mattress, an entry from Off-Broadway, took the unlikely base of a fairy tale, added a romantic comedy to burlesque and a rather uninte grated set of songs and dances, and produced its success through the talents of Carol Burnett and George Abbott. The most unusual response was that which greeted A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a burlesque, which has as its basis for achieving popularity the abilities of the direction of George Abbott and the talented and versa tile Zero Mostel. It would not be unfair to state that each of these shows, with its flaws in several areas, was, to the good fortune of both the company and the public, tailored to the starring individual. The public, as a re sult, was treated to several thousand performances of musical theatre entertainment which, without this magical combination of people, may have been lost in a complicated sea of confusion and incoherence. To state that George Abbott participated in the writing of only the few librettos mentioned in the programs is to understate the case completely. It has been proven, by statements from a variety of sources, that Mr. Abbott contributed to virtually every musical theatre production 420 with which he has been connected. The most obvious unlist ed credits due to him are for Pal Joey, High Button Shoes, Call Me Madam, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, all of which are categorized as successful produc tions based on the New York performances, and it is more than likely, knowing the philosophy^and practice of Mr. Abbott and the philosophy of the theatre wherein the direc tor is responsible for the total artistry of the production, that those shows of moderate success utilized his work, and those few failures saw more than a fair amount of his at tempts at correction. Unfortunately, none of this will ever be documented completely, for as Abbott and Betty Smith realized on the collaboration of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, it is impossible to state where the work of one author leaves off and that of another begins. It is the combined effort of the company as a whole that results in success. To state that George Abbott is a large contributor to the field of musical theatre is easily enough proved by the volume of work he has presented in more than 30 years as a professional director, author, and producer. But con tributions are also often of a calibre worthy of note. Utilizing the criteria established in Chapter III, these contributions of George Abbott to the musical theatre can be delineated. 421 In the field of comedy, the lack of which only rarely became a serious problem, George Abbott illustrated the finest of warm romantic comedy in The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N and FiorelloI while moving into the wildest extents of farce in routines developed for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and.High Button Shoes. He also admirably accomplished the fusion of satire, farce, and romantic comedy in gall Me Madam, of burlesque and farce in Once Upon a Mattress and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and of vaudeville and farce in the production of High Button Shoes. It is a rare accomplish ment to achieve a unity in production while deftly fusing the various types of comedy with finesse. One form can often work to the detriment of another, as seen when parody took command of The Fig Leaves Are Falling, destroying all farce and romantic comedy. However, in most cases, Abbott, skilled in the deft use of comedy, proved to be capable of subordinating them to the overall concept of the libretto. The integration of all factors into a unified whole is prominently exemplified in Pal Joey, The Pajama Game, and Fiorello1 Surprisingly, it was also accomplished in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, and, despite the tailoring of several numbers 422 in the production to the star, Miss Rosalind. Russell, Wonderful Town. Since integration is a formidable factor as a guide in the maturation of the musical theatre, Mr. Abbott1s role in its development becomes a dominant one. Pal Joey is now coming into recognition as the revolution ary turning point that has long been accorded to Oklahoma I However, the popularity of Oklahoma I will continue to over ride the value of Pal Joey for many years until time, greater than thirty years, can place the shows into a prop er perspective, from which Pal Joey will emerge as the true forerunner of the well-integrated musical theatre produc tion . Librettos reached new heights in simplicity of plot, condensed stories, American nature, and subplots germane to the main plot lines. These are evident in most of the successful productions, but can also be found in Billion Dollar Baby and The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, although these shows were encumbered with other difficulties. The librettos also moved in new direc tions in many cases. Pal Joey introduced the unsavory hero? FiorelloI utilized a political character, not done successfully for almost thirty years in the musical the atre; On The Town broke with the rags to riches story 423 [formula that pervaded the genre; The Paj ama Game dealt with the common people in the common, almost mundane situation of a factory; and New Girl in Town opened up the vista to I include more substantial dramatic fare as the foundation I jfor musical theatre librettos. As a result, heroes and l [heroines are no longer all beautiful and bland, but com- I ipletely developed individual characters from all walks of i I I i f e. J The list of people who comprised the companies that Abbott worked with is studded 'With names that have grown to vast proportions as careers developed and expanded. Some composers, lyricists, and personalities are enumerated in (Chapter IV. Additional individuals Abbott brought into or ! jbrought back into the spotlight include: Ray Bolger, [Rosalind Russell, Gwen Verdon, Carol Burnett, Nancy Kelly, i I Ishirley Booth, Maurice Evans, Constance Towers, Shirley I MacLaine, and Liza Minnelli. Some impressive company mem- t [bers who toiled behind the scenes are represented by Jerome i [Robbins, Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, and Robert Fryer. I ! George Abbott has also been instrumental in estab lishing the careers of many young writers who are now seasoned veterans of the musical theatre stage. According to an account by Stanley Green, Abbott directed the first i i 424 — or first successful— musicals by the following composers and lyricists: Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane (Best Foot For ward) ; Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green (On the Town); Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn (High Button Shoes); Frank Loesser (Where's Charley?); Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (The Pajama Game); Bob Merrill (New Girl in Town); Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer (Once Upon a Mattress); and 4 Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (FiorelloI). It is no mean task to discern talent from charade, but the impressive list of talented people in George Abbott productions is unusually large. Romance has been seen in different perspective due to the insight of Abbott in dealing with his heroes and heroines. FiorelloI established a new idea of love with the long suffering heroine who only finds her love returned at the final curtain, yet the entire libretto is filled with romance; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum shed light upon the broad use of romantic comedy; Pal Joey illustrates the problems of infatuation when it:.,is confused with mature love; Billion Dollar Baby investigated love sacrificed for personal gain; and, of course, Abbott retains the questionable distinction of presenting the first pregnant unmarried heroine in How Now, Dow Jones. Abbott's 425 awareness of the variety of forms which romance can take aided in the slow dissolution of the overworked boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl formula which period ically still haunts the musical stage. With spectacle, Abbott virtually always succeeded. A pragmatist of the musical theatre, Abbott was aware of the demands of the audiences, and produced visual and aural diversifications that constantly astounded. The "Slaughter bn Tenth Avenue" Ballet from On Your Toes -was one of his first accomplishments, only to be followed by devices such as the Keystone Kops of High Button Shoes, the dream se quences which developed in many productions and invaded some, the incredible "Conga" of Wonderful Town, the exten sive chase in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the gargantuan Hollywood production numbers of Fade Out— Fade In, the exotic girls lampooning third-rate night clubs in Pal Joey, and the twenty matresses piled upon one another in Once Upon a Mattress. The outstanding achievements of George Abbott are slightly more difficult to substantiate, since Abbott's belief that the production is the result of combined ef fort, of all participants of the company.tends to diminish his own contribution. Yet, it is the director who is 426 responsible for all of the proceedings, on the stage, be they good or bad. Of these proceedings, there are eight particularly incisive productions which deserve the special consideration. First, the communion of dance with libretto in an integrated form was given a firm foundation in On Your Toes. The inclusion of the "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" ballet was no arbitrary insert, but a fundamental necessity to the completion of the plot. This one factor, as an integral part of the libretto developed by George Abbott, was responsible for opening a multitude of doors for chore ographers t©1 exhibit their true talents as creative artists rather than drill masters with formations of dancers unconcerned with the progress of the production. Second, with the adaptation of Plautus into the libretto for The Boys from Syracuse, Abbott did not dis cern a new techinique, but provided insight into the ability of classics to live again on the stage with viabil ity and triumph. Since that time, many more have been successfully attempted, and,:since that time, the use of adapted material has provided'a majority of the foundations for librettos in the musical theatre. The amount of orig inal material written for the musical stage is virtually 427 insignificant— authors depending on previously proven scripts, novels, and stories for their inspiration. Adapt ed works have become not only the most popular, but tend to last longer in the minds of the audiences due to the rein forcement of the original. Adaptation has become the most popular and profitable method of formulating the libretto for a musical.^ Third, the introduction of Pal Joey, the musical stage has begun to come of age. For the first time, the musical theatre was dealing with material that had hitherto been allocated to the "straight" plays, but was now to find a home also in the musical theatre. The adverse opinions which were offered by many of the critics regarding the unsuitability of Pal Joey for the musical medium were even tually recanted, and the musical theatre now avails itself of any and all materials that it finds to its liking due to Abbott's foresight with Pal Joey. Fourth, On the Town provided a new experience in the adaptation of a short dance piece into a complete even ing' s entertainment in the musical theatre which was ac complished and accompanied by the utilization of all the criteria demanded by the genre. Again, it was George Abbott who•managed to, harness the energies of the fragment- 428 ing writers and pull the pieces into a unity and move the production to success. Fifth, Fiorelloi is one of the finest and strongest librettos ever to be seen on the musical stage. The limita tions which are said to encumber it are its political nature and the regional orientation to knowledge of the life of Fiorello H. La Guardia. However, since it is a story of a man who is affected by politics and romance, and since this man is presented in a universally oriented atmosphere which will encompass everyone in his genuine honest and outgoing nature, both of the arguments are with out foundation. Fiorello!, authored by George Abbott, stands as one of the most perfect pieces of musical theatre literature available in the present day. Sixth, with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Abbott gambled and reversed the trend to highly intellectual and integrated musicals and devoted an evening to a raucous romp of burlesque and farcical entertainment. A story, which may or may not be followed at the discretion of the individual spectator, rambles on coherently if one is attentive, but the evening gallops in its audacious and slightly salacious romp through unadulterated brisk and slightly bawdy comedy. The value of pure entertainment has 429 never been lost in the pragmatic mind of George Abbott. Seventh and eighth are two productions listed as total failures, Anya and The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N. Despite their failure, they are indicative of the adventurous nature of George Abbott, ever searching, ever trying, ever demanding the new, the unusual, the un tired, with the hope that perhaps there is something that this young and developing art form has either eliminated too hastily or not investigated thoroughly. The two pro ductions may be failures, but they were valid, albeit ex pensive, experiments which aided the development of the musical theatre by pointing to new horizons. George Abbott is a pragmatist in the musical the atre, if the descriptive term is taken to mean that he can sense the demands of an audience and synthesize their thoughts in determining what will appeal to his theatre- going public. This ability results in a vast difference of styles and subject matter which is found in the productions he has been connected with over his lengthy career. Re alizing that the musical theatre is a temporal genre, he adapts to changes as they occur and gives the people what they want. In his early years, Abbott sensed that the spectacular style was prevalent, but combined it with the 430 emerging thoughts of integration and maturation. He pre sented On Your Toes, Pal Joey, and On the Town, hiqhly I t { Idiverse, but indicative of the requisites set by the public. t During a period of two wars, World War II and the Korean i jconflict, he realized the demand for lighter fare and enter tainment by providing Where1s Charley? Call Me Madam, i Wonderful Town, and The Pajama Game. Once the national jframe of mind had again become more inclined toward the i serious nature of the genre, his shows included New Girl in Town and Fiorello I Finally, with the wave of "new morality,"1 i jAbbott stayed abreast of the thinking with shows which Ireflected this thought, although the thought was prevalent 'in only a portion of the population and results were not ^successful (in Flora, the Red Menace and The Fig Leaves Are Falling, both produced in the late 1960s). Between the two eras, the prosperity of the country led Abbott to express Ithe genial nature of feeling in the rowdy enthusiasm of i 1 ‘ a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In each i |case, the shows were tailored to conform to and to codify 'the general national thought. George Abbott's productions are also in line with jhis philosophy that musicals must be in good taste and ;imbued with legitimacy or truth in story and character. On 431 ! the rare occasions when he slipped into the area of bad taste, Tenderloin and The Fig Leaves Are Falling, the material was in line with a portion of the national thought, but it did not conform to the majority, and in both cases the productions were failures. However, the shows were indicative of a changing attitude in thought which gained a certain prevalence and notoriety. Abbott1s awareness of this line of thinking was astute despite the unfortunate outcome for-the productions. It is illustrative of his ability to estimate and evaluate the pulse of the public in a majority of cases, for only in these two out of thirty productions did he allow bad taste to creep in. Some dis sent may be made about his production of Pal Joey being out of the realm of good taste; it was, however, only out of the realm of what was expected in the musical theatre, and never reached the level of bad taste. The former two were . done during a period in which bad taste was a dominant fac tor in the action of individuals, although, the failure of the shows indicates that it was not dominant in thought. The legitimacy and truth of George Abbott's produc tions is viably evident. Pal Joey illustrates un unsavory character, but a well-delineated and honest individual; Maribelle in Billion Dollar Baby was not the nicest girl, 432 but was presented with both her attributes and her draw backs; Fiorello! brought La Guardia to life so completely that it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama; Anna Christie lived again in New Girl in Town; those forgettable names but unforgettable people were complete in The Pajama Game; and Hyman Kaplan had a full life in The Education of h *y *m*a *n k*a *p *l*a *n . The stories which became librettos in the musicals were also truthful and honest. The idyllic romances of the operettas were left behind and real people reacted to each other in honest fashion. They fell in love, but in new and different ways with believability in their motives. On the Town concerns down-to-earth people in a situation which is a fantasy, but the fantasy of a common man; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the honest story of two loying couples in the 1890s; The Pajama Game uses the hero and heroine as factory workers; New Girl in Town presents the story of a reformed prostitute and the difficulties she encounters in her at tempt to straighten out her life; and although it is satire, Fade Out— Fade In deals honestly with the dream of millions of Americans in their desire to be a star in the movie in dustry. In each case, the reality, the honesty, is present in the libretto. 433 George Abbott as a director has succeeded in achieving his stated goals. Besides taste and legitimacy, Abbott admires the musical theatre for its excitement. His productions do fulfill that requisite. Known for his ability to pace a show with incredible speed, which Abbott avers is merely the ability to control the variety of tempos by contrast, and change, his productions seem to move at a high velocity. It is Abbott's contention to move the collective mind of the audience from one idea to another with agility and proper timing that gives the im pression of great speed, while he is in fact moving slowly and carefully through the evening. The "Abbott Touch’ . ' has been glorified and damned, but it has never harmed a pro duction. Even those shows which were failures moved quick ly enough' to retain attention for a majority of the time. In more than one commentary Abbott has been accused of at tempting to fool the public by using speed instead of con tent. However, when there is no content, the ideas are that much farther apart; and the technique of the director be comes more obvious. Abbott did manage to pull some medi ocre and poor librettos from deserved failure by his ability to move through obscurities and clarify ideas, but his major concern is with the proper libretto which can provide 434 (for good taste, legitimacy, and excitement. t ; This view of George Abbott and the musical theatre | jas seen from his productions is only a small portion of an lever-changing panorama of the possibilities offered by the | musical theatre. To clarify the musical theatre as an art Iforra requires additional extensive investigation into thou sands of people and productions which comprise the genre. George Abbott pursues a never-ending fight to bring the highest calibre of musical theatre entertainment to the Broadway stage and the theatregoing public. He has stated |his precepts and fulfilled not only those precepts but, in i Ja majority of cases, successfully dealt with the fundamental Criteria as a means of providing the most affective musical theatre possible. Disappointments must be expected periodi cally, but the general consensus cannot be other than to assert Abbott as the unheralded master of the musical the atre stage and of greater value to the theatre as a totality i jthan any other single individual involved in the genre of i I the American musical theatre. I 435 Notes ^Abe Laufe, Broadway's Greatest Musicals (New York; Funk and Wagnalls, 1973), Introduction, n.p. 2 , . Ibid. 3 Figures on number of performances were obtained from the Restricted Catalogue of the Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection. 4 Stanley Green, The World of Musical Comedy (New York: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1968), p. 3. 5 For further discussion see Richard Albert Lane, "A Critical Analysis of the Treatment of Selected American Drama in Musical Adaptation" (Ph.D. dissertation, Washing ton State University, 19 74). 436 BIBLIOGRAPHY I Books i ... Abbott, George. Mister Abbott. New York: Random House, 1963. Adams, Joey. From Gags to Riches. New York: Frederick Fell, 1946. Albright, H. D.; Halstead, William P.; and Mitchell, Lee. Principles of Theatre Art. Boston: Houghton ; Mifflin Co., 1968. Atkinson, Brooks. Broadway Scrapbook. New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1947; Atkinson, Justin Brooks. Brief Chronicles. New York: ! Coward-McCann, 196 6. ^ ________. Broadway. New York: Macmillan Co., 1971. Baral, Robert. Revue: The Great Broadway Period. New York: Fleet Press Corp., 1970. Barnet, Sylvan; Berman, Morton; and Burto, William. Aspects of the Drama: A Handbook. Boston: Little, Brown & | Co., 1962. Block, Maxine, ed. Current Biography. New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1940. Blum, Daniel C. Pictorial History of the American Theatre 1860-1960. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Chilton Book Co., 1969. Brockett, Oscar G. History of the Theatre. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1968. 437 Brockett, Oscar G., and Findlay, Robert R. Century of Inno vation: A History of European and American Theatre and Drama Since 1870. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1973. i Brown, John Mason. Dramatis Personae. New York: Viking I Press, 1929. J ;Brustein, Robert. Seasons of Discontent: Dramatic Opinions | 1959-1965. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1965. Burton, Jack. The Blue Book of Broadway Musicals. Watkins Glen, New York: Century House, 1969. Chapman, John, ed. Theatre '53. New York: Random House, 1953. Churchill, Allen. The Great White Way. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1962. i Clay, James H., and Krempl, Daniel. The Theatrical Image. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1967. Cole, Toby, and Chinoy, Helen Krich, eds. Directors on Directing. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963. Corio, Ann. This Was Burlesque. New York: Madison Square Press, 1968. I Dean, Alexander, and Carra, Lawrence. Fundamentals of Play 1 Directing. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965. Dietrich, John E. Play Direction. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1953. Dow, Clyde W. An Introduction to Graduate Study in Speech and Theatre. East Lansing: ..Michigan State Univer sity Press, 1961. * Downer, Alan Seymour, ed. The American Theater Today. New York: Basic Books, 1967. _________. Fifty Years of American Drama 1900-1950. Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1951. 438 Downer, Alan Seymour, ed. Recent American Drama. Minneap olis: University of Minnesota Press, 1961. Driver, Tom F. Romantic Quest and Modern Query. New York: Delacourt Press, 1970. Engle, Lehman. The American Musical Theatre: A Considera- * tion. New York: Macmillan Co., 1967. ' _________. Planning and Producing the Musical Show. New York: Crown Publishers, 1966. , _________. Words and Music. New York: Macmillan Co., 1972. Ewen, David. Composers for the American Musical Theater. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1968. _________. New Complete Book of the American Musical Theater. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1970. _________. The Story of America's Musical Theater. Phila delphia: Chilton Book Co., 1968. | _________, and Lubbock, Mark Hugh. The Complete Book of 1 Light Opera. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962. Flexner, Eleanor. American Playwrights 1918-1938. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1938. Gagey, Edmond M. Revolution in American Drama. New York: Columbia University Press, 1947. Gassner, John. Dramatic Soundings. New York: Crown Pub lishers, 1968. _________. Theatre at the Crossroads. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1960. _________. The Theatre in Our Times. New York: Crown Pub lishers, 1954. _________, and Quinn, Edward, eds. The Reader's Encyclopedia of World Drama. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1969. 439 Gaver, Jack, ed. Critics Choice; New York Drama Critic's 1 Circle Prize Plays 1935-55. New York: Hawthorne ; Books, 1955. i ;Gaver, John. Curtain Calls. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1949. _________. Season In, Season Out. New York: Hawthorne Books, 1966. Gilbert, Douglas. American Vaudeville: Its Life and Times. New York: McGraw-Hill Co., 1940. Gottfried, Martin. A Theatre Divided. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1967. Green, Abel. Show Biz, from Vaudeville to Video. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1951. 1 Green, Stanley. Ring Bellsl Sing Songs!; Broadway Musi cals of the 1930's. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1971. j ■ ________ . The Rodgers and Hammerstein Story. London: W. H. Allen, 1963. _________. The World of Musical Comedy. New York: Ziff- Davis Publishing Co., 1968. Hammond, Percy. But— Is It Art? Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1927. Hartnoll, Phyllis, ed. The Oxford Companion to the Theatre. I London: Oxford University Press, 1967. Hatlen, Theodore W. Orientation to the Theater. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, n.d. Hewitt, Bernard. Theatre USA 1665-1957. New York: McGraw- Hill Book Co., 1959. _________. History of the Theatre from 1800 to the Present. New York: Random House, 1970. Kernodle, George R." Invitation to the Theatre. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 196 7. 440 iKerr, Walter. The Theater in Spite of Itself. New York: Simon & Schuster, 19 63. I Kitchen, Laurence. Mid-Century Drama. London: Faber & j Faber, 1960. I Krutch, Joseph Wood. The American Drama Since 1918. New 1 York: George Braziller, Inc., 1957. _________. "Modernism" in American Drama. New York: Russell & Russell, 1962. Langer, Lawrence. The Magic Curtain. New York: E. P. Dut-' ton S c Co. , 1951. The Play’s the Thing. New York: Putnam & Sons, 1960. Laufe, Abe. Anatomy of a Hit. New York: Hawthorne Books, 1966. _________. Broadway's Greatest Musicals. New York: Funk S t | Wagnalls, 1969. I Laurie, Joe., Jr. Vaudeville: From the Honky-Tonks to the Palace. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1953. Lewine, Richard, and Simon, Alfred. Encyclopedia of Theatre Music. New York: Random House, 1961. Lewis, Allen. American Plays and Playwrights of the Con temporary Theatre. New York: Crown Publishers, 1970. i McSpadden, J. Walker. Operas and Musical Comedies. Bing hamton, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1954. Mander, Raymond. Musical Comedy: A Story jn. Pictures. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., 1970. Mates, Julian. The American Musical Stage Before 1800. New' Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1962. Melchinger, Siegried. The Concise Encyclopedia of Modern Drama. New York: Horizon Press, 1964. 441 |Meserve, Walter J. An Outline History of American Drama. ! | Totowa, New Jersey: Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1965. Millett, Fred B., and Bentley, Gerald Eades. The Art of the Drama. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co., 1935. I Morehouse, Ward. Matinee Tomorrow. New York: Whittlesey | House, 1949. Moritz, Charles, ed. Current Biography Yearbook— 1965. New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1965. Morris, Lloyd. Curtain Time. New York: Random House, 1953. Musicals of the 1930's. New York: Museum of the City of i New York, 196 3. Nathan, George Jean. Encyclopedia of the Theatre. New York: ( Alfred A. Knopf, 1940. , _________. The Entertainment of a Nathan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940. 1 ________. The Morning after the First Night. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1938. _________. The Theatre Book of the Year 1942-1943: A Record and an Interpretation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1943. _________. The Theatre Book of the Year 1944-1945: A Record and an Interpretation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,. 1945 . I _________. The Theatre Book of the Year 1945-1946: A Record and an Interpretation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1946. _________. The Theatre Book of the Year 1947-1948: A Record; and an Interpretation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1948. _________. The Theatre Book of the Year 1948-1949: A Record and an Interpretation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1949 . - 4.4.2 !Nathan, George Jean. The Theatre Book of the Year 1950-1951* ! A Record and an Interpretation. New York: Alfred ' A. Knopf, 1951. _________. The Theatre in the Fifties. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 19 53. ! ______* The Theatre of the Moment. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1950. : Rodgers and Hammerstein Fact Book. New York: Lynn Farrol ; Group, 1968. ; Shroyer, Frederick B., and Gardemal, Louis G. Types of Drama. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresraan & Co., 1970. Smith, Cecil M. Musical Comedy in America. New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1950. f Sobel, Bernard, ed. The New Theatre Handbook and Digest of Plays. New York: Crown Publishers, 1959. i IStambler, Irwin. Encyclopedia of Popular Music. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1965. Taubman, Howard. The Making of the American Theatre. London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1965. Taylor, Deems. Some Enchanted Evenings: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein. New York: Harper & Bros.,. 1953. ,Tumbush, Tom. Guide to Broadway Musical Theatre. New York: Richard Rosen Press, 1972. Turfey, Cossar, and Palmer, King. The Musical Production. London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, 1953. i Vallance, Tom. The American Musical. London: A. Zwemmer, 1970. Weales, Gerald. American Drama Since WWII. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1962. 443 Weales, Gerald. The Jumping Off Place. New York: Macmil lan Co., 1969. Whiting, Frank M. An Introduction to the Theatre. New York: Harper & Row, 1969. Wilson, Garf B. Three Hundred Years of American Drama and Theatre: From "Ye Bear and Ye Cub" to "Hair.1 " Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1973. Wodehouse, P. G. Bring on the Girls I New York: Simon & Schuster, 1953. Wright, Edward A., and Downs, Lenthiel H. A Primer for Playgoers. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1969. i •Zeidman, Irving. The American Burlesque Show. New York: | Hawthorne Books, 19 67. Zolotow, Maurice. No People Like Show People. New York: ' - - - - --- --- - - A. _ Random House, 1951. Articles Abbott, George. "A Director's Lot." New York Times Maga zine , April 15, 1951, p. 19. _________. "Mister Abbott." Theatre Arts, January 1964, pp. 26-28. _________. "The Musicals Take Over." Theatre Arts Monthly, I June 1954, pp. 95-96. American Musical Theater.. Vol. 1 (February and June 1975) . (Whole issue.) Antoine, Andre. "Behind the Fourth Wall." In Directors on ' Directing. Edited by Toby Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963. Beaufort, John D. "Teddy Hart Talks of Himself and George Abbott's Direction." Christian Science Monitor, October 14, 1938. 444 ! Beebe, Lucius. "A Producer Who Finds No Fault with Critics.1 ' N.p., Museum of the City of New York Theatre Col- | lection, May 30, 1937. Bentley, Eric. "Theatre." New Republic, November 1, 1954, pp. 22-23. Bissell, Richard. "Manic Musical Comedy." Holiday, August 1957, p. 42. Boyd, Ernest. "In Defense of Musical Comedy." Bookman, July 8, 1928, pp. 562-564. Brahm, Otto. "Style and Substance." In Directors on Directing. Edited by Toby Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963. Brown, Betty. "Doings in Town." Sun (New York), February | 28, 1947. ’ Chamberlain, Jo. "'It's a Success!'" This Week Magazine, May 21, 1939. Clurman, Harold. "In a Different Language." In Directors on Directing. Edited by Toby Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1963. _________. "Theater." Nation, June 19, 1954, p. 530. Comden, Betty, and Green, Adolph. "A Pair of 'Bookmakers' Tell All." New York Times, March 18, 1945. "Drama Desk Discusses Musicals." Show Business, June 13, 1974, p. 9. Eckman, Fern Marja. "A Sense of Direction." New York Post, May 20, 19 62, p. 2. "Equity Decides Rose's 'Jumbo' Show Is a Circus." Daily i Mirror (New York), Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, n.d. i Eustis, Morton. "The Director Takes Command." Theatre Arts Monthly, February 1936, pp. 120-123. "George Abbott." Cue Magazine, January 10, 1970, p. 1. .445, ["George Abbott Cited: Plaque Is Unveiled at the Shubert in New Haven." New York Times/ April 17, 1954. "George Abbott— the Penny Pincher." Show Business, January 31, 1955. "George Abbott, Producer." Gotham Life, January 15, 1941. "George Abbott Tells How to Produce, Act and Direct 'John Brown's Body.'" New York Times, January 14, 1934, p. 42 . Gilbert, Douglas. "George Abbott Hoots Directors Who 'Live' and 'Feel' Plays— Speeds Up Shows and Often Junks Jokes." New York World-Telegram, January 21, 1936. ' ■ Gussow, Mel. "George Abbott Gets Set for Show No. 116." New York Times, Museum of the City of New York Theatre Collection, n.d. 'Hammerstein, Oscar II. "The Book Had Better Be Good." Theatre Arts, November 19 60, pp. 18-19. Harbach, Otto. "It Takes More Than Joe Miller and a Line of Janes." Theatre Arts, September 1959, pp. 24-28. Hickey, Neil. "Mr. Abbott, Sir!" American Weekly, May 15, 1960, pp. 16-17. Hobart, John. "The Musical Becomes an American Art." San Francisco Chronicle, January 13, 1946. Krutch, Joseph Wood. "Theater." Nation, September 18, i 1929, pp. 310-311. Little, Stuart W. "It's an Old Story for Abbott— The Rehearsal of a New Play." New York Herald Tribune, October 2, 1962. McClain, John. "Liza Minnelli, Big, New Star." New York Journal American, May 12, 1965. Maddocks, Melvin. "George Abbott, the Ballet Master of Farce." Christian Science Monitor, December 21, 1962. 446 (Martin, John. "The Dance: Pal Kelly." New York Times, j | Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, n.d. "Me and Juliet (Followup)." N.p., Museum of the City of New York Theatre Collection, n.d. Miesle, F. Lee. "Research: Methods, Trends, Ideas." In The Communicative Arts and Sciences of Speech. I Edited by Keith Brooks. Columbus, Ohio: Charles ! E. Merrill Books, 1967. | Mok, Michael. "Portrait of a Laugh-Manufacturer." New York Post, July 7, 1937. ' i "Nancy's Jive Ballad Tryout Convulses Abbott, Wins Job." ! Courier Post (Camden, New Jersey), December 27, 1947. < Nathan, George Jean. "Theatre Week: Director of Public Works." Newsweek, November 1, 1937, p. 30. "'New Girl in Town.'" Theatre Arts, July 1957, pp. 14-15. "A New Producer Comes to Broadway: Mr. Feigay Talking About 'On the Town.'" Christian Science Monitor, February 1, 1945. Norton, Elliot. "Broadway After World War II." In The American Theatre Today. Edited by Alan Seymour Downer. New York: Basic Books, 1967. "'On the Town's' Osato— Dancer into Actress." Cue Magazine, January 13, 1945. Grmsbee, Helen. "Theater." Sun (New York), September 17, 1939. _________. "Actor, Author and Producer; Abbott Knows the Game." New York Herald Tribune, Museum of the City of New York Theatre Collection, June 1946. Peck, Seymour. New York Times Magazine, April 14, 1957, p. 30. "People: The Dean of Repairmen." Newsweek, May 16, 1960, p. 79. 447 r ------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- iPeper, William. "Merrill Sips Out a New Musical." New York ■ World-Telegram and The Sun, May 21, 1956. ,Prideaux, Tom. "The Perennial Hatcher of Hits and Talents." Life, January 18, I960, p. 61. _________. "Too Busy to Moon Over Good Old Days." Life, December 13, 1963, pp. 118-119. I ,'Rodgers, Richard. "Words Without Music." N.p., Museum of the City of New York Theatre Collection, June 14, n.d. "A Round-up for Abbott." Life, December 13, 1963, p. 112. "'Run-Through* to Jell Comedy Gives a Private Show for Cast." New York Herald Tribune, December 8, 1940. |seldes, Gilbert. "What Are George Abbott1s Shows Made Of?" Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, July 1939. Siegmeister, Elie. "Which Way the Musical." Theatre Arts, April 1957, pp. 74-76. Smith, Betty. "That 'Tree* Keeps Growing." New York Times, April 15, 1951. Smith, Cecil. "Wanted: A Modern Laocoon." Theatre Arts, September 1947, pp. 39-43. Sobel, Bernard. "Musical Comedy: From Floradora to Hazel Flagg." Theatre Arts, February 1953, pp. 18-23. f Taylor, Carol. "A Show Is Born: An Ex-Army Captain Sows . the Seed, Writers Hop To, and 'Tree' Begins to Grow." New York World-Telegram, April 25, 1951. _________. "A Show Is Born: Betty Smith Never Missed Re hearsal of Musical 'Tree.'" New York World- Telegram, April 26, 1951. _________. "A Show Is Born: Angels' Dollars Grew on 'Tree' Before Writers Finished Draft of Book." New York World-Telegram, April 27, 1951. 448 iTaylor, Carol. "A Show Is Born: Violinist Find, Untrained ‘ as Actress, Gives B'way Its Newest Cinderella Yarn." New York World-Telegram, April 28, 1951. ' ________ . "A Show Is Born: Skinny, Stacked, V-Necked— The i Girls Ran Like Ants to Chorus Call for 'Tree.'" ' New York World-Telegram, April 30, 1951. /'That Brooklyn Tree Branches Out." Liberty, May 1951. "Theater: Call Him Mister." Newsweek, December 9, 1963, p. 91. .Walburn, Raymond. Players Bulletin, Lincoln Center Library ; Theatre Collection, Spring 1964. i Watt, Douglas. "Theater Column." Daily News (New York), October 6, 1947. J Watts, Richard, Jr. "The Theater: Pioneer Work in Musi cals." New York Herald Tribune, June 8, 1941. i "What Makes a Musical Move." Theatre Arts, November 1960, I pp. 66-67. Whipple, Sidney B. "'Pal Joey' a Comedy-Coated Indictment." New York World-Telegram, March 15, 1941. Zolotow, Sam. New York Times. Museum of the City of New York Theatre Collection, June 194 6. _________. New York Times. Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, August 1, 1947. Newspaper and Periodical Reviews Adams, Wayne. "Bizarre '20s Satirized in Musical." San Francisco Chronicle, December 30, 1945. Allen, Kelcey. "'Jumbo.1 '" Women's Wear Daily, November 18, 1935. Anderson, John. "'Best Foot Forward' Opens at Barrymore." New York Journal-American, October 2, 1941. 449 Anderson, John. "Jimmy Savo Bows On at the Alvin In 'Boys I | Prom Syracuse.'" New York Journal-American, Novem- ' ber 25, 1938. 1_________. "'On Your Toes.'" New York Evening Journal, April 13, 1936. ’ i _________ . "Play by Eminent George Abbott and George Marion,! Jr., Is Presented." New York Journal American, ' October 15, 1942. _________. "Premiere of 'Jumbo.'" New York Evening Journal, November 18, 1935. Aston, Frank. "A Fairy Tale at Phoenix." New York World- Telegram and The Sun, May 12, 1959. _________. "Nostaligic 'Fiorello!' Opens at Broadhurst." New York World-Telegram and The Sun, November 24, 1959. _________. "Rip-Roaring 'Tenderloin' Has Tart Flavor of '90s." New York World-Telegram and The Sun, October I 18, 1960. Atkinson, Brooks, "Abbott's Musical Comedy at the Martin Beck Seen as Another Class Reunion on a Dear Old College Campus." New York Times, April 4, 194 7. "At the Theatre. 1 1 New York Times, January 30, 1948 . "At the Theatre. 1 1 New York Times, October 12, 1948 . . "At the Theatre. 1 1 New York Times, October 14, 1949. "At the Theatre. 1 1 New York Times, December 2 2, 1950. "At the Theatre. 1 1 New York Times, February 26, 1953. 450 ;Atkinson, Brooks. "In 'Beat the Band' the Brass Players | Blow a Music Show Into the Forty-Sixth Street The atre for George Abbott." New York Times, October 15, 1942. _________. "Christinas Night Adds 'Pal Joey' to the Musical Stage." New York Times, December 26, 1940. __________ . "Ethel Merman as an American Envoy in 'Call Me Madam,' With Berlin's Music." New York Times, October 13, 1950. _________. "Fun and Games." New York Times, May 26, 1957. _________. "George Abbott Opens Musical Season With Prep School Shuffle, 'Best Foot Forward.'" New York Times, October 2, 1941. i _________. "In 'Beat the Band' the Brass Players Blow a Music Show Into the Forty-Sixth Street Theatre for George Abbott." New York Times, October 15, 194 2. _________. "'Me and Juliet' Is a Valentine to the Theatre by i Rodgers and Hammerstein." New York Times, May 29, 1953. _________. "'The Pajama Game.'" New York Times, May 30, 1954 . * _________. "The Play." New York Times, October 10, 1947. "The Play in Review.” New York Times, November 24, 1938. "The Play: 'Jumbo' Finally Gets Under Way at the Hippodrome, With Actors, Acrobats and Animals." New York Times, November 18, 1935. "The Play: 'On Your Toes' Being a Musical Show j With a Book and Tunes and a Sense of Humor." New York Times, April 13, 1936. ' . „ "Theatre: Beguiling Tale: 'Once Upon a Mattress' Staged at Phoenix." New York Times, May 12, 1959. 451 Atkinson, Brooks. "Theatre in Review: 'Pajama Game.'" New! York Times, May 14, 1954. j ______ . "Theatre: Little Flower Blooms Again: 'Fio- j rello!' Begins Run at the Broadhurst." New York Times, November 24, 1959. ! _________. "Theatre: 'On Your Toes.'" New York Times, ! October 12, 1954. i _________. "The Theatre: Singing Anna Christie: 'New Girl in Town' Opens at 46th St." New York Times, May 15, _________. "'Too Many Girls' Opens With a Score by Rodgers and Hart Under George Abbott's Direction." New York Times, October 19, 1939. _________. "'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' Made Into an Affable : Musical Drama." New York Times, April 20, 1951. I 1 1 I 1 '— 1 'I,, r i im .ii ir „ in i nr,-™ —n , , n Barnes, Clive. "Theater: 'Fig Leaves Are Falling.'" New York Times, January 3, 1969. ! _________. "The Theater: 'How Now, Dow Jones' at the Lunt- Fontanne: Musical Comedy Staged by George Abbott." New York Times, December 8, 1967. _________. "Theater: Hyman Asterisk's Education: Abbott Stages Musical Based on Stories." New York Times, ( April 5, 1968. Barnes, Howard. "Fresh New Musical." New York Herald Tribune, December 29, 1944. _________. "Her Excellent Excellency!" New York Herald Tribune, October 13, 1950. _________. "Here's Bolger." New York Herald Tribune, October 12, 1948. ______ . "More Tunes Than Laughs." New York Herald Tribune, October 15, 1942. _________. "Pitchmen on Their Uppers." New York Herald Tribune, October 10, 1947. 452 ;Barnes, Howard. "Smart Nostalgic Nonsense." New York Herald Tribune, December 22, 1945. "'Billion Dollar Baby' Changed." Boston Post, February 16, 1945. "'Boys From Syracuse.'" Variety, November 30, 1938. [Brown, John Mason. "'Best Foot Forward' Carries Off Blue 1 Ribbons." New York World-Telegram, October 2, 1941. . ________ . "Billy Rose's 'Jumbo' at the Hippodrome." New York Evening Post, November 18, 1935. _________. "'The Boys From Syracuse.'" New York Post, November 25, 1938. _________. "George Abbott Presents 'Too Many Girls.'" New I York Post, October 19, 1939. _________. "Seeing Things: 'On the Town.'" The Saturday Review, February 17, 1945, pp. 26-27. ' ________ . "Two on the Aisle: Mr. Winman Presents 'On Your Toes' at the Imperial." New York Evening Post, April 13, 1936. Chapman, John. "'Anya' Is a Sober Operetta With Lots of Rachmaninoff's Melodies." Daily News (New York), November 30, 1965. _________. '" Barefoot Boy' Another Campus Musical by Prof. George Abbott." Daily News (New York), April 4, I 1947. _________. "'Billion Dollar Baby' an Engaging Musical About Speakeasy Days." Daily News (New York), December 22, 1945. _________. "'Call Me Madam' Comes to Town With Its Plot as Its Big Handicap." Daily News (New York), October 13,. 1950. _________. "'Damn Yankees' a Championship Musical and Gwen Verdon's a Doll." Daily News (New York), May 6, 1955. 453 Chapman, John. "Evans Cavorts in 'Tenderloin,' a Zestful, Racy Musical Tintype." Daily News (New York), October 18, 1960. j i _________. "'Fig Leaves' Pleasant Musical." Daily News (New York), January 3, 1969. _________. "'Funny Thing’ Happens in Rome But Not in Today's Funny Rome." Daily News (New York), May 9, 1962. _________. "Gwen Verdon and Thelma Ritter Delightful in 'New Girl in Town.'" Daily News (New York), May 15, 1957. _________. "'How Now, Dow Jones' Promises Just a Bit More Than It Delivers." Daily News (New York), December 8, 1967. _________. "La Guardia Was a Grand Mayor and 'Fiorello' Is a Grand Musical." Daily News (New York), November 24, 1959. _________. "Liza Minnelli Puts Needed Zing in Songs of 'Flora, Red Menace.'" Daily News (New York), May 12, 1965. ________. "Main Query in 'Where's Charley?' Is Where's Bolger?--He's There!" Daily News (New York), Octo ber 12, 1948. _________. "'Me and Juliet' a Large, Lavish and Dullish Tribute to Show Biz." Daily News (New York), May 29, 1953. _________. "Miss Burnett's 'Fade Out— Fade In' a Jolly World's Fair Musical." Daily News (New York), May 27, 1964. _________. "An Offbeat Musical, 'Education of Hyman Kaplan,' at the Alvin." Daily News (New York), April 5, 1968. _________. "'On the Town' Is Not as Carefree and Gay as Its • Title Hopes It Is." Daily News (New York), Decem ber 29, 1944. 454 Chapman, John. "'On Your Toes' Revival Handsome and Will- [ 1 ing, but It's Quite Sedate." Daily News (New York),| October 12, 1954. j _________. "'Pajama Game' a Funny and Frisky Musical Romp at the St. James." Daily News (New York) , May 14, 1954. _______ . "A Second Visit to the Musical 'On the Town' Results in a Change of Opinion." Daily News (New York), August ‘ 5, 1945. _________. '"Tree in Brooklyn' a Double Hit: It's Very Funny and Sentimental." Daily News (New York), April 20, 1951. i _______ "Uproarious Mack Sennett Ballet High Spot of 'High Button Shoes.'" Daily News (New York), October 10, 1947. _________. "'Wonderful Town' a Triumph for 'Roz* Russell, Leonard Bernstein." Daily News (New York), February 26, 1953. Coleman, Robert. "'Barefoot Boy' Fresh and Lively Hit." Daily Mirror (New York), April 4, 1947. _________. "'Damn Yankees' Headed for a Sockeroo Hit!" Daily Mirror (New York), May 6, 1954. _________. "Funny Things Are Happening At Alvin." Daily Mirror (New York), May 9, 1962. _________. "'High Button Shoes' Doesn't Add Up." Daily Mirror (New York), October 10, 1947. _________. "'Ma, I'm Dancin'!' Is Hit Musical." Daily Mirror (New York), January 30, 1948. _________. "Merman Makes 'Madam' a Real Smash Hit." Daily , Mirror (New York), October 13, 1950. _________. "New R. & H. Musical Opens at the Majestic." Daily Mirror (New York), May 29, 1953. "Ray Bolger's Big Hit, But 'Where's Charley?'" Daily Mirror (New York), October 13, 1948. 455 Coleman, Robert. "Robert Coleman’s Theatre: 'Fiorellol' a ! Smashing Winner." Daily Mirror (New York) Novem ber 24, 1959. , ________ . "Robert Coleman’s Theatre: ’Mattress' Springy Musical." Daily Mirror (New York), May 12, 1959. _________. "Robert Coleman's Theatre: 'New Girl in Town’; She's All Dated Up." Daily Mirror (New York), May 15, 1957. _________., "Robert Coleman's Theatre: 'Tenderloin' Comes Up More Like Meatballs." Daily Mirror (New York), October 18, 1960. ________. "'Tree Grows in Brooklyn' Is Top-Notch Musical." Daily Mirror (New York), April 20, 1951. | _________. "Tunes and Jests at Imperial Are Joy." Daily 1 Mirror (New York), April 13, 1936. ■ ________. "Wonderful 'Wonderful Town' Is Tasty, Tuneful, Masterly." Daily Mirror (New York), February 26, 1953. Cooke, Richard P. "The Theater: Fiscal Frolic." Wall Street Journal, December 11, 1967. _________. "The Theater: One for Communicating." Wall Street Journal, April 18, 1968. _________. "The Theater: Pal O'Hara." Wall Street Journal, December 27, 1940. I Davis, McTear. "Pick of the Pack: 'Flora, the Red Menace.'" Travel, August 1965. Donnelly, Tom. "O'Neill's Girl Is Out of Town." New York York World-Telegram and The Sun, May 15, 19 57. Doyle, Peggy. "'Pajama Game' Opens at Shubert, Hailed as Show You Musn'.t Miss." Boston-American, April 21, 1954. Ferguson, Otis. "Two and One to Carry." The New Republic, November 8, 1939, p. 16. 456 '"'The Fig Leaves Are Falling.1" Variety, December 4, 1968. Freedley, George. "John.0'Hara's 'Pal Joey' Comes to Life , in Musical Play at the Barrymore." New York Morning Telegraph, Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, 1 n.d. | > I "'On Your Toes.'" New York Morning Telegraph, i July 26, 1954. i Funke, Lewis. "Theatre: The Devil Seeks a Soul: 'Damn Yankees' Is a Baseball Musical." New York Times, May 6, 1955. Gabriel, Gilbert W. "'Jumbo.'" New York American, November 18, 1935. ______. "'On Your Toes.'" New York American, April 13, 1936. I Garland, Robert. "An Amusing Musical With Ray Bolger." New York Journal American, October 12, 1948. _________. "'Barefoot Boy' Treads Martin Beck Stage." New York Journal American, April 4, 1947. _________. "'Billion Dollar Baby' Opens at Alvin." New York Journal American, December 22, 1945. "Ethel Merman's Big Good-Natured Show." New York Journal American, October 13, 1950. I "A Good Original Idea But Just a Fair Show." New York Journal American, January 30, 1948. "'Jumbo' Here at Last in the Hippodrome." New York World-rTelegram, November 18, 1935. "The Musical Needs a Pulling Together." New York Journal American, October 10, 1947. "'On the Town' Opens at Adelphi Theatre." New York Journal American, December 29, 1944. "'On Your Toes' Opens at Imperial Theatre." New York World-Telegram, April 13, 1936. 457 r "George Abbott's Latest Play About Youngsters with All | Youngster Cast." Boston Sunday Globe, March 2, 194 7. Gibbs, Wolcott. "The Theatre: Full Week." The New Yorker, January 6, 1945, p. 40. _________ . "The Theatre: When You and I Were Young." The New Yorker, January 5, 1946, p. 38. j Gilder, Rosamond. "Broadway in Review." Theatre Arts, De cember 1940. . "Broadway in Review." Theatre Arts, December 1941. _________. "Broadway in Review." Theatre Arts, February 1946. _________. "The Isle Is Dull of Noises: Broadway in Review." Theatre Arts, March 1945. . "Song And Dance: Broadway in Review." Theatre Arts Monthly, January 1939, pp. 10-11. "Spotlighting the Director: Broadway in Review." Theatre Arts, December 1939. Gill, Brendan. "The Theatre: In Vain." The New Yorker, January 11, 1969, p. 56. Gottfried, Martin. "Theatre: 'The Education of Hyman Kaplan.:'" Women's Wear Daily, April 5, 1968. "Theatre: 'Fig Leaves Are Falling.'" Women's Wear Daily, January 3, 1969. ________ _. "The Theatre: 'How Now, Dow Jones.'" Women's Wear Daily, December 8, 1967. i Guernsey, Otis L., Jr. "Don't Feel Too Bad, Mom." New York Herald Tribune, January 30, 1948. i _________ . "Not Quite." New York Herald Tribune, December 22, 1950. 458 Guernsey, Otis L., Jr. "Thanks to Shirley Booth." New York Herald Tribune, April 20, 1951. I i I Guidry, Frederick H. "Liza Minelli Stars: 'Red' Musical." Christian Science Monitor, April 15, 1965. ( Gussow, Mel. "Theater: Under the Fig Leaves." Newsweek, January 13, 1969, p. 8 6. Hammond, Percy. "The Theaters." New York Herald Tribune, November 18, 1935. _________. "The Theaters." New York Herald Tribune, April 13, 1936. Hawkins, William. "’Barefoot Boy' Is Same Old Campus ; Humor." New York World-Telegram, April 4, 194 7. I ' __________. "'Call Me Madam' Is a Winner . . . and It's Here to Stay." New York World-Telegram, October 13, 1950. . "Gwen Bats 1.000 in 'Damn Yankees.'" New York World-Telegram, May 6, 1955. . "'High Button Shoes' Is Glorious Nonsense." New York World-Telegram, October 10, 1947. . __________. "Laughter and Tears Mingle in 'A Tree.'" New York World-Telegram, April 20, 1951. ___. "'Me and Juliet' Dares Tradition." New York World-Telegram, May 29, 1953. , __________. "Nancy Walker Antics Make Audience Dance." New York World-Telegram, January 30, 1948. "'On Your Toes' Revival Opens." New York World- Telegram and The Sun, October 12, 1954. . "'Pajama Game' Hits Fast Pace." New York World- Telegram, May 14, 1954. "'Where's Charley?' Out of This World." New York World-Telegram, October 12, 1948. Hawkins, William. Wonderful Town'— Wonderful!" New York World-Telegram, February 26, 1953. Heaphy, Joe. "Liza Minnelli Romps: 'Flora' Brightest, Bounciest Musical Comedy of the Season." New Haven I Evening Sentinel, April 6, 1965. Hewes, Henry. "Eugene O'Neill's Bowery Follies." Saturday Review, June 1, 1957, p. 22. Hughes, Elinor. "'Billion Dollar Baby': A Provocative Musical Play." Boston Herald, November 25, 1945. _________. "George Abbott Still Bets On the Younger Genera tion." Boston Herald, Mary 11, 1947. _________ . "'The Red Menace' Needs Some Work." Boston • Herald, April 18, 1965. ( Isaacs, Edith J. R. "Broadway in Review." Theatre Arts Monthly, June 1936. "'Jumbo.'" Variety, November 27, 1935. Kerr, Walter. "The Breadlines Don't Jump." New York Herald Tribune, May 30, 1965. i _________. "First Night Report: . ' Fiorello! ' " New York . Herald Tribune, November 24, 1959. j _________. . "First Night Report: 'A Funny Thing . . . .'" New York Herald Tribune, May 9, 1962. i ________ . "First Night Report: 'Tenderloin.'" New York Herald Tribune, October 18, 1960. _________. “Kerr Reviews 'Flora, the Red Menace.'" New York Herald Tribune, May 12, 1965. _________. "'Once Upon a Mattress' Opens at Phoenix Theater." New York Herald Tribune, May 12, 1959. _________. "Skin Deep Is Not Good Enough." New York Herald Tribune, April 14, 1968. _________• "Theater: 'Damn Yankees.'" - New York Herald Tribune, May 6, 1955. 460 Kerr, Walter. "Theater: 'Me and Juliet.'" New York Herald | Tribune, May 29, 1953. _________. "Theater: 'New Girl in Town.'" New York Herald ( Tribune, May 15, 1957. . _________. "Theater: 'The Pajama Game.'" New York Herald Tribune, May 14, 1954. "Theatre Column." New York Herald Tribune, May 27, 1964. ________ . "Walter Kerr Reviews 'Anya.'" New York Herald Tribune, November 30, 1965. "'Wonderful Town.'" New York Herald Tribune, February 26, 1953. Kronenberger, Louis. "Best Musical of the Year." PM (New York), December 29, 1944. | _________. "The Best So Far Is Not So Bad." PM (New York) , 1 October 2, 1941. t _________. "A Fine Try Just Misses." PM (New York), Decem ber 23, 1945. _________. "It May Have Its Faults But It's Certainly Fun." PM (New York), October 12, 1947. _________. "A Joke About Ballet Falls Somewhat Flat." PM (New York), February 1, 1948. i _________. "Mr. Abbott Flops As a Bandleader." PM (New York), October 15, 1942. Lardner, John. "An Old Ritual Plus Ray Bolger." New York Star, October 13, 1948. Little, Stuart W. "Theater News." New York Herald Tribune, March 2, 1965. Lockridge, Richard. "'Beat the Band,' Lively Abbott Musical Opens at the Forty-sixth Street." Sun (New York), October 15, 1942. 461 Lockridge, Richard. "'Best Foot Forward,1 Youthful Musical, j Opens at the Ethel Barrymore." Sun (New York), j October 2, 1941. . "High Times in Ephesus." Sun (New York), Novem ber 25, 1938. ! I 1 . "John O'Hara's 'Pal Joey' Is Offered at the Barrymore Theater." Sun (New York), December 26, 1940. . "The New Play." Sun (New York), November 18, 1935. . "The New Play: 'On Your Toes' a Spirited Musical Opens at the Imperial Theater." Sun (New York), April 13, 1936. . _________"'Too Many Girls,' an Abbott Musical, Opens at the , Imperial Theater." Sun (New York), October 19, 1939. McClain, John. "Below Par Job by Great Team." New York ! Journal American, May 29, .953. I i __________. "Carol Burnett in a Winner." New York Journal American, May 27, 1964. . "'Flora'— Honest Musical." New York Journal - American, May 16, 1965. . "A Great Big YES for La G. Musical." New York Journal American, November 24, 1959. , __________. "It's a Whale of a Show!: Musical Is Raucous, Rollicking and Fast." New York Journal American, May 14, 1954. . "Large, Lavish and Dated." New York Journal American, November 30, 1965. . "Musical Disappoints; Lacking in Warmth." New York journal American, April 20, 1951. _. "Musical Just Doesn't Sing." New York Journal American, October 18, 1960. 462 McClain, John. "Musical Revival." New York Journal Ameri- can, October 12, 1954. ( ■ ________ . "Musical Well-Paced and Zestful." New York Journal American, May 15, 1957. _________. "'Once Upon a Mattress' Fits Phoenix." New York Journal American, May 12, 1959. I _________. "Roz Is Terrific; Show Is Lovely." New York Journal American, February 26, 1953. _________. "This Musical Tremendous!: Brilliant Song and Dancer Breathes Punch and Polish by George Abbott." . New York Journal American, May 6, 1955. _________. "Zero Mostel Guarantees a Merry Time." New York ; Journal American, May 9, 1962. I Mantle, Burns. "'Beat the Band' Is Spotted with New Faces, Energy, Jive." Daily News (New York), October 15, 1942. _________. "'Best Foot Forward' Is Youth on a Musical Comedy Binge." Daily News (New York), October 2, 1941. _________. "'The Boys From Syracuse' Scores More Hits Than Errors." Daily News (New York), November 24, 1938. _________. "Bring Out the Cheer Section for the Hit, 'Too Many Girls.'" Daily News (New York), October 19, 1939. _________. "'Jumbo,' a Handsome Hippodrome." Daily News .(New York), November 18, 1935. _________. "'On Your Toes' Pretty Exciting." Daily News (New York), April 13, 1936. _________. "'Pal Joey' Smart and Novel." Daily News (New York), December 26, 1940. Marshall, Margaret. "Drama." Nation, January 18, 1941. "Notes by the Way." Nation, January 13, 1945. 463 Morehouse, Ward” "'Barefoot Boy with Cheek' Brisk Musicalj Play, Done in the Abbott Style." Sun (New York), April 4, 1947. . _____. "'Billion Dollar Baby' Done at the Alvin, Rau- | cous, Generally Satisfactory." Sun (New York), December 22, 1945. ________ . "'High Button Shoes' Lively, Good-Natured Show, Presented at the Century." Sun (New York), October 10, 1947. ; _________. "'Look Ma' a Skimpy Show." Sun (New York), January 30, 1948. _________. "'On the Town' Is a Festive Musical Show— -Has Freshness and Vitality." Sun (New York), Decem ber 19, 1944. _________. "Ray Bolger . . . Very Little Else." * Sun (New York), October 12, 1948. Nadel, Norman. "'A Funny Thing— ' at Alvin." New York World-Telegram and The Sun, May 9, 1962. _________. "Happy Moment on Broadway." New York World- Telegram and The Sun, May 26, 1965. _________. "The Theater: Laughter Doesn't Fade in 'Fade Out— Fade In.'" New York World-Telegram and The Sun, May 27, 1964. _________. "The Theater— -Norman Nadel: Liza Minnelli Sings I Her Own Tune." New York World-Telegram and The Sun, May 12, 1965. _________. "The Theater— Norman Nadel: Noble Ancestors No Aid to 'Anya.'" New York World-Telegram and The Sun, November 30, 1965. Nichols, Lewis. "'On the Town.'" New York Times, December 29, 1944. _________. "The Play." New York Times, December 22, 1945. 464 Norton, Elliot. "Liza Minnelli Delights in New Musical Show." Boston Post, Lincoln Center Library The atre Collection, n.d. _________. "On the Stage." Boston Post, April 15, 1954. ■ ______. "On the Stage." Boston Post, April 21, 1954. O'Hara, John. "Entertainment Week: The Children's Hour." Newsweek, October 13, 1941, p. 6 8. "On Your Toes." Variety, April 15, 1936. Oppenheimer, George. "On Stage: Abbott's Judgement Falls with Leaves." Newsday, January 3, 196 9. Pollock, Arthur. "Playthings." Brooklyn Eagle, October 5, 1941. I _________. "Playthings: 'Pal Joey' Makes Something New and Strange of Musical Comedy." Brooklyn Eagle, Decem ber 29, 1940. 1 _________. "Shakespeare Never Had So Much Fun as in His Revival to Music in 'The Boys From Syracuse.'" Brooklyn Eagle, December 15, 1938. _________. "The Theater: 'Jumbo' Arrives Finally and Prettily at the Hippodrome Without Doing Proper Credit to Its Press Agent." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 18, 1935. _________. "The Theateri 'On Your Toes' at the Imperial I Theater Gets Fun and Novelty Out of the Ballet Dancing Business." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 13, 1936. _________. "The Theater: Shakespeare Is Done Over Into a Musical Comedy Called 'The Boys From Syracuse,' Very Lovely, at the Alvin Theater." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 2 5 , 1938. Rascoe, Burton. "'Billion Dollar Baby' So-So Satire of '20s." New York World-Telegram, December 22, 1945. 465 Rascoe, Burton. "'On the Town' Is Lively, Tuneful and Good \ Fun." New York World-Telegram, December 29, 1944. i Reiner, John. "'Barefoot Boy With Cheek' a Review by John Reiner." The Worker, April 27, 1947. » Rice, Charles D. "A Show Is Born." This Week, February 10, 1946, pp. 5-6. Rosenberg, Ben. "'Billion Dollar Baby' Has Formula for > Success at the Box Office." New York Post, Decern- ■ ber 26, 1945. j Ross, Don. "O'Neill Set to Music in Abbott's 'New Girl.'" New York Herald Tribune, May 27, 1957. Ross, George. "'Beat the Band' Is Hepcat Mecca." New York World-Telegram, October 15, 1942. Sheaffer, Louis. "A Lively, Spirited Musical Called 'The Pajama Game.*" Brooklyn Eagle, May 30, 1954. Sylvester, Robert. "The Comical Brat Takes Charge of I Musical 'Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'."' Daily News (New York), January 30, 1948. Taubman, Howard. "Theater: 'Anya* a Sentimental Musical: Show at Ziegfeld Is Based on 'Anastasia.'" New York Times, November 30, 1965. _________. "Theater: 'Fade Out— Fade In' Opens: Carol Burnett Stars in Musical at Hellinger." New York Times, May 27, 1964. \ _________. "The Theater: 'Flora, the Red Menace': Spoof of Communists in U.S. Begins Run." New York Times, May 12, 1965. _________. "Theater: 'A Funny Thing Happened . . .': Musi cal at the Alvin Stars Zero Mostel." New York Times, May 9, 1962. _________ . "The Theater: Virtue vs. Vice to Music: 'Tender loin, ' by Makers of 'Fiorello!' Opens." New York Times, October 18, 1960. 466 "Theater: Big Time in the Big Town." Newsweek, January 8, 1 1945, pp. 72-74. "The Theatfer: Looking Backward." The New Yorker, May 22, 1965 . "The Theater: New Musical in Manhattan." Time, May 24, 1954, p. 6 6. Waldorf, Wilella. "'Beat the Band' Marches into the Forty- sixth Street." New York Post, October 15, 1942. _______ _. "'Best Foot Forward,' Season's First Musical, at the Barrymore." New York Post, October 2, 1941. _________ . "'On the Town' a Gay and Youthful Musical Show." New York Post, December 19, 1944. Watts, Richard, Jr. "Brookyn, Songs and Shirley Booth." New York Post, April 20, 1951. _________ . "College Days." New York Herald Tribune, October 19, 1939. . "Factory Life in Musical Comedy." New York Post, May 14, 1954. . "A Fine New Musical Comedy Arrives." New York Post, February 26, 1953. __________. "'H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N a*t A*l*V*i*n." New York Post, April 5, 1968. _________ . "'Look Ma, I'm Dancin*!' a Disappointment." New York Post, January 30, 1948. _________. "Man Who Wanted to Stay Young." New York Post, January 3, 1969. ■ ______ . "Miss Merman, the Lady Ambassador." New York Post, October 13, 1950. _________ . "Night Club Portrait." New York Herald Tribune, December 26, 1940. 467 I........................................ ........ - .............. — ............................... ............. ■ --------- —--------- ....... — .............. —.... ............... :Watts, Richard, Jr. "Ray Bolger Tries Nobly in 'Where's ' ■ Charley?'" New York Post, October 12, 1948. , _________ . "The Theater: No Longer a Winter of Discontent." New York Herald Tribune, December 27, 1940. !_________ . "The Theaters: 'The Boys From Syracuse.'" New York Herald Tribune, November 24, 1938. I . 1 . ■ . — .I ■ — ■ 'M-' l - . — . I . — ..................... I ' __________. "Two on the Aisle: Another Triumph for Gwen Verdon." New York Post, May 15, 1957. j . "Two on the Aisle: Framing a Clergyman to j Music." New York Post, October 18, 1960. . "Two on the Aisle: Mystery of the Czar's Daughter." New York Post, November 30, 196 5. ( _________. "Two on the Aisle: Riotous Life of the Old Romans." New York Post, May 9, 1962. ' __________. "Two on the Aisle: A Salute to the Little Flower." New York Post, November 24, 1959. ■ ________ _. "Two on the Aisle: Wall Street, Girls and Music." New York Post, December 8, 1967. . "Two on the Aisle: Youth, Musical Comedy, Abbott, and 'Barefoot Boy with Cheek.'" New York Post, April 19, 1947. 1 . "When Satan Took Over Baseball." New York Post, , May 6, 1955. i . "Youth! Youth!" New York Herald Tribune, Octo- ; ber 2, 1941. Whipple, Sidney B. "'Pal Joey' Is a Bright, Gay, Tuneful, Novel Work." New York World-Telegram, December 26, I 1940. _. "Plenty of Fun and Good Singing in 'Syracuse Boys.'" New York World-Telegram, November 25, 19 38. _. "'Too Many Girls' Is Cheerful, Bright." New York World-Telegram, October 19, 1939. 468 Wilson, Ed. "Frustration on Two Stages." Brooklyn Eagle, October 30, 1960. Winchell, Walter. "Comedy of Errors Provides a Cue for Broadway." Daily Mirror (New York), November 24, 1938. . "'Jumbo' Thrilling." Daily Mirror (New York), November 18, 1935. "A Winning La Guardia Ticket." Life, January 18, 1960, p. 61. Young, Stark. "New Year Start." The New Republic, Janu ary 15, 1945, p. 85. , _________. "Rockets, Old and New." New Republic, December ; 14, 1939. ! . "Theatre Review." New Republic, December 14, 1938. I Scripts Note: All unpublished scripts located in the Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, New York. Abbott, George. "The Boys From Syracuse." Typescript, 1938. (Mimeographed.) _________. "New Girl in Town." Preliminary version, 1957. (Mimeographed.). i _________. "On Your Toes." Prompt book, 1936. (Mimeo graphed .) _________. "Where's Charley?" Typescript, 1948. (Mimeographed.) _________, and Bissell, Richard. "The Pajama Game." Prompt i book, 1954. (Mimeographed.) , and Merrill, Bob. 1 New Girl in Town. New York: Random House, 1958. i ------------------- : --------------------------------------------------------1 ■Abbott, George, and Russell, Robert. "Flora, the Red I Menace." First draft, June 26, 1964, revised July | 1964. (Mimeographed.) _________, and Russell, Robert. "Flora, the Red Menace." Second draft, December 1964. (Mimeographed.) ■ _____, and Russell, Robert. "Flora, the Red Menace." i Third draft, February 1965. (Mimeographed.) I _________, and Russell, Robert. "Flora, the Red Menace." I Prompt book, "Final working script," July 12, 1965. (Mimeographed.) _________, and Wallop, Douglas. "Damn Yankees." Typescript, June 1955. (Mimeographed.) _________; Wallop, Douglas; Adler, Richard; and Ross, Jerry. j Damn Yankees. New York: Random House, 1956. _________, and Weidman, Jerome. "Tenderloin." Prompt book, | January 1960. (Mimeographed.) i ' _________, and Weidman, Jerome. "Tenderloin." Typescript, revised, June 1960. (Mimeographed.) Bolton, Guy; Wright, Robert; and Forrest, George. "Anya." Typescript, n.d. (Mimeographed.) Comden, Betty, and Green, Adolph. "Billion Dollar Baby." Typescript, 1945. (Mimeographed.) _________. "Fade Out— Fade In." Typescript, 1964. (Mimeo- i graphed.) _________. "On the Town." Prompt script, 1944. (Mimeo graphed .) Fields, Joseph; Chodorov, Jerome; Bernstein, Leonard; Comden, Betty; and Green, Adolph. Wonderful Town. New York: Random House, 1953. Holm, John Cecil. "Best Foot Forward." Prompt script, 1941. (Mimeographed.) 470 ‘ Lindsay, Howard, and Crouse, Russel'.. "Call Me Madam." Typescript, n.d. (Mimeographed.) _________. "Call Me Madam." Prompt book, 1950. (Mimeo graphed. ) Longstreet, Stephen. "High Button Shoes." Typescript, 1947. (Mimeographed.) i Marion, George, Jr. "Too Many Girls." Prompt book, 1939. (Mimeographed.) _________, and Abbott, George. "Beat the Band." Typescript, 1942. (Mimeographed.) Martin, Hugh. "Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'I" Typescript, 1948. (Mimeographed.) O'Hara, John. "Pal Joey." Typescript, 1940. (Mimeo graphed. ) _________; Hart, Lorenz;: and Rodgers, Richard. Pal Joey. New York: Random House, 1952. Rodgers, Richard, and Hammerstein, Oscar. "Me and Juliet." Typescript, 1953. (Mimeographed.) Me and Juliet. New York: Random House, 1953. Sherman, Allen. "Fig Leaves Are Falling." Typescript, January 2, 1969. (Mimeographed.) Shevelove, Burt, and Gelbart, Larry. "A Funny Thing Hap- i pened on the Way to the Forum." Typescript, "Final Version," 1962. (Mimeographed.) _________. "An Untitled Musical." Script, n.d. (Mimeo graphed .) _________; and Sondheim, Stephen. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1963. Shulman, Max. Barefoot Boy With Cheek. Chicago: Dramatic Publishing Co., 1947. 471 Shulman, Max. "How Now, Dow Jones." Prompt script, 1967. (Mimeographed.) ■ ______ ; Leigh, Carolyn; and Bernstein, Elmer. How Now, Dow Jones. New York: Samuel French, 1968. Smith, Betty, and Abbott, George. A Tree Grows in Brook lyn . New York: Harper & Bros., 1951. Thompson, Jay; Barer, Marshall; and Fuller, Dean. "Once Upon a Mattress." Prompt script, 1959. (Mimeo graphed .) Weidman, Jerome, and Abbott, George. "Fiorello!" Prompt book, May 1959. (Mimeographed.) _________ . "Fiorello!" Production script, November 1959. (Mimeographed.) I 1 I _________; Bock, Jerry; and Harnick, Sheldon. Fiorello! New York: Random House, 1960. _________. Tenderloin.' New York: Random House, 1961. Zavin, Benjamin Bernard. "The Education of Hyman Kaplan." Typescript, May 6, 1968. (Mimeographed.) _________ . The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N. Chicago:' Dramatic Publishing Co., 1968. Unpublished Materials lAbbott, George. Letters to Dean William Hess dated July 25, 1973, and July 19, 1974. "A Biographical Sketch Written for the Paramount Studio Publicity Department." Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, 1929. Hughes, Elinor. Telegram to Sam Zolotow, Drama Department, New York Times, Lincoln Center Library Theatre Collection, April 20, 1954. 472 Kanin, Garson. Videotaped interview of George Abbott in the| Stanley Prager Memorial Collection of the Lincoln 1 Center Library Theatre Collection, April 27, 1974. ; Lane, Richard Albert. "A Critical Analysis of the Treatment of Selected American Drama in Musical Adaptation." Ph.D. dissertation, Washington State University, 1974. Letter, unaddressed and unsigned, in the George Abbott File of the Lincoln Center. Library '/Theatre Collection, dated October 12, 1962. |Mann, Martin Arthur. "The Musicals of Frank Loesser." Ph.D. dissertation, City University of New York, 1974 . Moulton, Robert Darrell. "Choreography in Musical Comedy and Revue on the New York Stage from 1925 through 1950." Ph.D. dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1957. Norton, Elliot. Telegram to Sam Zolotow, Drama Department, New York Times, Lincoln Center Library Theatre Col lection, April 20, 1954. O'Brian, Jack. Associated Press wire, Lincoln Center Library Theater Collection, December 28, 1945, 473 U N IV E R S IT Y O F S O U T H E R N C A L IF O R N IA THE GRADUATE SCHOOL O R A L E X A M IN A T IO N OF D E A N WILLIAM HESS B.S., UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, 1958 M.A., CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES, 1967 F O R T H E D E G R E E O F D O C T O R O F P H IL O S O P H Y (COMMUNICATION-DRAMA) Thursday, September 18, 1975, 10:00 A M . 204 Waite Phillips Hall of Education DISSERTATION COMMITTEE Professor Herbert M. Stahl, Chairman Professor Richard E. Toscan Professor Edward K. Kaufman O U T L IN E O F G R A D U A T E S T U D IE S Major: Communication-Drama Seminar in Dramatic Analysis Stahl Seminar in the American Theater Stahl Seminar in Dramatic Literature Stahl Seminar in Aesthetics of the Theater Butler Seminar in History of the Theater Butler Seminar in Dramatic Criticism Toscan Process and Theories of Communication Dickens Historical and Critical Research Methods in Communication Fisher Theatrical Film Symposium Knight History of Motion Pictures Casper Dissertation Stahl D IS S E R T A T IO N A Cr itic a l Analysis of the Musical Theatre Productions of George A bbott The musical theatre, the most popular and lucrative of commercial theatre productions, has been accorded the distinction as the United States’ greatest contribu tion to the world of theatrical entertainment. Despite earlier productions, the beginning of contemporary musical theatre is generally considered to have been the performance of T h e B la c k C r o o k in 1866. Since that time the musical has matured into a true art form, with integration of music and dance into the libretto, as elements germaine to plot and character development, as its most vital ingredient. George Abbott has played a significant part in the evolution of the genre, having directed thirty musical theatre productions between the years 1935 and 1969. Because controversy has existed concerning the significance, influences, and contributions of George Abbott to the musical theatre, this study concerned itself with a critical analysis of the musical theatre productions of Abbott based on criteria relevant to the assessment of excellence in musical theatre productions. The criteria which evolved were: (1) comedy, in the form of farce or romantic comedy; (2) integration of all contributing elements; (3) a simple, intelligent libretto with an American appeal; (4) collaboration of imaginative persons in all areas of the company; (5) a romantic involvement; and (6) spectacle to divert the audience. Following a summary of the development of the musical theatre to 1935, and a discussion of the background, philosophy, and techniques of George Abbott, the criteria were applied to all of the thirty productions of musicals, from J u m b o (1935) to T h e F ig L e a v e s A r e F a llin g (1969). The study investigates the productions directed by George Abbott in three eras: 1935 to 1943, his earliest efforts; 1944 to 1953, a time of growth; and 1954 to 1969, the period of greatest success and decline. From the evidence, twelve productions emerged as unqualified hits; thirteen had moderate success, but special consideration indicated three should be classified as failures, and one as a hit; and five were evaluated as failures, although study revealed that one may have had moderate success under different circumstances. Some of George Abbott’ s influences on and contributions to the American musical theatre are exemplified by the significance of the following elements: O n Y o u r T o e s, the earliest example successfully blending dance and story, by the inclusion of a ballet as an integral part of the libretto \ P a l J o e y , a forerunner of innovations heralded in later years, introduced the first three-dimensional, vital protagonist, the antithesis of the standard romantic hero; C a ll M e M a d a m uniquely combined satire with farce and romantic comedy, rare in musical theatre, and proved itself substantial; N e w G i r l in T o w n transformed powerful drama to the Broadway musical stage without reverting to operatic structure; and F io r e l lo ! , a Pulitzer Prize winning achievement, celebrated the return of a serious political orientation to the musical stage after almost thirty years — all of which succeeded in admirably expressing the criteria established for effective musical theatre. Abbott also experimented with unusual forms, some of which were dependent upon a limited number of the criteria, but worked — A F u n n y T h in g H a p p e n e d o n th e W a y to th e F o r u m — while others, utilizing virtually none of the criteria, failed — A n y a . With an excellent percentage of successes, the introduction of innumerable, talented people to the musical theatre, and the expression of his philosophy of good taste and legitimacy through his work, George Abbott has illustrated his immense value to the American musical theatre. D E A N W IL L IA M H E S S 1934 Born in Racine, Wisconsin 1952 Graduated from Washington Park High School, Racine 1958 B.S., University of Wisconsin 1959-62 Professional Stage Manager, Director, Actor, Designer 1962-65 Production Manager and Director, Magnolia Theatre, Long Beach, California 1967 M.A., California State University, Los Angeles Cali fornia 1967-70 Instructor, Department of Speech and Drama, Cali fornia State University, Los Angeles 1967-75 Graduate Student, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 1970- Assistant Professor, Department of Theatre, California State University, Fullerton, California \
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https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC11255650
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