A Broadway Musical
Encyclopedia
A Broadway Musical is a musical
with a book by William F. Brown
, lyrics by Lee Adams
, and music by Charles Strouse
. The Broadway production closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978.
The plot about a sleazy white
theatre producer's attempt to adapt an African American
writer's serious play for a commercial stage musical was inspired by Adams and Strouse's real-life experiences with their 1964 Broadway production of Golden Boy
. The star of the musical-within-the-musical (Sneakers, about a basketball star) closely resembles Golden Boy star Sammy Davis, Jr.
When the star opts to leave the show, the playwright
- who from the start had resisted turning his work into a musical - steps in and takes on the lead role in order to save the production.
as well as the popularity of the black-themed musical, including Brown's own The Wiz
, which was still running at the time. But Brown's much-criticized book is a cliché
d spoof of show business
lawyer
s, idealistic
young playwrights, glitzy Las Vegas
performers, blue-haired matinée ladies, and the black-themed musical itself. The Wiz proved to be Brown's only success.
Following a dismal October-November tryout with Helen Gallagher
and Julius LaRosa at the theatre in the Riverside Church
in Morningside Heights
, the producers fired most of the cast and creative personnel, including director/choreographer George Faison
. Gower Champion
was called in to rescue the Broadway
-bound production with only a month to go, but he feared that the show's defects were too serious to remedy and insisted on receiving a "Production supervised by" credit only.
After 14 previews, the Broadway production opened and closed at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
on December 21, 1978. It lost $1 million. The cast included Patti Karr (replacing Gallagher), Alan Weeks, Larry Marshall, Warren Berlinger
(replacing LaRosa), Loretta Devine
, Jackée Harry
, and Tiger Haynes
.
Julius Novick of The Village Voice
called it "the best Broadway musical since Platinum
," a disaster that had opened the month before. Critic and theatre historian Ken Mandelbaum
has described the show as "a genuine turkey... hopeless... [a] well-meaning but fatally underpowered evening. The Charles Strouse-Lee Adams score had its moments...."
A cast album was recorded before an audience during a live performance in December 1978.
Act II
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a book by William F. Brown
William F. Brown (writer)
William Ferdinand Brown is an American playwright best known for writing the book of the musical, The Wiz , an adaptation of L...
, lyrics by Lee Adams
Lee Adams
Lee Richard Adams is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse.Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Adams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University and a Master's from Columbia University.Adams won Tony Awards in 1961 for Bye Bye Birdie...
, and music by Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist.-Life and career:Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel Strouse...
. The Broadway production closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978.
The plot about a sleazy white
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
theatre producer's attempt to adapt an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
writer's serious play for a commercial stage musical was inspired by Adams and Strouse's real-life experiences with their 1964 Broadway production of Golden Boy
Golden Boy (musical)
Golden Boy is a musical with a book by Clifford Odets and William Gibson, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse.Based on the 1937 play of the same name by Odets, it focuses on Joe Wellington, a young man from Harlem who, despite his family's objections, turns to prizefighting as a means...
. The star of the musical-within-the-musical (Sneakers, about a basketball star) closely resembles Golden Boy star Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
When the star opts to leave the show, the playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
- who from the start had resisted turning his work into a musical - steps in and takes on the lead role in order to save the production.
Background and production
The creators hoped that the backstage story about the making of a musical would cash in on the success of A Chorus LineA Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
as well as the popularity of the black-themed musical, including Brown's own The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
, which was still running at the time. But Brown's much-criticized book is a cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
d spoof of show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s, idealistic
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
young playwrights, glitzy Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
performers, blue-haired matinée ladies, and the black-themed musical itself. The Wiz proved to be Brown's only success.
Following a dismal October-November tryout with Helen Gallagher
Helen Gallagher
Helen Gallagher is an American actress, dancer, singer and makeup artist.-Early years:Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in Scarsdale, New York for several years until the Wall Street crash which heralded the Great Depression, and her family moved to the Bronx. Her parents separated and she was...
and Julius LaRosa at the theatre in the Riverside Church
Riverside Church
The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational church in New York City, famous for its elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture—which includes the world's largest tuned carillon bell...
in Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
Morningside Heights is a neighborhood of the Borough of Manhattan in New York City and is chiefly known as the home of institutions such as Columbia University, Teachers College, Barnard College, the Manhattan School of Music, Bank Street College of Education, the Cathedral of Saint John the...
, the producers fired most of the cast and creative personnel, including director/choreographer George Faison
George Faison
George Faison is an African-American dancer and choreographer.-Biography:Faison was born in Washington, D.C. where he studied dance with the Jones-Haywood Capitol Ballet and Carolyn Tate of Howard University while attending Dunbar High School, and appeared with The American Light Opera Company in...
. Gower Champion
Gower Champion
Gower Carlyle Champion was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.-Early years:Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School...
was called in to rescue the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-bound production with only a month to go, but he feared that the show's defects were too serious to remedy and insisted on receiving a "Production supervised by" credit only.
After 14 previews, the Broadway production opened and closed at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 205 West 46th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by the architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings, it was built by producer Charles Dillingham and opened as the Globe Theatre, in honor of London's Shakespearean playhouse, on...
on December 21, 1978. It lost $1 million. The cast included Patti Karr (replacing Gallagher), Alan Weeks, Larry Marshall, Warren Berlinger
Warren Berlinger
Warren Berlinger is an American character actor, with both Broadway runs and over a thousand television appearances to his credit.-Personal life:...
(replacing LaRosa), Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine is an American stage, film and television actress known for her roles on Boston Public, Grey's Anatomy, and Eli Stone. She also provided her voice for the stop motion animated television series The PJs. Devine is a NAACP Image Award and Emmy award winning actress.-Early life:Devine...
, Jackée Harry
Jackée Harry
Jacqueline Yvonne "Jackée" Harry , better known by her professional name Jackée, is an American actress and television personality, primarily known for her roles on sitcoms and other types of television shows...
, and Tiger Haynes
Tiger Haynes
Tiger Haynes was an American actor and musical performer. .He was born as George Haynes in Frederiksted, St. Croix, and moved to New York when he was a boy...
.
Julius Novick of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
called it "the best Broadway musical since Platinum
Platinum (musical)
Platinum is a musical with a book by Will Holt and Bruce Vilanch, music by Gary William Friedman, and lyrics by Holt. Set in a Hollywood recording studio, it centers on Lila Halliday, a star of 1940s and 50s movie musicals who is attempting a comeback...
," a disaster that had opened the month before. Critic and theatre historian Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum
Ken Mandelbaum is an American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre.Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mandelbaum was introduced to Broadway musical theatre by his parents and grandparents at an early age...
has described the show as "a genuine turkey... hopeless... [a] well-meaning but fatally underpowered evening. The Charles Strouse-Lee Adams score had its moments...."
A cast album was recorded before an audience during a live performance in December 1978.
Song list
Act I- Broadway, BroadwayNew Kids in Town, Policeman and James Lincoln
- A Broadway Musical – Eddie Bell, James Lincoln, Lonnie Paul, Melinda Bernard, Stan Howard, Maggie Simpson and Ensemble
- Smoke and Fire – Stan Howard, James Lincoln, Kumi-Kumi and Ensemble
- Lawyers – Eddie Bell, Stephanie Bell and Richie's Lawyers
- Yenta Power – Shirley Wolfe and Associates
- Let Me Sing My Song – Richie Taylor
- A Broadway Musical (Reprise) – Eddie Bell, Stephanie Bell, James Lincoln, Shirley Wolfe, Maggie Simpson, Lonnie Paul, Stan Howard and Ensemble
Act II
- The 1934 Hot Chocolate Jazz Babies Revue – Sylvester Lee, James Lincoln and Ensemble
- Let Me Sing My Song (Reprise) – Richie Taylor and Friends
- It's Time for a Cheer-Up Song – Stan Howard, Maggie Simpson, Lonnie Paul and James Lincoln
- You Gotta Have Dancing – Maggie Simpson, James Lincoln and Ensemble
- What You Go Through – Stephanie Bell and Eddie Bell
- Don't Tell Me – Eddie Bell
- Together – James Lincoln, Eddie Bell and Staff
Characters and original broadway cast
- Richie Taylor's Lawyer - Sydney Anderson
- Rehearsal Pianist - Gwen Arment
- Policeman, Nathaniel - Nate Barnett
- Eddie Bell - Warren BerlingerWarren BerlingerWarren Berlinger is an American character actor, with both Broadway runs and over a thousand television appearances to his credit.-Personal life:...
- Stephanie Bell - Gwyda DonHowe
- Shirley Wolfe - Anne Francine
- Richie Taylor's Lawyer - Michael Gallagher
- Melinda Bernard - Jackée HarryJackée HarryJacqueline Yvonne "Jackée" Harry , better known by her professional name Jackée, is an American actress and television personality, primarily known for her roles on sitcoms and other types of television shows...
- Sylvester Lee - Tiger HaynesTiger HaynesTiger Haynes was an American actor and musical performer. .He was born as George Haynes in Frederiksted, St. Croix, and moved to New York when he was a boy...
- Louie - Reggie Jackson
- Maggie Simpson - Patti Karr
- Kumi-Kumi - Christina Kumi Kimball
- James Lincoln - Irving Allen Lee
- Richie Taylor - Larry Marshall
- Junior - Robert Melvin
- Richie's Secretary - Jo Ann Ogawa
- Jake - Martin Rabbett
- Lonnie Paul - Larry Riley
- Big Jake - Albert Stephenson
- Stan Howard - Alan Weeks
- Smoke & Fire Back-Up Singer - Loretta DevineLoretta DevineLoretta Devine is an American stage, film and television actress known for her roles on Boston Public, Grey's Anatomy, and Eli Stone. She also provided her voice for the stop motion animated television series The PJs. Devine is a NAACP Image Award and Emmy award winning actress.-Early life:Devine...
Reference and notes
- Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops by Ken Mandelbaum, published by St. Martin's PressSt. Martin's PressSt. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
(1991), pages 136-38 (ISBN 0-312-06428-4)