Kelly (musical)
Encyclopedia
Kelly is a musical
with a book and lyrics by Eddie Lawrence
and music by Mark Charlap
. It was inspired by Steve Brodie, who in 1886 claimed to have jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge
and survived. The 1965 musical is notable for having closed after its opening night performance on Broadway
, becoming one of the biggest flops in Broadway history.
-jumper Steve Brodie, the musical features period characters Diamond Jim Brady, Frank
and Jesse James
, Tony Pastor
, Lillian Russell
and John L. Sullivan
.
Of the show's origins, Eddie Lawrence, lyricist and librettist, recalled that: "Moose Charlap had finished doing his songs for Peter Pan
, starring Mary Martin
, and a couple of one-acts of mine were being performed while I toured late night TV plugging my comedy album. During the afternoons, we worked on Kelly. It was a labour of love".. At that early stage, the show was titled Never Go There Anymore.
Lawrence further recalls that "we ran into some producers who said they'd been waiting for this show all their lives and wanted to present it on Broadway". The show's original producer was Broadway stalwart Edward Padula
(in association with January Productions), whose deal included a motion picture adaptation. Toward the end of 1963, it was reported that the budget had been set at $350,000, with $100,000 to be invested by Roulette Records. At this early stage, a number of actors were named as possible leads. Impressionist Frank Gorshin
and film actor Richard Harris
were both considered for the lead male role, while Mark Charlap's wife, pop singer Sandy Stewart, was considered for the lead female role. Lindsey Anderson was engaged as the show's director. Rehearsals were scheduled to start on 27 January 1964, with a Broadway opening planned for March. None of this, however, eventuated.
By April of that year, the show had been taken up by new producers, David Susskind
, Daniel Melnick
, and Joseph E. Levine
of Embassy Pictures
. Levine financed $250,000 of the $400,000 budget, with the balance coming from Columbia Records
and six other investors. The sponsors acquired the motion picture rights by placing a down payment of $500, with the ultimate cost rising to a maximum of $650,000 based on a percentage of ticket sales for each of the show's profitable weeks.
Before its Broadway opening, the show was presented for three weeks in Philadelphia and half a week in Boston
. While Kelly was in tryouts, roles played by Ella Logan
, Jack Creley, and Avery Schreiber
were cut. Pre-Broadway promotion
for the show included an event on the Brooklyn Bridge with a series of chorus girls.
Directed and choreographed by Herbert Ross
, the musical began previews at the Broadhurst Theatre
on February 1, 1965 and opened (and closed) on February 6 after seven previews and one performance. The cast included Wilfrid Brambell
, Don Francks
, Anita Gillette
, Mickey Shaughnessy
, Eileen Rodgers
, and Jesse White
. Scenic design was by Oliver Smith
, costume design by Freddy Wittop
, and lighting design by Tharon Musser
. The show's logo, which featured on posters and playbills (and, much later, on the LP and CD covers) was designed by French-born illustrator Tomi Ungerer
, who was then (and remains) best known for his children's picture books.
Industry representatives quoted in The New York Times
stated they "could not recall any other Broadway musical representing such a comparable expenditure that became a casualty so quickly". Costs had ballooned to $650,000, with the biggest loser being Levine, followed by Melnick and Susskind, who had invested a total of $150,000. There had been increasing arguments between the producers and writers, with Susskind complaining that the authors were unwilling to make changes per the recommendations of the investors. Charlap and Lawrence were so upset with changes that they filed suit in New York Supreme Court
seeking an injunction to prevent the play from opening. While the judge urged that the parties pursue arbitration, lawyers representing Charlap and Lawrence were threatening to sue for damages that had been caused through "unauthorized changes, omissions and additions" made to the musical.
In his review in The New York Times
, critic Howard Taubman
opened by noting that "Ella Logan was written out of Kelly before it reached the Broadhurst Theater Saturday night. Congratulations, Miss Logan" and continued to describe what he saw as a production for which there were "ample critical, if not legal, grounds for an injunction", lampooning the legal wrangling that had gone on about the production. The play's brief life was later described by Melnick's son as "not his favorite moment in history", but nonetheless one he wore with grace.
Later that year, there were reports of an off-Broadway revival of the show, to be produced by David Rubinson of Columbia Records. This was intended to present the show in its original form, as conceived by Lawrence and Charlap, as opposed to the much-revised and re-written version that finally opened on Broadway.
The demo recording, which was only ever intended as a limited edition for private circulation amongst potential backers and so on, was finally commercially released in 1980, fifteen years after the showed closed. The LP, simply entitled Eddie Lawrence and Moose Charlap sing their songs from the Musical Kelly formed part of a series of albums on the Original Cast
label, founded in 1975 by Bruce Yeko and Doris Chu Yeko, which specialised in obscure musical theatre recordings. The album, which was executive produced by the Yekos and Eddie Lawrence, was dedicated to the memory of Moose Charlap, who had died in 1974.
Moose Charlap's wife, Sandy Stewart, who was a cabaret and jazz vocalist, released her own pop version of the song "Never Go There Anymore" in 1965, with a lush arrangement by Don Costa
. The song subsequently become something of a standard. In 2000, it was described by Stephen Sondheim
as one of the songs that he wishes that he'd written - at least in part.
, Jane Connell, George S. Irving
, John Schuck
, Marcia Lewis
, and Sandy Stewart, who was in the original production. Interest in the concert among theatre buffs resulted in sold-out performances and a cast recording.
The concert recording was released by Original Cast records, the same label that had released the demo recording in 1980. Eddie Lawrence was credited as 'artistic director', and Sandy Stewart as 'musical advisor'. This recording, which reflected the original score before all those the revisions took place on the road, included a number of songs were later cut from the show or had not otherwise been used in the Broadway production. It also included, as a bonus track, Sandy Stewart's 1965 pop version of the song "Never Go There Anymore".
Act 2
Additional songs cut prior to opening
Additional songs written but not used
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 and lyrics by Eddie Lawrence
Eddie Lawrence
Eddie Lawrence is an American monologist, actor, singer, lyricist, playwright, director and television personality, whose unique comic creation, the eternally and bizarrely optimistic Old Philosopher, has gained him a devoted, although specialized, cult following for over five decades.-Early...
and music by Mark Charlap
Mark Charlap
Mark "Moose" Charlap was a Jewish-American Broadway composer. Born Morris Isaac Charlip in Philadelphia, he was best known for "Peter Pan" , for which Carolyn Leigh wrote the lyrics. The idea to do the show came from Jerome Robbins, who planned to have a few songs by Charlap and Leigh...
. It was inspired by Steve Brodie, who in 1886 claimed to have jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
and survived. The 1965 musical is notable for having closed after its opening night performance on 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...
, becoming one of the biggest flops in Broadway history.
Background
Inspired by the 1880s tale of Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
-jumper Steve Brodie, the musical features period characters Diamond Jim Brady, Frank
Frank James
Alexander Franklin "Frank" James was a famous American outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw Jesse James.-Childhood:...
and Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
, Tony Pastor
Tony Pastor
Tony Pastor was an American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner who became one of the founding forces behind American vaudeville in the mid-to-late nineteenth century...
, Lillian Russell
Lillian Russell
Lillian Russell was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th century and early 20th century, known for her beauty and style, as well as for her voice and stage presence.Russell was born in Iowa but raised in Chicago...
and John L. Sullivan
John L. Sullivan
John Lawrence Sullivan , also known as the Boston Strong Boy, was recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing from February 7, 1881 to 1892, and is generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring rules...
.
Of the show's origins, Eddie Lawrence, lyricist and librettist, recalled that: "Moose Charlap had finished doing his songs for Peter Pan
Peter Pan (1954 musical)
Peter Pan is a musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and Barrie's own novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Mark "Moose" Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty...
, starring Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
, and a couple of one-acts of mine were being performed while I toured late night TV plugging my comedy album. During the afternoons, we worked on Kelly. It was a labour of love".. At that early stage, the show was titled Never Go There Anymore.
Lawrence further recalls that "we ran into some producers who said they'd been waiting for this show all their lives and wanted to present it on Broadway". The show's original producer was Broadway stalwart Edward Padula
Edward Padula
Edward Padula was an American theatre producer, stage manager, and occasional director and writer.Born in Newark, New Jersey, Padula began his theatrical career by directing the book for the early Lerner and Loewe collaboration The Day Before Spring in 1945...
(in association with January Productions), whose deal included a motion picture adaptation. Toward the end of 1963, it was reported that the budget had been set at $350,000, with $100,000 to be invested by Roulette Records. At this early stage, a number of actors were named as possible leads. Impressionist Frank Gorshin
Frank Gorshin
Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...
and film actor Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
were both considered for the lead male role, while Mark Charlap's wife, pop singer Sandy Stewart, was considered for the lead female role. Lindsey Anderson was engaged as the show's director. Rehearsals were scheduled to start on 27 January 1964, with a Broadway opening planned for March. None of this, however, eventuated.
By April of that year, the show had been taken up by new producers, David Susskind
David Susskind
David Susskind was a producer of TV, movies, and stage plays and also a pioneer TV talk show host.-Personal:...
, Daniel Melnick
Daniel Melnick
Daniel Melnick was an American film producer and movie studio executive who started working in Hollywood as a teenager in television and then became the producer of such films as All That Jazz, Altered States and Straw Dogs...
, and Joseph E. Levine
Joseph E. Levine
Joseph E. Levine was an American film producer.He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His Embassy Pictures Corporation was an independent studio and distributor responsible for such films as Hercules , The Carpetbaggers, Harlow, The Graduate, A Bridge Too Far and The Lion in Winter.Levine is famous...
of Embassy Pictures
Embassy Pictures
Embassy Pictures Corporation was an independent studio and distributor responsible for such films as The Graduate, The Lion in Winter, This Is Spinal Tap and Escape from New York.-Founding:The company was founded in 1942 by producer Joseph E...
. Levine financed $250,000 of the $400,000 budget, with the balance coming from Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and six other investors. The sponsors acquired the motion picture rights by placing a down payment of $500, with the ultimate cost rising to a maximum of $650,000 based on a percentage of ticket sales for each of the show's profitable weeks.
Before its Broadway opening, the show was presented for three weeks in Philadelphia and half a week in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. While Kelly was in tryouts, roles played by Ella Logan
Ella Logan
Ella Logan was a Scottish-born actress and singer, who appeared on Broadway, recorded and had a nightclub career in the United States and internationally.-Early years:...
, Jack Creley, and Avery Schreiber
Avery Schreiber
Avery Lawrence Schreiber was an American comedian and actor. He was a veteran of stage, TV, and film.-Biography:...
were cut. Pre-Broadway promotion
for the show included an event on the Brooklyn Bridge with a series of chorus girls.
Directed and choreographed by Herbert Ross
Herbert Ross
Herbert Ross was an American film director, producer, choreographer and actor.-Early life and career:Born Herbert David Ross in Brooklyn, New York, he made his stage debut as Third Witch with a touring company of Macbeth in 1942...
, the musical began previews at the Broadhurst Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
on February 1, 1965 and opened (and closed) on February 6 after seven previews and one performance. The cast included Wilfrid Brambell
Wilfrid Brambell
Henry Wilfrid Brambell was an Irish film and television actor best known for his role in the British television series Steptoe and Son. He also performed alongside The Beatles in their film A Hard Day's Night, playing Paul McCartney's fictional grandfather.- Early life :Brambell was born in Dublin...
, Don Francks
Don Francks
Donald Harvey Francks or Iron Buffalo is a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.- Life and work :Francks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a drummer, poet, native nations champion, motorcyclist, author and peace activist...
, Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette is an American actress, most notable for her work on Broadway and as a celebrity guest on various game shows....
, Mickey Shaughnessy
Mickey Shaughnessy
Joseph Michael "Mickey" Shaughnessy was an Irish American character actor who specialized in playing lovable, but not-too-bright lugs...
, Eileen Rodgers
Eileen Rodgers
Eileen Rodgers was an American singer and Broadway performer.-Career:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1930, she began her career as a nightclub performer, later singing as lead vocalist with Charlie Spivak's orchestra...
, and Jesse White
Jesse White (actor)
Jesse White was an American television, film, and stage character actor. He is best remembered for portraying the Maytag repairman in television commercials, a role he played from 1967 to 1988.-Life and career:...
. Scenic design was by Oliver Smith
Oliver Smith (designer)
Oliver Smith was an American scenic designer.Born in Waupun, Wisconsin, Smith attended Penn State, after which he moved to New York City and began to form friendships that blossomed into working relationships with such talents as Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Carson McCullers, and Agnes de...
, costume design by Freddy Wittop
Freddy Wittop
Freddy Wittop was a costume designer. He enjoyed secondary careers as a dancer and college professor.Born Frederick Wittop Koning in Bussum, the Netherlands, Wittop emigrated with his family to Brussels, where he apprenticed at the age of thirteen with the resident designer at the Brussels Opera...
, and lighting design by Tharon Musser
Tharon Musser
Tharon Musser was an American lighting designer who worked on more than 150 Broadway productions. She was termed the "Dean of American Lighting Designers" and is considered one of the pioneers in her field....
. The show's logo, which featured on posters and playbills (and, much later, on the LP and CD covers) was designed by French-born illustrator Tomi Ungerer
Tomi Ungerer
Jean-Thomas "Tomi" Ungerer is a French illustrator best known for his erotic and political illustrations as well as children's books.- Biography :...
, who was then (and remains) best known for his children's picture books.
Industry representatives quoted in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
stated they "could not recall any other Broadway musical representing such a comparable expenditure that became a casualty so quickly". Costs had ballooned to $650,000, with the biggest loser being Levine, followed by Melnick and Susskind, who had invested a total of $150,000. There had been increasing arguments between the producers and writers, with Susskind complaining that the authors were unwilling to make changes per the recommendations of the investors. Charlap and Lawrence were so upset with changes that they filed suit in New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
seeking an injunction to prevent the play from opening. While the judge urged that the parties pursue arbitration, lawyers representing Charlap and Lawrence were threatening to sue for damages that had been caused through "unauthorized changes, omissions and additions" made to the musical.
In his review in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, critic Howard Taubman
Howard Taubman
Hyman Howard Taubman was an American music critic, theater critic, and author.-Biography:Born in Manhattan, Taubman attended DeWitt Clinton High School and then won a four-year scholarship to Cornell University, from which he graduated, as a Phi Beta Kappa member, in 1929.He then returned to New...
opened by noting that "Ella Logan was written out of Kelly before it reached the Broadhurst Theater Saturday night. Congratulations, Miss Logan" and continued to describe what he saw as a production for which there were "ample critical, if not legal, grounds for an injunction", lampooning the legal wrangling that had gone on about the production. The play's brief life was later described by Melnick's son as "not his favorite moment in history", but nonetheless one he wore with grace.
Later that year, there were reports of an off-Broadway revival of the show, to be produced by David Rubinson of Columbia Records. This was intended to present the show in its original form, as conceived by Lawrence and Charlap, as opposed to the much-revised and re-written version that finally opened on Broadway.
Original recordings
Although Columbia Records were one of the show's original backers, no cast album was ever commercially recorded. As was typical at the time, a demonstration recording of the show's score was recorded by its composer and lyricist/librettist at an early stage in its inception. Produced by Frank Military in 1964, the recording was performed by Charlap and Lawrence themselves, and included thirteen songs from the score. Because the show subsequently underwent considerable revision, this demo recording included several songs that were eventually cut from the show, or otherwise went unused in the produced version.The demo recording, which was only ever intended as a limited edition for private circulation amongst potential backers and so on, was finally commercially released in 1980, fifteen years after the showed closed. The LP, simply entitled Eddie Lawrence and Moose Charlap sing their songs from the Musical Kelly formed part of a series of albums on the Original Cast
Original Cast (record label)
Original Cast Records is a record label based in Georgetown, Connecticut, that specialises in obscure theatre recordings, primarily cast albums from little-known Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway and other stage productions, but also theatre-related film scores, cabaret, concert and solo...
label, founded in 1975 by Bruce Yeko and Doris Chu Yeko, which specialised in obscure musical theatre recordings. The album, which was executive produced by the Yekos and Eddie Lawrence, was dedicated to the memory of Moose Charlap, who had died in 1974.
Moose Charlap's wife, Sandy Stewart, who was a cabaret and jazz vocalist, released her own pop version of the song "Never Go There Anymore" in 1965, with a lush arrangement by Don Costa
Don Costa
Don Costa was an American pop music arranger and record producer, best known for his work with Frank Sinatra.-Career:...
. The song subsequently become something of a standard. In 2000, it was described by Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
as one of the songs that he wishes that he'd written - at least in part.
Concert recording
In 1998, the York Theatre Company in New York City presented a concert version of Kelly as part of a series spotlighting neglected Broadway scores. Performers included Brian D'Arcy JamesBrian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician.-Personal life:James was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Mary , a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan...
, Jane Connell, George S. Irving
George S. Irving
George S. Irving is an American actor, known primarily for his character roles on Broadway. Born George Irving Shelasky in Springfield, Massachusetts, he made his debut in the original 1943 production of Oklahoma!, only to be drafted days later to serve in World War II...
, John Schuck
John Schuck
Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
, Marcia Lewis
Marcia Lewis
Marcia Lewis was an American character actress and singer. She has been nominated twice for the Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical and twice for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical .-Biography:Lewis was born in Melrose, Massachusetts and raised in...
, and Sandy Stewart, who was in the original production. Interest in the concert among theatre buffs resulted in sold-out performances and a cast recording.
The concert recording was released by Original Cast records, the same label that had released the demo recording in 1980. Eddie Lawrence was credited as 'artistic director', and Sandy Stewart as 'musical advisor'. This recording, which reflected the original score before all those the revisions took place on the road, included a number of songs were later cut from the show or had not otherwise been used in the Broadway production. It also included, as a bonus track, Sandy Stewart's 1965 pop version of the song "Never Go There Anymore".
Musical numbers
Act 1- Ode to the Bridge – Hop Kelly
- Six Blocks from the Bridge – Stickpin Sidney Crane, Jack Mulligan, Augie Masters and Company
- That Old Time Crowd – Fay Cherry and the Boys
- Simple Ain't Easy – Hop and Fay
- I'm Gonna Walk Right Up to Her – Hop and Jack
- A Moment Ago – Angela Crane and Hop
- This Is a Tough Neighborhood – Company
- Never Go There Anymore – Angela and Hop
Act 2
- Life Can Be Beautiful – Fay, Dan Kelly and Bums
- Everyone Here Loves Kelly – Fay and Company
- Ballad to a Brute – Angela and Hop
- Heavyweight Champ of the World – Jack and Company
- Me and the Elements – Hop and Dan
- Everyone Here Loves Kelly (Reprise) – Fay and Company
- Never Go There Anymore (Reprise) – Angela
- Everyone Here Loves Kelly (Reprise) – Company
Additional songs cut prior to opening
- He'll Get It
- Home Again (included on demo recording and concert recording)
- The Times That Linger (included on demo recording and concert recording)
Additional songs written but not used
- Augie Masters (included on demo recording and concert recording)
- Big Time
- Blackouts
- Don't Come Near Me (included on demo recording)
- Insurance (included on concert recording)
- It Kinda Makes You Wonder (included on demo recording and concert recording)
- Tried Jumpin' You Once