Now Is The Time For All Good Men (musical)
Encyclopedia
Now Is the Time for All Good Men was a 1967 Off-Broadway
musical with music by Nancy Ford, book and lyrics and by Gretchen Cryer
. It premiered at the Theatre De Lys
on September 26, 1967 and closed on January 16, 1968.
with a basketball.
But Albert McKinley (David Sabin), the principal, defends him. Albert is a very kind man. He has a habit of picking up strays and defending, or exploiting them, depending on how you look at it. And Mike has a shady background. He was court-martialed from the U.S. Army after duty in the Vietnam War
. Just why isn't yet clear. Sarah Larkin (Sally Niven), music teacher and church choir leader, is another of Albert's foundlings. She isn't exactly qualified to teach. But she's a young widow, and Albert is fond of her. Quite fond. Mike and Sarah meet and are attracted to each other, Sarah wistfully and slightly disapproving, Mike desperately trying to reach what's left of her understanding and vitality.
For a while Mike and Sarah enjoy their teatimes and hayrides left alone. But Sarah has an enemy, her own sister, Eugenie Seldin (Judy Frank), a lively and outspoken waitress at the local truck-stop eatery. Eugenie spots Mike right away and sets her sights. After all, hadn't she known Sarah's late husband in ways Sarah never did?
And soon enough, Mike develops an enemy of his own. The brightest kid in class, Tommy (Steve Skiles) is the son of the athletic coach, Herbert Heller (Art Wallace), who doesn't like English teachers to begin with because their drama classes mess up his gym floor. When he finds out that Mike is encouraging young Tommy to read Thoreau and think for himself, well, he can spot a Commie pretty far off.
And Herbert Heller is a real "Americun". Only once a year he's apt to get drunk and shoot up the place. This year, as Mike and Sarah stand listening to Christmas carolers and enjoy being together, he comes upon them, carrying a shotgun in one hand, and Old Glory
in the other. When he demands that Mike pledge allegiance to the flag, then and there, it gets kind of tight. Luckily, Herbert is too drunk to be effective and falls down. Mike carries Sarah off over his shoulder and Herbert is taken away for another year.
By now, Sarah is enchanted with Mike, thought resisting him ("I'm not going to be a challenge to you and have you have the satisfaction of seeing me develop!") But develop she does. And by now young Tom Heller is actively practicing civil disobedience, though in a kind of tentative way. With some effort he manages to get himself jailed for the night, though Mike explains that this isn't strictly necessary. Tommy's girlfriend, Ramona (Anne Kaye), is trying to keep up with him. But Tommy can't see it. Was there a Mrs. Davy Crockett? A Mrs. Jim Bowie? Please. He'd rather do it all alone.
The kindly townspeople, good-hearted as the come, overlook Herbert's shotgun shenanigans and nominate him for Man of the Century in the coming Centennial Celebration. Tommy just can't see his old man as "having influenced the entire population of Bloomdale" (Of course he doesn't know him the way other people do.) So Tommy nominates Mike Butler. Herbert finds this upsetting ("I'll tan your hide, boy.) and calls Mike a pantywaist.
There is to be a mock wedding at the Centennial, Sarah as mock-bride, Albert McKinney as mock-groom. But Albert comes to Sarah and proposes. He offers a real wedding, in Civil War
costume, horse-drawn vehicles, a shivaree
, and then a simple life thereafter. (It's just that the Centennial seemed the perfect time--and it only comes every 100 years.") Sarah demurs. She's in love with Mike.
Tommy has a real campaign going to elect Mike the Man of the Century. If Mike were elected, maybe he could even get rid of that smell from the canning factory
. Tommy's father reacts by nudging Tommy toward enlistment in the Army. He wants his boy to be an athlete, a hero or, at the very least, a star on the memorial monument.
Sarah tells Albert she's in love with Mike, and Albert takes steps. He goes to her sister to ask a favor. Eugenie must tell Sarah that Mike was in prison and, worse, to say that Mike told her all about it when they were together "listening to records." This happens as planned, and has the expected effect. Sarah is appalled. ("A criminal is a criminal is a criminal.") Mike says he was in the Army during Vietnam, but he couldn't kill anyone. For this, he spent five years in the penitentiary. His mistake had been not being a conscientious objector in the first place. Albert and Sarah become engaged.
The Centennial Celebration turns into a kind of trial. Eugenie, beautifully drunk, appears and shouts out the secret of Mike's past. When he speaks to defend himself, Mike finds himself in a kind of kangaroo court
, surrounded by his peers. "Fire Him!" shouts Herbert, and McKinley does. But it also becomes apparent to Sarah that Albert knew about Mike all along. And at last she sees through his sanctimonious disguise.
Tommy says goodbye to Mike Butler. Tommy and Ramona are together now, and it is very clear that they, at least, are going to be alright. But what about Butler? He'll go to some other town, some town probably a good deal like this one. Tommy says maybe he'll be a teacher too. They embrace.
Now you just can't do a thing like that. Herbert Heller sees his boy Tommmy embraced by this "Commie queer" and he gets his shotgun and fires it right at him. But of course Helbert is the "true example of American manhood" and gets elected Man of the Century anyways. So it's all right. Even if he isn't much of a shot anymore. A man can't do everything well. All he can do is try. And "Now Is The Time For All Good Men" to do just that.
and the album produced by Edward Kleban
.
The cast included Sally Niven, Judy Frank, David Cryer, Donna Curtis, David Sabin, Margot Hanson, Regina Lynn, Art Wallace, John Bennett Perry
, Murray Olson, Anne Kaye, and Steve Skiles.
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
musical with music by Nancy Ford, book and lyrics and by Gretchen Cryer
Gretchen Cryer
Gretchen Cryer is an American playwright, lyricist and actress.-Early life:Cryer was born Gretchen Kiger in Dunreith, Indiana, the daughter of Louise and Earl William Kiger...
. It premiered at the Theatre De Lys
Lucille Lortel Theatre
The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse located at 121 Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village.The venue was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse...
on September 26, 1967 and closed on January 16, 1968.
Synopsis
The school board for the Bloomdale, Indiana, high school quickly sizes up Mike Butler (David Cryer), the new English teacher, as the kind of brash freethinker who wants to let kids mark in their books, read novels, and think for themselves. He even teaches poetic scansionSystems of scansion
A system of scansion is a way to mark the metrical patterns of a line of poetry. In classical poetry, these patterns are based on the different lengths of each syllable, and in English poetry, they are based on the different levels of stress placed on each syllable. In both cases, the meter often...
with a basketball.
But Albert McKinley (David Sabin), the principal, defends him. Albert is a very kind man. He has a habit of picking up strays and defending, or exploiting them, depending on how you look at it. And Mike has a shady background. He was court-martialed from the U.S. Army after duty in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Just why isn't yet clear. Sarah Larkin (Sally Niven), music teacher and church choir leader, is another of Albert's foundlings. She isn't exactly qualified to teach. But she's a young widow, and Albert is fond of her. Quite fond. Mike and Sarah meet and are attracted to each other, Sarah wistfully and slightly disapproving, Mike desperately trying to reach what's left of her understanding and vitality.
For a while Mike and Sarah enjoy their teatimes and hayrides left alone. But Sarah has an enemy, her own sister, Eugenie Seldin (Judy Frank), a lively and outspoken waitress at the local truck-stop eatery. Eugenie spots Mike right away and sets her sights. After all, hadn't she known Sarah's late husband in ways Sarah never did?
And soon enough, Mike develops an enemy of his own. The brightest kid in class, Tommy (Steve Skiles) is the son of the athletic coach, Herbert Heller (Art Wallace), who doesn't like English teachers to begin with because their drama classes mess up his gym floor. When he finds out that Mike is encouraging young Tommy to read Thoreau and think for himself, well, he can spot a Commie pretty far off.
And Herbert Heller is a real "Americun". Only once a year he's apt to get drunk and shoot up the place. This year, as Mike and Sarah stand listening to Christmas carolers and enjoy being together, he comes upon them, carrying a shotgun in one hand, and Old Glory
Old Glory
Old Glory is a common nickname for the flag of the United States, bestowed by William Driver, an early nineteenth century American sea captain....
in the other. When he demands that Mike pledge allegiance to the flag, then and there, it gets kind of tight. Luckily, Herbert is too drunk to be effective and falls down. Mike carries Sarah off over his shoulder and Herbert is taken away for another year.
By now, Sarah is enchanted with Mike, thought resisting him ("I'm not going to be a challenge to you and have you have the satisfaction of seeing me develop!") But develop she does. And by now young Tom Heller is actively practicing civil disobedience, though in a kind of tentative way. With some effort he manages to get himself jailed for the night, though Mike explains that this isn't strictly necessary. Tommy's girlfriend, Ramona (Anne Kaye), is trying to keep up with him. But Tommy can't see it. Was there a Mrs. Davy Crockett? A Mrs. Jim Bowie? Please. He'd rather do it all alone.
The kindly townspeople, good-hearted as the come, overlook Herbert's shotgun shenanigans and nominate him for Man of the Century in the coming Centennial Celebration. Tommy just can't see his old man as "having influenced the entire population of Bloomdale" (Of course he doesn't know him the way other people do.) So Tommy nominates Mike Butler. Herbert finds this upsetting ("I'll tan your hide, boy.) and calls Mike a pantywaist.
There is to be a mock wedding at the Centennial, Sarah as mock-bride, Albert McKinney as mock-groom. But Albert comes to Sarah and proposes. He offers a real wedding, in Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
costume, horse-drawn vehicles, a shivaree
Shivaree
Shivaree may refer to:* Shivaree , a clamorous salutation made to a newlywed couple* Shivaree , an American band formed in 1997* Shivaree , a play by William Mastrosimone...
, and then a simple life thereafter. (It's just that the Centennial seemed the perfect time--and it only comes every 100 years.") Sarah demurs. She's in love with Mike.
Tommy has a real campaign going to elect Mike the Man of the Century. If Mike were elected, maybe he could even get rid of that smell from the canning factory
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
. Tommy's father reacts by nudging Tommy toward enlistment in the Army. He wants his boy to be an athlete, a hero or, at the very least, a star on the memorial monument.
Sarah tells Albert she's in love with Mike, and Albert takes steps. He goes to her sister to ask a favor. Eugenie must tell Sarah that Mike was in prison and, worse, to say that Mike told her all about it when they were together "listening to records." This happens as planned, and has the expected effect. Sarah is appalled. ("A criminal is a criminal is a criminal.") Mike says he was in the Army during Vietnam, but he couldn't kill anyone. For this, he spent five years in the penitentiary. His mistake had been not being a conscientious objector in the first place. Albert and Sarah become engaged.
The Centennial Celebration turns into a kind of trial. Eugenie, beautifully drunk, appears and shouts out the secret of Mike's past. When he speaks to defend himself, Mike finds himself in a kind of kangaroo court
Kangaroo court
A kangaroo court is "a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted".The outcome of a trial by kangaroo court is essentially determined in advance, usually for the purpose of ensuring conviction, either by going through the motions of manipulated procedure or...
, surrounded by his peers. "Fire Him!" shouts Herbert, and McKinley does. But it also becomes apparent to Sarah that Albert knew about Mike all along. And at last she sees through his sanctimonious disguise.
Tommy says goodbye to Mike Butler. Tommy and Ramona are together now, and it is very clear that they, at least, are going to be alright. But what about Butler? He'll go to some other town, some town probably a good deal like this one. Tommy says maybe he'll be a teacher too. They embrace.
Now you just can't do a thing like that. Herbert Heller sees his boy Tommmy embraced by this "Commie queer" and he gets his shotgun and fires it right at him. But of course Helbert is the "true example of American manhood" and gets elected Man of the Century anyways. So it's all right. Even if he isn't much of a shot anymore. A man can't do everything well. All he can do is try. And "Now Is The Time For All Good Men" to do just that.
Cast and Crew
The show was directed by Word Baker, set by Holly Haas, costumes by Jeanne Button, lighting by Carol Rubinstein, musical direction by Stephen J. LawrenceStephen J. Lawrence
Stephen J. Lawrence is an American composer, living and working in New York City.-Overview :Career overview to date : composed over 250 songs and scores for Sesame Street, resulting in three shared Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition; composed the title song...
and the album produced by Edward Kleban
Edward Kleban
Edward “Ed” Kleban was an American musical theatre composer and lyricist.Kleban was born in the Bronx, New York in 1939 and graduated from New York's High School of Music & Art and Columbia University, where he attended with future playwright Terrance McNally. Kleban is best known as lyricist of...
.
The cast included Sally Niven, Judy Frank, David Cryer, Donna Curtis, David Sabin, Margot Hanson, Regina Lynn, Art Wallace, John Bennett Perry
John Bennett Perry
John Bennett Perry is an American actor and former model. He is the father of actor Matthew Perry.-Life and career:Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the son of Maria Schaefer and Alton L. Perry. He married twice...
, Murray Olson, Anne Kaye, and Steve Skiles.