.gif)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (musical)
Encyclopedia
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a musical
with a book by Lawrence Kasha
and David Landay, music by Gene de Paul
, Al Kasha
and Joel Hirschhorn
, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer
, Al Kasha
and Joel Hirschhorn
. It is based on the 1954 Stanley Donen
film of the same name which is, itself, an adaption of the short story "The Sobbin' Women," by Stephen Vincent Benét
, based on the Ancient Roman legend of The Rape of the Sabine Women
.
After a U.S. tour, the musical opened on Broadway in 1982 but quickly flopped. A more successful London production followed, and revised versions have met with success in U.S. regional theatres and in amateur productions on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1850s Oregon
, Adam goes into town seeking a wife to run the household that consists of just himself and his six brothers. There he meets Milly, a waitress at a local restaurant. Milly and Adam rush into marriage and immediately return to Adam's remote ranch in the mountains. As soon as they return home, Adam reverts back to his true self: an ill-mannered and inconsiderate slob. Milly meets his six brothers, Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank and Gideon, all of whom also share Adam's love for all things disorderly. Milly decides to reform the brothers and help them change their ways. She teaches them to dance and then takes them to a barn-raising. There, the six brothers meet six girls they like and start courting them. Conflicts arise when each of the six girls turns out to have her own jealous suitor. Upon returning home Adam reads his brothers the story of The Rape of the Sabine Women
, inciting them to kidnap the girls and bring them back home with them.
Act 2
The brothers kidnap the girls and then cause an avalanche
to fall and block the suitors' way, making the brothers' house unreachable until Spring. The girls are crying and furious by the time they reach the house. An angry Milly scolds the boys and sends them all to live in the barn, and Adam flees up to their hunting cabin in the mountains to live by himself. They live there all through the Winter, but by the time Spring arrives, the girls miss the brothers' attention and find themselves to be in love. Gideon goes to the cabin and attempts to get Adam to return home by telling him that Milly had a baby girl. A changed Adam returns home to find his wife and newborn daughter waiting for him. The snow clears up and the angry suitors make their way up to the house in the mountains to find that the girls are happy and want to marry the brothers. The story ends with a shotgun wedding of the six remaining couples.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers had a successful national tour and then opened on Broadway
at the Alvin Theatre on July 8, 1982 after fifteen previews. Directed by Lawrence Kasha and choreographed by Jerry Jackson, the cast included Debby Boone
as Milly and David-James Carroll as Adam. It closed on July 11 after only five performances. It received a Tony Award
nomination for Best Original Score.
1985 West End
The musical premiered in the West End
at the Old Vic
, starting on July 2, 1985 and running for 41 performances. It starred Roni Page and Steve Devereaux and included Michaela Strachan
in the supporting cast. It received a cast recording
.
2003 Madrid
A Spanish
production premiered at Teatro Nuevo Apolo on August 29, 2003, starring David Castedo
as Adam and Xana García as Milly, and directed by Ricard Reguant with choreography by María Giménez.
2005 Goodspeed Opera House
A major revival ran from April 15, 2005 - June 26, 2005 at the Goodspeed Opera House (Connecticut
). It starred Jacquelyn Piro Donovan
and Burke Moses
and was directed by Greg Ganakas with choreography by Patti Colombo. The production earned positive reviews from Variety and The New York Times
. The New York Times reviewer wrote: "Goodspeed Musicals has reshaped it with a couple of new musical numbers, Patti Colombo's athletic choreography, welcome humor and a good-natured energy that overshadows many shortcomings." Two songs, "Where Were You?" and "I Married Seven Brothers" were added, "Glad That You Were Born" was revised, and the book was heavily rewritten. With a realistic approach, rustic orchestrations and a focus on the Oregon Trail, the show was quite different from its film predecessor. Plans for a 2005-2006 National Tour of this production failed.
2006 West End revival
A production ran at the West End
Haymarket Theatre
from August 16, 2006 through November 18, 2006.
Revised 2007 U.S. production
A revised version played at several venues, including the Paper Mill Playhouse
(New Jersey) (April 11, 2007 - May 11), North Shore Music Theatre
(May 29, 2007 - June 17), Theatre Under the Stars
(June 26, 2007 - July 1), and Theater of the Stars (Atlanta) (June 26, 2007 - July 1).
Under the direction of Scott Schwartz
, set design was by Tony Award nominee, Anna Louizos
and lighting by Tony Award winner Donald Holder
. This production was a hybrid between the literal approach of the Goodspeed production and the slapstick camp of the original film. While reviews were positive, the attention focused on Patti Colombo's choreography.
UK regional tour (2008)
The musical toured in the UK during 2008, starring Steven Houghton and Susan McFadden
, and played in over thirty cities, including The Liverpool
Empire.
St. Louis High School & St. Mary's College Annual Musical (2010)
Act II
"One Man", "Love Never Goes Away", "The Townsfolk's Lament", " A Woman Ought To Know Her Place", "We Gotta Make It Through The Winter", "Spring Dance", and "Glad That You Were Born" were written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn for the musical. "Bless Your Beautiful Hide", "Wonderful Wonderful Day", "Goin' Courtin'", and "Sobbin' Women" are from the 1954 film and written by Gene de Paul
and Johnny Mercer
.
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 Lawrence Kasha
Lawrence Kasha
Lawrence Kasha was a Tony Award-winning American theatre producer and director, playwright, and stage manager....
and David Landay, music by Gene de Paul
Gene de Paul
Gene de Paul was an American pianist, composer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in New York City, he served in the United States Army during World War II....
, Al Kasha
Al Kasha
Al Kasha is a Brooklyn–born composer, songwriter and arranger, as well as businessman. He is most noted for his years of collaboration with songwriter Joel Hirschhorn...
and Joel Hirschhorn
Joel Hirschhorn
Joel Hirschhorn, , was an American songwriter. During a successful career, he won the Academy Award for Best Song on two occasions...
, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, Al Kasha
Al Kasha
Al Kasha is a Brooklyn–born composer, songwriter and arranger, as well as businessman. He is most noted for his years of collaboration with songwriter Joel Hirschhorn...
and Joel Hirschhorn
Joel Hirschhorn
Joel Hirschhorn, , was an American songwriter. During a successful career, he won the Academy Award for Best Song on two occasions...
. It is based on the 1954 Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ; is an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are Singin' in the Rain and On the Town, both of which he co-directed with Gene Kelly. His other noteworthy films include Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, Indiscreet, Damn...
film of the same name which is, itself, an adaption of the short story "The Sobbin' Women," by Stephen Vincent Benét
Stephen Vincent Benét
Stephen Vincent Benét was an American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist. Benét is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, John Brown's Body , for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1929, and for two short stories, "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "By...
, based on the Ancient Roman legend of The Rape of the Sabine Women
The Rape of the Sabine Women
The Rape of the Sabine Women is an episode in the legendary history of Rome in which the first generation of Roman men acquired wives for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families. The English word "rape" is a conventional translation of Latin raptio, which in this context means "abduction"...
.
After a U.S. tour, the musical opened on Broadway in 1982 but quickly flopped. A more successful London production followed, and revised versions have met with success in U.S. regional theatres and in amateur productions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Synopsis
Act 1In 1850s Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Adam goes into town seeking a wife to run the household that consists of just himself and his six brothers. There he meets Milly, a waitress at a local restaurant. Milly and Adam rush into marriage and immediately return to Adam's remote ranch in the mountains. As soon as they return home, Adam reverts back to his true self: an ill-mannered and inconsiderate slob. Milly meets his six brothers, Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank and Gideon, all of whom also share Adam's love for all things disorderly. Milly decides to reform the brothers and help them change their ways. She teaches them to dance and then takes them to a barn-raising. There, the six brothers meet six girls they like and start courting them. Conflicts arise when each of the six girls turns out to have her own jealous suitor. Upon returning home Adam reads his brothers the story of The Rape of the Sabine Women
The Rape of the Sabine Women
The Rape of the Sabine Women is an episode in the legendary history of Rome in which the first generation of Roman men acquired wives for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families. The English word "rape" is a conventional translation of Latin raptio, which in this context means "abduction"...
, inciting them to kidnap the girls and bring them back home with them.
Act 2
The brothers kidnap the girls and then cause an avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
to fall and block the suitors' way, making the brothers' house unreachable until Spring. The girls are crying and furious by the time they reach the house. An angry Milly scolds the boys and sends them all to live in the barn, and Adam flees up to their hunting cabin in the mountains to live by himself. They live there all through the Winter, but by the time Spring arrives, the girls miss the brothers' attention and find themselves to be in love. Gideon goes to the cabin and attempts to get Adam to return home by telling him that Milly had a baby girl. A changed Adam returns home to find his wife and newborn daughter waiting for him. The snow clears up and the angry suitors make their way up to the house in the mountains to find that the girls are happy and want to marry the brothers. The story ends with a shotgun wedding of the six remaining couples.
Productions
U.S. national tour and BroadwaySeven Brides for Seven Brothers had a successful national tour and then opened 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...
at the Alvin Theatre on July 8, 1982 after fifteen previews. Directed by Lawrence Kasha and choreographed by Jerry Jackson, the cast included Debby Boone
Debby Boone
Deborah Anne Boone is an American singer and stage actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, "You Light Up My Life," which spent a then record ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist the following year...
as Milly and David-James Carroll as Adam. It closed on July 11 after only five performances. It received a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination for Best Original Score.
1985 West End
The musical premiered in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
, starting on July 2, 1985 and running for 41 performances. It starred Roni Page and Steve Devereaux and included Michaela Strachan
Michaela Strachan
Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan is an English television presenter.-Personal life:Strachan attended Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, a Christian Science school. Later, while at college, she briefly held jobs as an Avon lady and as a kissogram...
in the supporting cast. It received a cast recording
Cast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast...
.
2003 Madrid
A Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
production premiered at Teatro Nuevo Apolo on August 29, 2003, starring David Castedo
David Castedo
David Castedo Escudero, sometimes just David , is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left defender.-Football career:...
as Adam and Xana García as Milly, and directed by Ricard Reguant with choreography by María Giménez.
2005 Goodspeed Opera House
A major revival ran from April 15, 2005 - June 26, 2005 at the Goodspeed Opera House (Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
). It starred Jacquelyn Piro Donovan
Jacquelyn Piro Donovan
Jacquelyn Piro Donovan is an American musical theatre actress and singer. She holds the distinction of portraying both Cosette and Fantine in Les Misérables , the only actor in Broadway history to do so...
and Burke Moses
Burke Moses
Burke William Moses is an American film and television actor. His brother is actor Mark Moses.Burke Moses first appeared on Broadway as a replacement in the role of Sky Masterson in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls...
and was directed by Greg Ganakas with choreography by Patti Colombo. The production earned positive reviews from Variety and 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...
. The New York Times reviewer wrote: "Goodspeed Musicals has reshaped it with a couple of new musical numbers, Patti Colombo's athletic choreography, welcome humor and a good-natured energy that overshadows many shortcomings." Two songs, "Where Were You?" and "I Married Seven Brothers" were added, "Glad That You Were Born" was revised, and the book was heavily rewritten. With a realistic approach, rustic orchestrations and a focus on the Oregon Trail, the show was quite different from its film predecessor. Plans for a 2005-2006 National Tour of this production failed.
2006 West End revival
A production ran at the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
from August 16, 2006 through November 18, 2006.
Revised 2007 U.S. production
A revised version played at several venues, including the Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...
(New Jersey) (April 11, 2007 - May 11), North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre is the largest operating regional theater in New England. It is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and is one of the few remaining theatre-in-the-round stages left in the United States.-History:...
(May 29, 2007 - June 17), Theatre Under the Stars
Theatre Under The Stars (Houston)
Theatre Under the Stars is a year-round, professional, non-profit musical theatre production company. It is located in Houston, Texas, performing mostly at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Theatre Under The Stars’ season generally includes both self-produced shows as well as national...
(June 26, 2007 - July 1), and Theater of the Stars (Atlanta) (June 26, 2007 - July 1).
Under the direction of Scott Schwartz
Scott Schwartz
Scott Schwartz is a former child actor best known for his roles in The Toy and A Christmas Story.-Career:Schwartz co-starred opposite Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in 1982's The Toy directed by Richard Donner. In 1982, Schwartz filmed Kidco directed by Ronald F. Maxwell...
, set design was by Tony Award nominee, Anna Louizos
Anna Louizos
Anna Louizos is an American scenic designer and art director. She is best known for her Tony Award-nominated sets for the musicals In the Heights and High Fidelity, as well as the London, Broadway, Las Vegas, and touring productions of Avenue Q...
and lighting by Tony Award winner Donald Holder
Donald Holder
Donald Holder is an American lighting designer in theatre, opera, and dance based in New York. He has been nominated for eight Tony Awards, winning the 1998 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for The Lion King. He won a second Tony in...
. This production was a hybrid between the literal approach of the Goodspeed production and the slapstick camp of the original film. While reviews were positive, the attention focused on Patti Colombo's choreography.
UK regional tour (2008)
The musical toured in the UK during 2008, starring Steven Houghton and Susan McFadden
Susan McFadden
Susan McFadden is an actress and singer born in Dublin, Ireland. She is known for playing the role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical in London at the Savoy theatre.- Biography :...
, and played in over thirty cities, including The Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Empire.
St. Louis High School & St. Mary's College Annual Musical (2010)
Musical numbers
Act I- Bless Your Beautiful Hide (Adam)
- Wonderful, Wonderful Day (Milly and Brides)
- One Man (Milly)
- Goin' Courtin' (Milly and Brothers)
- Social Dance (Milly, Adam, Brides, Brothers, Suitors and Townspeople)
- Love Never Goes Away (Adam, Milly and Gideon)
- Sobbin' Women (Adam and Brothers)
Act II
- The Townsfolk's Lament (Suitors and Townspeople)
- A Woman Ought To Know Her Place (Adam)
- We Gotta Make It Through The Winter (Brothers)
- We Gotta Make It Through The Winter (Reprise) (Milly and Brides)
- Spring Dance (Brides and Brothers)
- A Woman Ought To Know Her Place (Reprise) (Adam and Gideon)
- Glad That You Were Born (Milly, Adam, Brides, Brothers and Townspeople)
- Wedding Dance (Milly, Adam, Brides, Brothers and Townspeople)
"One Man", "Love Never Goes Away", "The Townsfolk's Lament", " A Woman Ought To Know Her Place", "We Gotta Make It Through The Winter", "Spring Dance", and "Glad That You Were Born" were written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn for the musical. "Bless Your Beautiful Hide", "Wonderful Wonderful Day", "Goin' Courtin'", and "Sobbin' Women" are from the 1954 film and written by Gene de Paul
Gene de Paul
Gene de Paul was an American pianist, composer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in New York City, he served in the United States Army during World War II....
and Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
.