The Utter Glory of Morrissey Hall
Encyclopedia
The Utter Glory of Morrissey Hall is a musical
with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner
and a book by Gesner and Nagle Jackson. The production opened and closed on May 13, 1979 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre
on Broadway
after only seven previews and one regular performance.
Morrissey Hall is a girls school in England
. The day has hardly begun when Headmistress Julia Faysle reads in an unflattering remark about the quality of girls produced by her school. The Sixth Form mistake her subsequent concern for their health and grooming as being a sign that they are all about to be sold into slavery. The Fifth Form, in turn, find the Sixth's newest behaviour very strange and prepare their own defenses. The headmistress' secretary, Elizabeth Wilkins, attempts to convey to the audience that she is indeed not any part of this madhouse, then returns to her duties. Meanwhile, the headmistress and her faculty chum, Foresta Studley, get carried away with jolly memories of their own girlhood at Morrissey Hall.
A letter arrives. It is for Helen Wells-Morton, from her boyfriend, Charles. The letter contains a key, and when a trunk arrives for Helen, Headmistress Faysle uses all her wiles to try to get the key so she can open and inspect the trunk. When it is finally opened, Charles leaps out and escapes to the upper reaches of the school. Early on in all this, a salesman, Richard Tidewell, has arrived to see the Headmistress. He has waited patiently in the outer office with Elizbeth for most of the Act, but now he must go. It is revealed that him and Elizabeth have fallen in love.
Act II
The Fifth Form, in a history competition, has won a Bumper Car
ride, and the huge amusement park contraption is now set on the campus. The school loves the ride, but retaliation is obviously demanded. While Mrs. Delmonde rehearses a St. George and the Dragon pageant, the Bumper Car is attacked. It is obviously the beginning of the end. Miss Winkle, faculty leader of the Fifth Form and now drunk with power as commander of the Bumper Car, whips them around in the ride.
It has obviously been too much for the headmistress. She has, since the beginning of the Act, been sequestered in her office, seeing nobody, and having a lovely, quiet time pressing flowers and arranging them in an album. She is at peace. Helen, too, has found her dear if slightly reluctant Charles, and even manages to get him to sing with her on matters of the heart. But it is all too late. The Fifth and Sixth have been arming themselves from mail order catalogues, and even the Headmistress' perennial optimism seems tentative to say the least, just prior to the outbreak of full scale, all-school, hell-bent-for-leather war.
Soon, however, life at Morrisey Hall has gone back to normal. The Sixth Form graduates and life goes on. And that does seem to be the glory of such a place: that in spite of everything—the heartrending, overwhelming odds—they do, always and ever, go on.
Act II
Staff:
Sixth Form Students:
Fifth Form Students:
Visitors:
in Santa Maria, California
in 1979.
Morrissey Hall began previews on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on May 3, 1979. However, the show closed on opening night, May 13, 1979. Cast members included Celeste Holm
as Julia Faysle and Taina Elg
as Mrs. Delmonde. Before the show closed, an original cast recording, featuring most of the shows musical numbers, was released. The creative team included direction by Jackson, lighting by Howard Bay
, costumes by David Graden, and choreography by Buddy Schwab.
The show was staged again at The Lamb's Players Theatre in San Diego in 1992. Nancy Churnin of the Los Angeles Times
said that "it is openly and unabashedly cartoonish", but that "nothing in the story of The Utter Glory of Morrissey Hall is new or familiar."
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 music and lyrics by Clark Gesner
Clark Gesner
Clark Gesner was an American composer, songwriter, author, and actor. He is probably best known for composing You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, a musical adaptation of the Charles M...
and a book by Gesner and Nagle Jackson. The production opened and closed on May 13, 1979 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre
Mark Hellinger Theatre
The Mark Hellinger Theatre is a generally used name of a former legitimate Broadway theater, located at 237 West 51st Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City. Since 1991, it has been known as the Times Square Church...
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...
after only seven previews and one regular performance.
Synopsis
Act IMorrissey Hall is a girls school in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The day has hardly begun when Headmistress Julia Faysle reads in an unflattering remark about the quality of girls produced by her school. The Sixth Form mistake her subsequent concern for their health and grooming as being a sign that they are all about to be sold into slavery. The Fifth Form, in turn, find the Sixth's newest behaviour very strange and prepare their own defenses. The headmistress' secretary, Elizabeth Wilkins, attempts to convey to the audience that she is indeed not any part of this madhouse, then returns to her duties. Meanwhile, the headmistress and her faculty chum, Foresta Studley, get carried away with jolly memories of their own girlhood at Morrissey Hall.
A letter arrives. It is for Helen Wells-Morton, from her boyfriend, Charles. The letter contains a key, and when a trunk arrives for Helen, Headmistress Faysle uses all her wiles to try to get the key so she can open and inspect the trunk. When it is finally opened, Charles leaps out and escapes to the upper reaches of the school. Early on in all this, a salesman, Richard Tidewell, has arrived to see the Headmistress. He has waited patiently in the outer office with Elizbeth for most of the Act, but now he must go. It is revealed that him and Elizabeth have fallen in love.
Act II
The Fifth Form, in a history competition, has won a Bumper Car
Bumper car
Bumper car is the generic name for a type of flat ride consisting of several small electric cars which draw power from the floor and/or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator...
ride, and the huge amusement park contraption is now set on the campus. The school loves the ride, but retaliation is obviously demanded. While Mrs. Delmonde rehearses a St. George and the Dragon pageant, the Bumper Car is attacked. It is obviously the beginning of the end. Miss Winkle, faculty leader of the Fifth Form and now drunk with power as commander of the Bumper Car, whips them around in the ride.
It has obviously been too much for the headmistress. She has, since the beginning of the Act, been sequestered in her office, seeing nobody, and having a lovely, quiet time pressing flowers and arranging them in an album. She is at peace. Helen, too, has found her dear if slightly reluctant Charles, and even manages to get him to sing with her on matters of the heart. But it is all too late. The Fifth and Sixth have been arming themselves from mail order catalogues, and even the Headmistress' perennial optimism seems tentative to say the least, just prior to the outbreak of full scale, all-school, hell-bent-for-leather war.
Soon, however, life at Morrisey Hall has gone back to normal. The Sixth Form graduates and life goes on. And that does seem to be the glory of such a place: that in spite of everything—the heartrending, overwhelming odds—they do, always and ever, go on.
Musical numbers
Act I- Overture - Orchestra
- Promenade - Company
- Proud, Erstwhile, Upright, Fair - Julia Faysle, Foresta Studley, Elizabeth Wilkins
- Elizabeth's Song - Elizabeth Wilkins
- Way Back When - Julia Faysle, Foresta Studley
- Lost - The Sixth Form
- Morning - Mrs. Delmonde, Dancing Class
- The Letter - Helen, Charles Hill, Company
- Give Me That Key - Julia Faysle, Helen, Elizabeth Wilkins
- Duet - Elizabeth Wilkins, Richard Tidewell, Company
Act II
- Interlude and Gallop - Orchestra, Students
- Oh Sun - Marjorie (St. George), Angela (Dragon), Helen, Frances, Mary (Dryads), Mrs. Delmonde
- You Will Know When the Time Has Arrived - Teresa Winkle, Carswell, Fifth and Sixth Forms
- You Would Say - Helen, Charles Hill, Fifth Form
- See the Blue - Julia Faysle, Flowers (Girls)
- Dance of Resignation - Mrs. Delmonde
- Reflection - Julia Faysle
- The War (Les Preludes by Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
) - Company - Oh, Sun (reprise)/The Ending - Company
Characters
Administration:- Julia Faysle, Headmistress of Morrissey Hall
- Elizabeth Wilkins, Secretary
Staff:
- Foresta Studley
- Teresa Winkle
- Mrs. Delmonde
- Miss Newton
- Mr. Weybum, Groundskeeper
Sixth Form Students:
- Carswell
- Vickers
- Boody
- Dale
- Dickerson
- Haverfield
Fifth Form Students:
- Alice
- Helen
- Frances
- Angela
- Marjorie
- Mary
Visitors:
- Richard Tidewell
- Charles Hill
- Mr. Osgood
Production history
The production had a well received engagement in San Francisco in 1976, starring Jill Tanner as Headmistress Julia Faysle. The show also played at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing ArtsPacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts
The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts is a community college located at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. This institution on California’s Central Coast not only provides professional theatre year round but also trains acting and technical artisans for careers in the...
in Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
in 1979.
Morrissey Hall began previews on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on May 3, 1979. However, the show closed on opening night, May 13, 1979. Cast members included Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
as Julia Faysle and Taina Elg
Taina Elg
Taina Elg is a Finnish-American actress and dancer. She has appeared on stage, film and television.-Biography:She was born in Helsinki, but later raised in Turku by her parents, Helena Dobroumova and Åke Elg, a pianist. In 1957 she won the Golden Globe for the Foreign Newcomer Award - Female...
as Mrs. Delmonde. Before the show closed, an original cast recording, featuring most of the shows musical numbers, was released. The creative team included direction by Jackson, lighting by Howard Bay
Howard Bay (designer)
Howard Bay was an American scenic, lighting and costume designer for stage, opera and film. He won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design twice.-Career:...
, costumes by David Graden, and choreography by Buddy Schwab.
The show was staged again at The Lamb's Players Theatre in San Diego in 1992. Nancy Churnin of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said that "it is openly and unabashedly cartoonish", but that "nothing in the story of The Utter Glory of Morrissey Hall is new or familiar."
External links
- The Utter Glory of Morrisey Hall at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....