110 in the Shade
110 in the Shade | |
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revival |
110 in the Shade is a
Based on Nash's 1954 play
Productions
Original Broadway Production
Following the success of
Original London Production
The first and only West End production, directed by Charles Blackwell, recreated the original Broadway production closely and opened on February 8, 1967, at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 101 performances.[3][4]
1992 New York City Opera Revival
A 1992 New York City Opera production, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Susan Stroman, starred Karen Ziemba as Lizzie. The score was heard to particular advantage here, as the opera company orchestra was appreciably larger than the conventional Broadway pit orchestra.[5] A 2-CD studio recording released by Jay Records on October 21, 1997, features Ziemba, Walter Charles, Ron Raines, Kristin Chenoweth, and Schmidt and Jones.[6] The recording was based on the 1992 New York City Opera production, and includes five bonus tracks from the New York City Opera production.[2]
1999 Concert Production
In 1999, a concert version was staged at the Fortune Theatre in London by Ian Marshall Fisher for the Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust, with Louise Gold as Lizzie. For this production only a piano accompaniment was used, and the cast was unmiked.[7]
2007 Broadway Revival
The
The revival also garnered four additional Tony nominations, but failed to win any. In June 2010, McDonald reprised her Tony-nominated role in a two-week fundraising production of the show for the Hale Center Theater in Orem, Utah.[9] A recording of this production was released on June 12, 2007, by PS Classics. It drops the "Overture" but adds two tracks of dialogue.[10]
Song list
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Synopsis
Act I
It's the
Sheriff File, unfortunately, proves immune to every enticement the Curry boys offer ("Poker Polka"). His mind is more on "some sort of outlaw" heading into town, a fellow named Tornado Johnson; besides, he knows a fix-up when he sees one, and as he puts it, "I can mend my own shirts." Jim and Noah depart, but H.C. stays behind to tell File he knows the lie File's been living: that File's not a widower, as he claims to be—that his wife ran out on him. H.C. sees a man who's lonely and shut off, one who needs "a lot more mendin' than shirts," but File grows angry and defensive, and H.C. leaves him be.
As the ladies at the picnic grounds await the arrival of "The Hungry Men", File is noticeably not among them, and although her father and brothers do their best to console her, Lizzie feels the sting of File's rejection. Jim suggests she'd have more luck if she flirted more—played down her intelligence and told men what they wanted to hear like Lily Ann Beasley, who has all the men in town weak in the knees. But Lizzie is resolute in her vision of a husband: "I want him to stand up straight—and I want to be able to stand up straight to him!"
Suddenly, something sounds like a dry, rattling crack of summer thunder, and with it appears a handsome stranger who introduces himself as "Starbuck—Rainmaker." His bold promises induce the town into a revivalist frenzy ("The Rain Song"), and H.C. plunks down a hundred dollars for the promise of rain within twenty-four hours. But Lizzie sees through Starbuck's pretenses, and he instantly sees through hers ("You're Not Foolin' Me"). His accusations touch a nerve, and as he exits, a childhood song runs through her head ("Cinderella") that darkens her mood further. Feeling a need to "get out of me for a while," she imagines a different sort of Lizzie Curry ("Raunchy").
File appears unexpectedly at the picnic grounds and, still insistent that he has a right to be alone, nonetheless reaches out to Lizzie, coming clean about his past and, almost despite himself, revealing old wounds ("A Man and a Woman"). But as they start to open up to each other, Lizzie's candid comments—and her feeble attempts to retract them—drive File away in a fury. Her family appears instantly to grill her, and Noah lashes out at her father's efforts to console her, insisting she accept the reality that she's going to end up alone. Lizzie, with terror in her heart, faces her future ("Old Maid").
Act II
As twilight approaches, lovers still haunt the picnic grounds. Starbuck is there as well, alone and quiet, doing a bit of soul-searching ("Evenin' Star", added for the 2007 revival). The others merely admire the majesty of the night sky ("Everything Beautiful Happens At Night"). For Lizzie, though, twilight means putting an end to her daydreams, and yet, still in search of something she can't quite define, she finds herself drawn to Starbuck's camp. Sensing her discontent, he encourages her to dream again—this time far beyond her small-town horizons ("Melisande"). Instinctively defensive, as before, Lizzie counters that her dreams are just a different kind ("Simple Little Things"), but feeling that she'll never get what she wants, she breaks down. Starbuck grabs her, encouraging her to see herself through her own eyes, and not as she fears others view her; he takes the pins out of her hair and insists she recognize her own beauty. The lights fade as they begin to make love.
Back at the picnic area, Jim is boasting of his own Fourth of July adventures ("Little Red Hat") when File arrives to tell the Curry clan that he's on the lookout for Tornado Johnson—aka rainmaker Starbuck. He understands that H.C. gave him a hundred dollars for the promise of rain, but H.C., well aware that Lizzie is with Starbuck, refuses to reveal his whereabouts. Noah is shocked that his father is willing to leave Lizzie alone with a
As the Curry family awaits Lizzie's arrival, the mood is silent and tense. But she appears joyous and transformed ("I've got a new beau!"), and when File arrives to arrest Starbuck, the entire Curry clan defends him. Starbuck implores Lizzie to join him in his travels, and File—suddenly aware of what he needs and what he might lose—steps forward to plead his own case ("Wonderful Music"). Lizzie, with a new sense of her own worth, makes her decision. As Starbuck exits for parts unknown, a low rumble of thunder ushers in a sudden cloudburst, less than twenty-four hours after his arrival. And as the townspeople revel at the heavy downpour ("The Rain Song" reprise), Lizzie and File rejoice in the promise of hope and renewal that rainfall brings.
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
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1964 | Tony Award
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Best Original Score | Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
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Nominated |
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
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Inga Swenson | Nominated | ||
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
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Will Geer | Nominated | ||
Best Direction of a Musical | Joseph Anthony | Nominated |
2007 Broadway revival
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
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2007 | Tony Award
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Best Revival of a Musical | Nominated | |
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
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Audra McDonald | Nominated | ||
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
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John Cullum | Nominated | ||
Best Orchestrations | Jonathan Tunick | Nominated | ||
Best Lighting Design | Christopher Akerlind | Nominated | ||
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Won | ||
Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Audra McDonald | Won |
References
- ISBN 0-19-512599-1, p. 307
- ^ a b castalbums.org
- ^ 110 In the Shade Listing guidetomusicaltheatre.com, retrieved January 8, 2010
- ^ "'110 in the Shade' London" ovrtur.com
- ^ Rothstein, Edward.Review/Music; Bang a Drum, Bind a Mule's Legs And Let the Heavens Pour Forth"The New York Times, July 21, 1992
- ^ 110 in the Shade listing amazon.com, retrieved January 8, 2010
- ^ Review, 110 in the Shade Archived 2011-06-11 at the Wayback Machine qsulis.demon.co.uk, retrieved January 8, 2010
- ^ Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review. Neither Rain Nor Love, Till a Guy Promises Both" The New York Times, May 10, 2007
- ^ "Tony-Award winner to star in Hale Center show". Salt Lake Tribune. 2010-04-25. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ psclassics.com
- Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s by ISBN 0-312-23952-1)