Born Yesterday (play)
Born Yesterday | |
---|---|
Written by | Garson Kanin |
Date premiered | February 4, 1946 |
Place premiered | Lyceum Theatre New York City |
Original language | English |
Genre | Comedy |
Setting | Washington, DC. September 1946. |
Born Yesterday is a play written by Garson Kanin which premiered on Broadway in 1946, starring Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn. The play was adapted into a successful 1950 film of the same name.
Plot
An uncouth, corrupt rich junk dealer, Harry Brock, brings his showgirl mistress Billie Dawn with him to Washington, D.C. When Billie's ignorance becomes a liability to Brock's business dealings, he hires a journalist, Paul Verrall, to educate his girlfriend. In the process of learning, Billie Dawn realizes how corrupt Harry is and begins interfering with his plans to bribe a Congressman into passing legislation that would allow Brock's business to make more money.
Productions
1946 Original Broadway
Born Yesterday opened on February 4, 1946 on Broadway at the
For his performance as Harry Brock, Paul Douglas was awarded the 1946 Clarence Derwent Award for the most promising male performance.[6]
- Original Broadway cast
- Paul Douglas – Harry Brock
- Judy Holliday – Billie Dawn
- Gary Merrill – Paul Verrall
- Carroll Ashburn – The Assistant Manager
- Frank Otto – Eddie Brock
- Larry Oliver – Senator Norval Hedges
- Mona Bruns – Mrs. Hedges
- C. L. Burke – Waiter
- Ellen Hall – Helen
Judy Holliday appeared as Billie Dawn in over 1,200 performances.[7] Her replacements in the role included Jean Hagen and Jan Sterling.
Revival by Princeton University's Summer Theater in 1950
A production staged at
Revival by the Negro Drama Group in 1953–54
A production mounted by the Negro Drama Group at Broadway's President Theatre, starring Edna Mae Robinson as Billie Dawn, Powell Lindsay as Harry Brock and Henry Scott as Paul Verrall, was given a full review in The New York Times on January 1, 1954, with the theatre critic (signature L. C.) mentioning that "...Mrs. Robinson is in private life the wife of Sugar Ray Robinson, the former welterweight and middleweight champion of the world" and that she "...is possessed of a natural flair for comedy. With some judicious direction she could go a long way toward achieving spectacular success in the theatre."[12] Although the production received positive reviews, it closed after five days.[13]
Watergate Era
According to theatre scholar Jordan Schildcrout, the Watergate scandal brought renewed interest in Born Yesterday, with a surge of productions in the early 1970s starring Betty Grable, Sandy Dennis, Chita Rivera, and Karen Valentine at major regional theatres, as well as Lynn Redgrave in a London revival directed by Tom Stoppard.[14] The critic Michael Billington noted, "With the Watergate scandal coming to a head, the play suddenly seems as fresh and relevant as the day it was written."[15] Kanin himself later asserted, "When the play was written it was a fable, but after Watergate it became a documentary."[16]
1989 Broadway revival
The play was revived on Broadway in 1989. It opened at the
- 1989 revival cast
Source:New York Times[17]
- Edward Asner– Harry Brock
- Madeline Kahn – Billie Dawn
- Franklin Cover – Ed Devery
- Daniel Hugh Kelly – Paul Verrall
- Joel Bernstein – Eddie Brock
- Charlotte Booker – Manicurist
- Peggy Cosgrave – Mrs. Hedges
- Heather Ehlers – Helen, a maid
- Paul Hebron – Another Bellhop, Barber, Waiter
- Gregory Jbara – Bellhop, Bootblack
- Ron Johnston – The Assistant Manager
- John Wylie – Senator Norval Hedges
2011 Broadway revival
The second Broadway revival opened at the
The 2011 revival was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play and Best Costume Design of a Play (Catherine Zuber).[21]
- 2011 revival cast
- Jim Belushi as Harry Brock
- Nina Arianda as Billie Dawn
- Frank Wood as Ed Devery
- Robert Sean Leonard as Paul Verrall
- Michael McGrath as Eddie Brock
- Liv Rooth as A Manicurist
- Patricia Hodges as Mrs. Hedges
- Jennifer Regan as Helen, a maid
- Fred Arsenault as Bellhop #1
- Danny Rutigliano as Bellhop #2/Bootblack
- Bill Christ as A Bellhop #3/Barber
- Andrew Weems as The Assistant Manager
- Terry Beaver as Senator Norval Hedges
Film adaptations
The
References
- ^ Nichols, Lewis "The Play In Review; 'Born Yesterday,' Comedy at Lyceum, Shows Political Slant" New York Times (abstract), February 5, 1946, p. 30
- ^ Calta, Louis."'Born Yesterday' To End Run Dec. 31; Kanin Comedy, on Boards Since 46, Will Leave Local Scene After 1,642 Performances" New York Times (abstract), December 24, 1949, p. 10
- ISBN 978-0367210908.
- ^ Born Yesterday, 1946 Internet Broadway Database, accessed June 16, 2011
- ISBN 0-19-516986-7, p. 86
- ^ "The Clarence Derwent Award, 1946" Archived 2010-10-25 at the Wayback Machine actorsequity.org, accessed June 18, 2011
- ^ Schildcrout, p. 91.
- ProQuest 2265373739.
Kenwith's direction is in no small way responsible for the success of the show. More notable, however, is his selection of Shelley Winters and Judson Pratt to play the key roles. And their handling of these assignements is what made 'Born Yesterday' a laugh-filled experience for last night's audience. [...] Judson Pratt handles the role of Harry Brock in a manner reminiscent of Paul Douglas, who used it as a springboard to bigger and better paying things.
- ProQuest 1285960136.
Pratt opened last week in 'Born Yesterday' opposite Shelley Winters at Princeton, N. J. and will tour with the film star until she sails for Europe in the middle of July.
- ProQuest 561413311.
The role of the 'dumb blonde' who, in the final analysis, proves not so dumb after all, is an ideal one for Miss Winters and she makes the most of her opportunities, which are plentiful. Judson Pratt is outstanding as the rough and ready millionaire who thinks that all you need to get what you want in Washington is plenty of money and a lot of bluster.
- ProQuest 821386735.
- ^ L. C. (January 1, 1954). "AT THE THEATRE / Garson Kanin's 'Born Yesterday' Is Revived Here by Negro Troop Led by Edna Mae Robinson". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
- ^ "'Born Yesterday' Folds". Jet: 31. January 14, 1954.
- ISBN 978-0367210908.
- ^ Billington, Michael (21 April 1973). "Review: Born Yesterday". The Guardian.
- ^ Kennedy, Eugene (21 February 1988). "'Born Yesterday' Reborn in Chicago". The New York Times. p. 5 (Section 2). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
- ^ a b c Rich, Frank."Review/Theater; Right-Thinking Ingenuousness Cleans Up a Nation" New York Times, January 30, 1989
- ^ "'Born Yesterday' Closing" New York Times, June 10, 1989
- ^ Born Yesterday, 1989 Internet Broadway Database, accessed June 16, 2011
- ^ Jones, Kenneth."A New Dawn for Billie: 'Born Yesterday', With Nina Arianda, Robert Sean Leonard, Jim Belushi, Opens" Archived July 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, April 24, 2011
- ^ Jones, Kenneth and Gans, Andrew."2011 Tony Nominations Announced; Book of Mormon Earns 14 Nominations" Archived September 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, May 3, 2011
- ^ "'Born Yesterday', 1950" tcm.com, accessed June 18, 2011
- ^ "'Born Yesterday', 1993" Internet Movie Database, accessed June 18, 2011