I Had a Ball
I Had a Ball | ||
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Book Jerome Chodorov | | |
Productions | 1964 Broadway |
I Had a Ball is a musical with a book by Jerome Chodorov and music and lyrics by Jack Lawrence and Stan Freeman. It starred Buddy Hackett, and featured Richard Kiley and Karen Morrow.
Plot overview
Set on the
Background
I Had a Ball was similar to earlier projects designed to showcase the talents of a comic, short on plot and overloaded with vaudeville-like comedy routines and musical numbers. In this case the star was nightclub and television comic Buddy Hackett, appearing for the first time in a structured theatrical production. Steven Suskin called this the "clown show"; "They were about the fellow — almost always a man — at the center. Ed Wynn or Bert Lahr or Victor Moore or the brothers Marx..."[1]
Production
The production had a critically and commercially successful run in
Choreography was by Onna White.[3] Lloyd Richards, who later was the Artistic Director for the Yale Repertory Theatre and a frequent collaborator with playwright August Wilson, was signed to direct. Following a clash with producer Joseph Kipness he was replaced by John Allen, although Richards retained official credit in the program.[1] Prior to opening, several songs had to be cut; Hackett's lack of singing ability led to Garside's solo "Lament/I'm An Average Guy" being removed, as well as Hackett's duet with Kiley entitled "Be A Phony." "I'm An All American Boy", a song that Kiley enjoyed and had requested for himself (but which had been written for a different character), was poorly received in Detroit and was removed.
In addition to Hackett as Garside, the cast included Richard Kiley as Stan, Karen Morrow as Jeannie, Steve Roland as Brooks, Luba Lisa as Addie, Rosetta LeNoire as Ma Maloney, and Ted Thurston as Officer Millhauser. The Alley Gang was made up of Al Nesor as Gimlet, Jack Wakefield as Joe the Muzzler, and Conrad Yama as George Osaka. Morocco, a belly dancer was credited as herself.[3][4]
Reception
The New York City critics were less enamored with the show than their Detroit counterparts had been, and without a strong directorial hand to keep him under control, Hackett soon began ignoring the script and breaking character to inject his own routines into the proceedings, especially to defend the show from reviews.[citation needed] Despite mixed reviews, positive word-of-mouth, linked with one-night cameos made by several of Hackett's friends (such as Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, and Steve Lawrence) during a tunnel of love sequence, caused an increase in the box office. However, competition from heavy-hitters like Fiddler on the Roof; Hello, Dolly! and Funny Girl, plus Hackett demanding to be released from his contract without a replacement ready, ultimately led to an early closing with losses of $225,000 from a $300,000 investment.[5]
Recordings
The original Broadway Cast Recording was released on the Mercury label in 1965. A reviewer of the recording wrote: "There are a couple of mildly witty numbers, 'Neighborhood,' sung by Rosetta Le Noire, and 'The Affluent Society,' by Kiley and Steve Roland, and the romantic ballad 'Almost' isn't bad. But little of the music is memorable, and some of it is derivative."[6]
A compilation, I/We Had a Ball, consisting of jazz versions of songs from the musical was released on Limelight Records in 1964. It features sessions led by Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Milt Jackson, Quincy Jones, Art Blakey and Dizzy Gillespie.[7]
Songs
Source: guidetomusicaltheatre.com[8]
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Notes
- ^ a b "ON THE RECORD: 'I Had a Ball' and Jessica Molaskey's 'Good Day'" playbill.com, June 1, 2003
- ^ "Jack Lawrence, Biography" songwritershalloffame.org, accessed May 24, 2012
- ^ a b c d "'I Had a Ball'" playbillvault.com, accessed May 24, 2012
- ^ Mercury Records OCM 2210 - Liner/inner booklet notes.
- ^ "'Ball,' 'Sammy,' 'Bajour' Drop Nearly $1,000,000". Variety. June 16, 1965. p. 1.
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "'I Had a Ball'" allmusic.com, accessed May 24, 2012
- ^ " 'I/We Had A Ball' Listing, 1964" discogs.com, accessed May 26, 2012
- ^ "'I Had a Ball' Synopsis, Cast, Musical Numbers" guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed May 24, 2012
References
- Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops by ISBN 0-312-06428-4)