Say, Darling

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Say, Darling
Book
Abe Burrows
Marian Bissell
Richard Bissell
BasisRichard Bissell's autobiographical book Say, Darling.
Productions1958 Broadway

Say, Darling is a three-act comic

Broadway musical. While the play featured nine original songs with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne, all the songs are presented as either rehearsal or audition material
.

Background

In a case of art imitating life not once, but twice, the show is an adaptation of Richard Bissell's semi-

autobiographical novel of the same name which chronicled his experience adapting his novel 7½ Cents for The Pajama Game
: namely, a stage adaptation of a novel, which itself concerns the musical adaptation of a book.

It focuses on Jack Jordan (

Great White Way, from auditions to rehearsals, to rewrites in hotel rooms to feuds among cast members, all under the watchful eye of veteran stage producer/director Richard Hackett (Jerome Cowan), loosely based on George Abbott, and a very young fledgling co-producer, Ted Snow (Robert Morse) whose financial acumen greatly outweighs his show business savvy. Actor Morse was widely thought to be imitating producer Harold Prince, who had co-produced The Pajama Game
, because of their similar physical appearance.

Original production

The Broadway production, directed by Burrows and

Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play and won the Theatre World Award
for his performance.

The original 1957

original cast recording of the score, leading many to conclude that Say, Darling was actually a musical
.

Critical reception

Reviewing the original Broadway production, Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times called it "hardly more than a clever college show" and a "higgledy-piggledy yarn."[2]

In the New York Daily News, critic John Chapman said the play could be "fixed up," but called Morse "splendid" and praised Wayne's and Blaine's performances. [3]

Other productions

The New York City Center Light Opera Company's production of Say, Darling opened on February 25, 1959, a few weeks after the musical's Broadway closing. Many of the cast members returned for this short revival, including Morse, Matt Mattox, Mitchell Gregg and Elliott Gould; and joining the company were Orson Bean (Jack Jordan), Mindy Carson (Irene Lovelle), David Atkinson (Rudy Lorraine), Betsy von Furstenberg (Frankie Jordan) and Jack Waldron (Schatzie Harris). This run closed on March 8, 1959, after only 16 performances.[1]: 339–340 

The play was revived Off-Broadway at the West End Theatre in New York City for 16 performances in May through June 1996 under the direction of Robert Armin. [4]: 158 

An

LP release. The "long-lost" Robert Morse dialogue was not included.[5]

Songs

Something’s Always Happening on the River was recorded in June 1958 by

RCA Victor's eponymous named Something’s Always Happening on the River.[6]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4422-3504-5
    .
  2. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  3. Newspapers.com
    .
  4. ISBN 978-1-55783-323-5
    . Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  5. ^ amazon.com, Say, Darling - CD Reissue of 1958 Cast Album
  6. ^ Bob Scobey's Frisco Band with Clancy Hayes, Something’s Always Happening on the River, RCA Victor LSP-1889, 1959

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Say,_Darling&oldid=1186593472"