Take Me Along
| Take Me Along! | |
|---|---|
Ah, Wilderness by Eugene O'Neill | |
| Productions | 1959 Broadway 1985 Broadway revival |
Take Me Along is a 1959 musical based on the 1933
Background
The idea to musicalize Ah, Wilderness came to David Merrick when
Synopsis
In a small Connecticut town on July 4, 1906, Nat and Essie Miller head a middle class New England family with teenage children who are coming of age, falling in love, and desperately trying to stay out of trouble. Bob Merrill's rousing and lovely score includes "Staying Young," "That's How It Starts," "Promise Me A Rose," and the title song.[2]
Original cast and characters
| Character | Broadway (1959)[3] | First Broadway Revival (1985)[4] |
|---|---|---|
| Sid Davis | Jackie Gleason | Kurt Knudson |
| Nat Miller | Walter Pidgeon | Robert Nichols |
| Lily Miller | Eileen Herlie | Beth Fowler |
| Essie Miller | Una Merkel | Betty Johnson |
| Richard Miller | Robert Morse | Gary Landon Wright |
| Wint Selby | Peter Conlow | Joel Whittaker |
| Muriel McComber | Susan Luckey | Taryn Grimes |
| Dave MacComber | Fred Miller | Richard Korthaze |
| Belle | Arlene Golonka | Nikki Sahagen |
| Mildred Miller | Zeme North | Alyson Kirk |
| Arthur Miller | James Cresson | Stephen McDonough |
| Tommy Miller | Luke Halpin | N/A |
| Bartender | Jack Collins | David Vosburgh |
| The Drunk | Gene Varrone | N/A |
Songs
|
|
Knights on White Horses was added for Lily (Beth Fowler) in the 1985 revival. Volunteer Firemen's Picnic has been borrowed twice by animated TV show Family Guy: first for the episode PTV as The Freakin' FCC. The song then returned for a special appearance at the Emmy Awards as If You Want It You Can Find It On TV, taking potshots at Desperate Housewives, Two and a Half Men and The Sopranos among others.
Productions
Take Me Along was directed by Peter Glenville with choreography by Onna White, production design by Oliver Smith, lighting by Jean Rosenthal, costumes by Miles White, musical direction and vocal arrangements by Lehman Engel, dances and musical numbers staging by Onna White, ballet and incidental music by Laurence Rosenthal, orchestrations by Philip J. Lang; and was produced by David Merrick.[5] It opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on October 22, 1959 [5] and closed on December 17, 1960, after 448 performances.[6][7][8][9]
A revival opened on Broadway at the
The musical opened at the Irish Repertory Theater, New York City, in a limited run, from February 28, 2008, through April 13, 2008.[11][12]
Use in advertising
In 1967, United Airlines' advertising agency, Leo Burnett, adapted the title song for a massive ad campaign, anchored by promotional films directed by Michael Cimino, who would later become a noted motion picture screenwriter and director. An urban legend then goes on to say that the ad campaign backfired when United offered a two-for-one "take me along" fare in ads encouraging (male) business travelers to take their wives with them on business trips. United then sent "thank you" letters to the wives of business travelers who had taken advantage of the promotion. Unfortunately, many of these wives had not been "taken along" on those trips. Instead, many husbands had supposedly traveled with their mistresses. In truth, companions were only offered discounts, never freebies.[13]
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Best Musical | Nominated | ||
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
|
Jackie Gleason | Won | ||
| Robert Morse | Nominated | |||
| Walter Pidgeon | Nominated | |||
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
|
Eileen Herlie | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Peter Glenville | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Onna White | Nominated | ||
| Best Conductor and Musical Director | Lehman Engel | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Miles White | Nominated | ||
| Best Stage Technician | Al Alloy | Nominated | ||
References
- ^ Mandelbaum, Ken."Ken Mandelbaum's Musicals On Disc: Remembering Bob Merrill" (partial cast list) playbill.com, March 1, 1998
- ^ Take Me Long Concord Theatricalsaccessed 07/14/2023
- ^ Playbill 1961 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/14/2023
- ^ IDBD 1985 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/14/2023
- ^ a b Atkinson, Brooks. "Theatre:'Take Me Along'", The New York Times, October 23, 1959, p. 22
- ISBN 0-7935-7750-0, p. 183"Broadway Musicals, Show By Show, retrieved June 9, 2010 (books.google.com)
- ISBN 0-19-531407-7, p. 256
- ^ Prideaux, Tom."Music for Wilderness", pp. 117-122Life Magazine, November 2, 1959 (books.google.com)
- ^ a b "'Take Me Along' listing, 1959" ibdb.com, retrieved June 9, 2010
- ^ "'Take Me Along' listing, 1985" ibdb.com, retrieved June 9, 2010
- ^ Saltzman, Simon "Review" curtainup.com, February 23, 2008
- ^ Jones, Kenneth."Irish Rep's 'Take Me Along' Revival Opens Feb. 28 in NYC" playbill.com, February 28, 2008
- ^ "Jingle: United Air Lines "Take Me Along" (1967)". Fly the Branded Skies. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
- ^ "Tony Awards tonyawards.com, retrieved June 9, 2010