The music wasn’t the best, better suited for off-Broadway, and closed, I believe, opening night. And I have no memory of anything that happened during the show. Rainbow Jones by Jill Williams was a musical but certainly did not belong on Broadway. The show has only been done infrequently since 1974. It had a successful run at the Shubert but by the end of the run the two remaining Andrew sisters were not talking to each other off-stage. Over Here by the Sherman brothers was a WWII musical starring the Andrews Sisters and introducing John Travolta and Ann Reinking. It has been revived many times and the story gets a little better each time. Unfortunately they felt compelled to tell the actual story which was not a musical comedy and it involved murder and cocaine and this was seemingly responsible for the show not having the run it deserved. The great score, one of the best Jerry Herman ever wrote, was sung by Bernadette Peters and Robert Preston. Mack and Mabel by Jerry Herman was about Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, really early pioneers in the silent movies. She was only able to do a few performances in Philadelphia and they closed the show without going to New York. This musical version of ‘The Corn Is Green’ takes place in the South where she is a teacher. The curtain came down and she started the show off the bicycle. Which was obviously something not easy for somebody at her age. At the first preview in Philadelphia, she was given the task of riding a bicycle across the stage. This show was Bette Davis second and unfortunately last attempt at doing a musical. Miss Moffat by Albert Hague and Emlyn Williams. It arrived on Broadway and had a moderate run. It too had a very long tour and was made into two LP’s: one was the out of town tour after many changes and the second LP was made to incorporate the new songs. It starred Carol Channing reprising her ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ role with additional material as she looked back upon her life. Lorelie was a revival by Styne, Robin, and Comden and Green. It was first done in London and a triumph there sent it up to Winter Garden in New York. Gypsy by Styne and Sondheim starred Angela Lansbury. It has many songs that were cut during the long tour. The recording we have was made by one of the cast members, Lane Bryant, as he toured with the show. Unfortunately, Alice Faye and the somewhat older cast were sent on a nine month tour and by the time it finally arrived at the St. Good News started in Boston where I saw it and found it was quite well done. It was still worth seeing even at the expense of taking out seats and other things as a result of the musical not returning it’s investment. Tovah Feldshuh played one of the women.Ĭandide by Leonard Bernstein and Richard Wilbur moved from a small Brooklyn theatre’s base to the 8 or 10 times as big Broadway theatre. It took place in the mind of a woman and was very confusing. Bruce Yeko, owner of Footlight Records, reflects on the musicals of 1974.īrainchild by Michel Legrand and Hal David closed in Philadelphia.
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