MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP
TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS
The Honor Roll - Part 1
Over the past nearly half-century, I have seen many, many
musicals. Some I was neutral towards; a few I hated; most I liked; some I loved
and a select few I really, really
loved. Those select few make up my list of my top twenty-five musicals. Like my
selection of my top twenty-five plays, this list is completely subjective.
These are musicals I like, not influenced either by critical acclaim or
critical disdain. These musicals run the gamut from high-profile mega-hits to
modest successes to, well, financial failures. Despite their position in the
financial plus or minus column, though, each of these shows holds a special
place in my theatre-going heart. Shows that speak to me, that inspire me, that
delight me. Perhaps some of these are your favorites as well.
I'll begin this series with the fifteen shows that make up
my musical Honor Roll. Because this will be a lengthy post, I'll only chat
about one show today, the phenomenal 1776.
1776 - Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards, Book by
Peter Stone
For decades, Sherman Edwards' and Peter Stone's remarkable
musical based on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of
Independence was my most-seen show. (Note: Follies is now most-seen show by a comfortable margin.) Between
December, 1970 and May, 1972 I saw the show eleven times. During its Chicago
run, I auditioned for the First National Company to replace the Leather Apron
and understudy the Courier. (see Sidebar 1) In 1975, I played the Courier in a
production at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. (see Sidebar 2) I enjoyed the film
version. Surprisingly, this show is rarely professionally produced and somehow
Bob and I missed the Roundabout revival in the late 1990s, so it wasn't until
this year, 2013, that I saw my first professional production of 1776 after a span over forty-one (!!)
years.
Happily, time has not diminished my love for this wonderful
show. Peter Stone's book is rock-solid, often thought-provoking and frequently
funny, with the character of Ben Franklin getting most of the choicer bon mots.
Sherman Edwards' score briskly moves the plot along with terrific character
songs, a frightening paean to conservatism ("Cool, Cool, Considerate Men"), a truly lovely ballad ("Yours,
Yours, Yours") and a thrilling, no holds barred eleven o'clock number (
"Molasses to Rum"). It's a triumphant score by any standards and,
sadly, Edwards' only Broadway contribution except for providing incidental
music for a play in 1960. What is most impressive to me is the fact that this
show is not afraid to have lengthy book scenes when such scenes are necessary
to provide the proper dramatic arc and flow. What's even more impressive, and
especially noticed when we saw the show most recently, was that audience was
involved and engrossed during these lengthy scenes. That is a tribute not only
to the talents of the cast, but also to the strength of Mr. Stone's book. If
only all U.S. history could be so entertaining!
**********
December, 1970. My introduction to
this amazing show. I loved everything about it. Peter Stone's book, Sherman
Edwards' score, Patricia Zipprodt's costumes, Jo Meilziner's lighting and set
and the incredible cast of actors who brought this story to vivid life. Irish
actor Patrick Bedford, not to be confused with Brian Bedford, was a fiery John
Adams, yet revealed a refreshing softness in his scenes with his wife, Abigail,
beautifully played by a favorite of mine, Barbara Lang. And look who was in the
cast…a young George Hearn as the Conservative's conservative, John Dickinson.
Fun factoid: Rex Everhart, who was
deliciously tart as Benjamin Franklin, is the Franklin on the original Broadway
cast recording of 1776. Howard Da
Silva, the original Franklin ,was ill for the first few weeks of the New York
run. As Da Silva's standby, Everhart took over and since cast recordings back
then were traditionally recorded the first Sunday after opening, when the show
was dark (Sunday matinees were a rare exception on Broadway and not the rule in
those days), his interpretation of Franklin has been immortalized on the
superlative original cast recording.
This was the First National Company, which opened in the spring of 1970
and played through 1972. Amazingly, it closed with Bedford, Everhart and Lang
still playing their original roles. Amazing because today for a leading actor
to stay in a show for six months is more or less standard; for that actor to
stay a year is considered a long run; for that actor to stay over two years is
all but unheard of. This was also my introduction to the vibrant Milwaukee
theatre scene. Uihlein Hall was only about one year old when this tour breezed
through and I became enamored of its sleek, somewhat cold design that seemed
both large and intimate. I would see many shows there over the years. And as if
that weren't enough, I met Barbara Lang's mother and (very hot) brother on the
C&NW train back to Waukegan (they went on to Chicago). - at Uihlein Hall,
Milwaukee, WI
**********
October, 1971 - May, 1972. By the
time the First National Company of 1776
took up residence at the Shubert Theatre for a seven-month stay, Edmund Lyndeck
had assumed the role of Dickinson and a few other characters were being acted
by different folks than the ones I had seen in Milwaukee ten months earlier.
During the Chicago run further replacements were made, but Patrick Bedford, Rex
Everhart, Barbara Lang, and Michael Davis, the Broadway veteran who was superb
as "Molasses to Rum" Edward Rutledge, were with the show the entire
run and only seemed to grow in stature as the run progressed. As you can see
from the ticket stub display, I saw the Shubert production more than a few
times. One could say I was a wee bit obsessed with it. Just a bit. By the time
the film version came out, I had become so used to Patrick Bedford's
outstanding portrayal of John Adams, that I was initially a bit put off by
William Daniels' (the original John Adams) performance. Fun sidebar: All of the
Adams/Abigail scenes are exchanges of letters with both actors onstage reacting
to, but not necessarily reacting with,
the other actor, if that makes sense. Well, anyway, in the first Adams/Abigail
scene, Adams is describing how other members of the Congressional Congress feel
about him. As he lists his perceived faults, Abigail enters and responds to this list of
unflattering comments. At the final performance, Bedford read off the first
negative comment, but no response from Abigail. Barbara Lang had missed her
entrance. Being a pro, he continued reading off the list and at the very last
possible second, Lang hurried onstage and delivered her line to the obvious
relief of Bedford. By this time, of course, I knew there had been an oops, but
it's a credit to the professionalism of both Bedford and Lang that no one in
the audience had a clue anything was amiss. This show was such an important part of my
early adulthood. - at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago
Sidebar 1: Auditioning for the First National Company. I had no clue
how to go about this. I did it, frankly, on a dare. As I remember, this was an
open call, first come, first served. I was so unprepared. I was so young (21). I was so naïve. I had a
hastily typed-up resume, but no headshot. By this time in my collegiate career,
I knew I didn't want to act professionally, so why have one? My resume was a paltry affair: all educational theatre, and not even much of
that, and one local summer theatre credit when I was still in high school.
Everyone around me had much more impressive resumes. Everyone around me was
oozing actor confidence and assurance. Me? I wanted to escape. But then I heard
my name called and it was too late. The show's musical director, Glen Clugston,
was at the piano and when he saw I didn't have any music with me (who knew I
would need music?), asked me what I wanted to sing. Well, Clugston had recently
been the musical director for multiple productions of The Fantasticks and everyone
in my group backstage up to that point
had sung the same damn 16 bars of "Try to Remember." I shrugged and
asked, "Can I sing the song from the show, "Momma, Look Sharp?"
(God, I can't believe how clueless I was!). Was I mistaken or did I detect a look
of relief from Mr. Clugston? He agreed and suddenly I found myself on the stage
of the Shubert Theatre on the legendary Jo Mielziner's amazing set. Oddly
enough, I wasn't panicked. I sang what I thought were 16 bars, thanked the
People in the Dark and started to walk offstage. Suddenly from the house I
heard, "Where are you going?" Huh? Me: "Uh…" People in the Dark: "Could you sing the
entire song for us?" Huh??? Me: "Uh, sure." And I did. The
entire song. All of it. And as I did, I could see two of the People in the Dark
move closer to the stage. WTF? I finished. People in the Dark: "Thank you.
That was great." Me (in a daze): "You're welcome. Thank you."
and I scurried off the stage to be met by a "good job" and beaming
smile from Glen Clugston and some glares from the other auditionees. And that,
as they say, was that. That was my only professional audition to date. Since
you don't see my name on a Broadway marquee, I obviously didn't book the gig.
And that's show biz, kids.
**********
September, 2013. It took over forty-one years for me to
see another professional production of 1776.
The moment I read on Playbill.com that this was being produced at San
Francisco's A.C.T., I immediately ordered tickets. We went to the first
preview. Magnificent! Not a weak link in the sizable cast. Great physical
production. A few minor technical items need to be addressed and there was the
occasional odd directorial choice by Frank Galati, especially in the
Adams/Abigail scenes and the odd entrance-exit choice for the Courier, but
overall this Broadway-caliber performance was a thrilling evening at the
theatre. We even saw a Chicago face in the cast: Jarrod Zimmerman, who was the
only true bright spot as Oscar in the otherwise sad production of "Sweet
Charity" last winter at Writers' (see an earlier post). He played Rutledge
and knocked the exciting and difficult "Molasses to Rum" out of the
proverbial ballpark. Well done, Jarrod! Intelligent. Stirring. Unforgettable.
Bravo, A.C.T. - at the Geary Theatre (A.C.T.), San Francisco
**********
Sidebar 2: The Courier in Kentucky. It may surprise you to learn that
military bases, at least U.S. Army bases, have active arts programs. Over the
years I was active in the theatre program at Fort Sheridan, IL, near my
then-home of Waukegan. The Army sponsors the U.S. Army Festival of the Arts and
the Fort Campbell production of 1776 was Fort Campbell's entry in 1975. My good friend Joe
was the musical director for the show
(he had moved from Waukegan to Hopkinsville, KY, near Fort Campbell, with his
then-boyfriend for reasons that elude me now.) Joe encouraged me to try out for
the Courier. I figured what the hell. It'd be a fun weekend with friends if
nothing else. I had absolutely no illusions that I would actually get the part.
I did. (Full disclosure: according to Joe, what tipped the scales in my favor
was that I could say my eleven lines and sing the song without a trace of a
southern accent. Well, duh! I'm a northern Illinois boy.) I flew down to Fort
Campbell twice to rehearse the Courier's scene, then went down for the final
ten days of rehearsal and the four performances. It was rough going. I felt I
was miscast. The song went to the very top of my range and I didn't feel I was
singing it well. The cast, while pleasant enough, treated me as though I were
an outsider. (Well, I was.) I wanted to quit. I didn't. I got better in
the part. My voice adapted to the vocal demands of the song. I worked hard and
cooperatively and eventually the cast warmed up to the "Yankee
infiltrator." And on the last night, after my song, I got up from my perch
(John Adams' desk) that hung over the orchestra pit, stepped back behind the
curtain line and stood in darkness as the curtain fell on Act One. Dead
silence. And then thunderous applause. Thirty-eight years later, that
performance remains the finest work I have ever done onstage. I am intensely
proud of it.
March, 1975. The Courier.
Beautiful set. Exquisite costumes built specifically for us so they fit like
gloves. Mine was a combination of corduroy and cotton that was hot as hell
under the stage lights. Authentic, yes, but, damn! The cast, a combination of
civilians and active military, were all personable, talented folks. Our Abigail
Adams, Nancy Moffitt, was especially luminous. It was a thrill to work with
these people. - Fort Campbell Community Theatre, Fort Campbell, KY
Sidebar 3: Some fun stuff specific to doing theatre on an Army base.
First…cast listings. In Army theatre, if you're active military (or a
reservist), your rank is shown, hence SP5, 1LT, etc. At Fort Sheridan, if you
were a dependent, say spouse or child, of active military personnel, you would
have (DEP) after your name, e.g. Jeffrey Geddes (DEP). If you were a civilian
working on the base, you'd have (DAC) after your name. If you were a plain, old
civilian, you would either have nothing after your name or (CIV). At Fort
Sheridan, I was either Jeffrey Geddes (CIV) or just Jeffrey Geddes. I'm not
sure if it was a requirement, but as a director at Fort Sheridan I was strongly
encouraged to cast at least one active military member, preferably more,
depending on the cast size. DEPs counted, but didn't score as many
"points." There was also an unwritten protocol when working with or
addressing military personnel, especially when dealing with those of different
ranks. As a director, I tend to call my actors by their first names rather than
by their character names. However, if I was staging a scene between an enlisted
soldier and an officer, for example, the dialogue would go something like this:
"Private Jones, I'd like you to cross to Major Smith. Major, take the
letter from the Private and then cross center." It sounds a bit stiff and
formal, but it soon became second-nature. Even in the collaborative environment
of the theatre, rank was still, well, rank. It wasn't snobbish; it was just the
way things were done.
Celebrate the upcoming week by planning on attending a live performance. More later....Ta.
