This week's Notable Opening Night is July 17, 2005, when Suzanne Somers' The Blonde in the Thunderbird opened at what was then the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
Those who've seen it will never forget it, although some wish they could. You have your choice of samplers ...
... or, for the bravest, the full show, which closed after less than a week. The Blonde in the Thunderbird, which was intended to run for at least a month-and-a-half, was based on two of Suzanne's books, Keeping Secrets and After the Fall. It was produced by Suzanne's husband and now-widower, Alan Hamel. The show was written and directed by Mitzie and Ken Welch, best known for almost every '70s TV musical variety broadcast including The Star Wars Holiday Special.
Playbill, before the show opened: "When people hear the name Suzanne Somers, what would you like them to think?"
Suzanne Somers: "'I tell you the truth.' I do always, maybe it works for me or against me, I don't know, but it's all I know. And if you see this show, you'll know I wasn't always like that."
"Self-absorption masquerading as self-exploration and self-irony, this so-called 'one-woman musical joyride' chronicles Somers’ evolution from zero self-esteem to a level that’s surely off the chart, which might serve as a useful cushion when reading the reviews."
-- Variety
"Barry Manilow said Broadway would break my heart, and it has."
-- Suzanne, announcing her show's closure
Still, we'll always have Santa Monica.
Courtesy YouTube.
Also opening on this date:
[title of show], which opened in 2008 at the Lyceum. It's a musical about the writing and putting on of a musical. [title of show] lasted less than three months, only scoring one Tony nomination, for Hunter Bell's book. He lost to Lee Hall for Billy Elliot the Musical.
Courtesy YouTube.
Notable Opening Nights returns in two weeks with a post brought to you by the letter Q.
No comments:
Post a Comment