Lovely Linda and Make Your Own Thursday Headlines

 

Courtesy Interlochen Public Radio.

This week's Notable Opening Night is Jan. 8, 1981, when The Pirates of Penzance was revived at what is now the Gershwin.

"It is every bit as wonderful on Broadway in January as it was in Central Park in July," Frank Rich wrote about Joseph Papp's production of The Pirates of Penzance. "New York's affection for (this show) is unlikely to remain merely a summertime crush. This is the beginning of a full-blown love affair that just may last for years."

Directed by Wilford Leach, with choreography by Graciela Daniele, Penzance ran for nearly two years on Broadway. After seven months at the Uris ("bigger than all outdoors and not nearly as pretty," Rich wrote), the show spent more than a year at the Minskoff. It scored seven Tony nominations, winning Best Revival (it wasn't until 1994 that separate awards were given for revived plays and revived musicals), for Leach's direction, and for Kevin Kline's performance as The Pirate King. And man, did Frank love Kevin.

Courtesy YouTube.

"He has all the ingredients for conventional leading-man stardom - a big voice, dashing good looks, infinite charm - and yet he's also blessed with the grace and timing of a silent-movie clown," Rich declared. "One must wonder how long Pirates - or anything - will be able to keep this performer in captivity."

Linda Ronstadt, who played Mabel, and Rex Smith, who played Frederic, both improved on Broadway according to Rich. "She's even beginning to relax and enjoy her comic moments, especially those that call for her to order the constabulary into deathly battle," Rich wrote. "If he's more commanding than before, he hasn't sacrificed any of the adolescent ardor that gives the show its innocent romantic center."

Courtesy YouTube.

Rich also had raves for George Rose, who played Major General Stanley ("He's having so much devilsh fun it's indecent."), and Estelle Parsons, who replaced Patricia Routledge as Ruth ("She brings the show both a fine contralto and an adorable dizziness."). Rose was nominated in the lead actor category, losing to Kline, while Ronstadt lost as a lead actress to Lauren Bacall in Woman of the Year. The other two also-rans at the Tonys were Tony Azito, nominated as a featured actor for playing the Sergeant of Police (he lost to Hinton Battle for Sophisticated Ladies), and Daniele (whose choreography lost to Gower Champion's work in 42nd Street).

Seriously, you'd have bought a ticket based on this review ...

"This show's totally assured tone - funny yet not campy, sweet yet not soupy - is what brings its diverse elements together," Rich wrote. "By rethinking - but not rewriting - Gilbert and Sullivan's work in the highly charged terms of modern musical comedy, Mr. Papp and company have gained the best of both worlds. Indeed, they have united civilized British wit and American show-biz knowhow in a combustive Broadway musical for the first time since the Messrs. Lerner and Loewe met Shaw halfway in My Fair Lady."

Courtesy YouTube.

Also opening on this day:

The Taming of the Shrew, which opened in 1768 at the now-demolished John Street Theatre. This was apparently the American premiere of Shakespeare's comedy.

Courtesy YouTube. As Kline said in his Tony acceptance speech, Julia was the first choice for his part.

The Cherry Orchard and The Three Sisters, which opened in 1923 at the now-demolished Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, last known as the New Century. This was apparently the American debut of Chekhov's masterpieces, played in repertory by the Moscow Art Theatre.

Hadrian VII, which opened in 1969 at the now-demolished Helen Hayes. Peter Luke adapted Frederick Rolfe's novel about an iconoclast Pope (Alec McCowen). Luke and McCowen were also-rans at the Tonys, to The Great White Hope and its star, James Earl Jones.

Sweet Sue, which opened in 1987 at the Music Box and closed nearly five months later at what is now the Bernard B. Jacobs. Mary Tyler Moore, giving her last Broadway performance in a play, and Lynn Redgrave, starred in this A.R. Gurney, Jr. play. They were "Susan" and "Susan Too," considering whether she'll get together with her son's college roommate, "Jake" (John K. Linton) and "Jake Too" (Barry Tubb).

Next week, I'll invite you to step right up to my commentary.