Notable Opening Nights Catchup Post, Part IV, and Your Own Thursday Headlines

 

Courtesy Pinterest.

We're getting closer to a complete catchup. I am having some fun trying to fit in as many curated capsule commentaries as I can in a 90-minute span.

The final notable May 14 opening was:
Working, which opened in 1978 at what is now the Richard Rodgers. Following his success with Godspell, Pippin, and The Magic Show, but also the failure of The Baker's Wife, Stephen Schwartz made the leap from composer-lyricist to composer-lyricist and co-bookwriter and director. Schwartz wearing so many hats ended up being a single experience (to be fair, Working has a score with songs from additional writers including Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, and James Taylor). Adapted from Studs Terkel's Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, Working had a three-week run on Broadway and went zero for six at the Tonys.

Courtesy YouTube.

Notable May 21 openings include:
Blossom Time, which was revived in 1923 at both the Shubert and now-demolished 44th Street theatres. By this point, Blossom Time was a well-established international hit, even if it wasn't especially faithful to the facts about Franz Schubert. According to the Internet Broadway Database, "It is believed this is the first time two productions of the same show played simultaneously on Broadway. The Shuberts honored tickets purchased for one production at the same performance of the other. At intermission, the audience cast ballots as to who played the roles best (most had seen the original cast members); the performers with the most votes would be cast in the London premiere of Blossom Time." More than 30 years later, Blossom Time's adapters, Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly, would themselves be the subject of a musical biopic. José Ferrer and Merle Oberon starred in 1954's Deep in My Heart.

Courtesy YouTube.

Skidding, which opened in 1928 at the now-demolished Bijou. A decade before the Hardy family would become famous from MGM movies spotlighting son Andy and his father the judge, Aurania Rouverol's play concerned Mrs. Hardy (Clara Blandick, who would end the '30s with her own immortality courtesy of MGM) trying to keep her daughters in line. They include Marion (Marguerite Churchill), who faces a love vs. career conflict, and fledgling wives Estelle (Isabel Dawn) and Myra (Joan Madison). Who needs Mickey Rooney?

Gypsy, which opened in 1959 at the Broadway and closed nearly two years later at the Imperial. I've told this story before, but Rose Thompson Hovick happened to have been born in Wahpeton. One day, the police chief mentioned that to me, then asked if I was familiar with her and Gypsy. It took all my strength not to do an impromptu rendition of "Mr. Goldstone, I Love You."

Courtesy YouTube.

Gemini, which opened in 1977 at what is now the Hayes. Following successful off-Broadway runs, Albert Innaurato's play about a 21-year-old gay guy who's both a Harvard student and also a South Philadelphia native (Robert Picardo) went on to a more than four-year Broadway run. Gemini was adapted into a 1980 film, Happy Birthday, Gemini, which considerably beefed up the role of Bunny (Jessica James on stage, Madeline Kahn on screen).

Courtesy YouTube.

Well, not too shabby. We're back to only one week behind. Until my next catchup post.