theatrical autobiographies

David Levy · Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 46

I'm visiting my parents in Delray Beach this week, and my dad took me
to a great used book store earlier in the week where I found a
treasure trove of old books from the 40s at great prices. I picked up
autobios from Fred Astaire & Gertrude Lawrence, plus the Modern
Library's "Six By Rodgers & Hammerstein" and a few others. I also
grabbed the much more recent autobio of Cy Feuer, producer of Where's
Charley, Guys & Dolls, Can-Can, Silk Stockings and others, plus the
films of Cabaret and A Chorus Line. It was a fun, breezy read, and I
can't imagine anyone here wouldn't love it. Some great tidbits I
hadn't heard, like Harold Arlen originally being hired to write
Where's Charley with Loesser. Feuer takes all the credit for the
changes in structure to Cabaret for the film and accepts the blame for
A Chorus Line (while expressing a bit of befuddlement at the reception
of the film - he knows it's not what it could have been, but he's
still fairly proud of it). I can't wait to get home to pull out my
cast albums of all those shows to listen to them with new ears...

(I also caught a local production of Baby that had an incredibly
talented cast, although the canned music made it feel a little too
much like karaoke night... I enjoyed the show, but it's very clear
why the original never ran. There's barely a laugh in the entire
first act, and too much of it is filed with episodic song moments that
don't really have much to do with the story, which is probably why
M&S's stuff is so successful in cabarets and so rarely successful in
their shows...)

Archived from group: rec>arts>theatre>musicals

Andy on Long Island · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 65

You didn't find a copy of Meredith Willson's "But He Doesn't Know the
Territory" (MW's autobiographical tale of his writing TMM), did you?

That one's a keeper, but it would have come out later than the 40s.

"David Levy" wrote in message @z70g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> I'm visiting my parents in Delray Beach this week, and my dad took me
> to a great used book store earlier in the week where I found a
> treasure trove of old books from the 40s at great prices. I picked up
> autobios from Fred Astaire & Gertrude Lawrence, plus the Modern
> Library's "Six By Rodgers & Hammerstein" and a few others. I also
> grabbed the much more recent autobio of Cy Feuer, producer of Where's
> Charley, Guys & Dolls, Can-Can, Silk Stockings and others, plus the
> films of Cabaret and A Chorus Line. It was a fun, breezy read, and I
> can't imagine anyone here wouldn't love it. Some great tidbits I
> hadn't heard, like Harold Arlen originally being hired to write
> Where's Charley with Loesser. Feuer takes all the credit for the
> changes in structure to Cabaret for the film and accepts the blame for
> A Chorus Line (while expressing a bit of befuddlement at the reception
> of the film - he knows it's not what it could have been, but he's
> still fairly proud of it). I can't wait to get home to pull out my
> cast albums of all those shows to listen to them with new ears...
>
>
> (I also caught a local production of Baby that had an incredibly
> talented cast, although the canned music made it feel a little too
> much like karaoke night... I enjoyed the show, but it's very clear
> why the original never ran. There's barely a laugh in the entire
> first act, and too much of it is filed with episodic song moments that
> don't really have much to do with the story, which is probably why
> M&S's stuff is so successful in cabarets and so rarely successful in
> their shows...)

David Levy · Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 46

On Feb 23, 5:27 pm, "Andy on Long Island"
wrote:
> You didn't find a copy of Meredith Willson's "But He Doesn't Know the
> Territory" (MW's autobiographical tale of his writing TMM), did you?
>
> That one's a keeper, but it would have come out later than the 40s.

No, but that's on my list of books to watch for. (Also on the list is
Lehman Engel's how-to book, I think called "Words & Music," which
might be back in print. They had a copy at the store, but it was a
signed first edition and therefore more than I cared to spend.)

Steve Newport · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 1415

tFrom: dlevy@post.harvard.edu (David Levy) I'm visiting my parents in
Delray Beach this week, and my dad took me to a great used book store
-------------------------------------
You're almost in my neighborhood. What's the name of the store? I bought
the Cy Feuer book new and posted about it here.

MaryLyon · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 28

Greetings:

I also
> grabbed the much more recent autobio of Cy Feuer, producer of Where's
> Charley, Guys & Dolls, Can-Can, Silk Stockings and others, plus the
> films of Cabaret and A Chorus Line. It was a fun, breezy read, and I
> can't imagine anyone here wouldn't love it.

I've read that book, it's terrific. And I'm with you 100% about used
bookstores being a great source for weird old theatre books - I've
bought some of my favorites in musty old shoppes in the French
Quarter..

>
> (I also caught a local production of Baby that had an incredibly
> talented cast, although the canned music made it feel a little too
> much like karaoke night... I enjoyed the show, but it's very clear
> why the original never ran. There's barely a laugh in the entire
> first act, and too much of it is filed with episodic song moments that
> don't really have much to do with the story, which is probably why
> M&S's stuff is so successful in cabarets and so rarely successful in
> their shows...)

I really like "Baby," having done it in college, but it's hard for me
to imagine that anyone thought it would be a commercial success. It
really has not held up over time - specifically, the repeated use of
the word "punk" really makes me cringe, especially since Danny and his
band are so obviously NOT "punk" (if they were, Danny would have
knifed Lizzie somewhere along the way, or he would be unable to
support their child because of his terrible heroin problem...) Pam and
Nick's fertility predicament is touching and sad, but Alan and
Arlene's issues seem pretty quaint these days, given that so many
parents are in their forties when they are having children nowadays.

I think it is interesting that both Arlene and Lizzie touch on the
issue of abortion (though I don't think the word is ever used) - that
must have been rather revolutionary for the time, or at least for the
context, as "Baby" is decidedly light fare.

I think the show has some very witty and touching lyrics, specifically
"Fatherhood Blues" and "I Chose Right," which rather reminds me of
some of William Finn's more tender work.

"Baby" seems a show that is perfect for colleges and small community
theatres, and it's been fun for me to listen to the score during my
pregnancy - "The Ladies Singing Their Song" is still relevant - all
anybody does is tell me horror stories about their labor!

Cheers!
Amy Smile

Robert Bouton · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 67

re: "Baby"

I think you're right on the money, Amy. Baby is one of those shows
that plays brilliantly on its cast album (I can't imagine going
through the 9 months without listening) but garners a smaller response
in the theatre due to a nettlesome book. I was telling three actors
working on the "I Want It All" scene and song how this was one of the
most joyous 5 minutes I've ever spent in a theatre. It fed into an
expectation that this would be a light musical comedy in which three
women of different generations go through pregnancy together, ending
in triple births. I'd say it really put us into the mood for such a
show.

Ah, 'twas not to be. Do you know that in the revised version of the
show, there's a miscarriage? Personally, I admire musicals that mix
the light and the heavy, but it requires a delicate balance and
certain subjects (abortion's another) are inevitable stage weights.

MaryLyon · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 28

Greetings:

>
> Ah, 'twas not to be. Do you know that in the revised version of the
> show, there's a miscarriage? Personally, I admire musicals that mix
> the light and the heavy, but it requires a delicate balance and
> certain subjects (abortion's another) are inevitable stage weights.

That's very interesting about the revision to include a miscarriage.
I'm assuming it was Pam who had the miscarriage...that changes things
for Pam and Nick, because if you are going through fertility treatment
and you have a miscarriage, your heart is broken but there is a slight
glimmer of hope - at least you know you can get pregnant! (I speak
from personal experience here).

I think it is interesting that none of the characters considers
adoption - Pam and Nick are very focused on creating their own
birthchild, and Lizzie thinks about abortion, but, as I recall,
placing the baby for adoption (maybe with Pam and Nick!) isn't even
considered. I would not expect Alan and Arlene to consider adoption,
as they are married, have other children, and clearly financially
comfortable, but it would have been an interesting plot twist to see
the other sets of characters at least consider adoption as a
possibility. Let me add that this didn't even occur to me 20 years ago
when I did the show, but now that I have worked in the adoption field,
it seems a glaring omission.

Cheers!
Amy Smile

Andy on Long Island · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 65

I have Lehman Engel's "The Making of a Musical: Creating Songs for the
Stage" (first printing, 1977). According to the "Also By Lehman Engel" page,
the actual title of the book you mention is "Words With Music," so you were
close.

Mr. Engel, according to what's on the book jacket, "has been a major force
in the American theatre since 1936, when he began his career as a musical
director for the Group Theatre." (Have I heard of the "Group Theater"? I
don't think so.) Also: "He has conducted and/or composed music for more than
170 shows and operas and is a three-time Antoinette Perry (Tony)
Award-winner."

Huh. So "the Tony" is short for "the Antoinette Perry." I certainly didn't
know that.

"David Levy" wrote in message @t66g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 23, 5:27 pm, "Andy on Long Island"
wrote:
> You didn't find a copy of Meredith Willson's "But He Doesn't Know the
> Territory" (MW's autobiographical tale of his writing TMM), did you?
>
> That one's a keeper, but it would have come out later than the 40s.

No, but that's on my list of books to watch for. (Also on the list is
Lehman Engel's how-to book, I think called "Words & Music," which
might be back in print. They had a copy at the store, but it was a
signed first edition and therefore more than I cared to spend.)

MaryLyon · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 28

Greetings:

On Feb 24, 10:23 pm, "Andy on Long Island"
wrote:
>
> Mr. Engel, according to what's on the book jacket, "has been a major force
> in the American theatre since 1936, when he began his career as a musical
> director for the Group Theatre." (Have I heard of the "Group Theater"? I
> don't think so.)

The Group Theatre was a revolutionary theatre troupe founded in the
early 1930's by Cheryl Crawford, Harold Clurman and Lee Strasberg. One
of their more radical ideas was that there would be no stars in their
troupe, and everyone worked together to create their shows. The Group
pioneered the use of Stanislavski's acting techniques in this country,
and were known for their realistic productions dealing with current
social issues. Clifford Odets made his name with them, as did many
others who later went on to great acclaim. Not surprisingly, many
members and collaborators were blacklisted 20-some years later.

The Group had an enormous influence on American theatre between the
wars, and helped to usher in new techniques and expectations in both
performance and writing for the stage. I never knew The Group did
musicals, though, so it's quite interesting to learn that Lehman Engel
served as musical director for them. I'd be interested to know more
about their musical works, since their focus seems to have been on
realism, and musicals in the 30's were still pretty fluffy. I suppose
this is where folks like Blitzstein come in, though I don't know that
he ever actually wrote for The Group itself.

Best,
Amy Smile

PS My favorite college seminar was "Theatre Between the Wars" - can
you tell? Smile

David Levy · Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 46

On Feb 24, 7:51 am, NewportsRe...@webtv.net (Steve Newport) wrote:
> tFrom: dl...@post.harvard.edu (David Levy) I'm visiting my parents in
> Delray Beach this week, and my dad took me to a great used book store
> -------------------------------------
> You're almost in my neighborhood. What's the name of the store? I bought
> the Cy Feuer book new and posted about it here.

I think it's "Bookwise." I left the books with my parents so they
wouldn't weigh down my luggage - I'll have them in April when my folks
do their snowbird thing and migrate back north, and then I'll be able
to check. Other books acquired on the trip: Agnes DeMille's autobio,
the script of Wonderful Town, and a collection of Damon Runyon stories.

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