33:
457:, wrote that the idea was to write a spoof of Broadway intrigue and duplicity; "cynicism is rampant." There are jokes about blacks on Broadway, Jewish theater party women and lawyers with "steel clauses." The lyrics are not funny. Finally, Gussow wrote: "The cast performs with eagerness, even as the show sinks."
476:
has described the show as "a genuine turkey... hopeless... well-meaning but fatally underpowered evening. The
Charles Strouse-Lee Adams score had its moments." Mandelbaum noted that "the characters were all clichés. ... A shallow treatment of a theme with potential ... was capped with an absurd
444:
Strouse wrote (in his memoir) that this was a "show he was proud of" because he and Adams had wanted to write a musical about their experiences with Sammy Davis Jr., about white people writing for a "big, black musical star". They envisioned it as "funny, ironic ... and filled with life's
137:
When the star opts to leave the show, the playwright – who from the start had resisted turning his work into a musical – steps in and takes on the lead role in order to save the production.
215:-bound production with only a month to go, but he feared that the show's defects were too serious to remedy and insisted on receiving a "Production supervised by" credit only.
745:
662:
119:
writer's serious play as a commercial stage musical was inspired by Adams and
Strouse's real-life experiences with their 1964 Broadway production of
586:
306:"A Broadway Musical (Reprise)" – Eddie Bell, Stephanie Bell, James Lincoln, Shirley Wolfe, Maggie Simpson, Lonnie Paul, Stan Howard and Ensemble
889:
702:
624:
555:
894:
291:"A Broadway Musical" – Eddie Bell, James Lincoln, Lonnie Paul, Melinda Bernard, Stan Howard, Maggie Simpson and Ensemble
530:
498:
611:
200:
822:
695:
766:
145:
The creators hoped that the backstage story about the making of a musical would cash in on the success of
884:
97:
68:
836:
688:
108:. The Broadway production closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978.
250:
203:, the producers fired most of the cast and creative personnel, including director/choreographer
879:
731:
409:
63:
808:
801:
490:
219:
327:"It's Time for a Cheer-Up Song" – Stan Howard, Maggie Simpson, Lonnie Paul and James Lincoln
787:
738:
121:
8:
641:
752:
468:
453:
321:"The 1934 Hot Chocolate Jazz Babies Revue" – Sylvester Lee, James Lincoln and Ensemble
794:
607:
526:
494:
462:
173:
367:
227:
218:
After 14 previews, the
Broadway production opened and closed the same night at the
212:
196:
116:
112:
79:
850:
815:
773:
712:
667:
188:
134:
105:
93:
46:
382:
235:
843:
829:
724:
473:
433:
266:
231:
208:
177:
680:
873:
657:
523:
Before the Parade Passes by: Gower
Champion and the Glorious American Musical
472:," a disaster that had opened the month before. Critic and theatre historian
258:
204:
192:
162:
157:, which was still running at the time. But Brown's much-criticized book is a
151:
as well as the popularity of the black-themed musical, including Brown's own
147:
575:
759:
388:
239:
857:
262:
448:
397:
243:
223:
32:
330:"You Gotta Have Dancing" – Maggie Simpson, James Lincoln and Ensemble
294:"Smoke and Fire" – Stan Howard, James Lincoln, Kumi-Kumi and Ensemble
101:
56:
288:"Broadway, Broadway" – New Kids in Town, Policeman and James Lincoln
158:
169:
257:, directed and produced by Robert W. Schneider. The cast included
153:
675:
165:
663:
Recollections about the show from co-producer Garth
Drabinsky
324:"Let Me Sing My Song (Reprise)" – Richie Taylor and Friends
297:"Lawyers" – Eddie Bell, Stephanie Bell and Richie's Lawyers
246:
was recorded during a live performance in
December 1978.
644:, Broadway.com, June 27, 2005, accessed January 31, 2019
351:
487:
Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of
Broadway Musical Flops
333:"What You Go Through" – Stephanie Bell and Eddie Bell
542:
540:
538:
226:(replacing Gallagher), Alan Weeks, Larry Marshall,
625:"Stage: Musical About a Musical: Art Mimics Life"
535:
871:
339:"Together" – James Lincoln, Eddie Bell and Staff
187:Following a dismal October–November tryout with
710:
593:, BroadwayWorld.com, accessed January 31, 2019
125:. The star of the musical-within-the-musical (
696:
180:ladies, and the black-themed musical itself.
129:, about a basketball star) closely resembles
300:"Yenta Power" – Shirley Wolfe and Associates
140:
466:called it "the best Broadway musical since
253:in New York gave a concert presentation of
703:
689:
378:Richie Taylor's Lawyer – Michael Gallagher
746:It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman
602:Strouse, Charles. "A Broadway Musical",
517:
515:
357:Richie Taylor's Lawyer – Sydney Anderson
222:on December 21, 1978. The cast included
872:
604:Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir
890:Musicals inspired by real-life events
684:
512:
352:Characters and original Broadway cast
303:"Let Me Sing My Song" – Richie Taylor
439:
277:
363:Policeman, Nathaniel – Nate Barnett
184:proved to be Brown's only success.
13:
432:Smoke & Fire Back-Up Singer –
402:Kumi-Kumi – Christina Kumi Kimball
14:
906:
651:
417:Richie's Secretary – Jo Ann Ogawa
489:by Ken Mandelbaum, published by
405:James Lincoln – Irving Allen Lee
31:
672:Off-Broadway at Lortel Archives
360:Rehearsal Pianist – Gwen Arment
634:
617:
596:
580:
569:
549:
372:Stephanie Bell – Gwyda DonHowe
111:The plot about a sleazy white
1:
676:Charles Strouse Official site
525:. (2005) St. Martin's Press
480:
375:Shirley Wolfe – Anne Francine
606:, Union Square Press, 2008,
426:Big Jake – Albert Stephenson
336:"Don't Tell Me" – Eddie Bell
272:
211:was called in to rescue the
37:Live original cast recording
7:
895:Musicals by Charles Strouse
566:, accessed January 31, 2019
10:
911:
658:Internet Broadway Database
631:, December 22, 1978, p. C3
172:young playwrights, glitzy
719:
587:"Sarah Routh Ellis Joins
423:Lonnie Paul – Larry Riley
141:Background and production
74:
62:
52:
42:
30:
21:
591:at Feinstein's/54 Below"
505:
429:Stan Howard – Alan Weeks
176:performers, blue-haired
642:"Looking BacK: '78-'79"
115:'s attempt to adapt an
521:Gilvey, John Anthony.
414:Junior – Robert Melvin
393:Louie – Reggie Jackson
195:at the theatre in the
809:Dance a Little Closer
420:Jake – Martin Rabbett
220:Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
788:Charlie and Algernon
560:Broadway Production"
493:(1991), pp. 136–38 (
451:, in his review for
251:Feinstein's/54 Below
230:(replacing LaRosa),
823:An American Tragedy
201:Morningside Heights
781:A Broadway Musical
669:A Broadway Musical
629:The New York Times
589:A Broadway Musical
558:A Broadway Musical
546:Mandelbaum, p. 138
491:St. Martin's Press
454:The New York Times
381:Melinda Bernard –
255:A Broadway Musical
89:A Broadway Musical
24:A Broadway Musical
885:Broadway musicals
867:
866:
795:Bring Back Birdie
640:Mandelbaum, Ken.
463:The Village Voice
460:Julius Novick of
440:Critical response
396:Maggie Simpson –
348:
347:
85:
84:
902:
705:
698:
691:
682:
681:
645:
638:
632:
621:
615:
600:
594:
584:
578:
573:
567:
553:
547:
544:
533:
519:
408:Richie Taylor –
387:Sylvester Lee –
368:Warren Berlinger
278:
228:Warren Berlinger
197:Riverside Church
117:African-American
113:theatre producer
98:William F. Brown
69:William F. Brown
35:
25:
19:
18:
910:
909:
905:
904:
903:
901:
900:
899:
870:
869:
868:
863:
837:Nick & Nora
767:Charlotte's Web
715:
713:Charles Strouse
709:
654:
649:
648:
639:
635:
622:
618:
601:
597:
585:
581:
574:
570:
554:
550:
545:
536:
520:
513:
508:
483:
442:
354:
349:
310:
275:
189:Helen Gallagher
143:
135:Sammy Davis Jr.
106:Charles Strouse
104:, and music by
96:with a book by
47:Charles Strouse
38:
23:
17:
12:
11:
5:
908:
898:
897:
892:
887:
882:
865:
864:
862:
861:
854:
847:
844:Annie Warbucks
840:
833:
826:
819:
812:
805:
798:
791:
784:
777:
770:
763:
756:
749:
742:
735:
728:
725:Bye Bye Birdie
720:
717:
716:
708:
707:
700:
693:
685:
679:
678:
673:
665:
660:
653:
652:External links
650:
647:
646:
633:
616:
595:
579:
576:Cast recording
568:
548:
534:
510:
509:
507:
504:
503:
502:
482:
479:
474:Ken Mandelbaum
441:
438:
437:
436:
434:Loretta Devine
430:
427:
424:
421:
418:
415:
412:
410:Larry Marshall
406:
403:
400:
394:
391:
385:
379:
376:
373:
370:
364:
361:
358:
353:
350:
346:
345:
341:
340:
337:
334:
331:
328:
325:
322:
318:
317:
312:
308:
307:
304:
301:
298:
295:
292:
289:
285:
284:
276:
274:
271:
267:Kyle Scatliffe
232:Loretta Devine
209:Gower Champion
142:
139:
83:
82:
76:
72:
71:
66:
60:
59:
54:
50:
49:
44:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
907:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
880:1978 musicals
878:
877:
875:
860:
859:
855:
853:
852:
848:
846:
845:
841:
839:
838:
834:
832:
831:
827:
825:
824:
820:
818:
817:
813:
811:
810:
806:
804:
803:
799:
797:
796:
792:
790:
789:
785:
783:
782:
778:
776:
775:
771:
769:
768:
764:
762:
761:
757:
755:
754:
750:
748:
747:
743:
741:
740:
736:
734:
733:
729:
727:
726:
722:
721:
718:
714:
706:
701:
699:
694:
692:
687:
686:
683:
677:
674:
671:
670:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
655:
643:
637:
630:
626:
623:Gussow, Mel.
620:
613:
609:
605:
599:
592:
590:
583:
577:
572:
565:
561:
559:
552:
543:
541:
539:
532:
531:0-312-33776-0
528:
524:
518:
516:
511:
500:
499:0-312-06428-4
496:
492:
488:
485:
484:
478:
475:
471:
470:
465:
464:
458:
456:
455:
450:
446:
445:imbalances."
435:
431:
428:
425:
422:
419:
416:
413:
411:
407:
404:
401:
399:
395:
392:
390:
386:
384:
380:
377:
374:
371:
369:
366:Eddie Bell –
365:
362:
359:
356:
355:
344:
338:
335:
332:
329:
326:
323:
320:
319:
315:
314:
313:
311:
305:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
286:
282:
281:
280:
279:
270:
268:
264:
260:
259:Clifton Davis
256:
252:
247:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
216:
214:
210:
206:
205:George Faison
202:
198:
194:
193:Julius LaRosa
190:
185:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
164:
163:show business
160:
156:
155:
150:
149:
148:A Chorus Line
138:
136:
132:
128:
124:
123:
118:
114:
109:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
90:
81:
77:
73:
70:
67:
65:
61:
58:
55:
51:
48:
45:
41:
34:
29:
26:
20:
856:
849:
842:
835:
828:
821:
814:
807:
800:
793:
786:
780:
779:
772:
765:
760:I and Albert
758:
751:
744:
737:
732:All American
730:
723:
711:Musicals by
668:
636:
628:
619:
603:
598:
588:
582:
571:
563:
557:
551:
522:
486:
467:
461:
459:
452:
447:
443:
389:Tiger Haynes
383:Jackée Harry
342:
309:
254:
248:
240:Tiger Haynes
236:Jackée Harry
217:
186:
181:
152:
146:
144:
130:
126:
120:
110:
100:, lyrics by
88:
87:
86:
22:
802:Nightingale
263:Jason Graae
75:Productions
874:Categories
739:Golden Boy
612:1402758898
481:References
449:Mel Gussow
398:Patti Karr
244:cast album
224:Patti Karr
170:idealistic
131:Golden Boy
122:Golden Boy
477:ending".
273:Song list
249:In 2017,
174:Las Vegas
161:spoof of
102:Lee Adams
57:Lee Adams
858:Minsky's
753:Applause
614:, p. 249
564:Playbill
469:Platinum
213:Broadway
127:Sneakers
80:Broadway
182:The Wiz
178:matinée
166:lawyers
159:clichéd
154:The Wiz
94:musical
16:Musical
610:
529:
497:
343:
316:Act II
53:Lyrics
851:Marty
816:Mayor
774:Annie
506:Notes
283:Act I
133:star
92:is a
78:1978
43:Music
830:Rags
608:ISBN
527:ISBN
495:ISBN
265:and
242:. A
238:and
191:and
64:Book
199:in
876::
627:,
562:,
537:^
514:^
269:.
261:,
234:,
207:.
168:,
704:e
697:t
690:v
556:"
501:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
