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Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and Altman's before finally applying at Garret and
Mellick's where she meets Harry Toukarian, a fellow artist who stutters when he's nervous. When she learns that the boss, Mr. Stanley, isn't hiring, Flora tries impressing the secretary by saying that she is "the most amazing miss in all of New York City." ("The Kid Herself"). During the song, Flora, Harry and the other artists sneak their designs into a box of Mr. Stanley's merchandise, and after the secretary kicks them out, Flora asks Harry to coffee. The coffee date conversation starts about Flora's previous employer, who paid her through the barter system and she ended up having to dig cemetery plots. Harry asks why she didn't strike, and explains the concept to her after she shows incomprehension. This ends up with Flora punching Harry in the face and, after initial refusal, taking him to her studio. Flora rents out her studio to other artists, like a dancer named Maggie and her ex-boyfriend Kenny ("All I Need is One Good Break").
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In the winter of 1935, many people are unemployed due to the Great
Depression, yet they seem to have hope ("Prologue"). Valedictorian and future fashion designer Flora Meszaros inspires and leads her graduating class in taking charge of the future before them ("Unafraid"). She applies at Gimbel's,
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Although it compromises her job in an organization that does not recognize the new unions, she seeks to hold down both job and relationship. Complicating matters is a predatory communist matriarch, Comrade
Charlotte, who wants Harry for herself, a secretary with designs on her boss, and Kenny and
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reviewer wrote: "The voice is not yet distinctive ... She is going to be a popular singer, all right. It has the appearance of being pasted together with bits and pieces. A promising idea has not been enlivened by a creative spark."
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Maggie, a jazz dancing duo with their sights on greater things. In the end, however, Flora finds herself torn between two vastly different ideals, and has to sacrifice one or the other for true happiness.
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Headstrong wannabe fashion designer Flora
Meszaros is a member of an artists' co-operative of bohemian types – dancers, musicians, designers – struggling to find work during the
241:, the show was recorded two days before its Broadway opening. However, the New York critics were not enthusiastic, and when it closed it had lost almost all of its $ 400,000 investment.
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Although not full of well-known numbers ("A Quiet Thing" and "Sing Happy" aside), the score does present a valuable insight into the later work of Kander and Ebb. Like
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for Best
Actress in a Musical. This was the first collaboration between Kander and Ebb, who later wrote Broadway and Hollywood hits such as
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was not written for
Minnelli, as is sometimes said; Robert Russell was rumored to have written the show as a vehicle for
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Royal Welsh
College of Music and Drama Production, March 2023 in the Richard Burton Theatre directed by Georgie Rankcom.
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at $ 30. She falls in love with Harry
Toukarian, another struggling designer, who attempts to convert Flora to his
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Amazon.com: Flora The Red Menace: The
Original Broadway Cast Recording (1965): Music: John Kander,Fred Ebb
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as
Comrade Charlotte. Direction was by George Abbott, choreography by Lee Theodore, with scenic design by
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as Harry. In the Vineyard Theatre revival, the story was told as though in a presentation by the
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324:(San Francisco, California) presented the musical in concert in November – December 2006.
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365:. Hoping to find a job which pays at least $ 15 a week, she is hired by the head of a large
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on May 11, 1965, and closed on July 24, 1965, after 87 performances. The cast featured
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for Best Actress in a Musical, the youngest person to have done so at age 19.
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453:"You Are You" – Mr. Weiss, Elsa, Flora, Mr. Stanley, Lulu, Katie and Joe
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408:"All I Need is One Good Break" (Reprise) – Flora, Elsa and The Lady
402:"All I Need is One Good Break" – Flora, Harry Toukarian and Artists
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662:"Espinosa and Felciano to Star in Reprise! Flora, the Red Menace"
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in December 1987 with a new book by David Thompson. Directed by
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The 1987 off-Broadway cast recording is also available on CD.
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in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won a
649:"An Outstanding Ensemble Performs 'Flora, the Red Menace'"
441:"Express Yourself" – Comrade Charlotte and Harry Toukarian
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Broadway in May 1965; a CD was released March 10, 1992.
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Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops
414:"The Flame" – Comrade Ada, Harry Toukarian and Comrades
405:"Not Every Day of the Week" – Flora and Harry Toukarian
327:"Reprise! Broadway's Best" production, Freud Theatre (
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The original Broadway cast recording was released by
522:Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
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233:. Receiving promising out-of-town reviews in
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423:"Hello, Waves" – Harry Toukarian and Flora
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399:"Unafraid" – Flora, Students and Ensemble
444:"Knock, Knock" – Comrade Ada and Cowboy
138:. The original 1965 production starred
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595:(subscription required), p. 41.
417:"Palomino Pal" – The Lady and Cowboy
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295:Other notable productions include:
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609:"The Stage: 'Flora, the Red Menace
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39:Cover of original cast recording
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411:"Sign Here" – Harry Toukarian
565:(1991), St. Martin's Press;
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122:is a musical with a book by
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954:Tony Award-winning musicals
634:September 30, 2007, at the
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743:. May 21, 1965. Review of
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456:Finale – Entire Company
420:"A Quiet Thing" – Flora
306:, GBS Theatre, UK, 1992
278:Federal Theatre Project
208:and lighting design by
202:William and Jean Eckart
196:as Harry Toukarian and
699:"Flora the Red Menace"
667:March 2, 2008, at the
638:dundeereptheatre.co.uk
484:Awards and nominations
268:, Flora was played by
215:Liza Minnelli won the
264:with choreography by
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745:Flora the Red Menace
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607:(December 7, 1987).
450:"Sing Happy" – Flora
204:, costume design by
178:Flora the Red Menace
119:Flora the Red Menace
26:Flora the Red Menace
900:The Scottsboro Boys
396:Prologue – Ensemble
286:President Roosevelt
907:New York, New York
629:Dundee Rep Theatre
617:The New York Times
592:The New York Times
246:The New York Times
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844:Woman of the Year
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561:Mandelbaum, Ken.
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363:Great Depression
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258:Vineyard Theatre
227:Barbra Streisand
134:, and lyrics by
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353:Plot synopsis
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186:Alvin Theatre
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781:Musicals by
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110:off-Broadway
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329:Los Angeles
304:London RADA
288:(voiced by
262:Scott Ellis
231:Eydie Gormé
173:Productions
132:John Kander
130:, music by
100:Productions
78:revised by
49:John Kander
923:Categories
872:Steel Pier
550:References
517:Tony Award
475:RCA Victor
469:Recordings
333:California
290:Art Carney
270:Veanne Cox
217:Tony Award
192:as Flora,
180:opened on
144:Tony Award
886:The Visit
703:Amazon UK
502:Category
371:communist
339:as Flora.
235:New Haven
194:Bob Dishy
893:Curtains
851:The Rink
730:Synopsis
674:Playbill
665:Archived
632:Archived
573:, p. 233
538:See also
505:Nominee
373:ideals.
310:Brighton
182:Broadway
136:Fred Ebb
105:Broadway
59:Fred Ebb
837:The Act
830:Chicago
802:Cabaret
723:at the
508:Result
184:at the
167:Chicago
163:Cabaret
155:Chicago
149:Cabaret
18:Musical
569:
499:Award
460:
436:Act II
239:Boston
55:Lyrics
816:Zorba
513:1965
496:Year
391:Act I
381:Songs
272:with
223:Flora
108:1987
103:1965
86:Basis
45:Music
740:Time
567:ISBN
531:Won
237:and
165:and
152:and
126:and
73:and
66:Book
282:WPA
92:by
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