6.
1927 - Show Boat

 7.2.
Les Revues de
l'après Ziegfeld

 7.3.C.
Cole Porter
(5/6)

 7.3.C.
George & Ira Gershwin
(1/10)

 7.4.
Le Royaume-Uni
Années '20 et '30

 8.
1943 Oklahoma!

C) Cole Porter (6/6) (suite)

C.11) Quelques oeuvres de Cole Porter



Revue
0001 - Hands Up (1915)
Musique: Cole Porter • E. Ray Goetz • Sigmund Romberg
Paroles: E. Ray Goetz
Livret: Edgar Smith
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Commentaire  Liste chansons  

Quelle que soit la faiblesse de l’intrigue, Hands Up était un titre approprié parce que l’on y suivait le détective amateur Fake Kennedy dans son enquête pour retrouver une bague volée, un rubis de 100.000$. In fine, elle s’avère avoir été dans sa poche tout le temps !!! Ce spectacle contient la première chanson de Cole Porter chantée à Broadway: "Esmerelda".

Genèse:

Résumé: -

Création: 22/7/1915 - 44th Street Theatre (Broadway) - représ.



Musical
0002 - Miss Information (1915)
Musique:
Musique additionelle: Cole Porter • Herman Finck • Jerome Kern
Paroles:
Livret: Charles W. Goddard • Paul Dickey
Production originale:
0 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Il s'agit plus d'une pièce de théâtre avec des chansons qu'un réel musical. Mais il y contient une chanson de Jerome Kern et une chanson de Cole Porter.

Genèse: Les critiques ont adoré Elsie Janis, mais pour autant, Miss Information n’a tenu l’affiche que 6 semaines et 47 représentations. La production a été présentée comme «A Little Comedy with a Little Music», et elle a peut-être donné l’impression d’être ni l’un ni l’autre avec ses sketches drôles et ses chansons occasionnelles. Le premier des trois actes était complètement dépourvu de musique, et l’un des neuf interludes musicaux (Pianologue) était un divertissement pour piano de Melville Ellis (qui était également le costumier du spectacle), un autre était une pièce instrumentale (The Mix-Up Rag, que Charles Darnton a décrit dans le Daily Arkansas Gazette comme «un mélange de ragtime et de vengeance»), et un troisième était soutenait un numéro de danse pour Janis (Dance Eccentrique). Les six autres chansons ont été composées par neuf paroliers et compositeurs !!! Difficile d’obtenir un spectacle cohérent…

Résumé: L’histoire tournait autour de la famille Cadwalder, une famille de nouveaux riches en pleine ascension sociale. Mme Cadwalder et sa fille Joan espèrent profiter de la publicité des journaux en affirmant que le collier de perles de 60.000 $ de Mme Cadwalder a été volé à sa résidence de Riverside Drive. Son fils Jack coopère quand il cache le collier, informe la police de sa disparition, et offre une récompense de 10.000 $ pour son retour. Dot (Elsie Janis) est téléphoniste au quartier général de la police, et quand elle entend parler du vol, elle décide de jouer au détective, de récupérer le collier, et de réclamer la récompense. Nous la voyons bientôt à la maison Cadwalder quand elle prend l’apparence d’un messager de Western Union, et plus tard prétendant être une amie de la famille. Quand les Cadwalder partent pour l’Europe, Dot se déguise en diseuse de bonne aventure française, en servante allemande, en dandy anglais et en danseuse parisienne (permettant à Elsie Janis deux numéros de danse, Dance Eccentrique et Drigo Serenade, que le New York Times a décrits comme «captivants»). Dot finit par tomber amoureuse de Jack, et pendant ce temps les perles sont vraiment volées (par une bande de voleurs de bijoux). Mais tout va bien car Dot capture à la fois les perles et le cœur de Jack.

Création: 5/10/1915 - George M. Cohan's Theatre (Broadway) - 47 représ.



Musical
0003 - See America First (1916)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: T. Lawrason Riggs
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

See America First est le musical avec la plus courte série de la saison 1915-16 à Broadway, mais il fait partie de l’histoire du théâtre en tant que première partition intégrale à Broadway composée par Cole Porter (plus tôt dans la saison, il avait déjà composé une chanson pour Hands Up et une chanson pour Miss Information).

Genèse: See America First a été écrite comme une parodie des musicals patriotiques de l'époque (nous sommes en pleine Première Guerre Mondiale en Europe) généralement associées à George M. Cohan. Cole Porter et T. Lawrason Riggs ont rajouté une couche en assaisonnant leur travail par une touche de satire du style Gilbert et SullivanSullivan. La production de Broadway a ouvert le 28 mars 1916 au Maxine Elliott Theatre. La veille au soir, Elisabeth Marbury - l'une des premières femmes productrices - avait organisé un gala pour ses amis de la société et ses associés d'affaires. Ils étaient tous enthousiasmés par le spectacle. Mais le lendemain, les critiques furent beaucoup moins enchantés et le spectacle s'est arrêté après seulement 15 représentations, le pire flop de la saison. Nombreux ont imputé la responsabilité de l'échec à T. Lawrason Riggs et à son livret, tandis qu'il a à son tour insisté sur le fait que cela était dû en grande partie «au fait que le compositeur et moi avons consenti à une transformation complète de la pièce pour répondre aux capacités de ses interprètes et au goût supposé de le public.» Dans une lettre au magazine des anciens de Yale, Riggs, qui avait investi 35 000 $ dans la production du spectacle, a annoncé qu'il abandonnait le théâtre musical comme vocation. Il se convertit au catholicisme, devint prêtre et a finalement été affecté à l'université en tant qu'aumônier.

Résumé: Le riche sénateur Polly Huggins - xénophobe notire - de la côte Est envoie sa fille Polly dans l’Ouest pour une fin de scolarité articulée autour d’un «retour à la nature», espérant qu’elle y trouverait un «vrai homme» pour un mari. Mais les espoirs de Polly sont tout autres. Elle a des vues sur un Duc avec qui elle a échangé des regards à l’opéra à Londres. Le duc apparaît (!?!) dans la campagne reculée de l’Ouest déguisé en cowboy (re-!?!), et après quelques numéros musicaux, lui et Polly décident de se marier. Heureusement, le père de Polly ne va pas empêcher ce mariage car il renonce à ses doctrines rigides par intérêt personnel : il est lui-même tombé amoureux de Sarah, la chaperonne provinciale de l’école de Polly.

Création: 28/3/1916 - Maxine Elliott's Theatre (Broadway) - 15 représ.



Musical
0004 - A Night Out (1920)
Musique: Cole Porter • Willie Redstone
Paroles: Clifford Grey
Livret: George Grossmith
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Commentaire  Isnpiration  Liste chansons  

"A Night Out" est une comédie musicale adaptée de la comédie française , "L’Hôtel du libre échange" de Georges Feydeau et Maurice Desvallières (1894).

Genèse:

Résumé: Acte I Le sculpteur Joseph Pinglet est frappé par son épouse dominatrice et est prêt à se rebeller par une petite sortie non autorisée. Il a l'intention de dîner avec la jolie Marcelle Delavaux, la fiancée négligée de Maurice Paillard, dans une salle privée de l'hôtel Pimlico. Mais Madame Pinglet a été convoquée pour rendre visite à sa sœur malade, et elle enferme son mari dans son atelier avant de partir. Pinglet utilise le tire-cloche comme une corde et s'échappe par le balcon. Acte II Pinglet et Marcelle sont arrivés à l'hôtel. À leur insu, Monsieur Matthieu et ses quatre jeunes filles, ont eux reçu une chambre réputée hantée. Par un oubli, la même chambre a également été attribuée à Maurice Paillard, qui a l'intention de passer une soirée intime avec Victorine, la bonne des Pinglets. Pinglet et Marcelle sont dérangés par les coups frénétiques à leur porte et la voix de Paillard, qui a été terrifié de trouver dans sa chambre quatre personnages en blanc - les filles de Matthieu - qu'il suppose être des fantômes. La confusion est aggravée par une descente de police. La police prend les noms de toutes les personnes présentes. Victorine lui donne le nom de Madame Pinglet. De retour à son atelier, Pinglet monte juste avant le retour de sa femme. Elle est très échevelée suite à un accident de la circulation. Les convocations arrivent de la police. Pinglet voit le nom de Mme Pinglet sur l'une d'elles et se retourne contre sa femme déconcertée et lui reproche son comportement licencieux. Les policiers arrivent avec les autres qui ont été à l'hôtel. Dans toutes les péripéties qui suivent la prétendue imposture de Victorine, le rôle de Pinglet et Marcelle dans les événements de la soirée restent sertets et ils échappent aux conséquences néfastes de leur soirée.

Création: 18/9/1920 - Winter Garden Theatre (Londres) - 309 représ.



Revue
0005 - Greenwich Village Follies of 1924 (The) (1924)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter • Irvin Caesar • John Murray Anderson
Livret:
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Liste chansons  

A revue in two acts

Genèse:

Résumé:

Création: 16/9/1924 - Shubert Theatre (Broadway) - représ.



Musical
0006 - Paris (1928)
Musique: Cole Porter • Louis Alter • Walter Kollo
Paroles: Cole Porter • E. Ray Goetz • Roy Turk
Livret: Martin Brown
Production originale:
2 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Commentaire  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Le musical, créée à Broadway en 1928, est le premier succès de Porter à Broadway. Le spectacle présente la chanson de Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love chantée par la star du spectacle, Irene Bordoni. L’histoire concerne un jeune homme d’une très bonne famille à Newton, Massachusetts, dont la mère est horrifiée par son intention d’épouser une actrice française.

Genèse: Paris a commencé ses Try-Out au Nixon’s Apollo Theatre (Atlantic City) le 6 février 1928. Ce n’était qu’un début… Un nouveau Try-Out a ouvert la semiane suivante à l’Adelphi Theatre (Philadelphie), le 13 février 1928. Ce fut ensuite le Wilbur Theatre (Boston) le 7 mai 1928 et enfin le Poli Theatre (Washington DC) le 30 septembre 1928. La première à Broadway a eu lieu au Music Box Theatre le 8 octobre 1928 et le spectacle a fermé le 23 mars 1929, après 195 représentations. Le musical était mis en scène par William H. Gilmore avec des chorégraphies de "Red" Stanley . La distribution mettait en vedette l’épouse de Goetz, Irene Bordoni (Vivienne Rolland), Arthur Margetson (Guy Pennel), Louise Closser Hale (Cora Sabot), Eric Kalkhurst (Andrew Sabot) et Elizabeth Chester (Brenda Kaley). En 1929, Warner Brothers adapta le musical au cinéma avec toujourts Bordoni en tête d’affiche, cette fois accompagnée de Jack Buchanan , Jason Robards Sr. et ZaSu Pitts .

Résumé: Mme Cora Sabot est une matriarche autoritaire, puritaine et hautaine qui vit dans le Massachusetts. Son fils Andrew compte épouser la célèbre actrice de scène française Vivienne Rolland. Mme. Sabot se rend à Paris et décide que l’actrice n’est pas du calibre qu’elle souhaite pour son fils, et décide de compromettre ce mariage. Elle a un plan audacieux: durant une soirée, elle boit et feint l’ivresse. Sous l’influence prétendue de l’alcool, elle semble tomber amoureuse de Guy Pennel, le partenaire à la scène de Vivienne. Cependant, elle s’enivre et se transforme en femme passionnée. Le plan de Mme Sabot fonctionne, et Vivienne se rend compte qu’elle et Guy sont faits pour être en couple dans la vie comme à ;la scène. Andrew doit se résigner mais comprend vite que Brenda Kaley, aussi lente et obtuse qu’elle soit, fera la parfaite épouse.

Création: 8/10/1928 - Music Box Theatre (Broadway) - 195 représ.



Musical
0007 - Fifty Million Frenchmen (1929)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Herbert Fields
Production originale:
2 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Synopsis  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Fifty Million Frenchmen est un musical avec un livret d'Herbert Fields et une musique et des paroles de Cole Porter. Il a ouvert ses portes à Broadway en 1929 et a été un grand succès. Il a été adapté pour un film deux ans plus tard. Le titre fait référence à la chanson à succès de 1927 Fifty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong de Willie Raskin, Billy Rose et Fred Fisher, qui comparait les attitudes libres dans le Paris des années ‘20 à la censure et à la prohibition régnant aux États- Unis .. L'intrigue de la comédie musicale est cohérente avec les intrigues standard garçon-rencontre-fille des musicals de la première moitié du XXe siècle.

Genèse: Fifty Million Frenchmen de Cole Porter a été qualifiée de «Musical Comedy Tour of Paris», et le tract pour le Try-Out de Washington tentait de séduire le public avec la promesse d’un «tour de luxe». Oui, pour le prix d’un «siège réservé», un spectateur pourrait «se promener dans les bois dans une barouche ouverte (calèche), visiter des champs de bataille, boire des cocktails au champagne au bar du célèbre Ritz, manger de la pâtisserie française chez Rumpelmeyer ou faire des galipettes au Moulin Rouge». Cet itinéraire imaginatif et provocateur comprenait également «La Tombe de Napoléon, la Madeleine, les cartes postales osées du Café de la Paix, les douairiers dansant avec les gigolos, les Citroën de Montmartre, les cocottes françaises, le Harry’s American Bar, la Place Vendôme, le Château Madrid et enfin le cher American Express». Ainsi, pour le prix d’un billet de théâtre (la place la plus chère pour la production de Broadway vendue pour 5,50$), le spectateur pouvait faire tout ce voyage accompagné par la musique de Cole Porter qui contenait de sublimes sérénades ( You Do Something to Me ) ou des demandes impertinentes ( Where Would You Get Your Coat?). Cole Porter avait été un peu joué à Broadway, mais c’est le spectacle qui l’a mis en pleine lumière. Il s’est joué pour 254 performances, a offert un trésor de chansons mémorables, et a finalement été filmé deux fois. Fifty Million Frenchmen a été créé à Broadway au Lyric Theatre le 27 novembre 1929 et a fermé le 5 juillet 1930 après 254 représentations. L’ouverture a eu lieu un mois après le krach boursier de 1929. Mis en scène par Monty Woolley avec des chorégraphies de Larry Ceballos , une scénographie de Norman Bel Geddes , la distribution met en vedette William Gaxton dans le rôle de Peter Forbes, Geneviève Tobin dans le rôle de Loolooloo Carroll, Betty Compton dans celui de Joyce Wheeler et Lester Crawford dans celui de Billy Baxter.

Résumé: Peter Forbes, un jeune millionnaire américain à Paris, parie avec son ami Billy Baxter qu’il peut survivre un mois sans sa ligne de crédit tout en tentant de gagner la main de Looloo Carroll, une jeune fille qu’il aime. Il devient guide touristique, gigolo et magicien — endurant d’innombrables humiliations — avant de gagner le pari et les faveurs de la jeune fille. Les autres personnages incluent l’ami de Peter, Michael, et l’amie de Looloo, Joyce, qui font équipe pour quelques numéros. Une grande partie de la comédie est fournie par Violet Hildegarde, une touriste de New York qui cherche à être choquée, et May DeVere, une artiste de cabaret à la recherche d’un homme assez primitif pour satisfaire ses besoins.

Création: 27/11/1929 - Lyric Theatre (Broadway) - 254 représ.



Revue
0008 - Wake Up and Dream (1929)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: *** Revue • John Hastings Turner
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Commentaire  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Wake Up and Dream is a musical revue with a book by John Hastings Turner and music and lyrics by Cole Porter and others. The most famous song from the revue is the Porter standard "What Is This Thing Called Love?" The revue opened in London while Porter's Paris was still running on Broadway. Producer Charles B. Cochran asked Porter to write the score, even though in their previous dealings Porter had treated him with some discourtesy. Opening on December 30, 1929, the production was the last to open on Broadway in the 1920s.

Genèse: The piece originally was called Charles B. Cochran's 1929 Revue. Tryouts began on 5 March 1929 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, England. It then opened on 27 March 1929 at the London Pavilion and ran for 263 performances. The production was directed by Frank Collins with choreography by Jack Buchanan, Tilly Losch, and Max Rivers, with a cast that featured Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale, Tillie Losch, Douglas Byng and Elsie Carlisle. After the London production closed, a Broadway production opened at the Selwyn Theatre on 30 December 1929 and closed on 26 April 1930 after 136 performances. Produced by Arch Selwyn in association with Cochran, the London director and choreographers reprised their work, and the cast featured Buchanan (replacing Hale), Matthews and Losch.

Résumé: The show was a revue with 24 sets, 500 costumes, a large international cast, and "a thread of a book." The song "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love" (performed in London) had "sensual choreography," and was set in front of a large African idol, with a tom-tom beat with Tilly Losch dancing and Elsie Carlisle singing in torch singer style. The elaborate ballet for the song "Wake Up and Dream" uses folklore and history. "Coppélia" is danced as seen from the wings. According to critic Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times, "A 'Gothic' number, to music by Bach, brings the reverence of the cathedral into the theatre."

Création: 30/12/1929 - American Airlines Theatre (Broadway) - 136 représ.



Musical
0009 - New Yorkers (The) (1930)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Herbert Fields
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

The New Yorkers is a musical written by Cole Porter (lyrics and music) and Herbert Fields (book). Star Jimmy Durante also wrote the words and music for the songs in which his character was featured. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1930. It is based on a story by a cartoonist for The New Yorker, Peter Arno, and E. Ray Goetz. The musical satirizes New York types, from high society matrons to con men, bootleggers, thieves and prostitutes during Prohibition. The musical includes Porter's famous, sad song about a prostitute, "Love for Sale", which was banned from the radio for its frank lyrics. The original Broadway production received mostly good reviews and ran for 168 performances.

Genèse: The musical was "built to order around star comic Jimmy Durante, indisputably featured special material (songs as well as bits) that wouldn't scan without Schnozzola himself delivering it." In fact, Durante himself wrote 5 of the 17 songs featured in the musical—the only 5 songs in which he was a featured performer. Ray Goetz, who was the producer of the show as well as production supervisor, wanted to help audiences forget the Great Depression and so made The New Yorkers "as bright and sparkley as possible-from the variegated costumes and the Arno settings to the large and dynamic cast...He also featured a young group that had never appeared on Broadway as the stage band for the show: Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians." The clean-cut band sang as well as played instruments. New Yorkers began pre-Broadway tryouts at the Chestnut Street Opera House, Philadelphia, on November 10, 1930 and then moved to the Shubert Theatre, Newark on November 24, 1930. The musical opened on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on December 8, 1930, this theatre's first stage production,[6] and closed on May 2, 1931 after 168 performances. Direction was by Monty Woolley, choreography by George Hale,[6] special numbers staged and directed by Fred Waring, and production supervised by E. Ray Goetz. Costumes were by Peter Arno and Charles Le Maire, and the set design was by Dale Stetson, based on sketches by Peter Arno. The conductor was Max Meth. The cast featured Frances Williams as the hostess Mona Low, Charles King as Al Spanish, Hope Williams as Alice Wentworth, Ann Pennington as Lola McGee, Marie Cahill as Gloria Wentworth, the Fred Waring Orchestra, Lou Clayton as Cyril Gregory, Eddie Jackson as Ronald Monahan, Jimmy Durante as Jimmie Deegan, Kathryn Crawford as May (later replaced by Elisabeth Welch), and Oscar Ragland as Mildew. (Clayton, Jackson & Durante were a successful vaudeville act.) The musical was performed at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire in 1996. "Musicals Tonight!" presented the musical as a staged concert in April 2003 in New York City. The "Lost Musicals" series presented The New Yorkers at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, in March and April 2009, starring Anna Francolini as Alice and Dawn Spence as Mona Low. The New York City Center presented it in March 2017 in their Encores! staged concert series with Tam Mutu, Scarlett Strallen and Kevin Chamberlin, directed by John Rando.

Résumé: Wealthy New York socialite Alice Wentworth has a romantic interlude with Al Spanish, a nightclub owner and bootlegger. During their time together, they escape from the police and go to the bootlegging factory, among other adventures. Jimmy Deegan and his buddies Ronald and Oscar aid in their escapades, invent a new alcoholic drink, murder Feet McGeehan and assist with the gangland wedding of Al and Alice, while offering tributes to money, wood, and "The Hot Patata". Jokes and songs about alcohol, and how far people will go to get it, such as "Drinking Song" and "Say It With Gin", reflect the musical's origin from the Prohibition period.

Création: 8/12/1930 - Broadway Theatre (Broadway) - 168 représ.



Musical
0010 - Gay Divorce (1932)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Dwight Taylor
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Gay Divorce is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Dwight Taylor, adapted by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. It was Fred Astaire's last Broadway show and featured the hit song "Night and Day" in which Astaire danced with co-star Claire Luce.

Genèse: Astaire's sister Adele retired from showbusiness and married Lord Charles Cavendish after her last show with Fred, The Band Wagon (1931). When the producers of Gay Divorce asked Fred to star in the show, he deferred an answer until he could spend the summer of 1932 wooing his future wife, Phyllis, in London. He finally agreed, and rehearsals began in September 1932. The show was both Astaire's last Broadway musical (after which he moved to Hollywood) and also his only stage musical without Adele. Also in the cast were Erik Rhodes and Eric Blore who soon became famous in the early 1930s RKO comedies. Gay Divorce opened in pre-Broadway tryouts at the Wilbur Theatre, Boston on November 7, 1932 and then moved to the Shubert Theatre, New Haven on November 21, 1932. It opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on November 29, 1932 and transferred to the Shubert Theatre on January 16, 1933 and closed on July 1, 1933 for a total run of 248 performances. Directed by Howard Lindsay with choreography by Barbara Newberry and Carl Randall, and set design by Jo Mielziner, the cast featured Fred Astaire as Guy Holden, Claire Luce as Mimi, Luella Gear as Hortense, G. P. Huntley Jr as Teddy, Betty Starbuck as Barbara Wray, Erik Rhodes as Tonetti, Eric Blore as Waiter, and Roland Bottomley as Pratt. The show opened in the West End at the Palace Theatre on November 2, 1933 and ran for 180 performances. It was directed by Felix Edwardes with Astaire, Luce, Rhodes and Blore reprising their roles. They were joined by Olive Blakeney as Gertrude Howard, Claud Allister as Teddy, Joan Gardner as Barbara Wray and Fred Hearne as Octavius Mann. In 2000, Lost Musicals, aka The Lost Musicals Charitable Trust, presented at London's Palace Theatre Gay Divorce with the BBC. Ian Marshall Fisher directed, Kevin Amos Music, Director. The cast included Janie Dee, Thelma Ruby, Tim Flavin and Julie Wilson appearing along with the BBC orchestra. This was the second and only appearance of this show and playing in the same theatre where the original London production played. The book is dated, and professional modern productions are rare. Goodspeed Opera House staged the show in 1983 and an adapted version was seen off-Broadway in New York in 1987. A concert version was presented at Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall) in New York City in June 1993 and featured Robert Westenberg as Guy, Rebecca Luker as Mimi, Judy Kaye as Hortense, and Kurt Ollmann as Tonetti. A "Musicals Tonight!" (New York City) concert production ran in March 2004. The regional company 42nd Street Moon produced the piece in San Francisco, California from April 12 - May 6, 2007.

Résumé: Guy Holden, an American writer traveling in England, falls madly in love with a woman named Mimi, who disappears after their first encounter. To take his mind off his lost love, his friend Teddy Egbert, a British attorney, takes him to Brighton, where Egbert has arranged for a "paid co-respondent" to assist his client in obtaining a divorce from her boring, aging, geologist husband Robert. What Holden does not know is that the client is none other than Mimi, who in turn mistakes him — because he is too ashamed of his occupation to say what it is, namely pseudonymously writing cheap "bodice ripper" romance novels — for the paid co-respondent. At the end, when her husband appears, he is unconvinced by the faked adultery—but is then unwittingly revealed, by the waiter at the resort, to have been genuinely adulterous himself.

Création: 29/11/1932 - Ethel Barrymore Theatre (Broadway) - 248 représ.



Musical
0011 - Nymph Errant (1933)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Romney Brent
Production originale:
6 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Synopsis  Commentaire  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Genèse: Cole Porter's biographers invariably list Kiss Me Kate, Anything Goes and Out of This World as his best scores, but Porter himself had one show that he always maintained was his own personal favorite: Nymph Errant. Porter’s choice is hardly known today, but in 1933 it represented the last word in “star vehicle” musical theatre writing. We presented it at Moon in 1998, and are delighted to bring it back as the opening show of our “Going Places” season. If ever a show “went places,” it’s Nymph Errantl Nymph Errant was originally a wildly successful 1932 novel by James Laver, which chronicled the adventures of a young Englishwoman named Evangeline Edwards, who makes a rather eccentric tour of the world. British producer Charles Cochran was looking for a vehicle for Gertrude Lawrence - flamboyant, outrageous, and one of Broadway and London’s brightest stars. He thought Nymph Errant was a perfect fit. Cochran quickly enlisted Cole Porter, who was coming off a string of Broadway hits including Gay Divorce, The New Yorkers and Fifty Million Frenchmen. Porter brought along his pal, raconteur/actor/director Romney Brent, to write the book and direct. The writing process proved particularly harmonious, as novelist Laver and librettist Brent joined Porter at his Paris town-house for writing sessions marked in equal measure by hard work, laughter, and champagne breaks. Following an out-of-town run in Manchester (where the title song was added), Nymph Errant debuted to one of the biggest, most glamorous opening nights London had ever seen. “Experiment,” “How Could We Be Wrong,” and “It’s Bad For Me” were hailed as Porter’s newest hit tunes, but the showstoppers that night were Lawrence’s dazzling laundry-list of body parts, “The Physician” and Elisabeth Welch’s exhilaratingly abandoned delivery of “Solomon.” Although there were some critical cavils about the extremely frank nature of the book, Gertrude Lawrence and the Porter score were met with acclaim, and the show settled in as London’s latest hit. After a few months, Lawrence’s financial and health problems (she was suffering from exhaustion) led to an early closing for Nymph. Fox Films planned, and then abandoned, a movie version, and a New York transfer never materialized. (Porter immediately followed Nymph with his biggest hit yet, Anything Goes.) Nothing more was heard from Nymph Errant until a sequence from the show was performed in the 1968 Julie Andrews biography of Lawrence, Star! The American premiere was a workshop presentation by New York’s Equity Library Theatre in 1982. London saw a major concert evening of the songs in 1987 with Lisa Kirk, Alexis Smith, Kaye Ballard, Andrea McArdle, and, amazingly, Elisabeth Welch, singing the song she had introduced 55 years earlier, “Solomon.” A new, rewritten version of Nymph Errant was performed at the Chichester Festival in England in 1999. It’s unlikely that the show will enjoy a Broadway production anytime in the near future, but the original 1933 version (which we are presenting tonight) still exists to remind us of Laver’s blithely ingenuous heroine and her amatory odyssey, Brent’s cunning wit and - of course - Porter’s supremacy at writing droll, emotional and gloriously melodic songs.

Résumé: Evangline Edwards has left her finishing school in Switzerland and, encouraged to “experiment” by the school’s chemistry mistress, Miss Pratt, decides to explore the exciting world of sex and lose her virginity before settling down in England. Her “experiments” all fail! Attempted romances include Folies Bergère producer André de Croissant who wants to make her a star; Alexei, a Russian violinist who shows her the soul of Russian music; Count Mantalini of the Holy Roman Empire; Greek businessmen Constantine; and an unfortunate incident where she gets sold into a harem, guarded by Ali. Throughout it all, she is still a virgin. In the harem she meets Haidee, a kidnapped American, and when Ben Winthrop breaks into the harem to rescue Haidee, Evangeline persuades him to rescue her instead, and they run away together to the desert. But he is more interested in plumbing than in love-making. Back in Paris, Evangeline decides to join the Folies after all - enticed by the ten handsome chorus boys in the show. But they are all gay! She gives up and ends up back in Oxford in the vicarage garden with Reverend Pither and friends. As the others go in for tea, Evangeline remain behind. Along comes the new young handsome gardener Joe. They chat awhile, get closer and closer, and finally Joe offers Evangeline an apple. As she takes a bite from the apple, the curtain falls.

Création: 6/10/1933 - Adelphi Theatre (Londres) - représ.



Musical
0012 - Anything goes (1934)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Guy Bolton • P.G. Wodehouse
Production originale:
14 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Synopsis  Commentaire  Génèse  

Genèse: Producer Vinton Freedley came up with the idea for the show as he was living on a boat at the time. He left the US to avoid his debts and used a boat as his residence. Freedley picked Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse to write the book, and Ethel Merman to star in the production. The original plot was a comedy about a mad bomber running loose on an ocean liner. Freedley was not happy with the script and found it difficult to make changes when Bolton and Wodehouse sailed for Europe. In an odd turn of events, as rehearsals began, the passenger ship, the SS Morro Castle, sailing from Havana to New York on September 8, 1934, caught fire and burned. The disaster killed a total of 137 passengers and crew members before beaching herself near Asbury Park, New Jersey. This was the excuse that Freedley needed to completely revamp the show. He maintained that the tragedy made the plot of the show seem insensitve and that this would not work well with public opinion. As a result, the book was almost entirely recreated by the show's director, Howard Lindsay and press agent, Russell Crouse (who became lifelong writing partners as a result). They revised the script, finishing the last scene on the train to Boston, where the show was to open before hitting Broadway. The show opened on November 21, 1934, about two and a half months after the SS Morro Castle disaster. There is a legend behind the name of the show and the title song. It is said that at a late night production meeting where the show was being reworked, one of the overly-tired production team members said in frustration "And just how in the hell are we going to end the first act?!" "At this point," responded one of the producers, "anything goes!!" The show became a big hit and the confusion really begins. Two years later, the 1936 film version of Anything Goes hit the theatres and held little resemblance to the stage production. The book and score were dramaticaly changed with only two of the original songs included. Additional songs were included by Hoagy Carmichael and other composers. 18 years later in 1954, the television version changed the plot again and changed the songs again to include more of the original score than the movie version along with songs from other Cole Porter shows. The second movie version was filmed in 1956 and the book was drastically changed once more with additional songs by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen. The second film named Anything Goes forced the first film version (1936) to be renamed Tops Is The Limit. An Off-Broadway revival of Anything Goes opened on May 15, 1962 at the Orpheum Theatre. It starred Hal Linden as Billy Crocker and Eileen Rodgers as Reno Sweeney. The stage script was revised and incorporated several of the changes from the movie versions. The minor character named Erma was expanded and her name changed to Bonnie. This revival also added several songs from other Porter shows that came after the original production of Anything Goes. From the 1930 musical, The New Yorkers, came the song "Take Me Back to Manhattan," from the 1934 musical, Red Hot and Blue, came the song "It's De-Lovely," from the 1939 musical, DuBarry Was a Lady, came the song "Friendship," and from the 1929 musical, Paris, came the song "Let's Misbehave". In October 19, 1987, a major revival of Anything Goes opened on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, with Patti Lupone in the role of Reno Sweeney and ran for 784 perfomances. The book was revised by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. This production opened in London at The Prince Edward Theatre the following year.

Résumé: Billy Crocker est monté clandestinement à bord du navire de croisière « S.S. American » afin de tenter de reconquérir celle qu’il aime, Hope Harcourt, mais qui doit se marier avec un autre, le riche Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Billy est soutenu par Reno Sweeney, une chanteuse qui tient toujours tendrement à lui, et par un autre passager clandestin, Moonface Martin, un gangster de second rang qui essaie d’échapper au FBI. Après des difficultés et des rebondissements, l’amour finira par triompher. La croisière s’achèvera par plusieurs mariages, dont certains inattendus.

Création: 21/11/1934 - Neil Simon Theatre (Broadway) - représ.



Musical
0013 - Jubilee (1935)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Moss Hart
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Jubilee is a musical comedy with a book by Moss Hart and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It premiered on Broadway in 1935 to rapturous reviews. Inspired by the recent silver jubilee of King George V of Great Britain, the story is of the royal family of a fictional European country. Several of its songs, especially "Begin the Beguine" and "Just One of Those Things", became independently popular and have become part of the American Songbook.

Genèse: The musical opened at the Shubert Theatre in Boston on September 21, 1935 for a three-week pre-Broadway tryout period. The Broadway premiere opened at the Imperial Theatre on October 12, 1935 and closed on May 7, 1936, after 169 performances. Changes in the lead lessened its appeal. Produced by Sam H. Harris and Max Gordon, the production was staged by Hassard Short, who also was the lighting designer, with dialog directed by Monty Woolley, choreographed by Albertina Rasch and Tony De Marco, and with set design by Jo Mielziner. Later productions Despite its popular success, the musical was not signed by a theatrical leasing company for stock or amateur performances after its initial run. Performances between 1936 and 1948 were negotiated by the producers Max Gordon and Sam Harris. In 1948, the St. Louis Municipal Opera used the original orchestrations, but they were lost in transit to the Music Box Theatre. Jubilee became a lost show. It was not produced for 40 years afterward. In 1985, The New Amsterdam Theatre Company hired Larry Moore to reconstruct the show. It was performed in 1986 as part of their series of classic musicals presented in concert at The Town Hall in New York. Alyson Reed played Karen, Carole Shelley was Eva, Patrick Quinn was Eric, and Roderick Cook was the Prime Minister. Rebecca Luker was in the cast. Indiana University Opera staged the musical in 1992.[8] 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco presented concert versions of Jubilee in 1993 and 1997 and a staged production in 2009. In 1998, a concert version was staged at Carnegie Hall, New York City, for the benefit of the Gay Men's Health Crisis. Directed by Herbert Ross, with choreography by Danny Daniels, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Pierre Dulaine, the cast included Bea Arthur as The Queen, Tyne Daly as Eva Standing, Sandy Duncan as Karen O'Kane, Michael Jeter as The King, Alice Ripley as The Princess, Stephen Spinella as Eric Dare, Bob Paris as Mowgli,[10] and Philip Bosco as Prime Minister. New York's "Musicals Tonight!" theatre troupe presented a staged concert in October 2004. The show has been produced twice by Ian Marshall Fisher's "Lost Musicals In Concert" series in London. The second production, using the BBC Concert Orchestra, was performed in 1999 at Her Majesty's Theatre and broadcast by the BBC. The musical played for five weeks in 2012 at the Tabard Theatre in Chiswick, London.

Résumé: The Royal Family of a fictional European country use the threat posed by an impending revolution as an excuse to abandon the throne and pursue their private dreams. The King meets up with party-giver extraordinaire Eva Standing; the Queen chases after swimmer-turned-actor Charles Rausmiller (a.k.a. Mowgli); the Prince woos songstress Karen O'Kane; and the Princess wins the admiration and attention of playwright/composer/actor Eric Dare. When the revolutionary threat is revealed to be a hoax, the family members are forced to return to power, but they manage to incorporate their newfound friends into their royal lives.

Création: 12/10/1935 - Imperial Theatre (Broadway) - 169 représ.



Musical
0014 - Red Hot and Blue (1936)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Howard Lindsay • Russel Crouse
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Commentaire  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Red, Hot and Blue is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It premiered on Broadway in 1936 and introduced the popular song "It's De-Lovely," sung by Ethel Merman and Bob Hope.

Genèse: History During the out-of-town tryouts, according to Cole Porter's biography, Cole Porter: A Biography by Charles Schwartz, the book was too long and did not blend with the music. Further the producer Vinton Freedley made "numerous suggestions for overhauling the show", which were accepted by all except Porter. Porter initially told Freedley to communicate through his agent, but finally relented. Additional conflict had arisen before the show's tryouts, when Freedley had assembled the cast and creative team behind the musical Anything Goes, hoping to repeat that show's success. William Gaxton was part of that cast, but withdrew because Ethel Merman's part was so large and Bob Hope was cast. The next conflict came over billing for Jimmy Durante and Merman, which was resolved by having their names crisscrossed above the title. The musical was first titled But Millions! and then Wait for Baby!. Porter had written the song "It's De-Lovely" for the film Born to Dance but it was not used. He turned it into a romantic duet for Merman and Bob Hope, in which they trace their romance from first kiss to marriage to a baby. Productions Red, Hot and Blue had its pre-Broadway tryout in Boston at the Colonial Theatre, starting on October 7, 1936, and the Shubert Theatre in New Haven starting on October 19, 1936. The musical premiered on Broadway on October 29, 1936 at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) and closed on April 10, 1937 after 183 performances. Directed by Howard Lindsay with choreography by George Hale, it starred Ethel Merman as Nails O'Reilly Duquesne, Jimmy Durante as Policy Pinkle, and Bob Hope as Bob Hale. The Equity Library Theater (New York City) production ran in January 1984. The "Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust" series staged the show at Barbican Centre Cinema 1 in 1994, with a cast that included Louise Gold and Don Fellows. Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut mounted a revival in the fall of 2000 featuring a revised book by director Michael Leeds. The production starred Debbie Gravitte (Tony Award winner for "Jerome Robbins' Broadway") as Nails Duquesne, Peter Reardon as Bob Hale, and Ben Lipitz as Policy Pinkle. Previews began October 13 with the official opening on November 3. The production ran through December 31. Along with Leeds, the creative team included Andy Blankenbuehler (choreographer), Michael O'Flaherty (musical director), Ken Foy (sets), Ann Hould-Ward (costumes), and Ken Billington (lighting). The rest of the cast included Brian Barry (Rats), Robin Baxter (Peaches), Lesley Blumenthal, Randy Bobish (Bugs), Dianna Bush (Olive), Paul Carlin, Kevin Covert (Leonard), Beth Glover, Billy Hartung (Fingers), Jessica Kostival (Grace), Stephanie Kurtzuba (Jane), Kristin Maloney (Helen), Steve Luker (Eagle Eye), Jody Madaras, Trish Reidy (Vivian), Vince Trani, Matt Williams (Coyote), and Darlene Wilson (Barbara). A production in 2009 by George Productions had Richard Steven Horvitz as Policy Pinkle, Allyson Turner as Nails and Kyle Nudo as Bob Hale.

Résumé: Nails O'Reilly Duquesne is a newly wealthy young widow. Loud and brassy, Nails is a former manicurist. She organizes a benefit for her favorite cause, the rehabilitation of ex-convicts. Together with her sidekick (an "ex-con" himself), Policy Pinkle, and her "square" boyfriend, lawyer Bob Hale, she embarks on a nationwide search for Bob's old girlfriend, which is really the reason for the enterprise. The girlfriend, 18 years earlier, had sat upon a hot waffle iron and so had a unique "imprint". However, the national lottery that Nails starts gets the attention of the Finance Committee, and they wind up in Washington DC in an even more complicated situation. The Supreme Court declares the lottery unconstitutional, because it would benefit the people.

Création: 29/10/1936 - Neil Simon Theatre (Broadway) - 183 représ.



Film
0015 - Rosalie (film) (1937)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles:
Livret: William Anthony McGuire
Production originale:
0 version mentionnée
Dispo:

Genèse:

Résumé:

Création: 24/12/1937 - *** Film (***) - représ.



Musical
0016 - You Never Know (1938)
Musique: Cole Porter • Robert Katscher
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Rowland Leigh
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Commentaire  Génèse  Liste chansons  

You Never Know is a musical with a book by Rowland Leigh, adapted from the original European play By Candlelight, by Siegfried Geyer and Karl Farkas, with music by Cole Porter and Robert Katscher, lyrics by Cole Porter, additional lyrics by Leigh and Edwin Gilbert, directed by Leigh, and songs by others. The show was written not long after the riding accident that left Porter semi-crippled, and is considered one of the flops he wrote before his return to prominence with Kiss Me, Kate.[1]

Genèse: The show was first produced in Europe with a small cast, but the Shubert Brothers (who produced it for Broadway), did not want to produce it with no chorus or large stage numbers. They hired Porter and other composers to write extra material, and when it premiered on Broadway in 1938 it was no longer a chamber musical, but a typical 1930s "big musical". Original Broadway cast Produced by John Shubert, the Broadway production, opened on September 21, 1938 at the Winter Garden Theatre, where it ran for 78 performances, after tryouts in New Haven, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Indianapolis, among others. The cast featured Clifton Webb, Lupe Vélez, Libby Holman, Toby Wing (later replaced by June Havoc), and Rex O'Malley. Later productions It was staged Off-Broadway at the Eastside Playhouse from March 12 to March 18, 1973, lasting only 8 performances. The show was directed and production design by Robert Troie and musically directed by Walter Geismar. The show starred Esteban Chalbaud, Lynn Fitzpatrick, Dan Held, Rod Loomis, Grace Theveny, and Jamie Thomas.[4] The number Greek To You, They All Fall In Love, and You've Got That Thing was added. In 1975, there was a regional production of the show put on in Ogunquit, Maine at the Ogunquit Playhouse from August 4 to August 9. The show starred Bob Wright, Kitty Carlisle, Joe Masiell, and Bernice Massi.[6][7] This production added Porter numbers from other works, including the songs After You, Who? (Gay Divorce), Greek To You (Greek To You), It Must Be Fun To Be You (cut from Mexican Hayride), Waltz Down The Aisle (Ever Yours), What A Fair Thing Is A Woman (cut from Can Can), What Does Your Servant Dream About? (cut from Kiss Me, Kate), and Who Knows? (Rosalie). May 26, 1991 was the opening night of You Never Know at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California. The show was directed by Paul Lazarus, musical director John McDaniel, set design James Leonard Joy, lighting design Martin Aronstein, costume design Reve Richards, sound design Jack Allaway, choreography by Thommie Walsh, and musical supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations Steve Orich. The show starred David Garrison (Gaston), Harry Groener (Baron), Kurt Knudson (Herr Baltin), Donna McKechnie (Baltin), Megan Mullally (Maria), and Angela Teek (Ida). There was an Off-Broadway revival in 1996 at the Paper Mill Playhouse. The show was directed by Charles Repole, set design Michael Anania, costumes by Gregg Barnes, lighting Tom Sturge, sound David R. Paterson, music direction John Mulcahy, and choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The show starred Stephanie Douglas (Maria), Nancy Hess (Baltin), Tom Ligon (Herr Baltin), Michael O'Steen (Gaston), John Scherer (Baron), and KT Sullivan (Ida). It had a limited run from April 14–24, 2009 at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre. The show was directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, lighting design Yingzhi Zhang, musical direction by James Stenborg. The show starred James Zanelli (Baron), Kevin Kraft (Gaston), Kate Marilley (Baltin), Jennifer Evans (Maria), Christy Morton (Ida), Bill Coyne (Waiter), and Todd Faulkner (Herr Baltin).

Résumé: Maria, maid to Mme. Baltin, impersonates her mistress while carrying out an assignation with the Baron de Romer's valet, Gaston, whom she believes to be the Baron himself. The Baron discovers the pair, but, being a good sport, he assumes the role of his servant in order to assist Gaston in his romantic pursuit. When Mme. Baltin discovers her maid's deceit, she is less of a good sport and exposes the masquerade. All ends happily, though, as the foursome sup by candlelight. Other characters include the Baron's gregarious friend Ida Courtney and Mme. Baltin's cheating husband, Henri, the dry goods king of France.

Création: 21/9/1938 - Winter Garden Theatre (Broadway) - 78 représ.



Musical
0017 - Leave It to Me! (1938)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Bella Spewack • Samuel Spewack
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Leave It to Me! is a 1938 musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The book was a collaborative effort by Samuel and Bella Spewack, who also directed the Broadway production. The musical was based on the play Clear All Wires by the Spewacks, which was performed on Broadway for 93 performances in 1932, and which was filmed in 1933, starring Lee Tracy, Benita Hume, Una Merkel and James Gleason. Set in Stalinist Russia in the 1930s, with Stalin himself appearing at the end, in the Cold War era after World War II its comic treatment of Soviets and Nazis seemed misplaced, and the show was not revived until the late 1980s. Mary Martin made her Broadway debut in this musical, which introduced the songs "Get Out of Town" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy."

Genèse: Productions The musical had pre-Broadway tryouts at the Shubert Theatre, New Haven, starting on October 13, 1938 and then at the Shubert Theatre, Boston, starting on October 17, 1938. It opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on November 9, 1938 and closed on July 15, 1939 after 291 performances. It reopened on September 4, 1939 and closed September 16, 1939 for another 16 performances. The choreography was by Robert Alton, costumes by Raoul Pene du Bois, set by Albert Johnson, and Ernest K. Gann was the General Manager. The cast featured William Gaxton, Victor Moore, Sophie Tucker, Mary Martin, Tamara Drasin, and Alexander Asro. In his first Broadway show, Gene Kelly had a role as a dancer and Secretary to Mr. Goodhue. The original production ended with the appearance of Joseph Stalin, who led a final dance to the Soviet anthem The Internationale. After the signing of the Nazi-Soviet pact, Stalin was dropped from the show. The Equity Library Theater in New York City presented a revival of the show – the first time it was revived in the United States – in March 1988. The "Musicals Tonight!" series, New York City, held a staged concert in March 2001. 42nd Street Moon Theatre Company, San Francisco, presented the musical in November–December 2001.

Résumé: In the late 1930s, aging businessman Alonzo "Stinky" Goodhue has become the American ambassador to the Soviet Union. The job was secured for him by his social-climbing wife, Leora, who helped to fund Franklin Roosevelt's re-election campaign. However, "Stinky" has no desire to live in Stalinist Russia. He is longing for the pleasures of his home in Topeka, Kansas, especially banana splits. He hopes his tenure as ambassador will be a short one. Meanwhile, an ambitious newspaper reporter, Buckley J. "Buck" Thomas, is employed to discredit Goodhue by his publisher who wants to be the ambassador himself. When Thomas and Goodhue realise they both have the same aims, they work together. Goodhue plans to make major diplomatic gaffes, which will be publicised by Thomas. He delivers an inflammatory speech, but is hailed for his courage. He kicks the Ambassador of Nazi Germany, to the delight of the Soviets. He then attempts to shoot a Soviet official, but hits a counter-revolutionary aristocrat instead. Each time he ends up being hailed as a hero (in a parody of diplomatic speak, the British ambassador says "Britain views your deed [kicking the Nazi] with pride and alarm, congratulates and condemns you, and will now perform its breathtaking triple loop, suspended by a single wire, sitting in a tub of water."). His recall seems further away than ever. In a subplot, Buck Thomas is involved with his boss's "protégée", the free-spirited Dolly Winslow. He falls in love with Colette, one of Goodhue's daughters. He has to extract himself from Dolly to win Colette. Dolly eventually finds herself stranded at a railroad station in Siberia. She slowly takes off her furs to admirers as she sings of her flirtations, but insists "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", referring to her "sweet millionaire" sugar-daddy. The ambassador finally resolves to give up his tricks and tries to promote good relations between the United States and the Soviet Union; however his sincere attempts to improve matters now go disastrously wrong. He finally gets his wish to be recalled back to Topeka.

Création: 9/11/1938 - Imperial Theatre (Broadway) - 291 représ.



Musical
0018 - Du Barry Was a Lady (1939)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: B.G. DeSylva • Herbert Fields
Production originale:
3 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Le Du Barry Was a Lady de Cole Porter est l’un des plus grands succès de l’époque. Ce spectacle flamboyant a été créé avec Bert Lahr et Ethel Merman en tête d'affiche, des nombreux et somptueux costumes de Raoul Pene du Bois et contenant au moins six ballets majeurs chorégraphiés par Robert Alton. Les blagues étaient parfois un peu risquées, et au moins deux des chansons de Porter (It Ain’t Etiquette et But in the Morning, No!) ont été jugées trop «inappropriées» pour la radio. Et trois chansons sont devenues des standards: la belle ballade Do I Love You? (pour Ronald Graham); le duo Friendship (pour Lahr et Merman); et le Well, Did You Evah! (pour Betty Grable et Charles Walters). Le musical a tenu l'affiche pendant plus d’un an, et a été le dernier musical à ouvrir à Broadway dans les années '30.

Genèse: 1939 Broadway Le musical a ouvert à Broadway au 46th Street Theatre le 6 décembre 1939. Le spectacle sera transféré au Royale Theatre le 21 octobre 1940 et fermera le 12 décembre 1940, après 408 représentations. Il a été mis en scène par Edgar MacGregor, chorégraphié par Robert Alton, avec les orchestrations de Robert Russell Bennett et Ted Royal. La distribution présentait Bert Lahr (Louis Blore), Ethel Merman (May Daly), Betty Grable (Alice Barton), Benny Baker (Charley), Ronald Graham (Alex Barton) et Charles Walters (Harry Norton). Gypsy Rose Lee et Francis Williams reprendront plus tard joué le rôle de May Daly. 1942 West End Le spectacle a ouvert dans le West End au His Majesty’s Theatre le 22 octobre 1942 pour 178 représentations. Il a été mis en scène par Richard Bird. La distribution mettait en vedette Arthur Riscoe (Louis Blore), Frances Day (May Daly), Frances Marsden (Alice Barton), Jacky Hunter (Charley), Bruce Trent (Alex Barton) et Teddy Beaumont (Harry Norton). Productions suivantes Le spectacle a été présenté en concert à plusieurs reprises, aux États-Unis et au Royaume-Uni. Les deux productions britanniques, en 1993 et 2001, étaient présentées par la «Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust» avec Louise Gold comme May Daly et Barry Cryer comme Louis en 1993 et Desmond Barrit en 2001. La production de mai 1993 s'est jouée au Barbican Centre. Le concert de novembre 2001 a été présentée (comme la production originale de Londres) au Her Majesty’s Theatre, enregistré pour la radio par la BBC (il a été diffusé sur BBC Radio 3 pour Noël 2002). Le New York City Center Encores! a présenté un concert en février 1996 avec Robert Morse (Louis) et Faith Prince (mai). The show has been produced in concert form several times, in both the US and the UK. The two UK productions, in 1993 and 2001, were by the "Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust" and featured Louise Gold as "May Daly" with Barry Cryer as Louis in 1993 and Desmond Barrit in 2001. The May 1993 production was at the Barbican Centre. The November 2001 concert was (like the original London production) at Her Majesty's Theatre, recorded for radio by the BBC (it was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 during Christmas 2002). Le New York City Center Encores! a présenté un concert en février 1996 avec Robert Morse (Louis) et Faith Prince (May).

Résumé: Un préposé aux toilettes, Louis Blore, gagne à la Loterie et démissionne de son boulot. Il est amoureux de la chanteuse de discothèque May Daly, mais elle est elle-même amoureuse d’Alex Barton. Alex est le frère de son amie Alice, qui est amoureuse de Harry Norton. Pendant ce temps, Alex est marié à Ann, un mariage malheureux. Charley, le remplaçant de Louis, suggère que Louis glisse un Mickey Finn [boisson alcoolisée dans laquelle on a versé une drogue à l'insu de celui qui la consomme] à Alex. En essayant de le faire, Louis boit par inadvertance le Mickey Finn, s’endort, et rêve qu’il est le roi Louis XV de France, et que May est Madame du Barry. Dans son rêve, Charley devient le Dauphin (plus tard Louis XVI) et Harry devient le capitaine de la garde, avec Ann comme dame d’honneur de Du Barry, et Alex comme paysan qui a écrit une chanson grossière sur Le Roi et Du Barry (la chanson titre : Du Barry was a Lady). Finalement, après divers enchevêtrements (dont le Dauphin tirant sur le Roi dans le postérieur avec un arc et une flèche), Louis se réveille et réalise qu’Alex est l’homme de May. Il utilise le dernier de ses gains pour payer le divorce d’Alex avec Ann, et (avec Charley qui vient de quitter son emploi) revient à être un préposé aux toilettes.

Création: 6/12/1939 - Richard Rodgers Theatre (Broadway) - représ.



Musical
0019 - Panama Hattie (1940)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: B.G. DeSylva • Herbert Fields
Production originale:
2 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Liste chansons  

Genèse:

Résumé:

Acte I

Hattie Maloney owns a night club in the Panama Canal Zone where she also performs. Three sailors from the S.S. Idaho, Skat Briggs, Windy Deegan and Woozy Hoga, ask her to sing at a party they are organizing ("Join It Right Away"). Nick Bullet, Hattie’s fiance, is a wealthy Navy officer. They are about to meet his eight-year-old daughter Geraldine (Jerry), off the boat from Philadelphia. He tells Hattie, "My Mother Would Love You". Hattie, eager to make a good impression on her prospective stepdaughter, spends three weeks' wages on her elaborately frilly outfit. But when she arrives, Jerry makes fun of Hattie's clothing and way of speaking. Feeling that her marriage is off, Hattie gets drunk on rum ("I’ve still Got my Health"). Kitty-Belle, the daughter of Admiral Whitney Randolph, wants to marry Nick, and she schemes to end his romance with Hattie. Florrie, a singer in the night club, develops a crush on Nick's very proper butler Vivian Budd ("Fresh as a Daisy"). Nick’s efforts to persuade Jerry and Hattie to get along with each other finally succeed, with Jerry making the still hungover Hattie cut the bows off her dress and shoes ("Let’s Be Buddies"). Jerry gives Hattie advice on how to behave like a lady at a party where she is to be presented to Nick’s boss, the Admiral ("I’m Throwing a Ball Tonight"). Admiral Randolph is to be presented with a cup, and his daughter Kitty-Belle suggests that Hattie might present it filled with goldenrod. This gives Whitney hay fever; Hattie is blamed, and Nick is ordered not to marry Hattie.

Acte II

The sailors from the S. S. Idaho uncover a spy plot involving saboteurs. Hattie swears off rum ("Make It Another Old Fashioned Please"). Hattie has it out with Kitty-Belle, whose boyfriend keeps being called in whenever Hattie is on the verge of hitting her. Meanwhile, Florrie continues to try to attract the romantic attention of Budd ("All I’ve Got to Get Now is My Man"). Hattie, two of the sailors and Budd meet regarding these various threads ("You Said It"). Mildred Hunter, Kitty-Belle’s best friend, turns out to be a terrorist ("Who would Have Dreamed"). She gives Jerry a secret package to put in Nick’s desk. Hattie overhears the plot to blow up the Panama Canal control room, finds the bomb and throws it out, saving the day. The grateful Admiral Whitney retracts his order and the sailors praise Hattie ("God Bless the Woman").

Création: 30/10/1940 - Richard Rodgers Theatre (Broadway) - 501 représ.



Musical
0020 - Let's Face It (1941)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Dorothy Fields • Herbert Fields
Production originale:
3 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Isnpiration  Liste chansons  

Let’s Face It est un musical avec une musique et des paroles de Cole Porter. Le livret de Herbert et Dorothy Fields est basé sur la pièce de 1925 The Cradle Snatchers de Russell Medcraft et Norma Mitchell.

Genèse: 1941 – Création à Broadway La production originale est a été mise en scène par Edgar MacGregor et chorégraphiée par Charles Walters. Après un Try-Out au Colonial Theatre de Boston, le musical a ouvert à Broadway à l'Imperial Theatre le 29 octobre 1941 et a fermé le 20 mars 1943, après 547 représentations. La distribution comprenait Danny Kaye (Jerry Walker), Eve Arden (Maggie Watson), Edith Meiser (Cornelia Abigail Pigeon), Vivian Vance (Nancy Collister), Benny Baker, Mary Jane Walsh (Winnie Potter) et Nanette Fabray. La distribution comprenait aussi Carol Channing encore totalement inconnue comme understudy d’Eve Arden. Danny Kaye avait fait ses débuts réussis plus tôt dans l’année dans Lady in the Dark(), et Porter a permis à la femme de l’acteur, Sylvia Fine, d’ajouter deux numéros comiques dans la partition pour qu’il chanterait. Plus tard dans la série, Carol Goodner a remplacé Eve Arden et José Ferrer a remplacé Kaye. 1942 – Création à Londres Les Try-Out au Royaume-Uni ont commencé le 23 juin 1942 au Palace Theatre de Manchester. La production du West End a ouvert le 19 novembre 1942 à l'Hippodrome Theatre où elle s'est jouée durant 348 représentations. Le spectacle a été mis en scène par Bobby Howell et chorégraphié par Joan Davis. La distribution comprenait Bobby Howes (Jerry Walker) et Pat Kirkwood (Winnie Potter).

Résumé: Méfiantes des voyages de chasse de leurs maris, Maggie Watson, Nancy Collister et Cornelia Pigeon décident de renverser la vapeur et d’inviter trois jeunes militaires à la maison d’été de Maggie à Southampton. Les copines de ces trois jeunes militaires apprennent l'existence de ce stratagème et décident de faire échouer la fête. Pour rajouter quelques complications, les maris retournent aussi chez eux.

Création: 29/10/1941 - Imperial Theatre (Broadway) - 547 représ.



Musical
0021 - Something for the Boys (1943)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Dorothy Fields • Herbert Fields
Production originale:
2 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Liste chansons  

Connu pendant la préparation sour le titre Jenny, Get Your Gun, le musical Something for the Boys de Cole Porter fut un succès populaire et critique qui a duré un an et a marqué la cinquième et dernière apparition d’Ethel Merman dans un musical de Porter. La production somptueuse de Michael Todd offrait un complot léger lié à la guerre qui impliquait des soldats, leurs femmes et leurs petites amies, des usines de défense et même la nouveauté d’une «arme» secrète pour gagner la guerre.

Genèse:

Résumé: L'histoire suit trois cousins, Blossom (Ethel Merman), Chiquita (Paula Laurence) et Harry (Allen Jenkins), ne se connaissant pas du tout, qui héritent ensemble d’un immense domaine au Texas situé à côté d’une base militaire. Les trois cousins transforment la maison délabrée en une pension pour les femmes des militaires ainsi qu’une sorte d’usine de défense dans laquelle les femmes fabriquent des pièces d’avion. Blossom et le soldat Rocky Fulton (Bill Johnson) tombent amoureux, mais la jalouse Melanie Walker (Frances Mercer) tente de briser la romance en suggérant aux responsables de l’armée que le pensionnat est un autre type de maison. Mais comme à cette époque tout est possible dans les livrets de musicals à Broadway, il semble qu'une des dents de Blossom agisse comme un émetteur radio, et donc l’armée, peut se rendre compte que les activités sur le domaine sont innocents. Blossom suggère que les dents des soldats soient équipées de la même manière pour qu’ils puissent devenir leurs propres émetteurs radio pendant la guerre!!! Dietz, Dan. The Complete Book of 1940 Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Édition du Kindle.

Création: 7/1/1943 - Neil Simon Theatre (Broadway) - 422 représ.



Musical
0022 - Kiss me Kate (1948)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Bella Spewack • Samuel Spewack
Production originale:
21 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Commentaire  

Kiss Me, Kate est un musical écrit par Bella et Samuel Spewack avec la musique et les paroles de Cole Porter. L'histoire suit la production d'une version musicale de The Taming of the Shrew (La Mégère apprivoisée) de William Shakespeare et le conflit qui en découle - sur et hors scène - entre Fred Graham, le metteur en scène, producteur et star du spectacle, et la first lady, son ex-femme Lilli Vanessi. Une histoire d'amour secondaire concerne Lois Lane, l'actrice qui joue Bianca, et son petit ami, le joueur Bill, qui est confronté à des gangsters. La production originale mettait en vedette Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk et Harold Lang. Kiss Me, Kate était la réponse de Porter à Oklahoma! () de Rodgers et Hammerstein et autres musicals intégrés; c'était le premier spectacle qu'il écrivait dans lequel la musique et les paroles étaient fermement liées au scénario. Le musical a été créé en 1948 et s'est avéré être le seul spectacle de Porter à avoir été présenté plus de 1.000 fois à Broadway .

Genèse:

Résumé: An egotistical actor and producer named Fred Graham and his ex-wife, Lili Vanessi, are playing Petruchio and Kate in a production of "Taming of the Shrew." In both the real world and in the play, they bicker and romance in a "battle of the sexes."

Création: 30/12/1948 - New Century Theatre (Broadway) - 1077 représ.



Musical
0023 - Can-Can (1953)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Abe Burrows
Production originale:
13 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Synopsis  Commentaire  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Genèse: After the pre-Broadway tryout at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia in March 1953, Can-Can premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on May 7, 1953, and closed on June 25, 1955 after 892 performances. The original production, which Burrows also directed, starred Lilo as La Mome, Hans Conried as Boris, Peter Cookson as the judge, Gwen Verdon as Claudine, Dania Krupska, Phil Leeds, Dee Dee Wood, and Erik Rhodes as Hilaire. Michael Kidd was the choreographer. According to Ben Brantley, Claudine was "the part that made Gwen Verdon a star." The West End production premiered at the Coliseum Theatre on October 14, 1954, and ran for 394 performances. Restaged by Jerome Whyte, the cast included Irene Hilda (La Mome), Edmund Hockridge (Aristide), Alfred Marks (Boris), Gillian Lynne (Claudine) and Warren Mitchell (Theophile). A Broadway revival opened April 30, 1981 at the Minskoff Theatre and closed after five performances and sixteen previews. It was directed by Burrows with choreography by Roland Petit and starred Zizi Jeanmaire. Frank Rich wrote: "...mediocre material, no matter how it's sliced, is still mediocre material. 'Can-Can' never was a firstrate musical, and now, almost three decades after its original production, it stands on even shakier legs." A 1983 outdoor production played at The Muny in St. Louis, starring Judy Kaye, John Reardon, John Schuck, Lawrence Leritz, Lorene Yarnell and Beth Leavel to excellent reviews. The London revival at the Strand Theatre ran from October 26, 1988 through January 21, 1989. David Taylor directed, with choreography by Kenn Oldfield, with a cast that featured Donna McKechnie (Mme. Pistache), Bernard Alane, Norman Warwick, Janie Dee (Claudine) and Milo O'Shea. Producer Lovett Bickford explained that "his version was less a revival than a complete revision. 'For all intents and purposes, this is a new show,' he said."[6] It had a revised book which incorporated songs from Fifty Million Frenchmen, Nymph Errant, Silk Stockings, Out of This World and other Cole Porter musicals. Also in 1988, an international tour starred Chita Rivera and Ron Holgate. The tour featured the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. This production was directed by Dallett Norris, with choreography by Alan Johnson.[7] In 2004, a City Center Encores! staged concert production featured Patti LuPone as La Mome Pistache, Michael Nouri (Judge Aristide Forestier), Charlotte d'Amboise (Claudine), Reg Rogers, and Eli Wallach. This production was directed by Lonny Price, with sets by John Lee Beatty and lighting by Kenneth Posner.

Résumé: Au tournant du siècle, à Paris, La Mome Pistache, fière propriétaire de l'infâme "Bal du Paradis", affronte Aristide Forestier, un juge extrêmement rigoureux qui a pour but de fermer tous les cabarets parisiens. Par hasard, ils tombent amoureux et Aristide avoue qu'il n'y a obscénité que dans le fait de celui qui regarde…

Création: 7/5/1953 - Shubert Theatre (Broadway) - représ.



Musical
0024 - Silk Stockings (1955)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Abe Burrows • George S. Kaufman • Laureen MacGrath
Production originale:
2 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Liste chansons  

Silk Stockings est un musical avec un livret de George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath et Abe Burrows et une musique et des paroles de Cole Porter. Le musical est vaguement basé sur l'histoire de Melchior Lengyel, Ninotchka, et l'adaptation cinématographique qu'elle a inspirée en 1939. Il a été diffusé à Broadway en 1955. Ce fut le dernier comédie musical que Porter a écrit pour la scène.

Genèse:

Résumé: Silk Stockings se déroule principalement à Paris, la ville de comédie musicale préférée de Cole Porter. Trois agents russes, Ivanov, Brankov et Bibinski sont envoyés là-bas pour récupérer le plus grand compositeur russe Peter Ilyich Boroff des voies détournées du capitalisme, mais bientôt les agents eux-mêmes sont enchantés par le mode de vie de l’Occident décadent. Quand Ninotchka reçoit l’ordre de Moscou de les ramener tous au pays, elle tombe elle aussi sous le charme de Paris et des bas de soie, et se retrouve amoureuse de l’agent de cinéma américain Steve Canfield, qui veut utiliser la musique de Boroff dans un futur film mettant en vedette Janice Dayton ancienne reine des films de "belles en maillot de abin" aux États-Unis qui veut maintenant passer à des films dramatiqueq avec une version musicale de Guerre et Paix. Inutile de dire que tout finit bien et que les agents russes ainsi que Boroff et Ninotchka se retrouvent du côté ouest du rideau de fer.

Création: 24/2/1955 - Imperial Theatre (Broadway) - 478 représ.



Musical
0025 - Aladdin (Porter) (1958)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: S.J. Perelman
Production originale:
2 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Commentaire  Liste chansons  

Aladdin est une fantaisie musicale de 1958 écrite spécialement pour la télévision, avec un livret de SJ Perelman et de la musique et des paroles de Cole Porter, diffusée en couleur dans l'émission DuPont Show of the Month par CBS. C'était la dernière partition musicale de Porter.

Genèse:

Résumé:

Création: 21/2/1958 - *** TV (***) - 1 représ.



Film
0026 - At Long Last Love (1975)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: *** Divers
Livret: Peter Bogdanovich
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  

At Long Last Love is a 1975 American jukebox musical comedy film written, produced, and directed by Peter Bogdanovich. It stars Burt Reynolds, Cybill Shepherd, Madeline Kahn, and Duilio Del Prete as two couples who each switch partners during a party and attempt to make each other jealous. Featuring 18 songs with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Bogdanovich was inspired to make a musical with the composer's songs after Shepherd gave him a book of his songs. All of the musical sequences were performed live by the cast, since At Long Last Love was meant by Bogdanovich to be a tribute to 1930s musical films like One Hour With You, The Love Parade, The Merry Widow and The Smiling Lieutenant that also filmed the songs in the same manner.

Genèse: Production At Long Last Love was Bogdanovich's first musical film, as well as the first motion picture he wrote by himself. He got the idea to a musical film of Cole Porter songs when his then-girlfriend Cybill Shepherd gave him a book of songs by the composer. "His lyrics conveyed a frivolous era," said the director. "With a kind of sadness, but very subtle... Cole Porter lyrics are less sentimental than, say, Gershwin and more abrasive... Gershwin was the greater musician. But Cole was a better lyricist and I was more interested in lyrics than music." When he heard the lyrics for "I Loved Him", with its reversal of emotion and wry lyric, he decided to use that as the finale and "worked back from there". The film was originally called Quadrille, and was equally weighted between the four lead characters. In September 1973, Bogadanovich announced the cast would be Cybill Shepherd, Madeline Kahn, Ryan O'Neal, and the director himself.[8] Shepherd had recorded an album of Cole Porter songs paid for by Paramount called Cybill Does It... to Cole Porter. By March 1974, Bogdanovich had decided to not act, and replaced himself with Elliott Gould, who had experience in musical theatre. Gould and O'Neal dropped out. By March 1974 Burt Reynolds had replaced Gould. Bogdanovich says he was "talked into" using Burt Reynolds, who wanted to try a musical. "The whole joke that he's kind of a nice fellow, good looking, not particularly good at dancing. He can't dally with the girl. He's rather ineffectual." He gave the other male lead to Duilio Del Prete who had just been in Bogdanovich's Daisy Miller and who the director thought was going to be a big star. In March 1974, Fox agreed to finance the film. Filming started August 1974. Resisting the urge to shoot another film in black and white, Bogdanovich had it art-directed as "Black and White in Color". He wanted the characters to feel like they were having a conversation using "greeting cards in the form of songs" like "they didn't know what to say to each other." The movies of Ernst Lubitsch with Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier such as One Hour With You, The Love Parade, The Merry Widow and The Smiling Lieutenant influenced Bogdanovich to have all of the song sequences be filmed live, as it would recreate the "kind of sad, funny, melancholy, silly," and "spontaneous" vibe of the films. However, all of the lead actors, especially Reynolds "weren't accomplished singers or dancers," resulting in a lot of delays and mess-ups during the shooting process. In addition, the cast had a tough time performing the sequences due to having to perform them in one take and deal with wonky receiver systems in order to listen to the instrumentals. Bogdanovich later said he "was very arrogant" during the making of the film, "but that arrogance was bought out of a frantic insecurity. I knew it was so possible I was wrong that I became tough about insisting that I was right." Versions The studio rushed the film into release, with only two previews in San Jose (which Bogadanovich recalled being "a total disaster") and Denver. Bogdanovich made more changes to the film to have it be more focused on Reynolds' character due to pressure from the studio, and the final version was never previewed. Following a premiere at 20th Century-Fox Studios in Los Angeles on March 1, 1975, the film opened March 6 at Radio City Music Hall to scathing reviews and poor box office returns. The chorus of critical attacks prompted Bogdanovich to have an open letter of apology printed in newspapers throughout the U.S. Bogdanovich later said once the film was released "I realized how I should have cut it after that and I immediately did cut it, they let me recut and I think I paid for that, and that version was then shown on television and that's the version that all release prints have been ever since. That was quite different from the opening version. Very different, but unfortunately it was too late." The director has stated many people who first saw it in this version did not react so badly to the film.

Résumé: Four socialites unexpectedly clash: heiress Brooke Carter runs into the Italian gambler Johnny Spanish at the race track while playboy Michael O. Pritchard nearly runs into stage star Kitty O'Kelly with his car. Backstage at Kitty's show, it turns out she and Brooke are old friends who attended public school together. The foursome do the town, accompanied by Brooke's companion Elizabeth, who throws herself at Michael's butler and chauffeur Rodney James. The four friends change partners at a party, where Brooke and Michael step outside behind Kitty and Johnny. In an effort to make the others jealous, Kitty, Johnny, Brooke, Michael, Elizabeth and Rodney begin their romance.

Création: 1/3/1975 - *** Film (***) - représ.



Musical
0027 - Happy New Year (1980)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: Burt Shevelove
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Genèse: Porter successfully had transformed Barry's The Philadelphia Story into the musical film High Society, so Shevelove pored through the composer's catalogue in search of tunes that would fit Holiday's plot. When the show previewed at the Stratford Festival in Canada, the score consisted of lesser-known Porter songs, and Shevelove decided to eliminate most of them in favor of music more familiar to audiences. He also opted to replace much of Barry's original repartee with songs that suited neither the characters nor the situations, and replaced the gaps with a narrator whose purpose was to explain what was missing from the plot, a device that ultimately proved to be clumsy and confusing.

Résumé: The Narrator introduces the Seton family, who in December 1933 live in a five story townhouse on Fifth Avenue in New York City. He relates their story. Successful Wall Street lawyer Johnny Case has become engaged to Julia Seton. Julia and her sister Linda celebrate the engagement ("At Long Last Love"). However, Johnny has decided to abandon his well-paid career and instead live a life of pleasure, using Julia's money. Julia's banker father Edward is very upset and her willful sister Linda is fascinated. Johnny begins to realize that he loves the unconventional Linda, and they become a couple, disregarding the "old money and values" of others for a life together.

Création: 27/4/1980 - Morosco Theatre (Broadway) - 25 représ.



Musical
0028 - High Society (1987)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter • Susan Birkenhead
Livret: Arthur Kopit
Production originale:
8 versions mentionnées
Dispo: Résumé  Génèse  Liste chansons  

Genèse: Broadway The musical had a try-out in San Francisco in 1997. The musical premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on April 27, 1998 and closed on August 30, 1998 after 144 performances and 27 previews. Directed by Christopher Renshaw, the cast included Stephen Bogardus (Macaulay Conner), Melissa Errico (Tracy), Daniel McDonald (Dexter), John McMartin (Uncle Willie), Randy Graff, Lisa Banes, Marc Kudisch, Betsy Joslyn and a 12-year-old Anna Kendrick. Sets were by Loy Arcenas, costumes were by Jane Greenwood, and lighting was by Howell Binkley. Des McAnuff was "brought in during the show's troubled tryout period" and is uncredited. Lar Lubovitch is credited as the choreographer, with Wayne Cilento uncredited Ben Brantley, in his review for The New York Times, wrote: "...spirits are definitely high in 'High Society,' which stars a sadly misused Melissa Errico, but they also feel forced and even desperate. The show, first seen in a tepidly received version in San Francisco, has since undergone drastic retailoring. And it ominously shed its director and choreographer of record, Christopher Renshaw and Lar Lubovitch, during New York rehearsals, with Des McAnuff and Wayne Cilento stepping in to make last-minute revisions. Perhaps that accounts for the feverish, at-sea quality that seems to possess the show's team of talented, proven performers. The production's guiding rule appears to be to do whatever is necessary to land a joke or to sell a song... Numbers that should bubble with dry effervescence are more likely to come across as a thick ferment of suds." London A rather more successful West End production opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre on February 25, 1987 and ran for 420 performances. It starred Trevor Eve (Dexter), Stephen Rea (Mike), Angela Richards (Liz), Natasha Richardson (Tracy) and Ronald Fraser (Uncle Willie); the director was Richard Eyre. On October 1, 2005, a West End revival starring Katherine Kingsley (Tracy Lord), Graham Bickley (Dexter Haven), Paul Robinson (Mike) and Jerry Hall (Mrs. Lord) opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre. This was based on the 2003 Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park production and subsequent tour. These productions were directed by Ian Talbot OBE. Tracie Bennett played Liz in the Open Air Theatre production and stole the show, according to The Guardian critic.

Résumé: Based on the Philip Barry play The Philadelphia Story and the musical screen adaptation it inspired, High Society, the plot centers on pretentious Long Island socialite Tracy Lord, who is planning a June 1938 wedding to an equally pretentious executive when ex-husband Dexter Haven arrives to disrupt the proceedings. Additional comic complications arise when tabloid reporter Mike Connor, who is there to cover the wedding, also falls for the bride-to-be.

Création: 25/2/1987 - Victoria Palace Theatre (Londres) - représ.



Musical
0029 - A Swell Party (1991)
Musique: Cole Porter
Paroles: Cole Porter
Livret: John Kane
Production originale:
1 version mentionnée
Dispo: Résumé  Synopsis  

Genèse:

Résumé: “A Swell Party” started life in London in 1991 at the Vaudeville Theatre with Angela Richards, David Kerman, Anne Wood and Martin Smith. Nickolas Grace, the only man alive who actually looks like Cole Porter, played the composer-lyricist. Here it is now Simon Green, who is tall and looks nothing like Cole, who plays the Porter part, narrating the life and times of one of the twentieth-century’s greatest and most prolific songwriters who stands beside Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart as the best that the Great American Songbook had to offer in the glorious heyday of popular song and music-theatre, the period from the mid-1920s to the early 1950s.

Création: 3/10/1991 - Vaudeville Theatre (Londres) - représ.