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.
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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
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306:"A Broadway Musical (Reprise)" – Eddie Bell, Stephanie Bell, James Lincoln, Shirley Wolfe, Maggie Simpson, Lonnie Paul, Stan Howard and Ensemble
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291:"A Broadway Musical" – Eddie Bell, James Lincoln, Lonnie Paul, Melinda Bernard, Stan Howard, Maggie Simpson and Ensemble
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The creators hoped that the backstage story about the making of a musical would cash in on the success of
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108:. The Broadway production closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978.
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327:"It's Time for a Cheer-Up Song" – Stan Howard, Maggie Simpson, Lonnie Paul and James Lincoln
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321:"The 1934 Hot Chocolate Jazz Babies Revue" – Sylvester Lee, James Lincoln and Ensemble
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After 14 previews, the
Broadway production opened and closed the same night at the
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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
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157:, which was still running at the time. But Brown's much-criticized book is a
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as well as the popularity of the black-themed musical, including Brown's own
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330:"You Gotta Have Dancing" – Maggie Simpson, James Lincoln and Ensemble
294:"Smoke and Fire" – Stan Howard, James Lincoln, Kumi-Kumi and Ensemble
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288:"Broadway, Broadway" – New Kids in Town, Policeman and James Lincoln
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257:, directed and produced by Robert W. Schneider. The cast included
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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
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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
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593:, BroadwayWorld.com, accessed January 31, 2019
125:. The star of the musical-within-the-musical (
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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
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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
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604:Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir
890:Musicals inspired by real-life events
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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:
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372:Stephanie Bell – Gwyda DonHowe
111:The plot about a sleazy white
1:
676:Charles Strouse Official site
525:. (2005) St. Martin's Press
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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
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587:"Sarah Routh Ellis Joins
423:Lonnie Paul – Larry Riley
141:Background and production
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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 –
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387:Sylvester Lee –
368:Warren Berlinger
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228:Warren Berlinger
197:Riverside Church
117:African-American
113:theatre producer
98:William F. Brown
69:William F. Brown
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445:imbalances."
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163:show business
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148:A Chorus Line
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389:Tiger Haynes
383:Jackée Harry
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236:Jackée Harry
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100:, lyrics by
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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:)
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