****nbone Alley is a musical with a book by Joe Darion (lyricist for MAN
OF LA MANCHA, ILLYA DARLING) and Mel Brooks, lyrics by Darion, and music
by George Kleinsinger.
Based on archy and mehitabel, a series of New York Tribune columns by
Don Marquis, it focuses on poetic cockroach Archy, alley cat Mehitabel,
and her relation****ps with theatrical cat Tyrone T. Tattersal and tomcat
Big Bill.
The project began life in 1954 as a Columbia Records concept album with
Marquis' original title, featuring Eddie Bracken, Carol Channing, and
David Wayne.
That same year a concert version was presented by the Little Orchestra
Society at The Town Hall in New York City.
With an expanded book, the addition of several lengthy ballet sequences,
and a cast of animal characters, the rechristened ****nbone Alley was
one of the first Broadway shows to feature a fully integrated cast.
Following "creative differences" with the writers and producers,
original director Norman Lloyd requested that his name be removed from
the credits.
With benefit of neither an out-of-town tryout nor a preview period, the
Broadway production, supervised by Sawyer Falk and choreographed by Joe
and Rod Alexander, opened on April 13, 1957 at The Broadway Theatre,
where it ran for 49 performances.
The cast included Bracken, reprising his role as Archy, Eartha Kitt as
Mehitabel, Erik Rhodes as Tyrone, and George S. Irving as Big Bill.
Sup****ting players included Cathryn Damon, Jacques d'Amboise, Ross
Martin, Lillian Hayman, and Allegra Kent. Relative newcomer Chita Rivera
was Kitt's standby.
The show's sole Tony Award nomination was for Best Costume Design.
In lieu of a cast album recorded in a studio, a tape of a live
performance was transferred to acetate and released on the Legend label.
On May 16, 1960, an abridged version of the musical was broadcast under
the original title archy and mehitabel as part of the syndicated
anthology series Play of the Week presented by David Susskind. The cast
included Bracken, Tammy Grimes, and Jules Mun****n.
Bracken and Channing reunited to provide the voices for the 1971 UPA
animated feature film entitled ****nbone Alley, directed by John David
Wilson for Fine Arts Films.
The musical is currently licensed by Music Theatre International under
the title archy & mehitabel.
Songs
Act I
What Do We Care?
Toujours Gai
Queer Little Insect
Big Bill
True Romance
The Lightning Bug Song
I Gotta Be
Flotsam and Jetsam
Come to Mee-ow
Suicide Song
****nbone Alley
Act II
The Moth Song
A Woman Wouldn't Be a Woman
The Lullaby
What the Hell
Pretty Kitty
Way Down Blues
The Lady Bug Song
Be a *****cat
Quiet Street
Toujours Gai (Reprise)
Reference
Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops by Ken
Mandelbaum, published by St. Martin's Press (1991), pages 301-303
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