On Jul 1, 4:06=A0pm, MaryLyon <MaryL...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Greetings;
>
> I've always been aware of OTIS, but was not very familiar with it. I
> just purchased the 1952 Broadway cast album and am really enjoying it.
> I didn't imagine it was so cynical and so prescient about using the
> media to "sell" the president. I love it and am looking forward to
> additional listenings...
>
> A couple of questions:
>
> 1. On this album, "Garcon, S'il Vous Plait" begins with the famous
> lick from "An American in Paris" - is this reference in the original
> score, or unique to this production?
>
> 2. Does anyone ever do this show anymore? It seems like a natural
> suggestion to do in an election year, yet I've never known a theatre
> to do it.
>
> Any thoughts/insights/comments on this show would be greatly
> appreciated!
>
> Thanks!
> Cheers!
> Amy :)
As I remember, the '52 recording (which I haven't heard in a long
time) plays terrible havoc with the original score (and "updates" a
lot of lyrics), but yes, the "American In Paris" quote is in the
original score.
I've done the show twice - once as rehearsal/pit pianist for a high-
level youth theatre program in the early 80's (quite fun), then I was
musical director for a professional production of the show in the
summer of 1996 - right during the Bill Clinton/Paula Jones lawsuit,
which of course cast an interesting "subtext" to the show. We played
it straight, though - no updates or illusions to Clinton - except for
the fact that we did cast a Mary Turner who did bear a physical
resemblance to Hillary Clinton, lol.
A fun coincidence this summer - the actor who played Jenkins in that
'96 production (i.e. the press secretary, who sings "Love Is Sweeping
The Country") is now the artistic director of a summer youth theatre
program (and also still a marvelous actor) - and he chose "Of Thee I
Sing" for the musical this summer. And I'll be playing rehearsals for
one week, filling in for the regular musical director. It'll be fun to
come back to this show again. :-)
BTW - you should try to seek out this recording of the show (and its
sequel - "Let 'Em Eat Cake") -
http://www.amazon.com/Thee-Sing-Cake-Studio-=
Recording/dp/B0000026H7
- it's as close as we have to a commercially available recording of
the score as the Gershwins actually wrote it.
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