Haines His Way

I purchased the original BC Cd some years after it was recorded and enjoyed it very much.....I have never seen the show or read it....but it seems to suffer a lot of slings and arrows because of THE BOOK.

Congrats to MR BK & Co on APPLAUSE.

This was my thought on what was going on with George Furth as a writer right at the time of MERRILY.

One thing that stays in memory as "Merrily We Roll Along" kept getting revised: George Furth hadn't had a Broadway show in several years and then suddenly there on Broadway were his TV-star-filled comedy "The Supporting Cast," and then "Merrily" starting previews just a month after the play opened. I thought from seeing "The Supporting Cast" that the total quick failure of George Furth's play was not predictable - even during previews. (I had a really good time, and I guess it was indeed a sitcom-type play onstage - but it was a very funny example of the genre.)

But how can that failure not have affected anyone - "Merrily" was almost in rehearsals, so the play's failure had to affect not only self-confidence but even how others approached him. No agent keeping track would want scheduling things bunched together intentionally - but when offered, who could turn either down? (At least it didn't stop Furth and Sondheim wanting to collaborate, unlike Sondheim and Prince.)

Congratulations, BK, on the upcoming production of APPLAUSE!

The original.

From yesterday Ann Talman was mentioned yesterday. I met her last fall when she was performing her show nearby. I had her autograph my Playbill and souvenir program.

BK, I know they tried a revised book version some years back with Stefanie Powers. Are you using that one or the original?

Fixed. I had the Applause year in my brain.

I saw the 4th performance, preview, a Saturday matinee because tickets were cheaper back then. I saw the original Frank before he was fired and before the older Frank was added. Loved the score, book less so. There was one bit in the first scene, where Gussie pushes her rival into the pool which was made of blue construction paper. The audience unintentionally  laughed at the ludicrously how faked it looked. She breaks through the paper, climbs out, and pretends to be wet.

BK check the second line in your notes. You have 1970. Unless we are in a time warp and it’s 1975😜😁