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American Theater Guide:

Carnival

Carnival (1961), a musical play by Michael Stewart (book), Bob Merrill (music, lyrics). [ Imperial Theatre, 719 perf.; NYDCC Award.] The orphan Lili (Anna Maria Alberghetti) joins a French carnival and falls for an egotistical magician (James Mitchell), but she is truly loved by the bitter puppeteer (Jerry Orbach). Yet when he speaks to Lili through his puppets, his true emotions are revealed and she learns to love him back. Notable songs: Love Makes the World Go Round; Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris; Always Always You; Mira. David Merrick produced this enchanting musical tale, based on the 1953 film Lili, which was enhanced by Gower Champion's inventive staging that created a circuslike atmosphere with lights and movement. Bob MERRILL [né Henry Lavan] (1921–98), a native of Atlantic City, first found fame as the author of many pop songs on the charts in the 1950s. His early Broadway scores were for New Girl in Town (1957) and Take Me Along (1959), both based on Eugene O'Neill plays. Merrill provided lyrics for Jules Styne's music in Funny Girl (1964) and Sugar (1972). His other scores include Henry, Sweet Henry (1967) and cult failures Breakfast at Tiffany's (1966) and Prettybelle (1971).

 
 
Wikipedia: Carnival!
This article is about the stage musical. For the 1953 film, see Lili.
Carnival!
Carnival_1961.jpg
Original Broadway Cast Album
Music Bob Merrill
Lyrics Bob Merrill
Book Michael Stewart
Based upon The film Lili (1953)
Productions 1961 Broadway

Carnival! was a 1961 Tony-award winning Broadway musical with book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill, starring Anna Maria Alberghetti, James Mitchell, Kaye Ballard, Pierre Olaf, and Jerry Orbach (making his Broadway debut). Gower Champion both directed and choreographed. The musical was based on the film Lili (1953).

Carnival! premiered on April 12, 1961 at the Imperial Theatre, where it played until December 15, 1962, when it moved to the Winter Garden Theatre. The musical closed on January 5, 1963 after 719 performances. A production was briefly mounted in London's West End in 1963; it featured Shirley Sands, Sally Logan, and one actor from the original Broadway production, James Mitchell. The show proved unpopular and quickly closed after 34 performances, although not without a cast album. Arthur Freed briefly contemplated a film version, probably with Mitchell and Pierre Olaf, but his plans abruptly collapsed. [1]

Carnival! has been revived twice off-Broadway-- by the Equity Library Theatre (1977) and the York Theatre Company (1993). In 2002, New York City Center Encores! mounted a concert production with Anne Hathaway as Lili and puppets by the Jim Henson Company, NY Muppet Workshop. (Both the Equity Library Theatre and Encores! stagings were taped for the New York Public Library Billy Rose Theatre Collection archives.) Ben Brantley in his New York Times review praised the Encores! concert, describing Hathaway as convincing in the role even though "Lili may be the most unworldly heroine ever in a Broadway musical, dangerously blurring the lines between innocence and mental deficiency". [2] It was also produced at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC from February 17 to March 11, 2007.[3]

Plot synopsis

Lili, an orphan, joins a travelling carnival in early 20th century France. The formerly proud carnival has fallen on lean times, but Lili is enchanted, especially by a suave magician, Marco the Magnificent. Marco is involved with his comedienne assistant, The Incomparable Rosalie, but their relationship is difficult, and she threatens to leave him for a doctor. Paul Berthalet, a crippled and bitter puppeteer soon falls in love with Lili and becomes jealous of Marco. Paul expresses his love through his puppets. Lili has no special talent but tries various jobs with the troupe, eventually joining the puppet act. Marco the Magnificent becomes infatuated with Lili, and the men vie for her affections. In the end, Lili chooses Paul.

Song list

Act I
  • Direct from Vienna -- The Incomparable Rosalie, Greta Schlegel and Carnival People
  • A Very Nice Man -- Lili
  • Fairyland -- Puppets
  • I've Got to Find a Reason-- Paul Berthalet
  • Mira -- Lili
  • Sword, Rose and Cape -- Marco the Magnificent and Roustabouts
  • Humming -- The Incomparable Rosalie and Mr. Schlegel
  • Yes, My Heart -- Lili and Roustabouts
  • Everybody Likes You -- Paul Berthalet
  • Magic, Magic -- Marco the Magnificent, The Incomparable Rosalie and Lili
  • Tanz Mit Mir -- The Bluebird Girls
  • Carnival Ballet -- Lili, Carnival People and Townspeople
  • Mira (Reprise) -- Lili
  • Theme from "Carnival" -- Lili and Puppets
Act II
  • Yum Ticky -- Lili and Puppets
  • The Rich -- Lili and Puppets
  • Theme from "Carnival" (Reprise) -- Lili and Puppets
  • Beautifuly Candy -- Lili, Puppets and Vendors
  • Her Face -- Paul Berthalet
  • Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris -- Jacquot and Carnival People
  • I Hate Him -- Lili
  • Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris (Reprise) -- Carnival People
  • Always Always You -- Marco the Magnificent and The Incomparable Rosalie
  • She's My Love -- Paul Berthalet

Recordings

The 1961 Original Broadway Cast recording was released circa July 1961 on MGM 3946, Stereo S3946. [4] The CD was released on June 8, 1989 on Decca Broadway.

Awards and nominations

  • Tony Awards
  • Best Actress in a Musical -- Anna Maria Alberghetti (tie with Diahann Carroll in No Strings) (WINNER)
  • Best Scenic Design -- Will Steven Armstrong (WINNER)
  • Best Musical -- Producer - David Merrick (nominee)
  • Best Author of a Musical -- Book by Michael Stewart; Based on material by Helen Deutsch (nominee)
  • Best Featured Actor in a Musical -- Pierre Olaf (nominee)
  • Best Direction of a Musical -- Gower Champion (nominee)
  • Best Producer of a Musical -- David Merrick (nominee)

References

  1. ^ Hugh Fordin, MGM's Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit (New York: Da Capo Press, 1996), 518. ISBN 0-306-80730-0
  2. ^ The New York Times, A Girl Innocent Enough to Believe a Puppet Is Alive, Ben Brantley, February 9, 2002, Arts and Culture p. 7
  3. ^ http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showEvent&event=THTSE
  4. ^ New York Times, John S. Wilson, July 2, 1961, p.X12

Further reading

  • Gilvey, John Anthony. Before the Parade Passes By: Gower Champion and the Glorious American Musical. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-33776-0
  • Payne-Carter, David, Brooks McNamara, and Steve Nelson, eds. Gower Champion: Dance and American Musical Theatre. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. ISBN 0-313-30451-3

External links

Bob Merrill musicals

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American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Carnival!".  Read more

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