| Golden Boy | |
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| Original Broadway Poster | |
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| Music | Charles Strouse |
| Lyrics | Lee Adams |
| Book | Clifford Odets William Gibson |
| Basis | Play Golden Boy by Clifford Odets |
| Productions | 1964 Broadway |
Golden Boy is a musical with a book by Clifford Odets and William Gibson, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse.
Based on the 1937 play of the same name by Odets, it focuses on Joe Wellington, a young man from Harlem who, despite his family's objections, turns to prizefighting as a means of escaping his ghetto roots and finding fame and fortune. He crosses paths with Mephistopheles-like promoter Eddie Satin and eventually betrays his manager Tom Moody when he romantically becomes involved with his girlfriend Lorna Moon.
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Background
Producer Hillard Elkins planned the project specifically for Sammy Davis, Jr. and lured Odets out of semi-retirement to write the book. The original play centered on Italian American Joe Bonaparte, the son of poverty-stricken immigrants with a disapproving brother who works as a labor organizer. Elkins envisioned an updated version that would reflect the struggles of an ambitious young African American at the onset of the Civil Rights era and include socially relevant references to the changing times.
In Odets' original book, Joe was a sensitive would-be surgeon fighting in order to pay his way through college, but careful to protect his hands from serious damage so he could achieve his goal of saving the lives of blacks ignored by white doctors. In an ironic twist, the hands he hoped would heal kill a man in the ring.
- Fun Fact: Necco (New England Confectionary Company), created a candy bar inspired by Davis, Jr. and the musical. It was called "Golden Boy". The product didn't last long.
Productions
Following the Detroit tryout, Odets died and Gibson was hired to rework the script. The ideals of the noble plot were abandoned in a revision in which Joe evolved into an angry man who, embittered by the constant prejudice he faces, uses his fists to fight his frustrations. His brother became a worker for CORE, and the subtle romance between Joe and the white Lorna developed into an explicit affair capped by a kiss that shocked audiences already having difficulty adjusting to a heavily urban jazz score and mentions of Malcolm X. This was a far cry from lightweights Hello, Dolly! and Funny Girl, both popular holdovers from the previous theatrical season.
After twenty-five previews, the Broadway production, directed by Arthur Penn and choreographed by Donald McKayle, opened on October 20, 1964 at the Majestic Theatre, where it ran for 568 performances. In addition to Davis, the cast included Billy Daniels as Eddie Satin, Kenneth Tobey as Tom Moody, and Paula Wayne as Lorna Moon, with Johnny Brown, Lola Falana, Louis Gossett, Baayork Lee, and Theresa Merritt in supporting roles.
An original cast recording was released by Capitol Records. One song from the score, "This Is the Life", later became a hit in a cover version recorded by Matt Monro.
Davis reprised his role for the 1968 West End production at the London Palladium, the first book musical ever to play in the theatre [1].
Song list
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Tony Award nominations
- Best Musical
- Best Actor in a Musical (Davis)
- Best Choreography
- Best Producer of a Musical
References
Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s by Ethan Mordden, published by Palgrave, 2001 (ISBN 0-312-23952-1)
External links
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