Plain and Fancy (1955), a musical comedy by Joseph Stein, Will Glickman (book), Albert Hague (music), Arnold B. Horwitt (lyrics). [ Mark Hellinger Theatre, 461 perf.] Two New Yorkers (Shirl Conway and Richard Derr) come to the Pennsylvania Dutch country of Lancaster County, where they encounter stern Papa Yoder (Stefan Schnabel) as well as two young lovers, Katie Yoder (Gloria Marlowe) and Peter Reber (David Daniels). Problems arise because Peter has left the tight community and is therefore “shunned.” But, with the help of the two visitors, all ends happily. Notable songs: It Wonders Me; Plenty of Pennsylvania; Why Not Katie?; Young and Foolish. The musical was unusual not because of a basically trite love story but because its setting, the Amish country, was one Broadway musicals had heretofore ignored and which was now treated with a careful respect and affection. One major scene depicted a traditional Amish barn raising. Curiously, many playgoers who saw the show remembered it best for Barbara Cook's performance in a secondary role.
Plain and Fancy
| American Theater Guide: Plain and Fancy |
| Album Review: Plain and Fancy |
- Artist:
Original Broadway Cast - Rating:
- Release Date: February 06, 1955
- Total Time: 43:09
- Type: Cast (Broadway, television or movie)
- Genre: Soundtrack
Review
Musical theater history is replete with memorable masterpieces and noble failures, both of which end up being well-remembered. Less common are modest successes that somehow don't live beyond their moment in time. Such a show was Plain and Fancy. Set in Pennsylvania Amish country, it contrasted a couple of city dwellers with a strict religious community, providing the usual romantic sparks that musical comedies are expected to, the result being that following its opening on January 27, 1955, it ran for a profitable 13 months at the Winter Garden on Broadway. It also spawned a London production, but there wasn't a U.S. tour, and by the time DRG Records decided to reissue Capitol Records' original Broadway cast album, there had never been a Broadway revival. Plain and Fancy rates two footnotes in musical theater history. First, it was the first successful Broadway musical to feature Barbara Cook, and second, the romantic ballad "Young and Foolish" became a semi-standard, recorded by the likes of Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis. The cast album demonstrates that it deserves to be remembered for more than that, however. Cook is only one member of a strong ensemble cast, and though her performances of "This Is All Very New to Me" and "I'll Show Him" have her customary distinction, such colleagues as Gloria Marlowe and Shirl Conway also make a good show for themselves. And there is more to composer Albert Hague and lyricist Arnold B. Horwitt's score than just "Young and Foolish." Both have resumés boasting several other Broadway entries, and they clearly know how to write show music. Hague's melodies are excellent and Horwitt's lyrics are often witty. The score as a whole is quite good, with "Why Not Katie" and "City Mouse, Country Mouse" particular standouts. Plain and Fancy deserves to be rediscovered. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music GuideTracks
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Overture | Albert Hague, |
(4:12) | |
| You Can't Miss It | Albert Hague, |
(2:34) | |
| It Wonders Me | Albert Hague, |
(2:46) | |
| Plenty of Pennsylvania | Albert Hague, |
(3:50) | |
| Young and Foolish | Albert Hague, |
(2:40) | |
| Why Not Katie? | Albert Hague, |
(2:44) | |
| It's a Helluva a Way to Run a Love Affair | Albert Hague, |
(3:13) | |
| This Is All Very New to Me | Albert Hague, |
Barbara Cook | (2:56) |
| Plain We Live | Albert Hague, |
(3:09) | |
| How Do You Raise a Barn? | Albert Hague, |
(2:08) | |
| Follow Your Heart | Albert Hague, |
Barbara Cook, |
(3:43) |
| City Mouse, Country Mouse | Albert Hague, |
(2:43) | |
| I'll Show Him | Albert Hague, |
Barbara Cook | (3:15) |
| Take Your Time and Take Your Pick | Albert Hague, |
Barbara Cook | (2:17) |
| Finale | Albert Hague, |
(1:27) |
Credits
Barbara Cook (Performer), Barbara Cook (Cast), Barbara Cook (Interviewer),| Wikipedia: Plain and Fancy |
| Plain and Fancy | |
 |
|
| Music | Albert Hague |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Arnold Horwitt |
| Book | Joseph Stein Will Glickman |
| Productions | 1955 Broadway 1956 West End |
Plain and Fancy is a musical comedy with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Arnold Horwitt, and music by Albert Hague. One of the first depictions of an Amish community in American pop culture, it includes a traditional barn-raising and an old-fashioned country wedding.
Contents |
Productions
The Broadway production, directed by Morton DaCosta and choreographed by Helen Tamiris, opened on January 27, 1955 at the Mark Hellinger Theater. A month later it transferred to the Winter Garden, where it remained for slightly more than eight months before returning to the Mark Hellinger to complete its run of 461 performances. The cast included Richard Derr as Dan, Shirl Conway as Ruth, Will Able as Jacob, Gloria Marlowe as Katie, Douglas Fletcher Rodgers as Ezra, Barbara Cook as Hilda, and David Daniels as Peter. Bea Arthur understudied Conway and Carol Lawrence was among the chorus members.
The West End production opened on January 25, 1956 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where it ran for 315 performances. The cast included Jack Drummond, Joan Hovis, Malcolm Keen, Grace O'Connor, Michael Craze, and Virginia Somers.
Since 1986, The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres in Nappanee, Indiana has staged Plain and Fancy every year as part of its repertory program. To date it has been performed by the company more than 3,500 times. Richard Pletcher, founder and producer, dedicated the theatre's stage to Joseph Stein in 1996 following its production of The Baker's Wife.
In 2006, the York Theatre Company in New York City worked with librettist Joseph Stein to reduce the show to a 13-character musical, and this new version was produced as part of the company's Mufti Theatre series directed by David Glenn Armstrong. It starred Cady Huffman, Charlotte Rae, Nancy Anderson, Jack Noseworthy, Erick Devine, Jordan Leeds, and Sara Delaney.
Plot synopsis
New York City sophisticates Dan King and Ruth Winters travel to Bird-in-Hand in the Amish country of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to sell a piece of property to Jacob Yoder, who intends to present it to his daughter Katie and her intended Ezra as a wedding gift. While there, they become involved with the local villagers, including Hilda Miller, who mistakes Dan's kindness for romantic overtures, and Ezra's banished brother Peter, who returns to claim the hand of his childhood sweetheart - Katie.
Song list
|
|
Recording
Original cast recordings of both the Broadway and London productions were released.
Awards and nominations
Conway, Cook, and Daniels all received the Theatre World Award for their performances.
External links
- Internet Broadway Database listing
- The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres
- plot and other information on NODA
- musicals101 review of York Theatre Company
|
|||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
 | double knit (textiles) |
| Richard Kollmar (American Theater) |
| Helen Tamiris (American theater) |
 | What do you do if you fancy sombone and he fancys you? Read answer... |
| What if you fancy someone but they don't fancy you? Read answer... |
| What do i do if the boy i fancy doesn't fancy me? Read answer... |
 | Are both correct 1Your brother's plane is not fancy 2Your brother's plain not fancy? |
| Was Plain and Fancy ever made into a movie? |
| 3 bones with plain and fancy names? |
Copyrights:
 |
 | American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Plain and Fancy". Read more |
- What their fancy is plainly not a passing one?
- Does he fancy you?
- If you fancy someone how can you tell if they fancy you to?
- Is The hammer a plain name or a fancy name in your ears?
- Is there a song connected to plain and fancy by Wanda Brunstetter?
- Who do in fancy?
Mentioned in
- double knit (textiles)
- Richard Kollmar (American Theater)
- Helen Tamiris (American theater)
- Joseph Stein (American Theater)
- Plain and Fancy (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (Classical Album)
- [Margaret Brownson] Peggy Clark (American Theater)
- Barbara [Nell] Cook (American Theater)
- Daniel Nagrin (person)
- Missing Chapters, Vol. 8: Get Happy (2000 Album by Glenn Miller)
- Stefan Schnabel (Actor, Drama/Spy Film)
- Morton Da Costa (American theater)
- biscuit
- Renée Orin (Soundtrack Artist)
- Albert Hague (Soundtrack Artist, '90s)
