The Most Happy Fella

The Most Happy Fella
London Studio Cast Recording
Music	Frank Loesser
Lyrics	Frank Loesser
Book	Frank Loesser
Basis	They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard
Productions	1956 Broadway 1959 Broadway revival 1960 West End 1979 Broadway revival 1980 US television 1991 Goodspeed Opera House 1991 Ahmanson Theatre 1992 Broadway revival 2006 New York City Opera

The Most Happy Fella is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the play They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard. The original Broadway production ran for 14 months and it has enjoyed several revivals, including one staged by the New York City Opera.

Background and history

Loesser's friend recommended the Howard book They Knew What They Wanted as material for a musical in 1952. After he read it, he agreed it had musical potential, but decided to omit the political, labor, and religious material. It took him four years to complete the musical.^[1]

The Most Happy Fella frequently has been described as an opera, but some have qualified the term.^[2][3][1] In his book The World of Musical Comedy, Stanley Green noted that the musical is "one of the most ambitiously operatic works ever written for the Broadway theatre...Loesser said 'I may give the impression this show has operatic tendencies. If people feel that way - fine. Actually all it has is a great frequency of songs. It's a musical with music.' "^[1] In an article in the Playbill Magazine for the original Broadway production, Loesser wrote, "What was left seemed to me to be a very warm simple love story, happy ending and all, and dying to be sung and danced."^[4] Brooks Atkinson, theatre critic (The New York Times), called it a "music drama," noting Loesser "has now come about as close to opera as the rules of Broadway permit."^[5] Composer, conductor, and musical theatre teacher Lehman Engel and critic/author Howard Kissel called it a "fresh musical (perhaps opera)".^[6]

Synopsis

Act 1

In the Golden Gate Restaurant in San Francisco in 1927, the young tired and harassed waitresses Cleo and Rosabella commiserate with each other. Cleo's feet hurt ("Ooh My Feet") and Rosabella has fended off the cashier's advances ("I Know How it Is"). As they clean up ("Seven Million Crumbs"), Rosabella finds a tie pin and a note addressed to her, written in odd broken English. The writer is not sure of his English ("I Don't Know (The Letter)"), but Rosabella decides to answer, thinking of the possibilities ("Somebody, Somewhere").

In Napa, the mailman has another letter for Tony Esposito, who has been enjoying a "mail order love affair" for the past four months. Tony, an Italian grape farmer who is a large and hearty older man, happily shows the crowd his "girlfriend"'s picture ("The Most Happy Fella").

Since Tony realizes he cannot send a picture of himself in return, he asks the younger and handsome Joe, the farm foreman, for one of himself. When Rosabella arrives at the town a few weeks later, Joe confesses he is not Tony, and she, upset at the subterfuge, tries to leave. However, Tony has been injured in a truck accident, and pleads with Rosabella to stay and marry him immediately, in case he does not live. She relents and they marry. Joe is upset but tries to comfort her ("Don't Cry"), and Rosabella realizes that she has feelings for him as well — they embrace.

Act 2

Tony's jealous sister Marie tries to convince Tony that the age difference between him and Rosabella is too great. Cleo now lives in Napa because Tony has hired her, mainly to keep Rosabella company. She urges Rosabella to tell Tony of her feelings, as Tony is treating her like a child rather than a wife ("I Love Him/I Know How it Is"). Tony, overjoyed by her expression of love, discards his cane ("My Heart Is So Full of You"). Later Rosabella collapses at a party ("Hoedown"), and the doctor tells her she is pregnant. She is uncomfortable with this news, and Cleo rushes her away before she can tell Tony.

Act 3

In Tony's barn a short time later, the preparations for the wedding party are taking place ("Abbondanza"). Rosabella finally tells Tony she is pregnant and is returning to San Francisco. Tony understands he is not the baby's father. She and Cleo leave, but when Tony discovers Joe is leaving as well, he becomes very angry because he believes they are leaving together. He rushes to the bus station with a gun to confront them, but Joe has already left, and Rosabella is waiting for the bus. Marie begs her brother to let her go ("Nobody's Ever Gonna Love You"), but Cleo has a physical fight with Marie. Tony convinces Rosabella to return to their home, where they will tell their friends and the townspeople Tony is the father.

Song list

Productions

Directed by Joseph Anthony and choreographed by Dania Krupska, the original Broadway production opened on May 3, 1956 at the Imperial Theatre, transferred to The Broadway Theatre on October 21, 1957 and closed on December 14, 1957 after 676 performances. The cast included Robert Weede as Tony, Jo Sullivan as Rosabella, Art Lund as Joey, Susan Johnson as Cleo, Shorty Long as Herman, Mona Paulee as Marie, and Zina Bethune as Tessie. The scenic and lighting design was by Jo Mielziner.

The New York City Center staged a limited run of 16 performances from February 10 through February 22, 1959.

The West End production, directed by Jerome Eskow, opened at the London Coliseum on April 21, 1960 and ran for 288 performances. The cast included Inia Wiata as Tony, Helena Scott as Rosabella, Art Lund as Joey, Libi Staiger as Cleo, Jack De Lon as Herman, and Nina Verushka as Marie.

A Broadway revival began previews at the Majestic Theatre on September 20, 1979, officially opened on October 11, and closed on November 25, 1979 after 53 performances and 23 previews. Directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, it starred Giorgio Tozzi as Tony, Sharon Daniels as Rosabella, and Richard Muenz as Joe. The production was filmed and later broadcast by PBS in 1980.

A New York City Opera production ran from September 4 through October 18, 1991. Directed by Arthur Alan Seidelman, it starred Louis Quilico as Tony, Elizabeth Walsh as Rosabella, and Karen Ziemba as Cleo. ^[7]

The Goodspeed Opera House presented the musical, directed by Gerald Gutierrez, in May and June 1991. This production had two pianos instead of a full orchestra, using a Loesser-approved piano arrangement by Robert Page.^[8] The production was then staged by the Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for ten weeks starting in October 1991. In exchange for mounting the show, the Center Theatre Group was able to share in potential Broadway profits.^[9]

Based on the Goodspeed production, with most of the cast and creative team intact, a Broadway revival began previews at the Booth Theatre on January 24, 1992, officially opened on February 13, and closed on August 30 after 229 performances. Again directed by Gerald Guttierrez, the cast included Spiro Malas as Tony, Sophie Hayden as Rosabella, Charles Pistone as Joe, Claudia Catania as Marie, Liz Larsen as Cleo, and Scott Waara as Herman.

The Ravinia Festival in Chicago presented a concert version with George Hearn as Tony and Rod Gilfry as Joe on July 20, 2007.^[10]

The New York City Opera presented a limited engagement with Paul Sorvino as Tony and Lisa Vroman as Rosabella between March 7-25, 2006.^[11][12]

Recordings

The Original Broadway cast album was re-released on November 15, 1991 by Sony (ASIN: B0000027TC). The 1992 Broadway revival cast album was produced by RCA Victor Broadway (ASIN: B000003FBK) and released on June 9, 1992. Jay Records released a "complete" studio recording (CDJAY2 1306), including material that had been cut, on July 11, 2000. The recording featured Louis Quilico as Tony.^[13]

Awards and nominations

1956 Broadway production

• Tony Award for Best Musical (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Robert Weede, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Jo Sullivan, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Choreography (Dania Krupska, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Conductor and Musical Director (Herbert Greene, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Joseph Anthony, nominee
• Theatre World Award (Susan Johnson, winner)

1979 Broadway revival

• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Giorgio Tozzi, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Giorgio Tozzi, nominee)

1992 Broadway revival

• Tony Award for Best Revival (nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Sophie Hayden, nominee)
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Scott Waara, winner)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Liz Larsen, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Spiro Malas, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sophie Hayden, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Scott Waara, winner)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Liz Larsen, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (Gerald Gutierrez, nominee)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival (nominee)
• Theatre World Award (Spiro Malas, winner)

Notes

References

• Green, Stanley (1984). The World of Musical Comedy: The Story of the American Musical Stage As Told Through the Careers of Its Foremost Composers and Lyricists. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80207-4

External links

• The Most Happy Fella at the Internet Broadway Database
• Synopsis and character information at mtishows.com
• Production information and synopsis at guidetomusicaltheatre.com
• The Most Happy Fella at the Internet Movie Database