House of Flowers (musical)

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House of Flowers was a 1954 Broadway musical by Harold Arlen (music) and Truman Capote (lyrics and book), based on his own novella. This was Capote's only musical.

The cast included Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Juanita Hall, Ray Walston, and Geoffrey Holder. The director was Peter Brook. It opened on December 30, 1954 at the Alvin Theatre on Broadway and played for 165 performances. The story concerns two neighboring bordellos that battle for business in an idealized West Indies setting. One of the prostitutes falls in love and wishes to marry, but her madam plots to keep her, and fails.

In 2003, Columbia Masterworks reissued the original cast recording. In addition to such tunes as “A Sleepin’ Bee” and “Don’t Like Goodbyes,” the CD also included bonus tracks of “Mardis Gras Waltz” (Percy Faith and His Orchestra), “Two Ladies in the Shade” (Enid Mosier), “Ottilie and the Bee” (Truman Capote) and “A Sleepin’ Bee” (a demo recording by Capote).

[edit] Musical numbers

Act 1

Waitin' ........................ Pansy, Tulip and Gladiola
One Man Ain't Quite Enough ..... Madame Fleur
Madame Tango's Tango ........... Madame Tango and Tango Belles
A Sleepin' Bee ................. Ottilie alias Violet, Pansy, Tulip and Gladiola
Bamboo Cage .................... The Champion, The Steel Band, Do, Don't, Pansy, Tulip, *Gladiola, Madame Tango, Chief of Police and The Ensemble
House of Flowers ............... Royal and Ottilie alias Violet
Two Ladies in de Shade of de Banana Tree ...... Pansy, Gladiola, Carmen, Tulip and The Ensemble
What Is a Friend For? .......... Madame Fleur
A Sleepin' Bee (Reprise) ....... Ottilie alias Violet and Royal Mardi Gras
Song and Dance ................. Mother, Carmen, Alvin and The Ensemble
I Never Has Seen Snow .......... Ottilie alias Violet