Say, Darling
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Say, Darling is a musical with a book by Abe Burrows and Marian and Richard Bissell, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Jule Styne.
In a case of art imitating life not once, but twice, the show is a musical adaptation of Richard Bissell's autobiographical book of the same name which chronicled his experience adapting his novel 7½ Cents for The Pajama Game, making it in essence a musical adaptation of a book about a musical adaptation of a book.
It focuses on Jack Jordan, who is brought to Broadway to help develop his best-seller into a musical for leading lady Irene Lovelle. His journey provides him - and the audience - with an education about what goes on behind-the scenes on the Great White Way, from auditions to rehearsals to rewrites in hotel rooms to feuds among cast members, all under the watchful eye of very young fledgling co-producer Ted Snow, whose financial acumen greatly outweighs his show business savvy.
The Broadway production, directed by Burrows and choreographed by Matt Mattox, opened on April 3, 1958 at the ANTA Playhouse, transferring to the Martin Beck Theatre for the last five weeks of its 332-performance run. In addition to David Wayne as Jack Jordan, Vivian Blaine as Irene Lovelle, and Robert Morse as Ted Snow, the cast included Johnny Desmond, Jerome Cowan, Elliott Gould, and Constance Ford. Eddie Albert replaced Wayne later in the run.
Morse inexplicably was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play instead of a musical, perhaps because the nominating committee tooks its description as "a play about a musical" literally, and won the Theatre World Award for his performance.
An original cast recording was released by RCA Victor.
[edit] Song list
Act I
- Try to Love Me
- It's Doom
- The Husking Bee
Act II
- It's the Second Time You Meet That Matters
- Chief of Love
- Say, Darling
- The Carnival Song
Act III
- Try to Love Me
- Dance Only with Me
- Something's Always Happening on the River
