The Golden Apple

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 9:24pm

I'm re-reading "Not Since Carrie" and I've been thinking about "The Golden Apple" which Mandelbaum says is the best musical to ever fail on Broadway. I have a friend who says that's not true-- it's the best musical period.

So I wonder if anyone here has seen The Golden Apple? What did you think? Could it be revived? I've been thinking that with it's strong anti-war message this might be the time?
Updated On: 2/18/07 at 09:24 PM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 9:25pm

Ah, the one musical set in Seattle!

Anyways, I have not seen a production but this ranks as one of my all-time favorite recordings/scores. I would love to see a revival.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 9:25pm

i got the cast recording after [title of show] praised it and i have to say that it just didn't do anything for me. maybe i need to really sink down with it and devote a full non-interrupted listen with it. but i just wasn't that interested in it...

[BroadwayBulldog]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 10:06pm

I have seen two productions of THE GOLDEN APPLE. It is a clever, intelligent, funny, melodic, toe-tapping, sentimental, affecting and satisfying musical. It is one on my personal list of top 10 musicals. The original cast recording is a must have in any collection of musical recordings, in my opinion.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 10:17pm

I saw the original production of The Golden Apple twice after if moved to Broadway from Off-Broadway. I still have fond memories of everything about it. I'd love to see a good revival without too much "re-imagining" by one of today's directors. A concert version at Bard College a couple of summers ago was ill-rehearsed but had some magnificent performances, especially Crista Moore as Penelope. I never knew she had it in her. But that original cast topped everything and could never be imitated: Stephen Douglass, Priscilla Gillette, Jack Whiting, Kaye Ballard, Bibi Osterwald, Jonathan Lucas, to name a few, and not to mention the glorious dancing scenery. On 2nd thought, no revival could possibly do the original justice, so please don't try.....especially John Doyle

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/18/07 at 10:33pm

I love this score, and would LOOOVE to see a revival...maybe Roundabout?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/19/07 at 1:31pm

It is pretty remarkable that there has been no revival. I know that there is a lot of love for this show-- I have always loved Lazy Afternoon!

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/19/07 at 2:01pm

maybe Encores! could do it?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/19/07 at 2:53pm

A company here in San Francisco did it last year (42nd Street Moon - dedicated to doing concert style productions of obscure shows - a few years back they did The Grass Harp). While it had a great cast and definitely delivered musically, I think the scope of the show really needs to be visualized. It's very epic, before epic was in.

I would love to see a full-blown revival, and NOT some minimalist conceptual remix (which I could easily see happening).

[daredevil]

Posted: 2/19/07 at 3:53pm

I have seen two revivals in NY, both produced by York Theater at their old headquarters, the first one (late seventies) was much better than the second (early nineties) My take on the show is this: the seriious parts of it are terrific and very telling; unfortunately there is also a lot of camp material in it as well, and while not unenjoyable, this material jars against the more serious stuff. It's almost like watching two diferent musicals in the same night---still some of the music is incredibly moving, and I would see it again, if it were revived. I am surprised more colleges or even high schools don't do it.

[WalkOn]

Posted: 2/20/07 at 1:33pm

I have to give it a another "go." For some reason I have trouble getting into it.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 2/20/07 at 1:52pm

There was a college production in the Chicago area about 10 years ago that was very good. I didn't get to see it, but a friend who saw it (and fell in love with it) snuck in a tape recorder. After years of having only what's on the cast album, it was fantastic having almost double the score.

The show has two problems, in my opinion, that stem from the cast album.

One is that a lot of people think that the rhymed couplets are a part of the show, when they were actually written to bridge the gaps in the music for the album. (Though there is a complete recording of the show made over the theater soundsystem that I would kill to have a copy of.)

Another problem stemming from the cast album is that you would have a hell of a time putting together a cast as good as that one was. Even just finding someone as good as Kaye Ballard.

I first read about it in Ethan Mordden's "Better Foot Forward" and the way he described it made me want to listen to it desperately. (This is back in the early '80's.) When I finally found a copy of it in a collectors record shop ($40) and listened to it, it was worth every penny I spent.

In the chapter on "Golden Apple", he also talked about another show that the Phoenix Theater did a few years later called "Sandhog" that I would love to hear.

[Danielm]

Posted: 2/20/07 at 3:11pm

I'm also a fan of the recording. I'm always trying to encourage my friends at the Musical Theatre Guild or Reprise! to do it. I would like to see a full production but it seems to be something of a pipe dream.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 3:37pm

>> not to mention the glorious dancing scenery

... by William and Jean Eckhart, who also gave us the original ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, MAME, DAMN YANKEES and GOLDEN BOY. They had a style like no one else.

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 4:15pm

"The Golden Apple", wouldn't that be a great name for an award.