1600 Pennsylvania Avenue original production?

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 4:37pm

If anyone saw the original production of this (sadly essentially lost) Bernstein musical, I'd love to know more about what it was like. I've heard two different bootlegs and the music is incredible but, as with audio bootlegs, things get lost (what was going on during the President Jefferson March? The audience seemed to be having a wonderful time). Anyone see the brief revival in the 90s? This show is wonderful, it's too bad the chances of it being brought back are slim to none (maybe it could ride on Hamiltonmania).

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 5:39pm

I've sadly never been able to find decent production photos.

Much as I love some of the music as a show it just sounds like a lot of stuff thrown together, I couldn't imagine sitting through it onstage.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 5:43pm

I did but I was young and impressionable back then. Maybe that is why I enjoyed it. Have the CD of it that surfaced years later under a different name. I honestly never listened to it.

[illiniparkie]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 6:06pm

 



https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-curse-of-the-presidential-musical

 

[gypsy101]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 7:12pm

I thought the score was eventually recorded? they changed the title to "A White House Cantata."

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 7:18pm

Any memories of Patricia Routledge (Hyacinth Bucket herself) as Abigail Adams?

I really love her "Take Care Of This House".

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 7:20pm

That is the name of the cd

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 7:40pm

I saw it and it was a mess.  As I recall, it was done as a play within a play -- maybe a history lesson - and was always very confusing.  It was one of those shows where you sat there incredulouly questioning how such talent could produce such a mess.  Personally, I did not appreciate the score as a whole on first hearing, because what was around it was so bad, sorta like Merrily, We Roll Along & Mack and Mabel.

Take Care of This House was excellent...the song was beautiful and Patricia Routledge is one of the warmest performers I have ever seen.  She also had an incredible number that woke up the audience, where she sang as two First Ladies, one passing the baton to the other.  I forget it's title.  

Otherwise, it was ruined by a book that was a mess -- maybe it ended to be presented more like Assassins -- and an uncharismatic performance by Ken Howard.  At the end of the show, the audience barely applauded (and there were a good number of walkouts at intermission).

Finally, between this and Darling of the Day, Patricia Routledge has to be my favorite stage performer who I only saw in two shows, both of which were monster flops (although I did love Darling).

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 7:51pm

Thanks, Jarethan!  

Duet For One

 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 8:14pm

Saw this and Darling and liked Darling more.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/21/16 at 9:18pm

Yeah, sadly I've never been able to find many photos either. I've heard two bootlegs, one from, I think, opening night, which is plagued with technical problems, which you can find on Youtube, and another from a later performance that goes smoothly. Routledge gets a well-deserved one-minute standing ovation for Duet For One in that.

 

I like the concept but they really hamstrung themselves by focusing on the first 100 years of the White House, and also by spending so much time on the Adamses, who are interesting enough to carry an entire show. The music is just so gosh-darn good.

 

gypsy101 said: "I thought the score was eventually recorded? they changed the title to "A White House Cantata."

"

That's the sort of abridged version the Bernstein estate put together, though I find it kind of lifeless and floaty - very operatic, which kinda sucks the life out of the music.