Broadway Puzzler #59

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/12/04 at 10:39pm

This musical was composed by one of the leading contemporary musicians of the time and was the most recent incarnation of the British source material. The lyrics were by one of Broadway's most gifted lyricists who himself would soon write one of the glittering and gayest songs in the Broadway canon. The leading man was fresh as the morning from a triumph in a landmark musical of a totally different nature. The musical in question was not a success and it was not until 8 years later that yet another musical version of the original source material which originated in Germany got its legs off-Broadway, in what could be termed a New York revival, at a price many people could afford.

What was the musical in question? What was the source material? Who was the composer in question and the lyricist?

Broadway Bulldog Updated On: 2/12/04 at 10:39 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/12/04 at 10:58pm

Young Musical Performer: Oh Mama, do I really have to think about this question? I mean, it's so, so, haaarrrd. Jeez.
Mama: Yes. You. DOOO! How else Little Lady do you ever expect to make a star for yourself? Do you believe that happens overnight? With no sense of history? You just go out there and no body cares how you got there? Well, they care, Little Lady, they care. They care what you know, how you know it and who you know. I'm not paying for that expense Yale theatre education for nothing Little Lady. Who do you think I'm doing this for?
Young Musical Peformer: Oh, all right, yes, Mama. (YMP looks at the quiz page again) I thought you did it for me, Mama.

Updated On: 2/12/04 at 10:58 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/12/04 at 11:14pm

Let me make sure I understand.... the source material originated in Germany, then became British, then became a Broadway musical and THEN an off-Broadway show?

Or did the off-Broadway show itself originate in Germany?

Updated On: 2/12/04 at 11:14 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/12/04 at 11:25pm

The original source material was British, then was adapted in Germany with music, then played NYC, then was given another musical adaptation in English (the musical in question) and then the German adaptation played NYC again.

That should spell it out quite easily. Oh, and there are clues in the original post.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/12/04 at 11:46pm

Sorry, Bulldog. I've been at this for about an hour and all I can think of is Threepenny Opera (source in John Gay's Beggar's Opera). Updated On: 2/12/04 at 11:46 PM

[krisjoseph]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 12:47am

I think I've got it. The musical is "The Beggar's Holiday", which opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 26, 1946. The music was by Duke Ellington and the lyrics were by John La Touche, who later went on to write lyrics for Candide ("Glitter and Be Gay"?). The leading man in question was Alfred Drake, who was fresh as the morning from a triumph in Oklahoma!. The source material, later adapted by Brecht as Threepenny Opera (and appearing Off-Broadway for the first time in 1955), was John Gay's 18th century satirical opera (and arguably an influence for Gilbert and Sullivan's own work), The Beggar's Opera.

Has this modern musical fanatic won a point of favor?

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 2:30am

Damn you, Kris. I was going there, but you beat me to it. Good job.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 8:06am

So there was a kernel of correctitude in mine....

I discounted LaTouche/Sondheim/Candide etc. because I was under the impression that Richard Wilbur wrote the lyrics for "Glitter and Be Gay."

Nice going, Kris!

[krisjoseph]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 10:46am

I have to admit that I got confused about that too -- I also see Richard Wilbur as the original lyricist for "Glitter and Be Gay" -- but then if you dig around you find that La Touche has the lyricist credit on the first BROADWAY outing of Candide (along with Wilbur and Dorothy Parker). Nonetheless, the key to the whole thing for me was the reference to the Candide song, so I'm glad Bulldog peppered the question with hints.

I tell ya, the history of Candide, alone, would make for a fascinating article and/or puzzler and/or quiz!

Updated On: 2/13/04 at 10:46 AM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 11:51am

Amen to that, Kris. And, come on, it's Dorothy effing Parker.

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 12:08pm

I think the information is somewhat misleading.

You are talking about Dreigroschenoper (3 Penny Opera), which began its life in 1928 Berlin. It appeared in New York in 1933 with Robert Chisholm in the leading role (he was not exactly dewey). In 1946(?) the Beggar's Holiday appeared fashioned after 3 Penny Opera with Alfred Drake. I think John LaTouche wrote the lyrics for that. 3 Penny Opera was later done off-Broadway with adapted lyrics and translation bt Marc Blitztein. Somehow, the information was skewered along the way!!!

Miriam

Updated On: 2/13/04 at 12:08 PM

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 12:28pm

Miriam, you are awesome... I don't know what we would do without you here on the board.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/13/04 at 6:41pm

Kris, Sueleen and Miriam, you all deserve cigars!

I quickly realized that the puzzler needed clues.

The original source material was THE BEGGAR'S OPERA by English playwrite John Gay, 1728. According to Lotte Lenya, Brecht's secretary Elisabeth Hauptmann was the one who first engaged Brecht in THE BEGGAR'S OPERA in 1927, which had recently been a large success in a London revival. Brecht soon called in Kurt Weill and thus began THE 3 PENNY OPERA. As Miriam shared with us the Weill-Brecht 3 PENNY first played on Broadway in 1933, at the Empire Theatre. It lasted one week.

Kris and Sueleen (who was just a little slower than Kris but just as on the mark) told us correctly about the musical in question, BEGGAR'S HOLIDAY. Duke Ellington (music)-John LaTouche (lyrics), starring Alfred Drake as MacHeath, 1946. On March 10, 1954, a production of the Weill-Brecht 3 PENNY OPERA opened off-Broadway at the Theatre de Lys for a limited engagement. It closed after 96 performances but the theatre audiences wouldn't let it go away. It reopened in September 1955 and played for 2611 performances. "Mack The Knife" became a household name.

THE 3 PENNY OPERA will be restaged later this year by the Jean Cocteau Rep at their home at the Bowerie Lane Theatre. I highly recommend it those of you inclined to quality theatre.

Kris, you get a special mention for being a more contemporary musical kinda guy who recognizes that quality in the theatre has existed for decades (and if you agree that in most cases these are superior to the contemporay sound of musicals, I'll buy you a Martini or two!!).

Broadway Bulldog

Updated On: 2/13/04 at 06:41 PM