"Dance A Little Closer"

[SuddenlyTrey]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 2:23am

Does anyone know anything about this 1 performace flop by Charles Strauss and Alan Jay Lerner in the 80s?

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 5:13am

quite a decent score, i got the cd. Len Cariou in one of the leads. has a duo of a gay couple in it which was kinda fresh at that time. Some songs had a life after the show, especially "There's always one you can't forget". the synopsis is all about the male lead thinking that he knows the female lead from former times and trying to get involved with her again. it is all set I think in the switzerland in the second world war and the future is uncertain which is a strong motif in the show.
Updated On: 7/29/05 at 05:13 AM

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 5:16am

well, and the score got rather decent reviews whereas the book was what supposedly made it flop.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 6:25am

Believe it was a musical of Idiot's Delight which starred Clark Gable

[magruder]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 6:34am

Actually, it's set on the eve of World War III.

[Glebb]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 8:28am

I'm thinking of a similarly titled song by Charo.

[leefowler]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 8:32am

I worked on this show...anything specific you want to know?

It was reeeeeealy terrible, by the way.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 8:37am

It was referred to as "Close a Little Sooner."

But young Brent Barrett was in it, shortly after his debut in West Side Story.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 9:28am

Alan insisted on directing. He was not really a director. Beware of things like this (Mambo Kings, In My Life)

One of the songs is the single most bitter hurt song written. It is called "I Don't Ever Want To See You Again". Oh its good, but it would alienate an audience so intensely that it is rarely done.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 9:32am

I actually saw an early preview of the show (I still have my playbill, signed by Len Cariou and Brent Barrett) and have the cast recording. It's sounds okay on CD, but it just doesn't work on-stage. The book is a mess and it was poorly directed.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 9:38am

Anyhow I am glad it got recorded which is quite a surprise for such a short run. I may be mistaken though, was it really merely one performance (I have for some reason something like 5 performances or so in my mind)? Charles Strouse hasn't had a fortunate way of choosing his projects in the 80s, all good to great scores but always a mess of a book around his neck. I'm waiting for "Marty" to break that Charles-Strouse-flop-road.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 9:44am

No, it only ran for one performance (closed on opening night). The OBCR was recorded over a year after the show closed.

[badroit]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 2:29pm

The female lead was Liz Robertson, Lerner's wife at the time. George Rose played the diplomat a la Henry Kissinger. Len Cariou's voice reflected some damage which supposedly came during this rehearsal period. I remember an architectural colossus in blonde wood as the basis for the scenic design. I believe it may have been staged at the Minskoff. Oh, and I think that gay love song occurred on an ice rink.

[SuddenlyTrey]

Posted: 7/29/05 at 3:53pm

The reason I was asking is because my current dance teacher was the lead female's dance double, kinda like the Dream Laury or something. And she never really talks about it much so I wanted to know what you all thought!