Gantry: A Musical

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 2:55am

Back in the 1970's a musical based on the 1927 novel of the same name opened on Broadway and quickly closed after 31 previews and one performance, the cast featured,Robert Shaw, Rita Moreno, Ted Thurston, and Beth Fowler.

I know the chances are very slim, but did anyone happen to see this?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 7:30am

I saw it & did not think it deserved to close in 1 night

I have a demo of 8 songs from the show on cassette(remember those) & this only bolsters my feelings about it. The Playbill just had Robert Shaws face shot on it.

It played the George Abbott & was, I believe, the final show there before it was torn down.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 7:31am

Mr Roxy, what was the story like, i know it's based on a novel but i have no idea what it was about.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 5:59pm

It is so long ago I honestly do not recall.

I know the movie covered about 1/3 of the book & is radically different. If I had to guess, I think the musical followed the movie more than the book. Shaw was good as Gantry & Rita Moreno shined as Sister Sharon.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 6:35pm

Thanks for The Info.

Going by Wikipedia ( which you can take with a grain of salt!!)

Based on the 1927 novel Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis, it tells the story of a womanizing, self-righteous, self-proclaimed preacher who joins forces with a female evangelist to sell religion to small-town America.

It sounds wonderful.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 6:37pm

Read the book & than watch the movie

Lancaster acted the hell out of the role. The movie is an improvement on the book which has many dull stretches.

[mmousefan]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 8:22pm

there is at least one other musical theatre version of the story (Marriott Lincolnshire, Ford's) and also a recent operatic version....sorry, can't recall the writers or composers.

[RetroBoy]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 8:36pm

If you go over to BlueGobo.com they have a clip of the GANTRY cast performing on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 9:02pm

I have a CD (quality not great but it is listenable) of the Elmer Gantry musical.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/22/08 at 9:18pm

Roxy, i just got sent a copy of demo(?) 8 tracks listed, looking forward to listening to this.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 5:32am

Roxy, turn on your PM's

:)

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/23/08 at 9:17am

Must be something wrong as nothing shows up. I will have to report it.

[thewizloveschen]

Posted: 9/27/09 at 10:32pm

I would love if someone could send me a copy of the demo as well! Anything would be much appreciated!

[WOSQ]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 10:36am

I saw Gantry on the last night which alas, was also the opening. We were in the front mezz and could see that Shaw had script pages taped into an open bible that the character carried for several scenes.

The score had some lovely songs. Some of them were reused later in a musical television version of The Gift of the Magi (Was it with John Rubenstein?) which I did not see. The music was written by Stanley Lebowsky who was one of the top Broadway conductors before and after. Gantry was his only show.

Elmer Gantry did become a second musical (same source, different authors) later in the 70s also called Gantry. It played Ford's in DC to good business, and the reviews were okay. There was some interest in bringing it in. That didn't happen.

Ted Thurston was a friend of mine and he was so good.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 12:23pm

there is at least one other musical theatre version of the story (Marriott Lincolnshire, Ford's) and also a recent operatic version....sorry, can't recall the writers or composers.

I think you mean "Elmer Gantry" which also played La Jolla under the direction of Des McAnuff. Book by John Bishop (Musical Comedy Murders of 1940), music by Mel Marvin (conductor and arranger of Tintypes, dance arrangements and incidental music for Applause, music for How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the 2007 Lincoln Center production of Cymbeline) and lyrics by Bob Sutaloff. My parents saw the La Jolla production and enjoyed it immensely. They still have no idea why it didn't transfer to Broadway. This version of the story played the Ford's Theatre twice in 1988 and 1995 and the Marriott Lincolnshire in 1998. The only connection it has with the aforementioned 1970 "Gantry" is producer Joseph Cates.

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 12:54pm

I saw the Ford's production with Casey Biggs and loved it. Always wondered why it didn't make it to Broadway.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 12:59pm

Anyone who hasn't seen the movie should see it, if for nothing else than the incredibly sexy Oscar winning performance by Shirley Jones as a hooker. Who ever thought Marian the Librarian/Mrs. Partridge could be so hot?