"Henry, Sweet Henry"

"Henry Sweet Henry" was based on the novel "The World of Henry Orient" by Nora Johnson. That novel was then adapted into a popular 1964 film with a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson (Nora's father). The original film starred Peter Sellers as "Henry", Angela Lansbury and Paula Prentiss and was directed by George Roy Hill.

In 1967 it was adapted into a stage musical: "Henry Sweet Henry" which was also directed by George Roy Hill and featured choreography by Michael Bennett. It opened at the Palace Theatre on Oct 12, 1967 and closed on Dec. 31, 1967 after running only 80 performances.

"Henry" tells the story of two adolescent girls and their infatuation with a musician, whose attempts at seduction they inadvertently yet repeatedly foil. After various complications, including the revelation of an affair between the mother of one of the girls and the musician, the two girls go off to their first dance, ready for maturity and boys their own age.

The music and lyrics were by Bob Merrill and included the songs:
"Nobody Steps on Kafritz", "Poor Little Person" and "Weary Near To Dyin'" which was the show's big dance number (a sort-of hippie happening in Washington Square Park) and got Michael Bennett some good notices.

The show starred Don Ameche as "Henry", Alice Playten, Neva Small, Carol Bruce, Louise Lasser and Robin Wilson.

In the chorus you could find future "Chorus Line" alumni Baayork Lee and Priscilla Lopez strutting their stuff and as one of the Norton School Students, a very young Pia Zadora (who was also Neva Small's understudy).

Updated On: 10/28/04 at 07:18 AM

HENRY, SWEET HENRY looked a real winner on paper. Besides being based on the classic film "The World of Henry Orient," the film's director [George Roy Hill] was going to direct the musical as well.

To play Val, the schoolgirl with the Orient obsession, a little known actress named Robin Wilson was signed--Hill thought she had a sensational voice. Well-known Broadway and Hollywood comic actor Don Ameche was tapped for Henry Orient.

Out of town, the show got FABULOUS notices. It was described as a bawdy BYE, BYE BIRDIE. Robert Merrill's (CARNIVAL) score was also praised.

But when the show opened in New York the critics all PANNED the show. Clive Barnes, at that time the theater critic for the New York Times, wrote "I knew this show was going to be a bore as soon as I heard the Overture." [Remember, this was 1967 and pop music was starting to invade the musical scene--even on Broadway.]

About the only thing the New York critics all seemed to like was comic Alice Playten as playground bully Lillian Kafritz and her two "campy" numbers.

The show had no real show-stopping numbers and without that it was virtually impossible to compete with other shows then running [HELLO, DOLLY, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, MAN OF LA MANCHA, CABARET and MAME were all Broadway prescenes when the show opened.]

So, the show ultimately came across as a pleasant little thing with no staying power and folded its tent after only three months.

The OBC was available on CD, but I don't know if it is still in print or not.

---

Henry Sweet Henry has a chapter in The Season by William Goldman.
Tony Randall was offered the show and turned it down with the telling remark, "I'd love to do the show--if I was a 15 year old girl."

I like most of the score. Unfortunately the numbers for Henry (the title character after all) are weak.

There is/was also an acting edition published by French or some firm like French.

---

As with everything else, HSH was the victim of timing. It wasnt so much that it opened against DOLLY et al... but HAIR, believe it or not. HENRY was a cute little show whose vision of youth was firmly entrenched in the early 1960s: when everyone still through the Eisenhower years were a great thing and Kennedy was gonna love forever. HAIR pretty well shattered that, by presenting America's youth as just as messed-up and sexually obsessed and real as their parents. Then HENRY came along, and folks saw it as a throwback dinosaur.

Pity too: the script is nothing to write home about, but the score is wonderful (except for a few truly creaky numbers, like the ensemble one for the "hippies", which must have been embarrassing to watch even back then). KAFRITZ is definitely a show-stopper.

---