How About A Revival of PAL JOEY?

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 3:42pm

Last night I watched the movie version of the 1940 stage musical PAL JOEY, made in 1957 with Frank Sinatra as a believable Joey, Rita Hayworth as Vera, and Kim Novack as the other woman in Joey's life. Only some of the songs from the original show were included, with Rodgers and Hart songs from other shows added, notably "My Funny Valentine".The movie somewhat "sanitized" the dark stage musical that had starred Gene Kelly as Joey.

Encores! presented PAL JOEY in 1995 with a wonderful cast that included Peter Gallagher as the heel Joey, Patti Lupone as Vera, and Bebe Neuworth singing the terrific number "Zip". The recording, with the original Hans Spialek orchestrations, is worth owning. It is too bad that Roundabout or some other producing agents didn't bring this cast to Broadway. The last time there was a full scale production in NYC was in 1952, produced by Jule Styne(!), with Harold Lang as Joey and Vivienne Segal as Vera, and with Elaine Stritch singing "Zip". It received rave reviews and ran for over 500 performances.

It is time to revive this gem of a show with its terrific Rodgers and Hart score. What do you think? And have fun with casting choices.

Updated On: 4/25/07 at 03:42 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 3:44pm

are you for real?

[perfectliar]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 3:45pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=927460#2860788

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 3:54pm

Pal Joey played a disasterous Broadway stand in the mid-70s at Circle in the Square. Disasterous like the ones you read about.

A few seasons after that with a revised book and a cast headed by Lena Horne and Clifton Davis, it bombed on the road and never came near New York.

Goodspeed did it a few years ago and it laid there.

I saw a production at the Shaw Festival in 2004 that was quite well done and revealed all the structural flaws in the show mostly in the book and which are legion.

There have been several attempts over the years to 'fix' the book by name writers like Richard Greenberg, but to no avail.

I think Pal Joey may be one of those heartbreakers that just can't be fixed like Merrily We Roll Along.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 4:13pm

I'm sorry to bring up a thread which was discussed last month. I hadn't seen it because I was away from my computer doing my income taxes for several days.

Is Harry Groener too old to play Joey? He was a triple threat performer in CRAZY FOR YOU.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 4:17pm

He's a double threat. He can't sing to save his life...

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 4:26pm

Meow.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 4:54pm

Gypsy9 - I'm not one of those bitter posters who get aggravated everytime a topic is recycled. I was just posting that to let you know that a revival is already planned.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 5:02pm

Thanks, perfectliar. I read the complete thread that you provided. Sounds like finding a good Joey will be really hard.
I'm not up on the current stars of Broadway, except for someone like Audra McDonald.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 5:19pm

I'd be there like a shot, but I'd be surprised if it has a viable commercial future. Not unless it is carried by a big name star, (like Hugh Jackman, yawn).

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 5:23pm

I've been thinking for years ... way before the last revival of Cabaret.. that it should be done in a enviromental night club setting with each song as a "number" in the club.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 10:45pm

I watched it too on TCM last night--for the first time though I know the score from the revival cast well. I was disappointed--can someone explain just how changed it was from the play? (they did get rid of all but two "book songs"---if you can call Rodgers and Hart songs book songs, and the rest were all performed pieces--and I know at least one song came from another R&H show).

I'm not sure I'd put this in the same category as a flop like Merrily. The 50s revival was a huge hit wasn't it? (was this the one with Bob Fosse in thelead) and the first production ran quite well for its time--I know book wise people usually seem to regard it as the only Rodgers and Hart with a good enough book that doesn't need revisions--though this thread is making me think maybe that's not so anymore...

E

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 10:52pm

You are getting a revival of Pal Joey directed by Joe Montello (sp?) coreography by Matthew Bourne- featuring Christian Hoff as Joey and possibly Bernadette Peters (she took place in the most recent reading)

[wickedfan]

Posted: 4/25/07 at 10:53pm

No, Eric, Fosse starred in I think both a summer stock production and a City Center production. Harold Lang starred in the revival. He was considered the one weak link in the production.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 12:39am

Fosse was even nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for the City Center version of "Pal Joey."

And I also thought of a version all "set" in the club, like the revival of "Cabaret." Though, I was blatantly stealing the idea from the revival of "Cabaret."

But, for any revival, Joey would have to be young and hot. Christian Hoff or John Lloyd Young would be good.

I've also toyed with the idea of making the Patti LuPone/Vivienne Segal character, Vera, into a man. Call him Virgil. Give "Joey" a bi-sexual edge.

I'm guessing that the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization wouldn't be too keen on it.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 3:36am

Harold Lloyd does the Act 1 finale at http://www.bluegobo.com/ from Ed Sullivan and seems kinda adorable but not rough enough (form that one song) to pull the role off.

E