La Strada

[bjivie2]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 1:49am

What does anyone know about La Strada, the show by Lionel Bart that starred Bernadette Peters and Larry Kert? I was just surfing IBDB and found it. Haven't heard of it, don't know anything about it.

[flamingo]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 7:42am

I didn't see it, so all I know is that it only played one performance on Broadway. Bernadette talked about it briefly during an interview and just said something like Lionel Bart (credited with music and lyrics) never came to the US to help with the show. Martin Charnin and Elliot Lawrence are credited with additional music/lyrics.

The review in the New York Times (Dec. 15, 1969) by Clive Barnes is kind of mixed. He says of Bernadette: "In a different show the birdlike and croaky Bernadette Peters would have become a star overnight. ...She looks right, she sounds right, and Mr. Schneider uses her kooky mannerisms, breathily corny modulations of voice and show-biz inflections with great skill. ...I hope that Ms. Peters stays around a bit with this-in any case I think she'll be back soon." He goes on to write that the book is superficial and the music "sheer bland triteness". Ouch.

[flamingo]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 7:42am

sorry double post Updated On: 7/11/06 at 07:42 AM

[wildcat]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 8:08am

Two of the Elliot Lawrence/Martin Charnin songs were recorded on a label called Take Home Tunes:

"Everything Needs Something"...Laurie Beechman
"Sooner or Later"...Larry Kert (from the original cast)

It was, of course, based on the wonderful Fellini movie starring Giulietta Masina, Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart.

[stella985]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 8:47am

I've heard that there's actually a recording of Bernadette Peters singing some of the songs thats been floating around all of these years, but that's all that I know about it. Well, that and I'd be interested to hear it.

[wildcat]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 8:51am

Yes, there was a private tape of a live performance.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 9:10am

There's also a studio recording available of the score...

http://www.footlight.com/product.cfm?product_id=30976

[ChanceWayne]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 6:52pm

Unfortunately only two songs from the Bart recording actually made it to the Broadway production so it really isn't representative of what was actually heard on the NY stage. It's interesting though to compare Bart's version to the private live recording. Neither score to me is all that enjoyable to listen to. I often use to wonder what the score to flop shows of the past must've been like. After purchasing the live Blue Pear CD theatre recordings off of eBay I now know why "Hot Spot", "A Joyful Noise", "Hot September", "Zenda" and "Something More" failed terribly (although I do like Jule Styne's unacknowledged contributions to the latter score).

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 7:52pm

Link to Steven Suskin review of the recording (you have to scroll down a bit) with some info on the show:

http://www.playbill.com/features/article/87770.html

Posted: 7/11/06 at 7:57pm

I think there is a song- maybe it's called Starfish sung by Judy kuhn on the CD Lost in Boston

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 8:02pm

That recording is on Unsung Musicals.

Posted: 7/11/06 at 8:09pm

thanks for correcting me. Get Lost in Boston too though...there are some gems.

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 10:12pm

"There's also a studio recording available of the score.."

And it is an utter bore.



Winthrop Paroo
River City, Iowa

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 7/11/06 at 10:27pm

Poor Lionel Bart. When he was good, he was very good and when he was bad he could be abominable.

And he had no head for business.

If you want to hear some of his best work, listen to his score for "Blitz"

[stella985]

Posted: 7/12/06 at 9:19am

Does anyone know how to get a copy of the live recording?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/12/06 at 9:51am

I would like to get a copy too. Please PM me. Thanks!