MINNIE'S BOYS

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 12:14pm

Guys, I have loved this cast recording for 30 years! Please would someone tell me about what really happened i.e. why it closed? What I heard was that Shelley's voice gave out after a couple of weeks and the show couldn't last without a star name is that true? Has there ever been any talk about a major revival (even a REPRISE performance?)?. Thanks in anticipation!!!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 12:21pm

I can't help you, but "Mama, A Rainbow" is an amazing song.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 12:36pm

I can't remember the reson off the top of my head. It's in "Not Since Carrie", I believe.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 12:42pm

We're going way back in my memory bank here, but I don't think the show got good reviews. Please remember that in those days The New York Times review would either make or break a show. I'm pretty sure the Times panned it.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 12:44pm

I think it was a combo. A reportedly erratic performance from Shelley Winters, a score that comes close to, but doesn't quite achieve greatness, and an idea that sounds better on paper than in execution. What's really notable about Minnie Marx, apart from the fact that she gave birth to the Marx Brothers?

[MisterRussell]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 1:04pm

Groucho saw the show, and publicly said he didn't like it. Kiss of death.

He also reportedly said to Shelly Winters, "When I first saw you at Saks, buying bras for those big knockers of yours, I had no idea that one day you'd be playing my mother." Updated On: 10/8/05 at 01:04 PM

[Mark in Oakland]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 1:16pm

I saw "Minnie's Boys" on Broadway back in 1970. I even got the chance to go backstage after the show as the friend I was with was close friends with Alvin Kupperman, the actor who played Zeppo Marx. I remember not liking the show very much, other than 1 or 2 musical numbers - "Mama A Rainbow" & "Where' Were You..." I also remember that there was a lot of gossip about how bad Shelley Winters' perfromance was & how she was acting like a temperamental diva. In fact, we were warned to keep the volume of our conversation backstage low as there was fear that she might overhear something negative & throw a tantrum.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 1:44pm

Mark can you remember exactly how long it ran? Did Shelley do the whole run?

[Mark in Oakland]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 1:52pm

Off the top of my head I couldn't remember how long the show ran on Bway; I do think that Ms. Winters stayed with it for the entire (short) run.

The following is from the website: http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3517

Minnie's Boys


Imperial Theatre, (3/26/1970 - 5/30/1970)
Preview: Total Previews: 64
Opening: Mar 26, 1970
Closing: May 30, 1970 Total Performances: 80




Category: Musical, Original, Broadway
Awards and nominationsSongs in this Production


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Opening Night Production Credits


Produced by Arthur Whitelaw, Max J. Brown and Byron Goldman; Production Consultant: Groucho Marx; Associate Producer: Peter Grad


A production by "Bozo"


Music by Larry Grossman; Lyrics by Hal Hackady; Book by Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher; Based on the life of The Marx Brothers (Zeppo, Harpo, Groucho & Chico); Musical Director: John Berkman; Music arranged by John Berkman; Vocal arrangements by John Berkman; Music orchestrated by Ralph Burns; Dance arrangements by Marvin Hamlisch and Peter Howard; Incidental music by Marvin Hamlisch and Peter Howard; Assistant Musical Dir.: Richard Leonard


Directed by Stanley Prager; Musical Staging by Marc Breaux; Assistant Choreographer: Dennis Cole


Scenic Design by Peter Wexler; Costume Design by Donald Brooks; Lighting Design by Jules Fisher; Hair Design by Joe Tubens; Assistant to Mr. Wexler: John Scheffler; Assistant to Mr. Fisher: Marc B. Weiss; Assistant to Mr. Brooks: Connie Wexler


General Manager: Marvin A. Krauss


Production Stage Manager: Frank Hamilton; Stage Manager: John Andrews; Assistant Stage Mgr: Ci Herzog and Doug Spingler


Music published by Tommy Valando; Music Contractor: Joe Soldo; Music Preparation: Mathilde Pincus and Al Miller


General Press Representative: Max Eisen; Press Representative: Warren Pincus; Dance Captain: Dennis Cole; Advertising: Ingram Ash and Matthew Serino; Production Assistant: Susan Bell


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Opening Night Cast


Shelley Winters Minnie Marx
Jacqueline Britt Mrs. Krupnik
Murdock
Ensemble
Jean Bruno Mrs. Flanagan
Harpist
Ensemble
Bjarne Buchtrup Ensemble
George Bunt Acrobat
Ensemble
Dennis Cole Ensemble
Deede Darnell Ensemble
Joan B. Duffin Ensemble
Marjory Edson Cindy
Miss White House
Ensemble
Daniel Fortus Adolph Marx
Harpo
Vicki Frederick Miss Eiffel Tower
Ensemble
Arny Freeman Sam (Frenchie) Marx
Lynne Gannaway Miss Taj Mahal
Ensemble
Merwin Goldsmith Hochmeister
Ronn Hansen Sidebark
Ensemble
Alvin Kupperman Herbie Marx
Zeppo
Julie Kurnitz Mrs. McNish
Robert LuPone Acrobat
Ensemble
Elaine Manzel Ensemble
Mort Marshall Al Shean
Barbara Monte-Britton Ensemble
Irwin Pearl Leonard Marx
Chico
Gary Raucher Milton Marx
Gummo
Stephen Reinhardt Telegraph Boy
Ensemble
Casper Roos Robwell
Ensemble
Gene Ross Theater Manager
Ensemble
Carole Schweid Ensemble
William W. Sean Ensemble
Richard B. Shull Maxie
Sandow, The Great
Doug Spingler Cop
Ensemble
Lewis J. Stadlen Julie Marx
Groucho
Evelyn Taylor Acrobat
Ensemble
Roland Winters E.F. Albee
Toodie Witmer Ensemble



Understudies: Jacqueline Britt (Mrs. McNish), Merwin Goldsmith (Al Shean, Sam (Frenchie) Marx), Ci Herzog (Ensemble, Hochmeister, Sidebark), Thelma Lee (Minnie Marx), Gary Raucher (Julie Marx, Leonard Marx), Stephen Reinhardt (Herbie Marx), Casper Roos (E.F. Albee, Maxie, Sandow, The Great), William W. Sean (Adolph Marx, Milton Marx).

[LouW95]

Posted: 10/8/05 at 4:01pm

On a related note, Ms. Winters recently celebrated her 85th in Calif. In adition to her many films, she made many very outspoken talk show appearances in the 70s and 80s. I heard that she is writing a book and should have her stories about Minnie's Boys in there.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 3:34am

Please don't let Roseanne Barr read this thread, I'm having a vision of her in it here.. Comics Mothers are not the biggest draws, Just ask Joan Rivers. She only ran 2 months or so.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 10/9/05 at 4:23am

MINNIE MARX should be the next role Rosie gets when Fiddler closes! It would be a natural step!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the info Mark!

[goldenboy]

Posted: 10/10/05 at 1:55am

I too love the cd for Minnies Boys. It sounds liike a hit.

But I saw the show way back in 1970 and the book was convoluted and the direction was awkward.

For example, the last number in the show is all about how they became the characters of the Marx Brothers. "I'll know I'll go with the old professor...."

But their stage personaes as the Marx Brothers were already developed way in the first act. The climax made no sense.

The book was a hodge podge and had little logic.

Walter Kerr in the Sundays Times wrote (and I paraphrase)
the fools got the hardest part right!

He was referring to the uncanny impersonation by the actors on stage of the Marx Brothers... which was ...well uncanny.
But unfortunely a convoluted show without logic even with great songs and uncanny impersonations just makes the audience go "Huhh?" And thats exactly what happenned.

They also threw in all sorts of comedy numbers to make the damn thing work and disquise the fact that the book was illogical and lacked continuity. It just muddled the show even more.


By the way, the Director was Stanley Prager who also killed 70 girls 70 and others shows.
Ironically, 70 girls 70 also sounds like a hit. but it flopped for basically the same reason... lack of a logical plot which makes the audience go huh and throwing in all sorts of funny numbers that had little to progress the plot.

Another problem is they were stuck with a star. which means they had to center the show around Shelly/Minnie.
Well Minnie just isn't as interesting as Momma Rose-she was pushy wacky but wasn't really a hands on influence.
Basically just a Jewish Mother who got them throught the depression.

and therein lied the problem.

Shelly wasn't bad. She was Shelly and she did the best she could considering she couldn't really sing and that the character wasn't exactly threshed out or that important. I'm she was frustrated with the mish mash she was handed.

I do believe the show could be rewritten and the "Ill know I'l go with the old professor." number could end act one. It could be logically threaded and use the same wonderful score. If anybody wants to hire me to do it, I'm game.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 10/10/05 at 4:28pm

GOLDENBOY it definitely is a score worth reviving and if I win the LOTTO I will give you the go ahead to start work on the book!

Broadway history is littered with great scores with weak books e.g. MACK AND MABEL???

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/10/05 at 4:37pm

Several years ago, I was interviewing for a position as a stage manager. The artistic director named the shows they planned to do during the season and the only one I didn't recognize was "Minnie's Boys". When I asked the director what the show was about, he replied, "What famous mother was named Minnie?" I'm thinking Minnie Pearl? Minnie Mouse? He finally told me it was a musical based on the Marx Brothers. Thank goodness I got another offer because at that time I had no idea that the Marx Brothers had a mother named Minnie.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 10/10/05 at 4:42pm

I'm a die-hard Marx Brothers fan, which is the only reason I learned about "Minnie's Boys." I really love the OCR - though I agree that Shelley Winters (who I normally think is great) isn't probably the perfect match for the role. However, the songs are great and the actors who play the five (yes, five) Marx Brothers are great:)

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/10/05 at 10:48pm

I saw the show & found it enjoyable

Groucho turned down Totie Fields as mama . Totie may have helped box office. It got mixed reviews & that was the kiss of death. Some numbers on the cast album were not in the finished show & & vice versa

I used to have a CD but it has mysteriously vanished. I do have the LP. If & when they ever rerelease it (doubtful) i will buy it. Other than Stadlen, the other 3 who played the rest of the brothers vanished. Daniel Fortus (Harpo)was in Molly but did not hear from him after that

It was an enjoyable show. Not great but it was very good from what I recall

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 5:11pm

Thanks Mr Roxy! I had the CD and lost it too but got it again on EBAY! Definitely worth having in your collection.

[Demitri2]

Posted: 10/12/05 at 7:29pm

In the early eighties it was announced that the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, CA was presenting the west coast premiere of "Minnie's Boys" starring Martha Raye who I think would have been wonderful in the role. Unfortunately just before rehearsals began it was reported there were money problems and the show never materialized. I think Raye would have been much more fun than Winters in the role and she certainly could have sung the score better than Shelley.