After receiving a few nasty notes from someone on the board—class always shows, but was obviously lacking in this person, I decided not to write anymore. Look, I’m going to be 88 soon, and still have my marbles.
As I was in the original dancing corps of PAL JOEY, and if my mind is still in order, a few reminders and pointers about the show and what sounds terribly wrong about this show. And for all the nitpickers, I say “sounds” because I have not seen it.
The part of Vera Simpson was written very much with Vivienne Segal in mind. Lorenz hart especially knew her vocal range, her inflections, her movements, her way of comic delivery and what’s more important, her proper perspective of herself. Segal was one of the most under-rated people of the musical theatre. From what I’ve heard, she’s never been inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. That’s an insult! But getting back to Segal, she had class. You can see it from the photographs of the old production. And her delivery of Bewitched, was the best you have ever heard. It was as if she were singing as a low down slut, who knew she was one, but came up in the world and could see both Joey’s and her perspective on life. And she was dressed in this hat as I can recall, which really added something special to her rendition . Everyone speaks of “Bewitched,” but for me the best part of the show was Vera and Linda’s “Take Him.” Everyone says George Abbott was a variable director, but here he made sure that the two women were at odds with each other: Linda practically crying as he knew he wqould give him up and Vera, standing very cool and correct, knowing that, like the Marschallin in Rosenkavalier, she would just move on to the next conquest. Her departure of Joey was not mawkish, just a “fare thee well, old chap, good riddance.” This moment is never talked about, but for me it was the best moment in the show.
Gene Kelly as Joey. I’ve been roasted, toasted, cursed at, threatened by one or two members of the board for saying that Kelly was not a good dancer. He was an adequate dancer, but to say he ranks on par with Astaire, is not a fair thing to say. Kelly liked to run and jump around the stage at a whirlwind pace. Also, Kelly was only 15 years younger than Segal. His partnering was terrible, whenever he had to take one of the girls by the hand he would squeeze it so hard that we usually hears an ouch or a leave me alone. Partnering was not his biggest asset. What he brought was sex appeal, but not great dancing or acting skills. And he had Robert Alton, who knew exactly how to show him off at his best. That’s a good choreographer. Cover all the deficits and show us the assets. That was Alton.
As for Kelly’s acting skills, they were nil. He was very lucky because when Abbott wasn’t criticizing him, Segal was rehearsing with him. In fact, Kelly’s success in the part was due to Segal’s teaching, coaching, importuning and nagging. She knew how to put him in his place and make his acting seem realistic, since Kelly at times seemed to think he was in a vaudeville show. Segal had her own troubles with Abbott, but she handled him with aplomb.
June Havoc was a terrific Gladys, as was Jean Casto who played Melba. Casto not only played Melba, but also was a standby for Vivienne Segal and, if memory serves me corrretly, was standby for Shirley Booth in My Sister Eileen. She had quite a job.
All in all, it was an excellent production, one of the best I was ever in. With all the usual fighting, bickering, etc., it came in on Christmas Eve with a bang, at least we thought it was coming in with one Critics were divided and, of course, you know the rest of the story.
So for those who want to throw tomatoes at me, go ahead. These old bones know a lot more than any of you.
And, oh yes, I put asterisks around my replies. That is the way I do things, and it is no one's business why I do it. I just like it. Would anyone like to argue with me. I will certainly gives you a lot more, ane believe me, I can give you more than everyone combined on this board.
Every movement has a meaning--but what the hell does it mean!
Updated On: 11/22/08 at 11:18 AM
) I imagine they would have re-cast the role right away. I highly doubt they would do that now. The main reason I doubt they'll re-cast the role is that the man has been performing the show in all these workshops, if they didn't let him go before, they certainly won't now. How could they not realize that he wasn't the part? 
