Nymph Errant

[razzle-dazzle]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:53pm

I am listening to the 1989 London concert CD of this show and am in rapture!

I love "The Physician" from the movie "Star!" and Mandy Patinkin's "Experiment" is stuck in my head, so I decided to pick this up on amazon.

Has anyone seen the show? Would it work onstage today or is it better simply as a concert?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:54pm

Its never really been done in NYC outside of an Equity Theatre Library production in the early 80s. Surely it is worthy of at least an Encores production - but then - I guess it doesn't really fit their mission statement because it never played Broadway. They need to revamp that mission statement anyway. This would be perfect for them.

It's a lot of fun and has a great score.
Updated On: 5/30/06 at 10:54 PM

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:55pm

It was done last year by 42nd St Moon in SF

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 2:32am

I have quite a few photos from the original production in 1933 with Gertrude Lawrence. I'll try to scan a few and post them. The show was SO scandalous in the early 30's because it's the story of a young woman who misconstrues her teacher's instruction to "gop out and experience life" and thus sleeps her way across Europe. The girl is supposed to be going to spend the holiday with her grandmother (or as I heard a girl on the subway today refer to it as "Spending a week at Grannie camp"). The young lady ends up, anong other things as the 133 wife in a Turkish harem and then when she arrives at Grannies' (two years late) says she's late because she stopped to get Granny ice cream.

I wonder what the Royal Family made of THAT show at the Command Performance!

Photos to come....

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 2:48am

ABout 15 yars ago the Shaw Festival in Niagara-n-the-Lake staged a production of NYMPH ERRANT. In fact, they did it one year for a limited run and brought it back the following summer because of popular demand. The score is great, but it is essentially a one-joke show and it wears a little thin after a while.

Still I was glad to have had the chance to see it.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 8:32pm

Here's a photo of Gertrude Lawrence from the play "Nymph Errant"

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 8:35pm

Here's an ad from a magazine "Theatre World" of the period in London. The other show, "Music In The Air" was a big hit for Kern and Hammerstein and the star, Mary Ellis was an American who moved to London and starred in numerous British productions. She was the original star of "Rose Marie" on Broadway.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 8:37pm

Another shot of Gertude Lawrence. She had a thin voice (always going off key, especially in The King and I) and could dance somewhat. But she was a fine comedienne and wrapped herself in the latest fashions in any show she was in. She had glamour aplenty.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 8:40pm

Gertie on the left as the 189th wife of the Turkish Sultan. Love the hat on the guy stage left.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 8:44pm

Remember when Gertie dance? Gertie dance again!

The guy is Walter Crisham. He plays the American engineer who rescues Gertie from the harem. Then he sings to her of his love... of plumbing. Needless to say, it didn't last...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 8:45pm

This is the new Cole Porter musical that needs to be on Broadway

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 8:54pm

It would not play on Broadway now. A concert at Encore of small production for a limited run maybe.

[dry2olives]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 9:02pm

The Medicine Show did Nymph Errant off-off Broadway a couple of years ago. Here's a link to my review which covers the plot and some of the show's history.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=547

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 12:59am

Thanks for the pictures of Gertie, allofmylife.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 2:52am

Sondheimboy2, I'll try to post a few more. BTW, I did the math and I believe these photos are three years out of copyright.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 8:06am

Isn't there a recording out there somewhere of this show with Andrea McCardle? I thought I read that somewhere.

Posted: 6/1/06 at 9:23am

That's the one he's referring to. Pick it up- its pretty fun!