On The Twentieth Century (1978 musical)

For anyone who saw that delicious Broadway production one of the first things that might pop to mind is Robin Wagner's STUNNING scenery. I was just reading a 1978 article about the "soaring costs" of musicals and was astonished to read that Twentieth Century cost a mere $950,000. Can you imagine what a show like that would cost today?

Updated On: 9/26/04 at 11:38 PM

On the Twentieth Century is the most perfect production I've ever seen on Broadway. What's very funny in retrospect is that many people complained about how Robin Wagner's set was too much and it was the first time I heard the phrase "You can't hum the scenery." But what Prince and Wagner did in that production was make the train an important "character" in the show. The elegance of its design and the spectacular scenes of it in motion added to the plot far more than today's spectacle for the sake of spectacle sets.

Updated On: 9/26/04 at 11:44 PM

The complaint I remember was that people were coming out "humming the scenery." It wasn't a knock against the scenery, it was a problem with the rest of the show. The scenery was quite good, in fact, but the rest of the show ought to match it.

True, Ina -- as I recall people either loved this show or hated it. It's very over-the-top. John Cullum was rolling on the floor half the time going through his John Barrymore fits.

why did madeleine kahn have to quit... i came across the double cd set of this for $9.99..is it worth getting? is the score any good?

Hey Marquise...you should get the cast recording if only to hear one of the most exciting overtures ever (be warned though, it's one disc in a two disc jewel case but has a nice booklet with notes on the show). The score is intelligent, sophisticated, and appropriately over the top. Cy Coleman's music and Comden and Green's lyrics are a sendup of (and pay homage to) the operetta's of the 30's as well as many famous opera composers. It's always been one of my favorite musicals and it has a beautiful and stylish score.

Madeline Kahn IS on the OBC recording.

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John Cullum is superb on this cd as Oscar Jaffee, the washed up stage producer/director who is trying to get Lily Garland (Kahn) to star in his next vehicle. Many of his lyrics are laugh out load funny and he pulls out all the stops to win Lily back into his life. Listen carefully to some of the funniest lyrics ever. "Traitors! Look at the two of you. Judas Iscariot and...and his sister Sue!"

The year that On the Twentieth Century was nominated for the Tony was the first time I had ever seen the Tony Awards Telecast. I believe the above mentioned opened the broadcast. The next day I took the bus to our local downtown area and bought the cast album (I was 14 at the time).

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Kahn was magnificent when I saw it about a week after the opening, but as I understand the situation, it was one of those scores she had trouble singing full out 8 times a week. I remember reading that she wanted to sing some optional lower notes on the cast album because she didn't want the audience to come in expecting to hear the high stuff on a night she didn't have it in her.

I loved ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. It still bothers me that it lost the best musical Tony to AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, which is really a "revue."

"OUr pRIVATE world" is a gorgeous song and almost the whole score is delightful............Cullum, Coca, Kline and Kahn were simply sublime and Judy Kaye was sensational when she took over the role of Lily Garland from Madeline Kahn...

I love the recording and listen to it often....Alas, you cannot see the "train smoke" billowing from the orchestra pit during the overture as u did in the theater near the end of the overture............but it is still thrilling.

ADDITIONALLY, I think ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY had the singularly most beautiful theater poster ever created. I have a giant framed version of it in my home now for about 25 years. It is still a stunning work or art deco design, as was the design of the musical.

p.s. I saw the show 3 times during its Broadway engagement. I would have enjoyed seeing Betty Comden (of Comden and Green--they wrote the show's book and lyrics) as Mrs. Primrose when Imogene Coca vacationed.
The show later toured with Rock Hudson and then Frank Gorshin in the Cullum role of Oscar Jaffe. It is my understanding that Mr. Hudson's production cut one or two of Oscar Jaffe's songs for the vocally challenged star.

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Updated On: 9/27/04 at 01:46 PM

I also have a framed poster of that show in my home. I remember seeing a clip on TV when the show was being reviewed and I said that I had to see. I had the opportunity to see it a few times and it never got old. I also got to see Betty Comden in the role of Letitia Primrose. She was no Imogene Coca but she was not bad either. I subsequently got to see the movie with Barrymore and Lombard and enjoyed it as well.

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Did anyone see the L.A. Reprise production of this show? I would imagine that Carolee Carmello was super as Lily Garland!