Posted: 3/3/18 at 12:19am
The show opened and closed at the Billy Rose Theatre (now the Nederlander) on this day in 1968.
An adaptation of Steinbeck's epic East of Eden, the show had abysmal out of town reviews with even worse notices on Broadway, even after pushing back opening night for more changes. The cast featured mostly lesser-known actors, including a young Heather MacRae, Ken Kercheval of Dallas fame, character actor Walter McGinn, and James Coco in yellowface (casting that led to picketing by Asian American groups). Incidentally, the scenery was by famed Chinese American designer Ming Cho Lee, who created a staggeringly expensive 12 realistic sets for the various locations of the show.
The score was by Robert Waldman and acclaimed playwright Alfred Uhry, who would go on to collaborate on THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM several years later. No cast album was recorded (despite United Artists having invested in the show to get the cast album rights), but a bootleg was released on LP by the Blue Pear label. There are some lovely melodies in the score and the Jonathan Tunick orchestrations are excellent.
Did anyone see it back then?
Miller while I was waiting at the stage door. He wanted to know how to get to the records, tapes, and audio equipment store Sam Goody's on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, where I ended up working 7 years later.
