Remembering THE APPLE TREE on its 50th Anniversary

It opened October 18th, 1966 at the Shubert Theatre.

Starring Barbara Harris (who won a Tony for her performances) as well as a pre-M*A*S*H Alan Alda and Larry Blyden this show musicalised three famous short stories. The Bock & Harnick score is beyond excellent and one of my ultimate favorites.

Act One: The Diary of Adam & Eve













Act Two: The Lady or the Tiger









Act Three: Passionella













Tony Awards Performance

Barbara Harris' Acceptance speech

I love listening to "Passionella" whenever I am feeling blue!

I love THE APPLE TREE. Those "knockers" on Barbara Harris as "Passionella" are out of hand! LOL!

Fun trivia fact: Alan Alda and Barbara Harris went on to co-star in the 1979 drama, THE SEDUCTION OF JOE TYNAN, written by Alda himself and co-starring Meryl Streep.

Updated On: 10/18/16 at 11:17 AM

I remember that Phyllis Newman did all the matinees for the show - instead of Barbara Harris. It was quite a new idea that actors didn't do all 8 shows at all times.

I remember that Phyllis Newman did all the matinees for the show - instead of Barbara Harris. It was quite a new idea that actors didn't do all 8 shows at all times.

Matinee alternates actually weren't uncommon in the 1960s -- and they were certainly more common then than now.

Harris did all performances for the first two months of the role, with Newman beginning in December 1966. As the run progressed, Harris began to miss a significant amount of performances and then eventually left rather abruptly.

Phyllis Newman has discussed her time subbing for Barbara Harris in THE APPLE TREE.

This is courtesy of Playbill.com

"During the so-called Golden or Hey-Hey Days of the Broadway musical… I had a number of jobs in the theatre… One season I performed at the matinees of The Apple Tree while the brilliant Barbara Harris did the evening shows. Although she had an understudy, they often called me to come in at night. She was going through an illness, and the show consisted of three separate short musical plays with complete change of makeup, costumes, et. al. It required an enormous amount of energy; sometimes she did one and I did two or vice versa… or none and… well, you get it. The point being (oh, you want a point?) I was in Shubert Alley a lot of nights...."

After the first year of the run, Gordon MacRae and Carol Lawrence did matinees for Robert Preston and Mary Martin in I DO! I DO!, 1966-68: the subbing began in 1967.

Updated On: 10/18/16 at 11:00 PM

Mr. Nowack said: "Always knew Newman replaced Harris eventually, but never knew she did matinees. I can see why it would be exhausting, as the leading lady had to play not 3 but 4 distinct characters throughout the course of the evening. And by all indications Harris gave her all for each.

Hal Linden also later replaced Larry Blyden I wanna say.



"

And Hal Holbrook for Alan Alda...