Remembering THE YEARLING on its 50th Anniversary

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 12/10/15 at 12:33am

 

1965 opened with single performance flop KELLY, and came to a close with this long runner... of three performances!

 

Unlike KELLY, a relatively adventurous concept, this show was based on the phenomenally popular 1938 novel and 1946 film of the same name so was a bit more surprising as a flop I'm sure. Although personally I would not see it as ideal for the musical stage.

 

Although no cast album was ever made, Barbra Streisand recorded several songs from the show for her early albums, as she had done with the flop that had opened the 1965/1966 season, DRAT THE CAT. A live tape of the broadway production is also in circulation as well as a radio special from January of 1965 promoting the then-in-the-works show.

 

Production Photos:

 

Did anyone see it back then?

Updated On: 12/10/15 at 12:33 AM

[missthemountains]

Posted: 12/10/15 at 2:42pm

Is that a live deer? I'd love to hear more about this show, too.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 12/10/15 at 4:59pm

Yes, it appears to be! A live dog elsewhere too.

 

Here are the Barbra recordings:

 

Updated On: 12/10/15 at 04:59 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/10/15 at 7:16pm

missthemountains said: "Is that a live deer? I'd love to hear more about this show, too.

 

"

I don't think you could do the show without a live deer. It is the title character.

 

All of us who grew up in Florida read the novel in junior high. I highly recommend it, for adults as well as young people.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/10/15 at 7:25pm

It is a shame that due to the shows failure the composing team never wrote again for Broadway. Would love to hear a full recording of the score.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 12/10/15 at 7:47pm

Mr. Roxy, these posts are invaluable! 

There was a story I remember. During one of its few performances, at the end of act one, the young actor playing Jody was singing to the yearling, and when his mouth was wide open, the deer stuck his tongue in the  kid's mouth. At intermission there was an announcement that the boy's understudy would play act two. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/11/15 at 11:25am

I was one of the few people who saw this show before it closed.  Saw it in previews and, although I was only 15, I knew the reviews were going to be bad.  It was one of those earnest shows that was totally boring from beginning to end.  There was one good song, Why Did I Choose You, and that was about it.  I had not seen that many shows at that time, and I was surprised to see walkouts at intermission -- a good number of them.

 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/11/15 at 12:16pm

The 3 songs Streisand did were all first rate.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 12/11/15 at 3:47pm

Streisand recorded a fourth song from The Yearling called My Pa. (This obscurity reminds me of another song that she recorded, but from Drat! The Cat! and one that has disappeared: I Like Him.)