Remembering the original DAMES AT SEA on its opening night on Broadway

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 1:27am

Tonight DAMES AT SEA has its opening night on Broadway, but 47 years ago the show opened off-Broadway at the Theatre de Lys (now the Lucille Lortel) starring Bernadette Peters.

 

Does anyone remember seeing it during its run?? And does anyone who saw it way back when plan on seeing the Broadway incarnation?

 

In performance:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the recording studio:

 

 

 

 

 

Replacements during the run included Loni Ackerman, Pia Zadora and Kurt Peterson.

 

Updated On: 10/22/15 at 01:27 AM

[TheresaG]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 8:32am

What a great group of pictures. Hard to believe it was that long ago.

Thanks for posting them.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 8:40am

Is that Hal Linden on the far right? So handsome!

 

 

 

 

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 10:14am

Yes, that's Hal. He and Adrienne Angel were added to boost the vocals. The cast album also features two pianos instead of the single one used for the show.

[c0113g3b0y]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 10:35am

thanks for the photos! so weird to see Bernadette without her signature frizzy hair lol :)

[newintown]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 10:38am

"The cast album also features two pianos instead of the single one used for the show."

 

Correction: the cast album features full orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick (about twice the size of those used in the current Broadway production). The Off-Broadway production always had two pianos and percussion.

 

http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=630

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 12:58pm

Hal is quite fetching with the beard. I too was surprised to see him in the recording session photos.

[eperkins]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 1:37pm

Dames At Sea actually opened at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre on December 20, 1968, and transferred to the larger Theater de Lys on April 22, 1969. Previously, there had been a shorter production that played the Cafe Cino.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 10/22/15 at 7:12pm

I wonder what that one act Cafe Cino version was like. A subtitle "GOLDDIGGERS AFLOAT" was added at that time.