Revisal of GOLDEN RAINBOW!

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/10/23 at 8:22pm

Thought this might be of interest to old musical fans here:

I just learned via social media that there was a reading of a revised GOLDEN RAINBOW, the semi-infamous Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme flop that played Broadway for a year in 1968-69. Composer/lyricist Walter Marks (age 89) revised the book himself.

I've loved the score for a long time. It's a perfect Encores-style show, and it could be a great vehicle for two big stars (think Harry Connick/Seth Macfarlane/Leslie Odom Jr/James Marsden, or Lea Michele/Anika Noni Rose/Vanessa Hudgens/SJB/Hilty) under the direction of a Casey Nicholaw type.

Unfortunately, this reading had direction by Stuart Ross and was produced by someone named David Treatmen, so a future life seems unlikely; perhaps a best-case scenario would be a York Theatre production. The cast included Max Von Essen & Teal Wicks in the Steve & Eydie roles, and Broadway's fave child actor of the moment, Benjamin Pajak.

I hope NYC will one day get GOLDEN RAINBOW again!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/11/23 at 1:04am

When I saw the show Gorme was out (which I understand was common) and no one less than Marilyn Cooper replaced her.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/11/23 at 11:03am

Dollypop said: "When I saw the show Gorme was out (which I understand was common) and no one less than Marilyn Cooper replaced her."

As far as acting was concerned you probably got a far better performance :)

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 6/11/23 at 4:46pm

They will never, ever capture the restraint and elegance of the original.

GOLDEN RAINBOW 1968 Tony Awards - YouTube

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/11/23 at 7:37pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Dollypop said: "When I saw the show Gorme was out (which I understand was common) and no one less than Marilyn Cooper replaced her."

As far as acting was concerned you probably got a far better performance :)"

That's true but Eydie Gorme was a sensational singer. You do know that they wanted her to replace That Streisand Woman in the original GUNNY GIRL.

[Fan123]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 5:07am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "...perhaps a best-case scenario would be a York Theatre production...I hope NYC will one day get GOLDEN RAINBOW again!"

Here you go: https://yorktheatre.org/on-stage/musicals-in-mufti

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 8:09am

It appears that Stuart Ross is also directing this production, so perhaps the same cast will be participating. 

[bowtie7]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 8:33am

verywellthensigh said: "They will never, ever capture the restraint and elegance of the original.

GOLDEN RAINBOW 1968 Tony Awards - YouTube"

The opening number is one of my all time favorites. It is just so 1960's Las Vegas, made all the better by featuring future Gilmore Girl grandma (and Chorus Line Tony Winner) Kelly Bishop and that boa. It is even more amazing that the Tony's were held at the Shubert that year so the stage mechanics of the numbers are preserved. In days before modern stage automation I have to wander just how many crew members it took--especially how many were on the fly deck for the final fly moment of the two showgirls (one on a horse!) and at least 3 electrified sets of signs.

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 7/18/23 at 4:38pm

Tickets are on sale now via the York website. I snagged a pair early this afternoon.  This year’s performances are in St. Jean’s church in East 76th street. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/29/23 at 4:17pm

Ok, so maybe this MUFTI is the closest we'll ever get to a Broadway revival of GOLDEN RAINBOW.

The new book is a mess, and I gather the old one was too. Larry (Max Von Essen) is a conman who owns a crappy motel in Vegas, and his wife has died, leaving him to run it alongside his 10 year old son, Ally (Benjamin Pajak). He cons his successful sister-in-law into coming out to Vegas from NY (Mara Davi) because he needs money. There's also Jill (Danielle Greaves), a woman who owns a diner nearby, who's also sort of a surrogate parent to Ally...except she's Black, which isn't addressed, but there's certainly an undertone of racism & classism from Judy. And then there's a stereotypical Mob boss opening a hotel next door and Larry wants to get into business with him (Robert Cuccioli). In the end, Judy & Larry fall for each other, but the show ends with all FOUR of our main characters singing "We Got Us" after they've decided to rescue Jill's business (a sudden problem in the final moments of the show). The title song also serves an identical purpose to LUCK BE A LADY, a reminder of a superior show about gamblers.

Composer Walter Marks has rewritten the score and book, cutting some faves (It's You Again), rewriting others (For Once In Your Life, Taking Care of You, Taste, Mom/Kid, the Casino show sequences), and adding new-to-me songs (Same Old Song & Dance, Matter of Time, You Put In Good, Suddenly You).

It's no longer a duo for a man & woman: It's the Larry show, with Ally, Jill, and Judy pulling equal weight in supporting roles. Tone is all over the place. Larry's an unlikeable ****heel who might be endangering his son, but Judy's an ice-queen trying to insert herself into her nephew's life and take him away from his legal guardian. So you're left to root for the kid and hope he's ok with these grownups having no-stakes fights around him.

It's nicely sung (even if Max Von Essen isn't right vocally), and expertly played by a 4-piece band including a real grand piano. It sounds better than some shows with larger ensembles because it's played passionately by people who know the style.

Maybe a real bookwriter, director, and stars could have made sense of it, but the show is probably a lost cause. If it doesn't get rained out this weekend (the theatre is in an attractive church basement), this might be your only moment to see GOLDEN RAINBOW on a New York stage.