Sissy Spacek Musical?

[WorldWithoutYou]

Posted: 3/23/20 at 7:34pm

Im in the middle of re-reading Sissy Spaceks autobiography My Extraordinary Ordinary Life and she mentions that at one point, before making it in Hollywood, she was cast as the lead in a musical called Terre Haute High, which was about a space station filled with young people from all over America that was being produced by the same people who did Hair, but they couldnt find enough finances and the show never went anywhere. However, she mentions her character had a beautiful song that she would sing to try to get investors involved. Does anyone know more about this show? Id love to hear the song or just hear more about this show that never came to be, but cant seem to find anything about it anywhere.

Updated On: 3/23/20 at 07:34 PM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/24/20 at 11:28am

I think this is actually Via Galactica. “Terre Haute High” was a song in the show.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/24/20 at 1:19pm

Yup, as mentioned above, the musical was VIA GALACTICA and was the Broadway musical to open the brand new Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin Theatre) in November 1972. The show ran about a week and in the cast was Raul Julia and Irene Cara. I assume Sissy was part of the workshop. The song “Terre Haute High” is sung by the character of April, who was played by Edloe in the short-lived Broadway production.

[ARTc3]

Posted: 3/24/20 at 4:52pm

I saw Via Galactica. It was dreadful with some very interesting elements. Most interesting was that while not on earth, the stage floor was a series of trampolines. There was also a lead character – a scientist – who seemed to be a floating head. He traveled the stage in a device that allowed him to move between the trampolines and even rise up and down. At the end, when everyone had to escape the planet, he was flown out by two cables that dropped in from the flies.

The worst element was the headpieces of the those who were escaping the authoritarian regime of earth. They literally wore dunce caps that had a spiral on them similar to a barber's pole. Like a barber's pole, they spun and the overall effect was ridiculous and laughable.

The music was by Galt McDermott, who did write Hair. Years later, there was an orchestral release of the music, but without the voices and dynamic sound of an original cast, the album is terrible (I owned it).

There were some interesting casting. Ralph Carter and Irene Cara were both in the cast. As written below, Raul Julia was the romantic lead. It was also directed by Peter Hall, a renown British director at the time. And, yes it did open the Uris – now Gershwin – theater.

Updated On: 3/27/20 at 04:52 PM