The Most Happy Fella

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 11/12/03 at 4:00pm

Hi all,

Since most of you are all knowledgeable about musical theatre, I would like to ask some of you a question about Loesser's The Most Happy Fella...I tried to do some research on it, but I am still lost about some characters and relationships in the show, and since I might be auditioning for it soon, I would like to know what roles exactly are there for a young Tenor around 25 ish and what role does each character play in this operetta? Thanks in advance.

Balladeer

[magruder]

Posted: 11/12/03 at 4:07pm

A young tenor would want to pursue the plum secondary comic role of Herman. You'd get to sing "Standing on the Corner," "Big D," "Goodbye, Darlin'," "I Like Everybody" and "I Made a Fist." There are other supporting roles with some major tenor singing: there are the three Italian chefs, one or two of whom have some rangy stuff ("Abbondanza," "Benvenuta"), and there's also the cashier/postman who gets the first part of "The Most Happy Fella" ("Come a runnin'!") and some comic material ("Special Delivery") and also The Doctor, who sings "Love and Kindness" and the intro to "Song of a Summer Night".

Updated On: 11/12/03 at 04:07 PM

[King Stevos]

Posted: 11/12/03 at 5:05pm

What about Joey? or am I thinking of a different show?

sTEVOs

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/12/03 at 5:08pm

magruder pretty much covers it. Joey is indeed in FELLA (one of my favorites, by the way) but is a baritone. It is a wonderful score, with lots of different types of music.

Where are you auditioning for this, Ballsy? I understand the rights are only granted to profesional theatres, much like PORGY AND BESS.

Posted: 11/12/03 at 8:59pm

Fabulously rich and brilliant score.

Which I imagine is not known to the majority on this board.

Bulldog.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 11/12/03 at 9:21pm

I have the Original Broadway cast CD, and have listened to the music, but it is rather hard to follow with the lack of a good synopsis. I think I'll go pick up the JAY recording, with the 3 CDs and detailed synopsis, since I heard that is a good recording.

Broadway Bulldog, I agree with you. It is a fabulous score, and it is shame that not too many people on this board know of it. Yet, we constantly hear about Millie and Wicked. YUCK.

Thanks for all your help everyone, especially you, magruder.

Cheers,
The Balladeer

Posted: 11/12/03 at 10:05pm

Balladeer,

One option is to check out a copy of Sidney Howard's THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED, a non-musical play which was a hit of the 1924-25 season, from your local library. It is the basis for FELLA.

Cheers, Bulldog

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 11/12/03 at 11:09pm

For many years I was familiar with both "Big D" and "Standing On The Corner" but didn't realize they came from FELLA. It is a rich, diverse, engaging score. I have the 1992 Broadway Revival recording and have considered buying the 2000 studio recording, but it is a bit expensive.

Interestingly, I went to a lecture/recital at the University of Texas lately where the topic was (I'm paraphrasing) "Opera or Musical: The Gray Areas of American Musical Theatre." The lecture covered works that are often categorized in more than one genre, such as "musicals" that have become staples of many opera companies. Works discussed included Sweeney Todd, Carousel, On The Town, and, of course, The Most Happy Fella.

Updated On: 11/12/03 at 11:09 PM

[magruder]

Posted: 11/13/03 at 12:51am

I love The Most Happy Fella, and would recommend any purchase of any of the recordings...but if you don't have the 1956 original Broadway cast recording, I would buy it before the 2000 studio recording. I hate to say this, because I like the JAY masterworks series very much, but Louis Quilico is not in the greatest voice as Tony on that recording, although it is otherwise quite lovely. That original Broadway cast recording, though monaural, is wonderfully, vitally alive, and includes most of the dialogue and underscoring. Besides...you get Robert Weede, Jo Sullivan, Art Lund, and the indescribable, unbeatable Susan Johnson as Cleo, who just must be heard by anyone who doesn't know her work.

[RagtimeRay]

Posted: 11/13/03 at 3:02pm

I agree that the Original Broadway Cast recording would be the best.

The Most Happy Fella is a soap-opera of a musical based on THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED. It opens with a waitress in a San Francisco restaurant receiving a note and an amythest tie-pin from a customer she can't remember. He suggests that he write to her in care of his ranch in the Napa Valley. She does. In the second scene, Tony Esposito appears. He has received a post card from his "Rosabella" asking to send his picture. However, he is an older, balding man, who is Italian and speaks a "funny, broken English" - he is afraid to send her his "pitch." So he arranges to have a picture of his farm hand Joe taken (since Joe is planning on leaving the ranch) and he sends that picture to Rosabella instead. She then agrees to come to Napa and marry him. Tony nervously heads to the train station to pick her up, but has an accident in his truck on the way. She arrives at the ranch on her own... and sees Joe... asking why no one came to meet her. It finally dawns on her and Joe that Tony had switched pictures. And that she had been "dreaming about Joe" for all of that time. As she is about to leave, an injured Tony is discovered and brought back to the ranch. He sees Rosabella and wants to proceed with the wedding. After all, he says, he is injured and maybe there won't be a tomorrow. Embarassed, Rosabella is goaded into the wedding. But as the take Tony off to tend to his wounds... Rosabella and Joe confront each other... and after a scene. He carries her off. End of Act I

Tony is in a wheel chair at the rise of Act II. He sees Rosabella, asking "You mad at me." (about him sending the wrong picture). Gradually as the act progresses, she develops a fondness for him. In turn, Tony arranges for her friend Cleo to join her at the ranch. Cleo subsequently develops a relationship with Herman, another ranch hand. Finally, Rosabella has fallen in love with Tony. She expresses her love and they sing - My Heart is so Full of You. Tony arranges a big party to celebrate. But at the party, while dancing, Rosabella collapses. She sees a doctor and discoveres she is pregnant - of course, it can't possibly have been by Tony... since he has been in a wheel chair and leg cast.

Rosabella tells Tony that she is leaving, and explains why. He asks who the father of the baby is, and when he learns that Joe is responsbible, Tony is angry. He tells Rosabella to leave... and then goes after Joe. Meanwhile, Joe has finally left town... he is, after all, a drifter. Tony comes to his senses and finds Rosabella, telling her that they will tell everyone that the baby is his. A happy ending!

As to roles for a young tenor:

There are three "cooks/servants" who sing some great numbers, and have the ability to steal the show.
There are three ranch hands, including Herman, who sing Standing on the Corner.
Joe could be played by a tenor, depending on range of notes you can sing.
Herman is a comedic character, which also could be played by a tenor.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 11/13/03 at 5:17pm

i enjoy the score of HAPPY FELLA, and it is not as well-known because of the rights restriction. However, universities may obtain the rights. The challenge there, of course, is the relative ratio singing women to singing men. i also think part of what puts the show into the "opera lite" category is the nature of the ballads, which are far rangier and more legit in construction than the more upbeat numbers. Just compare the ballads of HAPPY FELLA to those of GUYS & DOLLS or even WHERE'S CHARLEY and you might see what i mean. Not to mention the role of Tony being written for an opera singer. For a lot of people, the ballads of FELLA make it sound more like a serious piece rather than a musical entertainment. Add to that the general melodramatic nature of the source, unlike the comic play behind CHARLEY or the comic short stories behind G&D. The even more obscure GREENWILLOW had some of the same challenges in its story of small-town Euro whimsy, not unlike BRIGADOON. Regardless, Loesser knew his way around a song!