Why was Fiorello! so successful?

[whatdoesntkillme]

Posted: 3/5/17 at 2:33pm

It tied with Sound of Music for best musical and won the Pulitzer, but it's a show that's often forgotten or pushed to the side these days. I've heard that it resonated particularly with New Yorkers, who had lived through the La Guardia era. But reading the script and listening to the cast album, it doesn't seem like stand-out material to me, especially when compared to Sound of Music and Gypsy, two other shows from the same season.

Does anyone have any further insight on audience response/resonance to the original production?

[sabrelady]

Posted: 3/5/17 at 3:29pm

The show was in 1959. WWII was still in peoples memories. The Cold War was heating up (sic) . The story just resonated w the public.  One man ( ok not really in real life) went in and cleaned up one of the most politically corrupt environments. A man of the people  who spoke German and Yiddish and Italian- it was a part of the "can do" image of America that reigned.  His policies  shaped New York as many  NYers were well aware.  They changed the name of the airport to recognize him and his legacy.  

No I wasn't there but that's my take on why it was such a success then. 

We're too sophisticated now ( the romantic story line esp) for such a show that paints the hero as one step short of perfect. ( except for his relationship w his secretary)

[yfs]

Posted: 3/6/17 at 12:05am

And although it's certainly reasonable to conclude that the show was of its time, and is constructed much like a lot of formula George Abbott musicals, please don't underrate the score, which I would judge to be far superior the formulaic quality of The Sound of Music, though not as spectacular as Gypsy. But it contains "When Did I Fall In Love?" "Little Tin Box", "Politics and Poker" and "'Til Tomorrow" among other first-rate theater songs. It's much fresher than anything in The Sound of Music, in my view. 

 

 

[daredevil]

Posted: 3/6/17 at 10:50am

One reason why the show was so successful was that NY Times critic Brooks Atkinson loved it. The show did not open with a great advance sale, but his review (and I think the other six newspaper reviews at the time) was an open love letter to it. That really stimulated sales and lead to its almost two year run. Also, in the articles about the show after the opening, much was made that a complete unknown, Tom Bosley  came out of  nowhere to get the lead. A cinderella story if there ever was one. Ironically, when The Sound of Music opened a few weeks before, the reviews were not great---kind of mixed, many critics felt it was below the standard of the "great" Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. I saw Fiorello three times in its first two year, twice in NY and once on the road. I remember being slightly disappointed the first time I saw it--for me it was good but really did not live up to its hype. Ultimately I don't see it as  a great musical but sometimes a critic for some reason gets carried away, as Atkinson did, and that made it.