marilyn:an american fable

[spike3]

Posted: 5/22/11 at 8:02pm

at the Minskoff, in the early 1980s. As I was appearing in Europe at the time, I never did get to see it. Anyone have any memories or pics? Alyson Reed,(someone I had the pleasure to work with many times) was apparently wonderful in the role. I did hear some stories about the "dancing pills" from her but not much else. And I was able to hear a bootleg of just one song from the show

[egghumor]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 5:22am

Reading the credits, the show had "major flop" written all over it -- about a dozen "composers" for instance -- but when I saw it, there was no laughable, outrageous flop on stage. Indeed, Alyson Reed was amazing as Marilyn -- far better than anyone anticipated. Scott Bakula played Joe DiMaggio. The show was thoroughly professional, but simply dull and rather misguided. I've seen numerous shockingly bad flops (Marlowe, Got Tu Go Disco, Carrie, etc.), and MARILYN: AN AMERICAN FABLE was not one of them.
Updated On: 5/23/11 at 05:22 AM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 8:37am

I posted this on the West End Board on your similar thread on there.

The Broadway Marilyn Musical (Marilyn: An American Fable) is just odd, i have a naughty DVD of it and to say they play fast and lose with the facts is an understatment. It had no idea what it was trying to be. That show also met a similar fate as the London Marilyn Musical closing very early (34 previews and 17 regular performances). Reed was very good in the role.

The funny thing was they gave the show a happy ending lol

[spike3]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 8:49am

songanddance and egghumor, thank you very much for your info and help. I do appreciate it. Enjoy your day.

[egghumor]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 9:22am

Sorry I have no memory of specific numbers, but I did happen to remember that Alyson Reed was not originally cast as Marilyn. The show began rehearsals with a young woman (Gerilyn Petchel???) who was I think, a beauty pageant winner who bore some resemblance to Miss Monroe. Problem was, she had little or no acting, singing, or dancing skills -- at least not by Broadway standards. The producers scrambled and replaced her with Alyson Reed. The fact that Ms. Reed developed such a strong performance under such circumstances makes her work even more impressive -- and if you've seen the film of A CHORUS LINE, you would not think the actress playing Cassie would make a believable Marilyn, but indeed she did.

Updated On: 5/23/11 at 09:22 AM

[JRybka]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 9:35am

...and now they are making a new version of Marilyn on the tv show SMASH. And Megan Hilty is perfectly cast!

[AnthVoice2010]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 9:41am

I remember vividly "I'm Going Public" - Why I have no idea...I don't even know if it was a good song or not...but I remember it!

[ticenewyorkcity]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 9:46am

http://www.annieorphans.com/video/kristi-coombs-as-young-marilyn

video

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 10:37am

I have vivid memories of cast members impersonating "Marilyn's Demons" crawling and writhing all over Marilyn's bed in one outrageously campy number. Also a constant presence of Louella and Hedda as kind of MC's of the story (without last names since I guess they didn't have signoffs from the Parsons and Hopper clans). It was a show that was constantly slipping into the silliest camp tone that would invariably undercut Alysson Reed's really legitimate and dynamite portrayal. The set left no impression but the costumes were really deluxe.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 11:08am

The thing with this show is that it's really reeeeeeeally boring. While you're being bored watching it (if you know anything about Marilyn's life) you're also wondering what the hell they're doing changing the facts. It's just bizarre and every so often someone will come over and want to watch it and after about an hour or so, they've had enough.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 11:19am

Yes my partner gave up watching it at about the hour mark and like me he loves Marilyn.

The best line from the NY times review

'Marilyn: An American Fable' is so confused that it never gets around to its heroine's death. If nothing else, it must be the first exploitation of the Monroe legend that even denies necrophiliacs a good time'

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 11:50am

Well, at least Blood Brothers sufficiently covers the subject of Marilyn Monroe for all future musical theatre projects.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 5/23/11 at 2:04pm

Marilyn's demons had a name. The three performers who played this role were collectively called "Destiny". How floppola is that?

Mary Testa, theretofore unknown to me, was either Hedda or Louella, and those two actresses stole the show.

Poor Alyson Reed worked like the trouper she is and came out of this manure pile smelling like a rose.

Still the whole thing looked like a money laundering production.