Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters (48 page)

Affectionately always,

Alan

    
P.S. I must tell you I think that Merrick and Gregory are terrific. I’ve had several meetings with them. I love their enthusiasm. And I have great
respect for their professionalism and determination. I think we’re in good hands.

    
Lerner’s comments about the Cameron Mackintosh revival of
Fair Lady
in this letter are evidently exaggerated in order to calm down Harrison. In truth, the London revival was a great success for all involved, and it also introduced Lerner to his eighth and last wife, Liz Robertson,
⁵⁸
who played the role of Eliza to enormous acclaim in the production. The
New York Times
called her “a dazzling new Eliza Doolittle” and “unquestionably a star.”
⁵⁹
Among the many good wishes Lerner received for opening night, probably the most poignant came from Stanley Holloway, the original Doolittle, whom Lerner wrote to thank. The return to London and to
My Fair Lady
ended a troubled decade on a high:

    
To Stanley Holloway

    
November 2, 1979

    
Dear Stanley,

    
As Eliza would say, “How kind of you to think of me.” I showed your telegram around to everyone and they were all as touched as was I.

        
The show went beyond my wildest expectations, but
My Fair Lady
is never the same without you.

        
My love to the family and to you always.

Faithfully,

Alan

    
1
Leonore Gershwin, Ira’s wife.

    
2
Arnold Saint-Subber (1918–94) established his career by producing
Kiss Me, Kate
(1948) and had a particularly fruitful working relationship with Neil Simon, seven of whose plays he produced. In 1973, he produced Lerner’s
Gigi
on the stage.

    
3
Jack O’Brian, “By…Jack O’Brian,”
Schenectady Gazette
, August 28, 1975, 14
.

    
4
Roger L. Stevens (1910–98) was (like Lerner) educated at Choate and went on to become one of the most important theatrical producers of the twentieth century, a fact that won him a special Tony Award in 1971. Among his successes were
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
(1955),
Bus Stop
(1955), and
West Side Story
(1957), as well as landmark revivals of
On Your Toes
(1983),
Death of a Salesman
(1984), and
She Loves Me
(1993).

    
5
Robert Whitehead (1916–2002) enjoyed a long career on Broadway, producing works such as
A Man for All Seasons
(1961) and
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
(1968). His musical productions included
Goldilocks
(1958),
The Conquering Hero
(1961), and
Foxy
(1964).

    
6
Tom Shales, “Tuning Up for ’76, a Bernstein-Lerner Musical at the Center,”
Washington Post
, September 17, 1975
.

    
7
Mel Gussow, “Coke Backs Lerner-Bernstein Show,”
New York Times
, September 17, 1975, 38
.

    
8
Frank Corsaro (1924–) was a leading director at the New York City Opera from 1958, and later staged Handel’s
Rinaldo
at the Metropolitan Opera (1984). He had directed several plays on Broadway, including Bette Davis in the successful
Night of the Iguana
(1961), but this was his first Broadway musical.

    
9
Tom Shales, “‘1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,’”
Washington Post
, January 21, 1976, B1–B2
.

    
10
Ken Howard (1944–) appeared in the successful Broadway musicals
Promises, Promises
(1968) and
1776
(1969) before
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
.

    
11
William B. Collins, “Giants of the Stage Produce a Puny ‘1600,’”
Philadelphia Inquirer
, February 27, 1976, 3-D
.

    
12
Jonathan Takiff, “Lerner & Bernstein’s Stars & Gripes,”
Philadelphia Daily News
, February 27, 1976, 34
.

    
13
The original choreographer was African American Donald McKayle (1930–), responsible for landmark musicals such as
Golden Boy
(1964) and
Raisin
(1974). He also choreographed the Disney film
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
(1971).

    
14
Gilbert Moses (1942–1995) had directed the musical
Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death
in 1971, winning him a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award. He was later very active on television.

    
15
George Faison (1945–) choreographed
The Wiz
(the hit African American version of
The Wizard of Oz
) earlier in 1975, as well as
Via Galactica
(1972)—ironic, given Lerner’s disgust on seeing the latter show in its one-week run (see Chapter 6).

    
16
Richard L. Coe, “On and Off the Avenue,”
Washington Post
, March 25, 1976, C1–C2
.

    
17
“The Potholes Are Gone,” 20.

    
18
Richard Eder, “Levin Back on Street Where She Lived,”
New York Times
, March 22, 1976, 21
.

    
19
Clive Barnes, “‘My Fair Lady Is Restored to Broadway in Fine Form,”
New York Times
, March 26, 1976, 20
.
Walter Kerr, “Stage View: ‘My Fair Lady’ Is 20 Years Stronger,”
New York Times
, April 4, 1976, D1
.

    
20
Melvin Frank (1913–88) wrote or co-wrote the screenplays to the movies
White Christmas
(1954),
Li’l Abner
(1959; also directed), and
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
(1966; also produced).

    
21
John Corry, “Broadway: Lerner and Lane Back Together Again for the Fourth Time,”
New York Times
, March 25, 1977, 52
.

    
22
Composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim (1930–) is the winner of eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, and a Pulitzer Prize, among others. His musicals include
Company
(1970),
Follies
(1971), and
A Little Night Music
(1973).

    
23
Harold Prince (1928–) is a legendary producer and director, whose rich body of work ranges from producing
West Side Story
(1957) to directing
Sweeney Todd
and
Evita
, two of the biggest Broadway hits of 1979.He has won 21 Tony Awards to date.

    
24
Sally White, “Alan Jay Lerner Here in January,”
The Age
, November 1, 1976, 2.

    
25
Alan Jay Lerner,
The Street Where I Live
(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1978), 90
.

    
26
Corry, “Broadway: Lerner and Lane Back Together Again,” 52.

    
27
That is,
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
.

    
28
Letter from Jerome Robbins to Burton Lane, February 7, 1978, Jerome Robbins papers, New York Public Library.

    
29
Sammy Cahn (1913–93) won Academy Awards for his lyrics for the songs “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “All the Way,” “High Hopes,” and “Call Me Irresponsible.” Of his five Broadway musicals, only
High Button Shoes
(with Jule Styne, 1947) was successful.

    
30
Alex Hamilton, “A Good Word for Broadway,”
The Guardian
, September 16, 1978, 11
.

    
31
Mel Gussow, “Books: Alan Jay Lerner Is Lyrical without Music,”
New York Times
, November 25, 1978, 13
.

    
32
Joseph Stein (1912–2010) wrote the books for musicals such as
Fiddler on the Roof
(1964), and
Zorba
(1968).

    
33
Peter Gennaro (1919–2000) choreographed
Fiorello!
(1959),
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
(1960), and
Annie
(1977), among others.

    
34
Donald Brooks (1928–2005) was a fashion designer whose work on Broadway included
No Strings
(1962), the modern clothes for Lerner’s
On a Clear Day
(1965), and Lerner’s final show,
Dance a Little Closer
(1983).

    
35
John Corry, “Broadway,”
New York Times
, December 22, 1978, C2
.

    
36
Cesare Siepi (1923–2010) was a world-class bass who was best known for his Verdi and Mozart roles. His two Broadway efforts (
Bravo Giovanni
, 1962, and
Carmelina
) were both disasters.

    
37
Georgia Brown (1933–1992) was an actress and singer, best known for creating the role of Nancy in Lionel Bart’s
Oliver!

    
38
Wouk’s novel
Marjorie Morningstar
(1955) had been made into a film with Natalie Wood in 1958. Evidently, Wouk was proposing a musical treatment.

    
39
Don Shirley, “‘Carmelina’ Is Rich in Creative Talent,”
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
, March 16, 1979, 13C–15C
.

    
40
Saravá
is a musical by Mitch Leigh and N. Richard Nash. It opened on Broadway on February 23, 1979, and ran for 132 performances.

    
41
Kevin Kelly, “‘Carmelina’ Makes ‘Sarava’ Look Good,”
Boston Globe
, March 28, 1979, 40
.

    
42
A psychiatric hospital.

    
43
Eleanor Blau, “Lerner and Lane Make Music Again,”
New York Times
, April 1, 1979, D7
.

    
44
George Rose (1920–88) was an English actor who first appeared on Broadway in 1946 in a production of
Henry IV, Part One
. For Lerner, he played Greff in
Coco
(1969), for which he received a Tony nomination, and then won a Tony for playing Alfred Doolittle in the revival of
My Fair Lady
in 1976.

    
45
Judy Klemesrud, “A Broadway Gala for Lerner and Loewe,”
New York Times
, May 15, 1979, C12
.

    
46
Ironically, Lerner’s argument here does not help him, because
I Remember Mama
was a huge flop, running just 108 performances in 1979. Charnin both wrote and directed the show, and it was his replacement as director that was more significant.

    
47
British director Frank Dunlop (1927–) held positions at the National Theatre and the Young Vic Theatre, which he founded in 1969. His play
Scapino
was based on a character from the commedia dell’arte and toured the world, including New York. He went on to direct a major revival of
Camelot
with Richard Burton in 1980.

    
48
Don Gregory (1934–) is a Broadway producer with credits including
Clarence Darrow
(1974),
The Belle of Amherst
(1976), and the Lerner revivals discussed in the remainder of this chapter.

    
49
Mike Merrick produced
Camelot
(1980) and
My Fair Lady
(1981) with Don Gregory, and has worked with various other companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company.

    
50
Yul Brynner (1920–85) was the original star of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
The King and I
(1951). In 1977, he headlined a major Broadway revival of the show, which became a commercial success, and he took the show to London in 1979.

    
51
Sir Cameron Mackintosh (1946–) is the most successful British musical theater producer of all time, with credits including
Cats
(1981),
Les Miserables
(1985),
The Phantom of the Opera
(1986),
Miss Saigon
(1989), and
Mary Poppins
(2004).

    
52
Peter Bayliss (1922–2002) was a British actor whose work included appearing in
The Matchmaker
(1956) in New York, in
The Red Shoes
(1948) and
Darling
(1965) on film, and numerous television programs. Mackintosh did succeed in attracting him to the production of
My Fair Lady
for the role of Doolittle.

    
53
Gillian Lynne (1926–) is a veteran British choreographer, perhaps most closely associated with her work on
Cats
(1981) and
The Phantom of the Opera
(1986).

    
54
Michel Legrand (1932–) is a French conductor and composer. He wrote the musical
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
(1964) and won an academy award for the song “The Windmills of My Mind.”

    
55
Harrison was married to Mercia Tinker, his sixth wife, from 1978 to his death in 1990.

    
56
Patrick Garland (1935–2013) was a British director whose many credits include two stints as the artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre. He directed the musical
Billy
(1974) in the West End.

    
57
It is not entirely clear who the “German general” was that Lerner referred to, but clearly he is making a joke about Franz Allers (1905–95), the German conductor of the original production of
My Fair Lady
, whose relationship with Harrison was tense.