Dear World

Dear World is a Broadway musical with a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. With its opening, Herman became the only composer-lyricist in history to have three productions running simultaneously on Broadway

Based on Jean Giraudoux's play The Madwoman of Chaillot, it focuses on Countess Aurelia, Constance, and Gabrielle, who deviously scheme to stop businessmen from drilling for oil in the Parisian neighbourhood of Chaillot. Eventually the forces of poetry, love, and idealism win over those of materialism, science, and greed.

Productions and background

The musical had a notably troubled preview period that included multiple changes to the script and score. Lucia Victor, Gower Champion's assistant, was hired as director (her first time), but resigned after a few days due to the usual "artistic differences" with its star, Angela Lansbury, and the authors. Peter Glenville was then hired, but when the Boston reviews were negative, he withdrew. The show's final director, Joe Layton, was then hired, also replacing the choreographer Donald Saddler.

Directed and choreographed by Joe Layton, the production opened on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on February 6, 1969, where it ran for 132 performances.

Subsequent productions

Originally conceived as a chamber musical, Dear World fell victim to a massive production that effectively overwhelmed the simplicity of the original tale. After the Broadway closing, Herman, Lawrence, and Lee rewrote the show, restoring the intimacy they felt had been undermined on Broadway.

A revised version was produced at Goodspeed Musicals in November-December 2000, with Sally Ann Howes as Aurelia. This version had a revised book by David Thompson plus three songs written after the musical closed. A concert version was staged by 42nd Street Moon, San Francisco in September 6-24, 2000. This production used the revision by Herman, Lawrence and Lee.

A further revised version was produced at the Sundance Theatre in June - August 2002 with Maureen McGovern playing Aurelia. Thompson had revised his previous revision of the book.

Plot

A corporation has discovered oil under the streets of Paris, directly under a bistro. The Countess Aurelia --The Madwoman of Chaillot--lives in the bistro's basement, driven mad because of a lost lover and reminiscing about her past. When the corporation decides to blow up the bistro to get the oil, a young executive, Julian, helps to foil the plan because he has fallen in love with Nina, the bistro's waitress. Aurelia lures the corporation executives to the underground in the sewer system!

Song List

Act I

• "A Sensible Woman †
• "The Spring Of Next Year" -- The Chairman of The Board, The Prospector and The Corporation
• "Each Tomorrow Morning" -- Countess Aurelia and All
• "I Don't Want To Know" -- Countess Aurelia
• "I've Never Said I Love You" -- Nina
• "Garbage" -- The Sewerman, Countess Aurelia, Gabrielle, Constance and All
• "Dear World" -- Countess Aurelia and All

Act II

• "Kiss Her Now" -- Countess Aurelia
• "Memory" -- Constance
• "Pearls" -- Countess Aurelia and Gabrielle
• "Dickie" -- Gabrielle
• "Voices" -- Constance
• "Thoughts" -- Countess Aurelia
• "And I Was Beautiful" -- Countess Aurelia
• "Each Tomorrow Morning" (Reprise) Julian
• "One Person" -- Countess Aurelia and All
• "Finale" -- Company

† Added in the Goodspeed (2000) and Sundance (2002) versions

Cast list

• Countess Aurelia (The Madwoman of Chaillot) -- Angela Lansbury
• Gabrielle (The Madwoman of Montmarte) -- Jane Connell
• Constance (The Madwoman of the Flea Market) -- Carmen Mathews
• The Sewerman -- Milo O'Shea
• Julian -- Kurt Peterson
• Nina -- Pamela Hall

Awards and nominations

Tony Award

• Best Actress in a Musical--Angela Lansbury (winner)
• Best Scenic Design -- Oliver Smith (nominee)

Critical response

The show received "blistering" reviews, with many critics seemingly personally offended by selling tickets to the troubled show. The book and score were criticized. Walter Kerr called Lansbury's showstopper number "I Don't Want to Know" "banal." Clive Barnes in the New York Times (2/7/69) did give Lansbury a positive review: "The minor miracle is Miss Lansbury...no connoisseur of musical comedy can afford to miss Miss Lansbury's performance. It is lovely." Sally Ann Howes and the majority of critics now believe that the Herman score is of such high quality that with a revised book it could be successful. Others, however, say it contains some of Herman's "clunkier" lyrics; indeed, the title song, a typically rollicking Herman production number, has this jaw-dropper: "Someone has blinded you, dear world / And so we beg you, dear world, to take this solemn oath / Kill the infection, cut out the growth," and repeats the baffling "We're not ready to trade you for the moon / So be a dear world and get well soon" not twice but three times.

References

• The New York Times, Clive Barnes, "Theatre: 'The Madwoman of Chaillot' Set to Music", p.33, 2/7/69

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing