Cornelia Otis Skinner "PARIS '90" Kay Swift 1952 New Haven Tryout Program

Description

I'm currently listing a large number of playbills from out-of-town tryouts prior to the Broadway runs. Many are from early performances when revisions were common and include song titles that were cut before opening in New York ....... This is a rare January 24th, 1952 "Playgoer" playbill from the three-night, Pre-Broadway engagement of the CORNELIA OTIS SKINNER and KAY SWIFT musical "PARIS '90" at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. (The production would open March 4th, 1952 at the Booth Theatre in New York City and run for 87 performances.) ..... A series of vignettes reminiscent of Ruth Draper's monologues, the one-woman show, written by and starring CORNELIA OTIS SKINNER (1899 – 1979), celebrated the women depicted by artist TOULOUSE-LAUTREC. Cornelia Otis Skinner was the daughter of the actor Otis Skinner, who spent a great deal of time in Paris. As a child, she was brought up on tales of Paris in the Gay Nineties and stories about Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, with whom Otis Skinner was acquainted. Later, she studied at the Comedie Française. "Paris '90" was divided into three sections, with a total of 13 inhabitants of Paris' Right and Left Banks and Montmartre, where Skinner brings several characters from Lautrec's art to life, from the café singer-composer Yvette Guilbert to the earthy prostitute known as Deaf Bertha. (Reprinted in part from Kayswift.com) ..... CREDITS: Book by CORNELIA OTIS SKINNER; Music and Lyrics by KAY SWIFT; Orchestrations by ROBERT RUSSELL BENNETT; Musical Direction by NATHANIEL SHILKRET; Sets designed by DONALD OENSLAGER; Costumes designed by HELENE PONS; Produced and Directed on Broadway by ALDEN S. BLODGET ..... DETAILS: The four page playbill measures 6" X 9" inches, is printed on a brown newsprint stock and includes full production credits, cast list, scenes and musical numbers, but no cast photos or bios. There is an advertisement for Chamberlain's Furniture on two of the four pages ..... CONDITION: With the exception of a light vertical crease, this rare playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.
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