Description
This is a rare April 24th, 1961 playbill from the three-week, Post-Broadway engagement of the ARTHUR LAURENTS, JULE STYNE and STEPHEN SONDHEIM musical comedy "GYPSY" at the Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. (The production opened May 21st, 1959 at New York's Broadway Theatre, moved to the Imperial Theatre August 15th, 1960, running for a combined 702 performances before going out on the road.) ..... The legendary ETHEL MERMAN created several of the most endearing characters in musical theatre history; "Reno Sweeney" in Cole Porter's "Anything Goes", "Annie Oakley" in Irving Berlin's greatest success "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Mama Rose" in Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim's "GYPSY" ..... In addition to ETHEL MERMAN, the cast included JULIENNE MARIE, ALFRED SANDOR, BETTY BRUCE, JEFFREY BOLTON, JUNE SQUIBB, LONEY LEWIS, SAMMY PRICE, SUSAN WILLIS, LOIS ROBERTS, LEON BENEDICT, JAN TANZY, ALICE PLAYTEN, DORIS FAYE and MERLE LETOWT ..... CREDITS: Music by JULE STYNE ("Bells Are Ringing", "Darling of the Day", "Do Re Mi", "Fade Out, Fade In", "Funny Girl", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "Gypsy", "Hallelujah, Baby!", "Hazel Flagg", "High Button Shoes", "Lorelei", "Subways Are For Sleeping", Sugar", "Prettybelle" and "Two on the Aisle"); Book by ARTHUR LAURENTS suggested by the memoirs of GYPSY ROSE LEE; Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM ("A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum", "West Side Story", "Gypsy", "Company", "Follies", "A Little Night Music", "Do I Hear a Waltz?", "Sweeney Todd", "Pacific Overtures", "Merrily We Roll Along", "Sunday in the Park With George", "Into the Woods", "Passion", "Assassins"); Sets designed by JO MIELZINER; Costumes designed by RAOUL PENE DU BOIS; Dance Music arranged by JOHN KANDER; Directed and Choreographed by JEROME ROBBINS; Produced by DAVID MERRICK and LELAND HAYWARD ..... DETAILS: The 24 page playbill measures 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, synopsis of scenes, list of musical numbers and bios of each of the leading actors but with the exception of the front cover, no cast photos. The playbill includes a full page ad for the Original Broadway Cast recording of "GYPSY" on Columbia Records (third scanned image) ..... CONDITION: With the exception of light surface rubbing, this 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.
