Paint Your Wagon (musical): Difference between revisions
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'''''Paint Your Wagon''''' is a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Musical theater|musical comedy]], with book and lyrics by [[Alan Jay Lerner|Alan J. Lerner]] and music by [[Frederick Loewe]]. The story centers around a miner and his daughter and follows the lives and loves of the people in a mining camp in [[California Gold Rush|Gold Rush]]-era [[California]]. Popular songs from the show included "[[Wand'rin' Star]]", "I Talk to the Trees" and "[[They Call the Wind Maria]]". (While the name in this title is pronounced as in the currently popular spelling "Mariah," the original spelling is the classical spelling of "Maria.") |
'''''Paint Your Wagon''''' is a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Musical theater|musical comedy]], with book and lyrics by [[Alan Jay Lerner|Alan J. Lerner]] and music by [[Frederick Loewe]]. The story centers around a miner and his daughter and follows the lives and loves of the people in a mining camp in [[California Gold Rush|Gold Rush]]-era [[California]]. Popular songs from the show included "[[Wand'rin' Star]]", "I Talk to the Trees" and "[[They Call the Wind Maria]]". (While the name in this title is pronounced as in the currently popular spelling "Mariah," the original spelling is the classical spelling of "Maria.") |
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The musical ran on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1951 and in the [[West End theatre|West End]] in 1953. A [[Paint Your Wagon (film)|film version]], with a highly revised plot and some new songs by Lerner and [[ |
The musical ran on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1951 and in the [[West End theatre|West End]] in 1953. A [[Paint Your Wagon (film)|film version]], with a highly revised plot and some new songs by Lerner and [[André Previn]], was released in 1969. |
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==Synopsis== |
==Synopsis== |
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Revision as of 07:17, 9 May 2013
| Paint Your Wagon | |
|---|---|
 Original Cast Recording Cover | |
| Music | Frederick Loewe |
| Lyrics | Alan J. Lerner |
| Book | Alan J. Lerner |
| Productions | 1951 Broadway 1953 West End |
Paint Your Wagon is a Broadway musical comedy, with book and lyrics by Alan J. Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story centers around a miner and his daughter and follows the lives and loves of the people in a mining camp in Gold Rush-era California. Popular songs from the show included "Wand'rin' Star", "I Talk to the Trees" and "They Call the Wind Maria". (While the name in this title is pronounced as in the currently popular spelling "Mariah," the original spelling is the classical spelling of "Maria.")
The musical ran on Broadway in 1951 and in the West End in 1953. A film version, with a highly revised plot and some new songs by Lerner and André Previn, was released in 1969.
Synopsis
- Act I
In the California Wilderness in May 1853, a crusty old miner, Ben Rumson, is conducting a makeshift funeral for a friend. Meanwhile his 16-year-old daughter Jennifer discovers gold dust. Ben claims the land, and prospectors start flocking to the brand new town of Rumson ("I'm On My Way"). Two months later Rumson has a population of 400, all of whom are men except for Jennifer. Prospector Jake Whippany is waiting to save enough money to send for Cherry and her Fandango girls ("Rumson"), while Jennifer senses the tension building in town ("What's Going On Here?"). Julio Valveras, a handsome young miner forced to live and work outside of town because he is Mexican, comes to town with dirty laundry and runs into Jennifer, who volunteers to do his laundry. They also talk to each other ("I Talk to the Trees"). Steve Bulmarck and the other men ponder the lonely nomadic life they lead in the song "They Call the Wind Maria".
Two months later the men want Ben to send Jennifer away, and he wishes her mother was still alive to help him ("I Still See Elisa"). Jennifer is in love with Julio ("How Can I Wait?"), and when Ben sees Jennifer dancing with Julio's clothes, he decides to send her East on the next stage. Jacob Woodling, a Mormon man with two wives, Sarah and Elizabeth, arrives in Rumson where the men demand Jacob sell one of his wives. To his surprise, Ben finds himself wooing Elizabeth ("In Between") and wins her for $800 ("Whoop-Ti-Yay"). Jennifer is disgusted by her father's actions and runs away, telling Julio that she will be reunited with him in a year's time ("Carino Mio"). Cherry and her Fandango girls arrive ("There's a Coach Comin' In"). Julio learns his claim is running dry which means he has to move on to make a living and that he will not be there to greet Jennifer when she returns.
- Act II
A year later in October, the miners celebrate the high times in Rumson now that the Fandango girls are around ("Hand Me Down That Can o' Beans"). Edgar Crocker, a miner who has saved his money, falls for Elizabeth and she responds, although Ben does not notice since he thinks Raymond Janney is in love with her (he is). Another miner, Mike Mooney, tells Julio about a lake that has gold dust on the bottom and he considers looking for it ("Another Autumn"). Jennifer returns in December, having learned civilized ways back East ("All for Him"). Ben tells his daughter that he will soon be moving on since he was not meant to stay in one place for long ("Wand'rin' Star"). The next day as Cherry and the girls are packing to leave they tell her about Julio leaving to find the lake with a bottom of gold. Raymond Janney offers to buy Elizabeth from Ben for $3,000, but she runs off with Edgar Crocker.
Word comes of another strike 40 miles south of Rumson and the rest of the town packs up to leave except for Jennifer, who is waiting for Julio to return, and Ben, who suddenly realizes that Rumson is indeed his town. Late in April, Julio appears, a broken man. The now dying Ben welcomes him and Julio is amazed to see Jennifer is there. As they move toward each other, the wagons filled with people move on.
Songs
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Productions
The musical opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on November 12, 1951, and closed on July 19, 1952, after 289 performances. The production was directed by Daniel Mann, set design by Oliver Smith, costume design by Motley, lighting design by Peggy Clark, music for dances arranged by Trude Rittman, with dances and musical ensembles by Agnes de Mille set to the orchestrations of Ted Royal.[1]
It starred James Barton (as Ben Rumson), Olga San Juan (Jennifer Rumson), Tony Bavaar (Julio Valveras), Gemze de Lappe (Yvonne Sorel), James Mitchell (Pete Billings), Kay Medford (Cherry), and Marijane Maricle (Elizabeth Woodling).[1] Burl Ives and Eddie Dowling later took over the role of Ben Rumson.[2] De Mille later restaged the dances as a stand-alone ballet, Gold Rush.[3]
The West End production opened on February 11, 1953 at Her Majesty's Theatre and ran for 477 performances.[4] It starred real life father and daughter Bobby Howes and Sally Ann Howes.[5]
A new production, with a revised libretto by David Rambo, was produced by the Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, Utah and ran from September 28, 2007, through October 13, 2007. The director was Charles Morey and choreographer Patti D'Beck, with a cast of nearly 30. One change from the original was to have "They Call the Wind Maria" staged as an ensemble number instead of a showcase solo.[6][7]
Reception
"The interwoven use of ballet that worked so well in the highlands was less effective on the Prairies, and the subject matter was harsh and cold. In spite of the show's failure, Loewe displayed ... an uncanny ability to write scores indigenous to the time and locale of the characters and plots."[8]
The reviewer for the Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City), wrote of the 2007 Pioneer Theatre Company production: "Paint Your Wagon" has a lusty new lease on life and is rarin' to go. The original music is intact, although some songs have been shuffled into better positions in the revised plot. And most of the familiar characters are still there. ... Rambo and Orich's overhauled "Wagon" is a vast improvement over the 1951 model, enhanced by Pioneer Theatre Company's usual Broadway-quality scenery, costuming, lighting and sound, along with Mearle Marsh's superb pit orchestra."[7]
Awards and nominations
- Tony Bavaar (winner)
References
- ^ a b Green, Stanley. "Paint Your Wagon". The World of Musical Comedy, Da Capo Press, 1984, ISBN 0-306-80207-4, pp.442–43
- ^ Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald. "James Barton" Vaudeville, old and new, Psychology Press, 2007, ISBN 0-415-93853-8, p.77
- ^ "Music: Testing a Hunch" Time Magazine, October 26, 1953
- ^ "Chronology, 1953". Guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed January 19, 2011
- ^ Green, Stanley. "Howes, Sally Anne" Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre, Da Capo Press, 1980, ISBN 0-306-80113-2, p. 200
- ^ "With a Fresh Coat of Creativity, Paint Your Wagon Opens in UT on Route to Wider Life". Playbill.com, September 28, 2007
- ^ a b Lincoln, Ivan M. "'Wagon' is a cruisin' after overhaul", Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City), October 2, 2007
- ^ Suskin, Steven. "Paint Your Wagon" Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers (3 ed.), Oxford University Press US, 2000, ISBN 0-19-512599-1, p. 224