110 in the Shade
| 110 in the Shade | |
|---|---|
 Original Cast Recording | |
| Music | Harvey Schmidt |
| Lyrics | Tom Jones |
| Book | N. Richard Nash |
110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt.
Based on Nash's 1954 play The Rainmaker, it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, and her relationships with local sheriff File, a cautious divorcé who fears being hurt again, and charismatic con man Bill Starbuck, posing as a rainmaker who promises the locals he can bring relief to the drought-stricken area.
Nash's book is faithful to his original play, although all the interior scenes were moved outdoors to allow for the the addition of townspeople for ensemble numbers and dances. Following the success of The Fantasticks, the project was the composing team's first for Broadway. Many of Jones' lyrics come directly from Nash's play. The original score was almost operatic in scope, and when the show's running time in Boston proved to be too long, they began trimming numbers, eventually discarding nearly as many as were heard in the finished product. Another casualty on the road was Hal Holbrook, who the producers felt couldn't convey convincingly the swaggering nature of the boastful Starbuck.
After two previews, the production, directed by Joseph Anthony and choreographed by Agnes De Mille, opened on October 24 1963 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it ran for 330 performances. The cast included Robert Horton as Starbuck, Inga Swenson as Lizzie, and Stephen Douglass as File, with Will Geer, Lesley Ann Warren, and Gretchen Cryer in supporting roles.
Tony Award nominations went to Schmidt and Jones as Best Composer and Lyricist, Swenson as Best Actress in a Musical, Geer as Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and Anthony for his direction. An original cast recording was released by RCA Victor.
The West End production, directed by Emile Littler, opened on February 8 1967 at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 101 performances.
A 1992 New York City Opera production, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Susan Stroman, starred Karen Ziemba as Lizzie. The score was heard to particular advantage here, as the opera company orchestra was appreciably larger than the conventional Broadway pit orchestra.
A 1997 2-CD studio recording released by Jay Records features Ziemba, Walter Charles, Ron Raines, Kristin Chenoweth, and Schmidt and Jones.
In 1999, a concert version was staged at the Fortune Theatre in London by Ian Marshall Fisher for the Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust, with Louise Gold as Lizzie. For this production only a piano accompaniment was used, and the cast was unmiked.
After twenty-seven previews, a Broadway revival presented by the Roundabout Theater Company and directed by Lonny Price opened on May 9 2007 at Studio 54. The cast included Audra McDonald, John Cullum, and Steve Kazee. McDonald won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance.
Song list
Act I
- Another Hot Day
- Lizzie's Coming Home
- Love, Don't Turn Away
- Poker Polka
- Hungry Men
- The Rain Song
- You're Not Foolin' Me
- Raunchy
- A Man and a Woman
- Old Maid
Act II
- Everything Beautiful Happens at Night
- Melisande
- Simple Little Things
- Little Red Hat
- Is It Really Me?
- Wonderful Music
- The Rain Song (Reprise)
Reference
- Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s by Ethan Mordden, published by Palgrave (2001), pages 96-99 (ISBN 0-312-23952-1)