358:. During try-outs, Vincent Beck as Zampano, the strongman, was replaced. All but three of the original songs from the concept album were replaced. Furthermore, "it followed a relentlessly bleak, tragic screenplay, it emerged as one of the most depressing musicals ever. ... Bernadette Peters, in her first Broadway lead, did not let the show down. ... The score was not bad, particularly Peters' haunting opening "Seagull, Starfish, Pebble", written by Lawrence and Charnin".
164:, Zampanò, to be his assistant. She shows her abilities as a clown and soon becomes the star of the show. She falls in love with Zampanò, despite his abuse of her. But tragedy strikes when she befriends Mario, a circus clown, who gives her advice and friendship, and Zampanò kills him in a jealous fit. Zampanò eventually leaves Gelsomina, who still loves him, to die on the road.
345:
wrote that Bart apparently did not go to the United States to assist during rehearsals, and neither the director nor the choreographers had previously done a
Broadway musical. Peters confirmed that Bart never worked on the show in New York: "The script really wasn't ready, and Lionel Bart was never
148:. Bart wrote the score in 1967 and made a demonstration recording, although the musical was not produced until 1969, when it was famously cancelled after just one performance. The musical's book was written by Charles K. Peck, Jr., who also produced it on
361:
Although bootleg live recordings of the score are known to exist, no original cast album was commercially released. Two songs from the show were later included on an EP titled
715:
365:(1976). One of these songs, "Sooner or Later" was performed by Larry Kert, who had been an original cast member. A recording of "Starfish", as performed by
395:
wrote that the book was superficial and the music bland and trite. However, he praised Peters, writing "In a different show the birdlike and croaky
600:
625:
573:
418:
160:
The play follows the story of the film of the same name. Gelsomina, a young girl, is sold by her impoverished mother to a brutish circus
720:
550:
466:
17:
710:
441:
40:
514:
700:
568:
593:
705:
83:
78:
392:
315:
646:
586:
374:
387:
161:
545:
Mandelbaum, Ken (1991), "Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of
Broadway Flops", St. Martin's Press,
546:
462:
415:
396:
174:
319:
180:
149:
145:
141:
111:
99:
93:
445:
422:
137:
125:
57:
678:
347:
323:
303:
133:
71:
438:
694:
342:
331:
299:
295:
16:
This article is about the 1969 stage musical. For the 2017 stage adaptation, see
610:
327:
129:
67:
53:
189:
366:
562:
39:
653:
632:
578:
307:
639:
346:
coming over. Marty
Charnin and his partner at the time rewrote it."
511:
Martin
Charnin's Mini Album: 5 Great Songs from Not-So-Great Shows
363:
Martin
Charnin's Mini Album: 5 Great Songs from Not-So-Great Shows
491:, "Songs of Bernadette", Summer 1997, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 21 ff.
582:
212:
302:
as
Gelsomina. The musical had out-of-town tryouts at the
574:
Information about the musical and the 1967 recording
670:
617:
106:
89:
77:
63:
49:
28:
356:Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Flops
448:"On the Record", Steven Suskin, August 8, 2004
334:. It closed the same night, losing $ 650,000.
594:
8:
322:after 14 previews. The show was directed by
601:
587:
579:
434:
432:
430:
38:
25:
310:, Michigan starting on October 27, 1969.
226:The Great Zampano – Gelsomina and Zampano
716:Adaptations of works by Federico Fellini
294:Lionel Bart and Chris Curtis produced a
262:What a Man – Gelsomina and Mama Lambrini
489:Showmusic: The Musical Theatre Magazine
408:
265:Everything Needs Something – Gelsomina
532:With Music", December 15, 1969, p. 63
399:would have become a star overnight."
290:Production, background and recordings
271:Sooner or Later (reprise) – Gelsomina
223:Seagull, Starfish, Pebble – Gelsomina
168:Characters and original Broadway cast
7:
461:(2009). Oxford University Press US,
247:You're Musical – Mario and Gelsomina
314:opened on December 14, 1969 at the
298:of the proposed show in 1967 with
241:Encounters – Gelsomina and Company
14:
229:What's Going on Inside? – Zampano
18:La Strada (2017 stage adaptation)
416:Information from Bayview Records
369:, was included on the anthology
244:There's a Circus in Town – Mario
274:Belonging (reprise) – Gelsomina
626:Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be
1:
277:The End of the Road – Company
238:I Don't Like You – Gelsomina
132:, with additional lyrics by
44:Original Broadway Windowcard
459:The Sound of Broadway Music
737:
569:Internet Broadway Database
142:1954 film of the same name
15:
200:Sophia – Susan Goeppinger
128:with lyrics and music by
37:
721:Musicals set in circuses
136:and additional music by
711:Musicals based on films
564:La Strada
326:, with choreography by
268:Sooner or Later – Mario
235:Wedding Dance – Company
203:Castra – Lucille Patton
250:Only More! – Gelsomina
197:Eva – Mary Ann Robbins
316:Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
232:Belonging – Gelsomina
140:. It is based on the
194:Elsa – Lisa Belleran
185:Mother – Anne Hegira
84:Charles K. Peck, Jr.
526:The New York Times
500:Mandelbaum, p. 171
478:Mandelbaum, p. 177
444:2007-09-27 at the
421:2007-07-29 at the
388:The New York Times
381:Critical responses
701:Broadway musicals
688:
687:
509:Charnin, Martin.
397:Bernadette Peters
385:In his review in
286:
285:
175:Bernadette Peters
117:
116:
728:
603:
596:
589:
580:
533:
528:, "The Theatre:
523:
517:
507:
501:
498:
492:
485:
479:
476:
470:
457:Suskin, Steven.
455:
449:
436:
425:
413:
375:Varèse Sarabande
213:
181:Stephen Pearlman
146:Federico Fellini
94:Federico Fellini
42:
32:
26:
736:
735:
731:
730:
729:
727:
726:
725:
691:
690:
689:
684:
666:
613:
607:
559:
542:
537:
536:
524:
520:
515:Take Home Tunes
508:
504:
499:
495:
486:
482:
477:
473:
456:
452:
446:Wayback Machine
437:
428:
423:Wayback Machine
414:
410:
405:
383:
371:Unsung Musicals
292:
287:
210:
208:Musical numbers
170:
158:
138:Elliot Lawrence
97:
70:
58:Elliot Lawrence
56:
45:
30:
24:
21:
12:
11:
5:
734:
732:
724:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
693:
692:
686:
685:
683:
682:
674:
672:
668:
667:
665:
664:
657:
650:
643:
636:
629:
621:
619:
615:
614:
608:
606:
605:
598:
591:
583:
577:
576:
571:
558:
557:External links
555:
554:
553:
541:
538:
535:
534:
518:
502:
493:
480:
471:
450:
426:
407:
406:
404:
401:
382:
379:
373:, released by
348:Ken Mandelbaum
337:In discussing
324:Alan Schneider
304:Fisher Theatre
291:
288:
284:
283:
279:
278:
275:
272:
269:
266:
263:
259:
258:
253:
252:
251:
248:
245:
242:
239:
236:
233:
230:
227:
224:
220:
219:
211:
209:
206:
205:
204:
201:
198:
195:
192:
186:
183:
177:
169:
166:
157:
154:
134:Martin Charnin
115:
114:
108:
104:
103:
91:
87:
86:
81:
75:
74:
72:Martin Charnin
65:
61:
60:
51:
47:
46:
43:
35:
34:
22:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
733:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
706:1969 musicals
704:
702:
699:
698:
696:
681:
680:
676:
675:
673:
669:
663:
662:
658:
656:
655:
651:
649:
648:
644:
642:
641:
637:
635:
634:
630:
628:
627:
623:
622:
620:
616:
612:
604:
599:
597:
592:
590:
585:
584:
581:
575:
572:
570:
566:
565:
561:
560:
556:
552:
551:0-312-06428-4
548:
544:
543:
539:
531:
527:
522:
519:
516:
512:
506:
503:
497:
494:
490:
487:Grode, Eric.
484:
481:
475:
472:
468:
467:0-19-530947-2
464:
460:
454:
451:
447:
443:
440:
435:
433:
431:
427:
424:
420:
417:
412:
409:
402:
400:
398:
394:
390:
389:
380:
378:
376:
372:
368:
364:
359:
357:
354:in his book,
353:
349:
344:
343:Steven Suskin
340:
335:
333:
332:Joyce Trisler
329:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
300:Madeline Bell
297:
296:concept album
289:
282:
276:
273:
270:
267:
264:
261:
260:
256:
255:
254:
249:
246:
243:
240:
237:
234:
231:
228:
225:
222:
221:
217:
216:
215:
214:
207:
202:
199:
196:
193:
191:
187:
184:
182:
178:
176:
172:
171:
167:
165:
163:
155:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
122:
113:
109:
105:
102:
101:
95:
92:
88:
85:
82:
80:
76:
73:
69:
66:
62:
59:
55:
52:
48:
41:
36:
33:
27:
19:
677:
660:
659:
652:
645:
638:
631:
624:
563:
529:
525:
521:
510:
505:
496:
488:
483:
474:
458:
453:
439:Playbill.com
411:
393:Clive Barnes
386:
384:
370:
362:
360:
355:
351:
350:wrote about
341:s problems,
338:
336:
311:
293:
280:
173:Gelsomina –
159:
156:Plot summary
120:
119:
118:
98:
29:
611:Lionel Bart
328:Alvin Ailey
130:Lionel Bart
107:Productions
68:Lionel Bart
54:Lionel Bart
695:Categories
671:Film music
647:Maggie May
403:References
339:La Strada'
190:Larry Kert
179:Zampano –
661:La Strada
609:Music by
530:La Strada
377:in 1994.
367:Judy Kuhn
352:La Strada
312:La Strada
162:strongman
121:La Strada
100:La Strada
31:La Strada
618:Musicals
513:(1976),
442:Archived
419:Archived
320:Broadway
188:Mario –
150:Broadway
112:Broadway
679:Oliver!
654:Twang!!
633:Oliver!
567:at the
540:Sources
469:, p. 43
308:Detroit
126:musical
23:Musical
640:Blitz!
549:
465:
281:
257:Act II
64:Lyrics
218:Act I
124:is a
110:1969
96:film
90:Basis
50:Music
547:ISBN
463:ISBN
330:and
79:Book
318:on
306:in
144:by
697::
429:^
391:,
152:.
602:e
595:t
588:v
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
