me and juliet
The interior musical, also called "Me and Juliet," is a parody of all musical-comedy, with special pokes at Cole Porter and Frank Loesser. Larry, the assistant stage manager, is fond of Jeanie also, but admits to himself that he didn’t take a chance when he should have, and that Bob has beaten him to it (“That’s the Way It Happens” – reprise). Merrily We Roll Along. Gigi. The idea was a musical about making a musical, a backstage story that would avoid all the clichés of most show-biz stories – actually an innovative premise in 1952. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau. "Opening of Me and Juliet (Prologue)" - Lily (Juliet) and Ensemble 7. Original Cast recording of "Me and Juliet" which opened at the Majestic Theatre, New York on May 28, 1953. The audience agreed. The only hit it produced was the infectious tango “No Other Love,” using a melody Rodgers wrote for “Victory at Sea.” Yet throughout Me and Juliet the tunes are brisk and charming, and Hammerstein’s lyrics match them with skill, cleverness, and a touch of Hart—as well as the signature Hammerstein heart. When he awakens to see only Mac and Ruby, he assumes in a panic that he has killed Larry. Mac lets him stew for a moment before informing him that Larry is still alive – and married to Jeanie. Credits. $27.99. Peter Kenworthy. The show-within-the-show is also titled "Me and Juliet" and stars famous literary heroes and heroines: Juliet, Don Juan, and Carmen, alongside an everyman named "Me." The film stars the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Maggie Smith, Ashley Jensen, Stephen Merchant, Matt Lucas, Jim … After The King and I had settled into its long Broadway run at the St. James Theatre – with South Pacific still playing across 44th Street at the Majestic, and companies of Oklahoma! But he wanted to do the show his partner envisioned, just as Rodgers had wanted collaborate with him on Allegro. This show-within-a-show follows the romance between a chorus girl and an assistant stage manager leading to their secret marriage. It was the second single from his second, self-titled studio album (1972), released on Columbia Records Lyrical subject. There was no London production, and no Broadway revivals to yield new recordings. All Rights Reserved. ‘Me and Juliet’ revolves around the inner mechanisms of a Broadway musical and two sets of lovers. Me and Juliet characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. Terry Doe. Me and Juliet (Original, Musical, Comedy, Broadway) opened in New York City May 28, 1953 and played through Apr 3, 1954. ME AND JULIET . The original cast recording speaks for it now, preserving a playful, charming score that offers a bit of serendipity even for fans of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Majestic Theatre, Broadway: Opened 28th May, 1953; closed 3rd April, 1954 (358 performances) In 1952 Richard Rodgers suggested to Oscar Hammerstein that as a change of pace they might write a musical comedy. But the only memorable thing about it remains the song that became a hit shortly after opening night, "No Other Love," based on a theme Richard Rodgers had previously used in the television series Victory at Sea. $29.99. Me and Juliet is a musical comedy by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and book), and their sixth stage collaboration. Oops, looks like your browser doesn't support HTML 5 audio. This Flare release presents the complete original cast recording, starring Isabel Bigley, Bill Hayes, Joan McCracken and Mark Dawson. -- 'Me and Juliet.' Stephen McGlynn. Me and Juliet is a stage musical. The show opened on May 28, 1953, at the Majestic Theatre for a run of 358 performances, with Isabel Bigley as the ingénue in love with Bill Hayes, while Ray Walston (who would enjoy resounding success as the Devil in Damn Yankees the following year) provided comic relief as the stage manager involved with a dancer played by Joan McCracken. "Me and Juliet" was intended as their homage to the world of the theatre - a tribute to those who work behind the scenes, an attempt to explain the awesome presence of an audience, a wish to depict the heady adrenalin which can inspire all. Change of Scene - Orchestra 10 Scene on Light Bridge/"Keep It Gay" Incidental - Bob 11. In fact, it broke even. As usual, Rodgers and Hammerstein put the production on a tight schedule, arranging to move South Pacific a few blocks north, to the Broadway Theatre, so Me and Juliet could open in the spring of 1953 at the Majestic. ]. Coming through the stage door alley, the drunken Bob hears their conversation and breaks through the office window, wielding a wrench. $80.00. It is loosely based on the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and an original screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John Smith. Hammerstein had misgivings. The success of the Pal Joey revival sparked Rodgers’ desire to write a contemporary musical comedy, something bright and light-hearted, about a world he knew. Commentary: Me and Juliet is the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical most people don’t know at all. The song is about two boys ("Me and Julio") who have broken a law, although the exact law that has been broken is not stated in the song. © 2021 Sony Music Entertainment. / I need to run but I can't get out of bed for anyone / Not for you, hun / My sour boy is a pain / I Back in Ruby’s office, Larry is disconsolate at his inability to protect Jeanie from Bob, but she tells him that she loves him for who he is and for what he does give her (“I’m Your Girl”). The New York critics were not unkind to Me and Juliet when it opened, but they made it clear that the show disappointed. Dafydd Gwyn Howells. Anthony Wise directed by Thom Southerland Rodgers and Hammerstein's Me and Juliet,… Me and Juliet is a musical comedy by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and book) and their sixth stage collaboration. Visit www.OnGuardOnline.gov for social networking safety tips for parents and youth. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Me and Juliet Finborough Theatre, London, 5-30 October 2010 cast list John Addison. Robert Hands. "Keep It Gay" - Bob 12. The company panics and Mac hurriedly rings down the curtain. Rodgers & Hammerstein … Isabel Bigley - Jeanie Mark Dawson - Bob Bill Hayes - Larry George S. Irving - Dario Jackie Kelk - Herbie Joe Lautner - Ruby Buzz Miller - Buzz Arthur Maxwell - Charlie/Me Helena Scott - Lily/Juliet Robert Fortier - Jim/Don Juan Svetlana McLee - Susie/Carmen Joan McCracken - Betty A half-hour remains before the show is to begin. Because of the show’s technical demands, Me and Juliet began its pre-Broadway tryout tour in Cleveland rather than New Haven. Their happy union is threatened by the electrician who still carries a torch for the girl and, in a drunken rage, tries to kill them both. Discover releases, reviews, track listings, recommendations, and more about Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II* - Me And Juliet at Discogs. The appealing, 70-member cast, once again, would be filled with new talent (the young Shirley MacLaine was one of the dancers), with the exception of Isabel Bigley, who had just won a Tony Award® for her performance as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls. Up on the light bridge, Sidney solves that problem. The work tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage manager Larry woos chorus girl Jeanie behind the back of her electrician boyfriend, Bob. In the lobby the Me and Juliet audience chatters about everything from fashion to politics to business – and even the show itself (“Intermission Talk”), unaware that the real drama of Me and Juliet is happening offstage that night. Shop and Buy Me And Juliet sheet music. Hammerstein’s original libretto told the story of a chorus girl and her romance with an assistant stage manager, but was too contrived to provide the strong dramatic impetus that drove other R&H musicals. Reeda Harris. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Just this original cast album recorded a few days after the opening night. Bob humbly complies and heads off as the company, led by Jeanie, rehearses a finale (“No Other Love”). Jodie Jacobs. The work tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage manager Larry woos chorus girl Jeanie behind the back of her electrician boyfriend, Bob. A few weeks later, during an audition for cast replacements, Charlie’s protégée Betty, a dancer from the show across the street, wins the part of “Carmen,” much to the annoyance of Mac, the stage manager who had been dating her while remaining true to his credo, “never with a girl in your own company.” Mac wishes that Larry had taken some of this advice himself, since he notices that Larry is spending a lot of time with Jeanie, ostensibly coaching her for future auditions but falling in love with her in the process. "Keep It Gay (Dance and Reprise)" - Bob and Ensemble [There is no #13] 14. Rodgers & Hammerstein were trying for a light romantic comedy in the style of Rodgers & Hart, but Hammerstein was not Hart, and this wasn't Pal Joey. Tired of Bob’s sneering and bullying about his own love life, Sidney strikes back: he tells Bob about Jeanie and Larry and invites him to his side of the light bridge to see Jeanie’s exit in Act One. "Marriage Type Love (Encore)" - Lily (Juliet) and Charlie (Me) 9. Me and Juliet was one such failure, and the team’s only foray into the backstage musical genre. The partnership went on to produce these and other Broadway musicals such as Allegro, Me and Juliet, Pipe Dream, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music, as well as the musical film State Fair (and its stage adaptation of the same name), and the television musical Cinderella, all featured in the revue A Grand Night for Singing. Oscar Hammerstein II-Wikipedia. 42nd Street - The Broadway Musical ... $17.99. $70.00. ⌜ Reenter Juliet above. Me and Juliet book. Even in Cleveland, where the critics were kinder, the show’s problems were evident, Rodgers later wrote, “when we heard people raving about the sets, without a word being said about the rest of the show.” Sadly, the score was given short shrift, though it had a full measure of R&H magic. Time cover featuring Berrigan. Though Me and Juliet moved to Chicago for a brief run (with Shirley Jones in its cast) after ending its 368-performance Broadway run, it did not tour and has rarely been revived. Brendan Matthews. Still, even this score contains flashes of brilliance. Several months pass, and Larry and Jeanie have kept up a surreptitious romance despite Bob’s threats. ME AND JULIET is pretty much forgotten today. Mielziner began working on a stage environment that would involve 85 tons of scenery and a lighting plot more intricate than anything Broadway had seen at the time. and Carousel still touring – Rodgers and Hammerstein had taken a bit of a breather. [In 2008, DRG licensed the album from its American copyright holder, Sony BMG, and put out a version with bonus tracks. It is a couple of hours before a performance, backstage at the Broadway theatre where Me and Juliet is in the midst of a long run. It is a light musical comedy with a pleasant score and a weak book. "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. But the only memorable thing about it remains the song that became a hit shortly after opening night, "No Other Love," based on a theme Richard Rodgers had previously used in the television series Victory at Sea. Music by Richard Rodgers. The original cast recording speaks for it now, preserving a playful, charming score that offers a bit of serendipity even for fans of Rodgers and Hammerstein. In fact, it broke even. As the audience returns to their seats, Larry is hustled into the office of Ruby, the company manager, who tells him that Bob has gone on a rampage. Juxtaposed against this tense situation, the action shifts back to Me and Juliet and a coy duet by “Carmen” and “Don Juan” (“We Deserve Each Other”). There was no movie or TV version. Gnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 3D computer-animated fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Kelly Asbury. Guitar, Piano/Keyboard, Vocal sheet music book by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein: Hal Leonard at Sheet Music Plus. Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip … Of Rodgers & Hammerstein's three relative flops, Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream, Me and Juliet was the most successful. Dwindling ticket sales and high weekly running costs (again, the complex production) crippled any hope of profits for Me and Juliet – a problem that would become a fact of life for Broadway musicals in the future. Sondheim for Singers. Daniella Gibb. Complete your Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II* … Like Allegro (but unlike Pipe Dream), Me and Juliet was an original musical. Me and Juliet was Rodgers' 30th musical and Hammerstein's 36th, and it was a welcome to the theater, to the magic, to the fun. This paper documents the history of Me and Juliet and Pipe Dream , using correspondence, early drafts of scripts, interviews with cast members, and secondary sources. It has entered the Hall of Fame. The disappointment of Allegro had shown him how difficult it was to turn an original, innovative idea into a successful musical. 'Me and Juliet' has an excellent score, including the hit song "No Other Love". Hammerstein, along with the rest of us, had endured many of Hollywood’s backstage comedies, dramas and musicals about readying a show. Ruby and Mac join in the violent melee, in which Bob falls and knocks himself out on the radiator. Pipe Dream was based on a John Steinbeck novel and featured bums and prostitutes. Jeanie, one of the chorus girls, idles away at the piano, reflecting on her courtship with Bob, the show’s loud and tough master electrician (“A Very Special Day”), and on how she and Bob met (“That’s the Way It Happens”). Bob heads for the bar across the street, where he finds that liquor has the desired effect (“It Feels Good”). To direct the show they titled Me and Juliet, Rodgers and Hammerstein called on George Abbott, the wizard of Broadway entertainment with whom Rodgers and Hart had collaborated so successfully in the 1930s. Such scenic conceptions are common today in the theater, but Rodgers and Hammerstein were really pushing the envelope in 1952. Here is the forty minute digitally remastered version of the 1953 cast album. Of Rodgers & Hammerstein's three relative flops, Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream, Me and Juliet was the most successful. A talented aspiring director, Larry helps her to lose her fear of the audience (“The Big Black Giant”), then leads her into a confident rendition of the musical’s love theme, “No Other Love.” Jeanie’s confidence is shattered, however, when Bob swaggers in and mocks the rehearsal. Backstage after the show, Mac learns from the producer that he is being transferred to a new show – a change of scene and, he happily informs Betty, a solution to his dating dilemma. 150 If that thy bent of love be honorable, Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow, By one that I’ll procure to come to thee, Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay A Musical Comedy in 2 Acts, 17 Scenes. Me and Juliet was the team’s first musical comedy and had an original book by Hammerstein. Though Me and Juliet moved to Chicago for a brief run (with Shirley Jones in its cast) after ending its 368-performance Broadway run, it did not tour and has rarely been revived. 1 Background 2 Lyrics 3 Derivatives 4 References 5 External links 5.1 Official 5.2 Unofficial "Watashi to Juliet" is an original song by doriko featuring Hatsune Miku. and re-recorded with the cuts that have gone missing for six decades. Act Two begins with the intermission. Mac has authorized Larry to start taking over this show and, as the first test of his authority, Larry gives Bob a list of instructions for the next morning’s work call. Like Allegro, Me and Juliet was completely original, based on an idea Rodgers had been thinking about for some time. From overhead, Bob trains his follow spot on the lovers, terrifying them and, as Jeanie returns to the stage, he drops a sandbag that narrowly misses her and shatters her prop tray to the ground. Bob, not surprisingly, identifies with the “Don Juan” character in Me and Juliet (“Keep It Gay”). Bye Bye Birdie. Fiddler on the Roof. $70.00 . Gemma Atkins. As Hammerstein said, it would be “the first of our plays in which nobody dies.” As their conception of the new show took shape, Rodgers and Hammerstein became fixed on the idea of a magical set– one that would instantly, seamlessly take the audience onstage, backstage, and everywhere else in the theater, to tell their story of a musical in rehearsal. ⌝ JULIET Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed. 21st Century Musical Theatre - Seco... $29.99. Isabel Bigley: Jeanie, Chorus Singer Bill Hayes: Larry, Assistant Stage Manager Joan McCracken: Betty, successor to Susie as Principal Dancer Mark Dawson: Bob, Electrician Ray Walston: Mac, Stage Manager Joe Lautner: Ruby, Company Manager Arthur Maxwell: Charlie (Me), Featured Lead Bob Fortier: Jim (Don Juan), Principal Dancer Barbara Carroll: Chris, Rehearsal Piano Player George S. Irving: Dario, Conductor Buzz Miller: Buzz, Principal Dancer Helena Scott: Lily (Juliet), Singing Principal Svetlana McLee: Susie (Carmen), Principal Dancer Randy Hall: George, 2nd Assistant Stage Manager Gwen Harmon: Miss Oxford, a Bit Player Patty Ann Jackson: Monica, Chorus Dancer Michael King: Michael, a Chorus Boy Ralph Linn: Ralph, Alley Dancer Francine Bond: Sadie, an Usher Lorraine Havercroft: Mildred, another Usher Barbara Lee Smith: a Theatre Patron Susan Lovell: another Theatre Patron Edwin Philips: Sidney, Electrician Henry Hamilton: Voice of Mr. Harrison, Producer Deborah Remsen: Voice of Miss Davenport, Choreographer Norma Thornton: Hilda, an aspirant for a dancing part Thelma Tadlock: Marcia, another aspirant for a dancing part Jackie Kelk: Herbie, Candy Counter Boy Joe Schulman: Stu, Bass Fiddle Player Herbert Wasserman: Milton, Drummer Singing Ensemble: Adele Castle, Jack Drummond, John Ford, Henry Hamilton, Gwen Harmon, Richard Hermany, Warren Kemmerling, Michael King, Larry Laurence, Susan Lovell, Therese Mari, Jack Rains, Georgia Reed, Deborah Remsen, Thelma Scott, Barbara Lee Smith Music by Richard Rodgers Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Directed by George Abbott Vocal and Orchestral Arrangements by Don Walker Musical Director Salvatore Dell’Isola, One of the few fabulous failures of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Me and Juliet chronicled the backstage shenanigans among the players during the rehearsal period of a new musical (appropriately titled Me and Juliet).