The musical is based on Patrick's 1953 play and screenplay The Teahouse of the August Moon. It focuses on Capt. Fisby who, assigned to Americanize the village of Tobiki on Okinawa following World War II, encourages the residents to build a school. They would prefer a traditional teahouse instead, and when Fisby discovers the potent alcoholic beverage they brew is popular with the American GIs and a big money-maker, he falls in with their plans. Helping him become assimilated to the local mores are local interpreter Sakini and geisha Lotus Blossom.
Productionedit
The musical opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Shubert Theatre on August 19, 1970 in its out of town tryout and then had tryout performances in Los Angeles (Civic Light Opera) and San Francisco.[1] The latter production's opening night performance was greeted by roughly 250 to 300 picketers—some carrying signs reading, "Sakini Dyed for Our Sins"—whose spokesperson stated:
Asians should be given the right to audition ... and to refuse to take such roles in a racist play.[2]
Burns was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and Freddy Wittop was nominated for Best Costume Design.
Song listedit
Act I
With a Snap of My Finger
Right Hand Man
Find Your Own Cricket
One Side of the World
Geisha
You Say-They Say
This Time
Simple Word
Garden Guaracha
It's Good Enough for Lady Astor
Act II
Chaya
Call Me Back
Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen
You've Broken a Fine Woman's Heart
One More for the Last One
Critical responseedit
Critic Clive Barnes, in his review for The New York Times wrote: "Oh, dear! I come to bury Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentle man, [sic] not to praise it, but there were one or two decent things, and three or four half decent things, about this strangely dated musical that modestly opened last night at the Majestic Theater."[4]
Douglas Watt, reviewing for the News, wrote "It is lively, colorful and generally engaging entertainment. The songs... are tuneful."[5]
The group Oriental Actors of America picketed the Majestic Theatre on opening night because of the production's use of "yellowface."[6]
^Suskin, Steven. Lovely Ladies, Kind GentlemenThe Sound of Broadway Music: A Book of Orchestrators and Orchestrations, Oxford University Press, 2011, ISBN0199790841, page number unknown
^"Asian-Americans Picket Curran Musical -- 'Racist'". The San Francisco Examiner. November 4, 1970. p. 63. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
^Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen Playbill, retrieved October 14, 2017
^Barnes, Clive. " 'Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen' Opens" The New York Times, December 29, 1970
^"Ladies, Gentlemen Not So Lovely" and "Dailies" Billboard, Vol. 83, No. 3, p. 26, January 16, 1971
^Schildcrout, Jordan (2019). In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway's Hit Plays. New York and London: Routledge. p. 124. ISBN978-0367210908.
Further readingedit
Sneider, Vern J. (1951). The Teahouse of the August Moon. New York: Putnam. OCLC 429098.
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956 film) at IMDb
January 01, 1970
lovely, ladies, kind, gentlemen, this, article, about, 1970, musical, other, uses, teahouse, august, moon, musical, with, book, john, patrick, music, lyrics, stan, freeman, franklin, underwood, musicstan, freeman, franklin, underwoodlyricsstan, freeman, frankl. This article is about the 1970 musical For other uses see The Teahouse of the August Moon Lovely Ladies Kind Gentlemen is a musical with a book by John Patrick and music and lyrics by Stan Freeman and Franklin Underwood Lovely Ladies Kind GentlemenMusicStan Freeman Franklin UnderwoodLyricsStan Freeman Franklin UnderwoodBookJohn PatrickBasisThe Teahouse of the August Moon novel Vern J SneiderThe Teahouse of the August Moon play John PatrickProductions1970 Broadway Contents 1 Overview 2 Production 3 Song list 4 Critical response 5 Awards and honors 5 1 Original Broadway production 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksOverview editThe musical is based on Patrick s 1953 play and screenplay The Teahouse of the August Moon It focuses on Capt Fisby who assigned to Americanize the village of Tobiki on Okinawa following World War II encourages the residents to build a school They would prefer a traditional teahouse instead and when Fisby discovers the potent alcoholic beverage they brew is popular with the American GIs and a big money maker he falls in with their plans Helping him become assimilated to the local mores are local interpreter Sakini and geisha Lotus Blossom Production editThe musical opened in Philadelphia Pennsylvania at the Shubert Theatre on August 19 1970 in its out of town tryout and then had tryout performances in Los Angeles Civic Light Opera and San Francisco 1 The latter production s opening night performance was greeted by roughly 250 to 300 picketers some carrying signs reading Sakini Dyed for Our Sins whose spokesperson stated Asians should be given the right to audition and to refuse to take such roles in a racist play 2 The musical premiered on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on December 28 1970 and closed on January 9 1971 after 19 performances and three previews Directed by Lawrence Kasha and choreographed by Marc Breaux the cast included Kenneth Nelson as Sakini David Burns as Colonel Wainwright Purdy III Ron Husmann as Capt Fisby and Eleanor Calbes as Lotus Blossom 3 Burns was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and Freddy Wittop was nominated for Best Costume Design Song list editAct I With a Snap of My Finger Right Hand Man Find Your Own Cricket One Side of the World Geisha You Say They Say This Time Simple Word Garden Guaracha It s Good Enough for Lady Astor Act II Chaya Call Me Back Lovely Ladies Kind Gentlemen You ve Broken a Fine Woman s Heart One More for the Last OneCritical response editCritic Clive Barnes in his review for The New York Times wrote Oh dear I come to bury Lovely Ladies Kind Gentle man sic not to praise it but there were one or two decent things and three or four half decent things about this strangely dated musical that modestly opened last night at the Majestic Theater 4 Douglas Watt reviewing for the News wrote It is lively colorful and generally engaging entertainment The songs are tuneful 5 The group Oriental Actors of America picketed the Majestic Theatre on opening night because of the production s use of yellowface 6 Awards and honors editOriginal Broadway production edit Year Award ceremony Category Nominee Result 1971 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical David Burns Nominated Best Costume Design Freddy Wittop NominatedReferences edit Suskin Steven Lovely Ladies Kind Gentlemen The Sound of Broadway Music A Book of Orchestrators and Orchestrations Oxford University Press 2011 ISBN 0199790841 page number unknown Asian Americans Picket Curran Musical Racist The San Francisco Examiner November 4 1970 p 63 Retrieved June 10 2022 Lovely Ladies Kind Gentlemen Playbill retrieved October 14 2017 Barnes Clive Lovely Ladies Kind Gentlemen Opens The New York Times December 29 1970 Ladies Gentlemen Not So Lovely and Dailies Billboard Vol 83 No 3 p 26 January 16 1971 Schildcrout Jordan 2019 In the Long Run A Cultural History of Broadway s Hit Plays New York and London Routledge p 124 ISBN 978 0367210908 Further reading editSneider Vern J 1951 The Teahouse of the August Moon New York Putnam OCLC 429098 External links edit Lovely Ladies Kind Gentlemen at the Internet Broadway Database Photos from NYPL Digital Collections The Teahouse of the August Moon 1953 play at the Internet Broadway Database The Teahouse of the August Moon 1956 film at IMDb nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lovely Ladies Kind Gentlemen amp oldid 1191920823, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
