In 1967, following a short run on Broadway and poor reviews, the score to Sherry! was apparently lost, until being rediscovered at the Library of Congress more than thirty years later. A studio recording based on the rediscovered score was released in 2004.
George Sanders originally was signed to play Whiteside, but when his wife, actress Benita Hume, became terminally ill with cancer, he withdrew from the project. ChoreographerRon Field was replaced by Joe Layton during the Philadelphia try-out. He took over directing as well, according to Lipton, although Morton DaCosta retained credit in the program.[1]
Sherry! took a gambit quite typical for musicals based on straight plays by "opening up" the story: that is, by adding scenes in locations not featured onstage in the original play. In order to "open up" The Man Who Came to Dinner (which takes place entirely in the Stanleys' living room) it was necessary to maintain the premise that Sheridan Whiteside uses a wheelchair. Therefore, the second-act climax of Sherry! moved the action to a nearby skating rink, with several characters on roller skates and Whiteside perambulating in his wheelchair.
Studio recording
Following the show's closing, the orchestrations were packed for transport to the writers' publisher, but could not be found there later. It was believed that they had been inadvertently put on the wrong truck and, together with the sets, hauled to New Jersey and burned. More than three decades later, music producer Robert Sher discovered the trunk containing the complete score housed at the Library of Congress and contacted Lipton, who had by then achieved fame as the moderator of Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio, to propose an all-star studio recording. The result was a 2003 Angel Records 2-CD set (with cover art by Randy Souders) that was recorded in separate sessions over a period of three years, with the orchestral portions recorded in Bratislava and Prague and the vocals recorded in New York City, with extensive editing and mixing by Adam Long in St. Louis, Missouri[citation needed]. The recording cast includes Nathan Lane as Whiteside, Bernadette Peters as Maggie, Carol Burnett as Lorraine, Tom Wopat as Bert, Tommy Tune as Beverly, and Mike Myers as Banjo, with Lillias White, Keith David, James Lipton, Lawrence Pressman, Siobhan Fallon and Phyllis Newman in small supporting roles. The dancers include Noah Racey, who also choreographed "Putty in Your Hands" and Megan Sikora.[2][3]
Synopsis
Sheridan Whiteside, an egregiously pompous and self-centered radio personality, terrorizes the family of Ernest W. Stanley of Mesalia, Ohio, when a slip on their icy front steps forces him to recuperate in their home at Christmas time. The highly critical and extremely egotistical Whiteside commandeers the household and staff and disrupts the lives of everyone who comes within his orbit, including his private secretary Maggie Cutler, journalist-playwright Bert Jefferson, Broadway diva Lorraine Sheldon, antic Harpo Marx-like comedian Banjo, bon vivant Beverly Carlton, and absent-minded physician and aspiring memoirist Dr. Bradley.
Original Broadway song list
Act I
In the Very Next Moment
Why Does the Whole Damn World Adore Me?
Maggie's Date
Maybe It's Time for Me
How Can You Kiss Those Good Times Goodbye?
With This Ring
Sherry!
Au Revoir
Proposal Duet
Listen, Cosette
Christmas Eve Broadcast
Act II
Putty in Your Hands
Imagine That
Marry the Girl Myself
Putty in Your Hands (Reprise)
Harriet Sedley
Sherry! (Reprise)
Studio recording song list
Act I
Why Does the Whole Damn World Adore Me? - Whiteside
Whiteside's Prayer - Mrs. Stanley, Whiteside, Maggie, The Mesalians
In the Very Next Moment - The Mesalians, John, Sarah, Maggie, Dr. Bradley, Whiteside
Crockfield - Whiteside, The Cons, Maggie
Maybe It's Time for Me - Maggie
How Can You Kiss Those Good Times Goodbye? - Whiteside, Maggie
With This Ring - Maggie, Bert, Whiteside, Dr. Bradley
The Proposal Duet/Listen, Cosette - Lorraine, Cosette
I Always Stay at the Ritz - Beverly, The Railroad Porters
Christmas Eve - Announcer, Quartet, Choir, Whiteside, Miss Preen, The Radio Crew, Sarah, John, Mrs. Stanley, Mr. Stanley
Act II
Putty in Your Hands - Lorraine, Bert, Mesalia Barflies
Imagine That - Maggie, Whiteside
Preen Beguine - Banjo, Miss Preen, Whiteside
Marry the Girl Myself - Whiteside, Banjo, Maggie
Putty in Your Hands (Reprise) - Lorraine, Whiteside, Banjo
Harriet Sedley - Whiteside, Banjo, Mr. Stanley
Au Revoir (Reprise) - Whiteside, Maggie
Whiteside's Prayer (Reprise) & Finale - Whiteside, Maggie, Bert, Dr. Bradley, The Mesalians
Critical response
The critics were unanimous in their disapproval, finding the taut Kaufman-Hart humor of the original play was diluted by the inclusion of mediocre musical numbers that were dropped into the action rather than allowed to evolve naturally from the plot.
The Billboard review noted that the musical was "a dated and disjointed affair...Except for the title song, there is nothing in the score with a step-out potential...the music lacks a melodic flow and...lyrics are routine."[4] However, the World Journal Tribune wrote that "On the whole, Kaufman and Hart's comedy holds its own as a play and gains some entertaining embellishments in this prevailing merry musical adaptation."[4]
In reviewing the studio cast album, John Kenrick wrote "Musical theatre buffs will not be able to resist this star-studded recreation...Nathan Lane is delicious...Bernadette Peters is perfect...and Carol Burnett sings the hell out of the show-stopping title tune".[5] The SF Gate review noted that "there's a delightful verve to the whole proceedings."[6]
^Miller, Marc."Uncorking Sherry!" theatermania.com, February 9, 2004
^Buckley, Michael."James Lipton Chats About Sherry and "Inside the Actor's Studio" Archived 2013-01-31 at archive.today playbill.com, February 15, 2004
^ abGross, Mike."'Sherry!' Flavorless With Too Much Aging"Billboard, April 8, 1967
^Kenrick, John."CD Reviews 2004" musicals101.com, ca. 2004, accessed June 1, 2010
^Hurwitt, Robert."Cd Reviews"'Sherry!'" sfgate.com, February 15, 2004
References
Mandelbaum, Ken. Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops St. Martin's Press (1991), pages 192-94 (ISBN0-312-06428-4)
sherry, musical, with, book, lyrics, james, lipton, music, laurence, rosenthal, musical, based, 1939, george, kaufman, moss, hart, play, came, dinner, 2004, studio, recordingmusiclaurence, rosenthallyricsjames, liptonbookjames, liptonbasisgeorge, kaufman, moss. Sherry is a musical with a book and lyrics by James Lipton and music by Laurence Rosenthal The musical is based on the 1939 George S Kaufman Moss Hart play The Man Who Came to Dinner Sherry 2004 Studio RecordingMusicLaurence RosenthalLyricsJames LiptonBookJames LiptonBasisGeorge S Kaufman Moss Hart play The Man Who Came to DinnerProductions1967 BroadwayIn 1967 following a short run on Broadway and poor reviews the score to Sherry was apparently lost until being rediscovered at the Library of Congress more than thirty years later A studio recording based on the rediscovered score was released in 2004 Contents 1 Production 2 Studio recording 3 Synopsis 4 Original Broadway song list 5 Studio recording song list 6 Critical response 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksProduction EditGeorge Sanders originally was signed to play Whiteside but when his wife actress Benita Hume became terminally ill with cancer he withdrew from the project Choreographer Ron Field was replaced by Joe Layton during the Philadelphia try out He took over directing as well according to Lipton although Morton DaCosta retained credit in the program 1 The production opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on March 28 1967 where it ran for 72 performances and fourteen previews The cast included Clive Revill as Whiteside Elizabeth Allen as Maggie Jon Cypher as Bert Dolores Gray as Lorraine Eddie Lawrence as Banjo Byron Webster as Beverly and Cliff Hall as Dr Bradley Sherry took a gambit quite typical for musicals based on straight plays by opening up the story that is by adding scenes in locations not featured onstage in the original play In order to open up The Man Who Came to Dinner which takes place entirely in the Stanleys living room it was necessary to maintain the premise that Sheridan Whiteside uses a wheelchair Therefore the second act climax of Sherry moved the action to a nearby skating rink with several characters on roller skates and Whiteside perambulating in his wheelchair Studio recording EditFollowing the show s closing the orchestrations were packed for transport to the writers publisher but could not be found there later It was believed that they had been inadvertently put on the wrong truck and together with the sets hauled to New Jersey and burned More than three decades later music producer Robert Sher discovered the trunk containing the complete score housed at the Library of Congress and contacted Lipton who had by then achieved fame as the moderator of Bravo s Inside the Actors Studio to propose an all star studio recording The result was a 2003 Angel Records 2 CD set with cover art by Randy Souders that was recorded in separate sessions over a period of three years with the orchestral portions recorded in Bratislava and Prague and the vocals recorded in New York City with extensive editing and mixing by Adam Long in St Louis Missouri citation needed The recording cast includes Nathan Lane as Whiteside Bernadette Peters as Maggie Carol Burnett as Lorraine Tom Wopat as Bert Tommy Tune as Beverly and Mike Myers as Banjo with Lillias White Keith David James Lipton Lawrence Pressman Siobhan Fallon and Phyllis Newman in small supporting roles The dancers include Noah Racey who also choreographed Putty in Your Hands and Megan Sikora 2 3 Synopsis EditSheridan Whiteside an egregiously pompous and self centered radio personality terrorizes the family of Ernest W Stanley of Mesalia Ohio when a slip on their icy front steps forces him to recuperate in their home at Christmas time The highly critical and extremely egotistical Whiteside commandeers the household and staff and disrupts the lives of everyone who comes within his orbit including his private secretary Maggie Cutler journalist playwright Bert Jefferson Broadway diva Lorraine Sheldon antic Harpo Marx like comedian Banjo bon vivant Beverly Carlton and absent minded physician and aspiring memoirist Dr Bradley Original Broadway song list EditAct IIn the Very Next Moment Why Does the Whole Damn World Adore Me Maggie s Date Maybe It s Time for Me How Can You Kiss Those Good Times Goodbye With This Ring Sherry Au Revoir Proposal Duet Listen Cosette Christmas Eve Broadcast Act IIPutty in Your Hands Imagine That Marry the Girl Myself Putty in Your Hands Reprise Harriet Sedley Sherry Reprise Studio recording song list EditAct IWhy Does the Whole Damn World Adore Me Whiteside Whiteside s Prayer Mrs Stanley Whiteside Maggie The Mesalians In the Very Next Moment The Mesalians John Sarah Maggie Dr Bradley Whiteside Crockfield Whiteside The Cons Maggie Maybe It s Time for Me Maggie How Can You Kiss Those Good Times Goodbye Whiteside Maggie With This Ring Maggie Bert Whiteside Dr Bradley Sherry Lorraine Whiteside Alas Lorraine Au Revoir Beverley Carlton Whiteside Maggie The Proposal Duet Listen Cosette Lorraine Cosette I Always Stay at the Ritz Beverly The Railroad Porters Christmas Eve Announcer Quartet Choir Whiteside Miss Preen The Radio Crew Sarah John Mrs Stanley Mr Stanley Act IIPutty in Your Hands Lorraine Bert Mesalia Barflies Imagine That Maggie Whiteside Preen Beguine Banjo Miss Preen Whiteside Marry the Girl Myself Whiteside Banjo Maggie Putty in Your Hands Reprise Lorraine Whiteside Banjo Harriet Sedley Whiteside Banjo Mr Stanley Au Revoir Reprise Whiteside Maggie Whiteside s Prayer Reprise amp Finale Whiteside Maggie Bert Dr Bradley The MesaliansCritical response EditThe critics were unanimous in their disapproval finding the taut Kaufman Hart humor of the original play was diluted by the inclusion of mediocre musical numbers that were dropped into the action rather than allowed to evolve naturally from the plot The Billboard review noted that the musical was a dated and disjointed affair Except for the title song there is nothing in the score with a step out potential the music lacks a melodic flow and lyrics are routine 4 However the World Journal Tribune wrote that On the whole Kaufman and Hart s comedy holds its own as a play and gains some entertaining embellishments in this prevailing merry musical adaptation 4 In reviewing the studio cast album John Kenrick wrote Musical theatre buffs will not be able to resist this star studded recreation Nathan Lane is delicious Bernadette Peters is perfect and Carol Burnett sings the hell out of the show stopping title tune 5 The SF Gate review noted that there s a delightful verve to the whole proceedings 6 Notes Edit James Lipton Inside Inside 2007 Dutton ISBN 0 525 95035 4 p 155 Miller Marc Uncorking Sherry theatermania com February 9 2004 Buckley Michael James Lipton Chats About Sherry and Inside the Actor s Studio Archived 2013 01 31 at archive today playbill com February 15 2004 a b Gross Mike Sherry Flavorless With Too Much Aging Billboard April 8 1967 Kenrick John CD Reviews 2004 musicals101 com ca 2004 accessed June 1 2010 Hurwitt Robert Cd Reviews Sherry sfgate com February 15 2004References EditMandelbaum Ken Not Since Carrie Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops St Martin s Press 1991 pages 192 94 ISBN 0 312 06428 4 External links Edit Sherry at the Internet Broadway Database Studio cast recording at aislesay com ON THE RECORD Sherry and Lorelei February 8 2004 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sherry amp oldid 1128948142, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
