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Sugar Babies (musical)

Sugar Babies is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby, with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others. The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era. (The show's name is taken from one of many shows on the old Mutual Burlesque wheel of the Roaring Twenties.) First produced in 1979 on Broadway and running nearly three years, the revue attracted warm notices and was given subsequent touring productions.

Sugar Babies
Cast of first production of Sugar Babies, 1979 musical. Center, top to bottom, are Ann Miller, Mickey Rooney, Ann Jillian.
MusicJimmy McHugh
LyricsDorothy Fields
Al Dubin
various
BookRalph G. Allen
Harry Rigby
Productions1979 Broadway
1987 Australia
1988 West End

Productions edit

 
Left to right: Ann Jillian, Ann Miller, Mickey Rooney, Peter Leeds in the first production of Sugar Babies, 1979

Sugar Babies opened on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on October 8, 1979 and closed on August 28, 1982 after 1,208 performances. Staging and choreography was by Ernest Flatt, with sketches directed by Rudy Tronto, musically directed by Glen Roven, scenic and costume design by Raoul Pene Du Bois, lighting design by Gilbert Vaughn Hemsley Jr., vocal arrangements and lyrics by Arthur Malvin, additional vocal arrangements by Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane, and orchestrations by Dick Hyman.

The revue starred Mickey Rooney in his Broadway debut, Ann Miller, and featured Ann Jillian and Peter Leeds. After the original stars left, successors included Juliet Prowse, Anita Morris, Joey Bishop, Eddie Bracken, Jeff Dunham and Rip Taylor.

The revue subsequently had a short-lived National tour which starred Carol Channing and Robert Morse, from August through November 1980.[1][2] The 1982 Bus and Truck Tour starred Eddie Bracken and Jaye P. Morgan (who was succeeded by Mimi Hines).[3] The 2nd National Tour, in 1984 and 1985, reunited Rooney and Miller.[4][5]

A revival of the show, "Sugar Babies 2", which would have starred Jerry Lewis, Chita Rivera and Rip Taylor, was planned for the fall of 1991, but ultimately did not happen. [6]

Concept edit

Norman Abbott, nephew of famed straight man Bud Abbott, inherited his uncle's "treasure trove of burlesque material, including written gags, props, music, and posters." Inspired, the younger Abbott and his wife had an idea:

Norman and his wife conceived of a modern Broadway musical combining all the elements of burlesque. He then came to the conclusion that the only person alive who could pull this off as a headliner was Mickey Rooney.
- Richard Lertzman and William J. Birnes, in "The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney"[7]

After two weeks of rehearsals, however, Rooney clashed with Abbott, who was directing the show. Rooney, who insisted on taking a hand in staging the comedy scenes himself, told Abbott, "This isn't going to work out." Abbott was fired as director, and although he didn't have a contract, he sued producer Harry Rigby and received a six-figure settlement.[7]

(Ralph G. Allen) visited theaters around the country, sitting with elderly comics and taking down their routines. He amassed a collection of some 5,000 comedy sketches. He considered writing a book, but Dr. Allen realized it would be much more fun to put on a show. He wrote a revue, based on the sketches, which was performed at the University of Tennessee. Some time later, Dr. Allen gave a talk in New York at a conference on early-20th-century popular entertainment. As part of his lecture, he read the script of his revue. Afterward, he was approached by a member of the audience, Mr. Rigby, a producer.[8]

In 1977, at a "scholarly four‐day conference[9][10][11][12] to study the History of American Popular Entertainment" at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Ralph G. Allen, a theater professor and historian fascinated with burlesque, presented a lecture, from a prior College of Fellows of the American Theatre[13] Address, with pieces of a revue he wrote, that borrowed material from long-forgotten burlesque routines, "At My Mother's Knee (and Other Low Joints)".[14][15] Rigby was in the audience and approached Allen about the material, and together they wrote the book for the show. Sugar Babies debuted two years later.

The show consists of old burlesque blackout gags and sketches, interspersed with song and dance numbers, and vaudeville specialty acts. Typical of the risqué jokes was this one in the "Broken Arms Hotel" sketch:

DESK CLERK (on the telephone): Broken Arms Hotel... What's that? You say you got a leak in the bathtub?... Well, go ahead! You paid for the room!

The Sugar Babies score contains standards such as "Don't Blame Me" and "I Feel a Song Comin' On", and newly created musical numbers, including "The Sugar Baby Bounce".[16]

The show had burlesque "tropes" such as the swing number, the sister act, the fan dance, the vaudeville dog act. "It was all fast and funny and it ended with a patriotic number...with the entire company in red, white, and blue with a flag background and Miller as the Statue of Liberty."[17]

Songs and scenes edit

Source: Script[18]

Reception edit

Time wrote that the show is a "happy send-off to burlesque", and "Rarely has so much energy been packed into so small a package. Rooney dances, he sings, he mugs, he dresses in drag."[19]

Awards and nominations edit

Original Broadway production edit

References edit

  1. ^ Corry, John (August 7, 1980). "An Anomaly Is Born: Carol Channing As 'Babies' Burlesque Comic". The New York Times. p. C 15.
  2. ^ Lardner, James (November 4, 1980). "Theater Notes". The Washington Post. p. B8.
  3. ^ Richards, David (June 29, 1982). "Sugar Babies To End Tour". The Washington Post. p. B10.
  4. ^ Frank, Leah (July 7, 1985). "Theater Review;Rooney Triumphant In 'Sugar Babies'". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "O Calendar: 'Sugar Babies', Pantages Theatre". Orange Coast Magazine: 116–119. February 1984.
  6. ^ Colker, David (Nov 17, 1991). "Chita Stays in Character". The Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ a b Barnes, Mike (July 13, 2016). "Norman Abbott, TV Director and Brainchild Behind Broadway's 'Sugar Babies,' Dies at 93". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  8. ^ Fox, Margalit (September 11, 2004). "Ralph G. Allen, Who Wrote 'Sugar Babies,' Dies at 70". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  9. ^ "Conference to Explore History of Entertainment". The New York Times. 16 November 1977. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  10. ^ American Society for Theatre Research; Theatre Library Association (1979). Matlaw, Myron Matlaw (ed.). 1977 Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment at New York Public Library at Lincoln Center: papers and proceedings. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313210721. OCLC 4933528. Retrieved 16 April 2021. via: James Madison University Libraries
  11. ^ American Society for Theatre Research; Theatre Library Association (1979). American Popular Entertainment: Papers and Proceedings of the Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-21072-3. The Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment (better known by its acronym, CHAPE), held at Lincoln Center in New York on November 17-20, 1977, was the first of its kind in the United States… It opened with an immense two-hour environmental 'happening,' live acts… and an audiovisual pastiche of concurrently performed activities… black and white Minstrel Shows, Burlesque Shows, Vaudeville, Ragtime, Ethnic Theatre, Tent Repertoire Shows, Circus, Wild West Shows, Medicine Shows, Dance, and other entertainments–a potpourri of the various topics covered in the Conference itself… This published version of the Conference events constitutes a unique history of such popular entertainments. Through the scholarly inquiries by academicians and through performances and reminiscences by members of the entertainment profession, it helps to re-create our cultural heritage by presenting an overview of popular entertainment and by sorting out the individual forms of the genre.
  12. ^ "Vaudeville Nation". New York Public Library. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  13. ^ "About Us". The College of Fellows of the American Theatre. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  14. ^ Allen, Ralph G. (August 17, 1977). "At My Mother's Knee (and Other Low Joints)" (PDF). American Theatre Association. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  15. ^ American popular entertainment: papers and proceedings of the Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment. Greenwood Press. 1979. OCLC 4933528. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  16. ^ Klein, Alvin (March 1, 1987). "Theater; Understudy Becomes The Star In Darien's 'Sugar Babies'". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Mordden, Ethan (January 1, 2004). One More Kiss: The Broadway Musical in the 1970s (reprint ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. p. 236-237. ISBN 978-1-4039-6539-4. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  18. ^ 'Sugar Babies: The Burlesque Musical' script. New York City: Samuel French, Inc. 1983. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-0-5736-8166-0.
  19. ^ . Time. October 29, 1979. Archived from the original on April 22, 2010.

External links edit

  • Internet Broadway Database listing
  • Playbill News, on the September 9, 2004, death of Ralph G. Allen

sugar, babies, musical, sugar, babies, musical, revue, conceived, ralph, allen, harry, rigby, with, music, jimmy, mchugh, lyrics, dorothy, fields, dubin, various, others, show, tribute, burlesque, show, name, taken, from, many, shows, mutual, burlesque, wheel,. Sugar Babies is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G Allen and Harry Rigby with music by Jimmy McHugh lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era The show s name is taken from one of many shows on the old Mutual Burlesque wheel of the Roaring Twenties First produced in 1979 on Broadway and running nearly three years the revue attracted warm notices and was given subsequent touring productions Sugar BabiesCast of first production of Sugar Babies 1979 musical Center top to bottom are Ann Miller Mickey Rooney Ann Jillian MusicJimmy McHughLyricsDorothy FieldsAl DubinvariousBookRalph G AllenHarry RigbyProductions1979 Broadway1987 Australia1988 West End Contents 1 Productions 2 Concept 3 Songs and scenes 4 Reception 5 Awards and nominations 5 1 Original Broadway production 6 References 7 External linksProductions edit nbsp Left to right Ann Jillian Ann Miller Mickey Rooney Peter Leeds in the first production of Sugar Babies 1979Sugar Babies opened on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on October 8 1979 and closed on August 28 1982 after 1 208 performances Staging and choreography was by Ernest Flatt with sketches directed by Rudy Tronto musically directed by Glen Roven scenic and costume design by Raoul Pene Du Bois lighting design by Gilbert Vaughn Hemsley Jr vocal arrangements and lyrics by Arthur Malvin additional vocal arrangements by Hugh Martin Ralph Blane and orchestrations by Dick Hyman The revue starred Mickey Rooney in his Broadway debut Ann Miller and featured Ann Jillian and Peter Leeds After the original stars left successors included Juliet Prowse Anita Morris Joey Bishop Eddie Bracken Jeff Dunham and Rip Taylor The revue subsequently had a short lived National tour which starred Carol Channing and Robert Morse from August through November 1980 1 2 The 1982 Bus and Truck Tour starred Eddie Bracken and Jaye P Morgan who was succeeded by Mimi Hines 3 The 2nd National Tour in 1984 and 1985 reunited Rooney and Miller 4 5 A revival of the show Sugar Babies 2 which would have starred Jerry Lewis Chita Rivera and Rip Taylor was planned for the fall of 1991 but ultimately did not happen 6 Concept editNorman Abbott nephew of famed straight man Bud Abbott inherited his uncle s treasure trove of burlesque material including written gags props music and posters Inspired the younger Abbott and his wife had an idea Norman and his wife conceived of a modern Broadway musical combining all the elements of burlesque He then came to the conclusion that the only person alive who could pull this off as a headliner was Mickey Rooney Richard Lertzman and William J Birnes in The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney 7 After two weeks of rehearsals however Rooney clashed with Abbott who was directing the show Rooney who insisted on taking a hand in staging the comedy scenes himself told Abbott This isn t going to work out Abbott was fired as director and although he didn t have a contract he sued producer Harry Rigby and received a six figure settlement 7 Ralph G Allen visited theaters around the country sitting with elderly comics and taking down their routines He amassed a collection of some 5 000 comedy sketches He considered writing a book but Dr Allen realized it would be much more fun to put on a show He wrote a revue based on the sketches which was performed at the University of Tennessee Some time later Dr Allen gave a talk in New York at a conference on early 20th century popular entertainment As part of his lecture he read the script of his revue Afterward he was approached by a member of the audience Mr Rigby a producer 8 In 1977 at a scholarly four day conference 9 10 11 12 to study the History of American Popular Entertainment at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Ralph G Allen a theater professor and historian fascinated with burlesque presented a lecture from a prior College of Fellows of the American Theatre 13 Address with pieces of a revue he wrote that borrowed material from long forgotten burlesque routines At My Mother s Knee and Other Low Joints 14 15 Rigby was in the audience and approached Allen about the material and together they wrote the book for the show Sugar Babies debuted two years later The show consists of old burlesque blackout gags and sketches interspersed with song and dance numbers and vaudeville specialty acts Typical of the risque jokes was this one in the Broken Arms Hotel sketch DESK CLERK on the telephone Broken Arms Hotel What s that You say you got a leak in the bathtub Well go ahead You paid for the room The Sugar Babies score contains standards such as Don t Blame Me and I Feel a Song Comin On and newly created musical numbers including The Sugar Baby Bounce 16 The show had burlesque tropes such as the swing number the sister act the fan dance the vaudeville dog act It was all fast and funny and it ended with a patriotic number with the entire company in red white and blue with a flag background and Miller as the Statue of Liberty 17 Songs and scenes editSource Script 18 Act 1Scene A Memory of BurlesqueA Good Old Burlesque ShowScene Welcome to the GaityLet Me Be Your Sugar BabyScene Meet Me Round the Corner Scene Travelin In Louisiana Goin Back to New OrleansScene The Broken Arms Hotel Scene Feathered Fantasy Salute to Sally Rand SallyScene The Pitchmen Scene Ellis Island LamentImmigration RoseScenes from Domestic Life Scene Torch Song Scene Orientale Scene The Little Red Schoolhouse Scene The New Candy Coated CrazeThe Sugar Baby BounceScene Special Added AttractionDown At the Gaiety Burlesque Mr Banjo Man Act 2Scene Candy Butcher Scene Girls and GartersI m Keeping Myself Available For You Exactly Like YouScene Justice Will Out Scene In A Greek GardenWarm and WillingScene Presenting Madame Alla Gazaza Scene Tropical MadnessCuban Love SongScene Cautionary Tales McHugh MedleyEvery Day Another Tune I Can t Give You Anything but Love Baby I m Shooting High When You and I Were Young Maggie Blues On the Sunny Side of the StreetScene Presenting Bob Williams Scene Old GloryYou Can t Blame Your Death on Uncle SammyReception editTime wrote that the show is a happy send off to burlesque and Rarely has so much energy been packed into so small a package Rooney dances he sings he mugs he dresses in drag 19 Awards and nominations editOriginal Broadway production edit Year Award Category Nominee Result1980 Tony Award Best Musical NominatedBest Book of a Musical Ralph G Allen and Harry Rigby NominatedBest Original Score Jimmy McHugh Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin NominatedBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Mickey Rooney NominatedBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Ann Miller NominatedBest Direction of a Musical Ernest Flatt and Rudy Tronto NominatedBest Choreography Ernest Flatt NominatedBest Costume Design Raoul Pene Du Bois NominatedDrama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Mickey Rooney NominatedOutstanding Actress in a Musical Ann Miller NominatedReferences edit Corry John August 7 1980 An Anomaly Is Born Carol Channing As Babies Burlesque Comic The New York Times p C 15 Lardner James November 4 1980 Theater Notes The Washington Post p B8 Richards David June 29 1982 Sugar Babies To End Tour The Washington Post p B10 Frank Leah July 7 1985 Theater Review Rooney Triumphant In Sugar Babies The New York Times O Calendar Sugar Babies Pantages Theatre Orange Coast Magazine 116 119 February 1984 Colker David Nov 17 1991 Chita Stays in Character The Los Angeles Times a b Barnes Mike July 13 2016 Norman Abbott TV Director and Brainchild Behind Broadway s Sugar Babies Dies at 93 The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved December 27 2020 Fox Margalit September 11 2004 Ralph G Allen Who Wrote Sugar Babies Dies at 70 The New York Times Retrieved 2009 05 16 Conference to Explore History of Entertainment The New York Times 16 November 1977 Retrieved 16 April 2021 American Society for Theatre Research Theatre Library Association 1979 Matlaw Myron Matlaw ed 1977 Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment at New York Public Library at Lincoln Center papers and proceedings Westport CT Greenwood Press ISBN 0313210721 OCLC 4933528 Retrieved 16 April 2021 via James Madison University Libraries American Society for Theatre Research Theatre Library Association 1979 American Popular Entertainment Papers and Proceedings of the Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment Greenwood Press ISBN 978 0 313 21072 3 The Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment better known by its acronym CHAPE held at Lincoln Center in New York on November 17 20 1977 was the first of its kind in the United States It opened with an immense two hour environmental happening live acts and an audiovisual pastiche of concurrently performed activities black and white Minstrel Shows Burlesque Shows Vaudeville Ragtime Ethnic Theatre Tent Repertoire Shows Circus Wild West Shows Medicine Shows Dance and other entertainments a potpourri of the various topics covered in the Conference itself This published version of the Conference events constitutes a unique history of such popular entertainments Through the scholarly inquiries by academicians and through performances and reminiscences by members of the entertainment profession it helps to re create our cultural heritage by presenting an overview of popular entertainment and by sorting out the individual forms of the genre Vaudeville Nation New York Public Library Retrieved 16 April 2021 About Us The College of Fellows of the American Theatre Retrieved 16 April 2021 Allen Ralph G August 17 1977 At My Mother s Knee and Other Low Joints PDF American Theatre Association Retrieved 16 April 2021 American popular entertainment papers and proceedings of the Conference on the History of American Popular Entertainment Greenwood Press 1979 OCLC 4933528 Retrieved 16 April 2021 Klein Alvin March 1 1987 Theater Understudy Becomes The Star In Darien s Sugar Babies The New York Times Mordden Ethan January 1 2004 One More Kiss The Broadway Musical in the 1970s reprint ed Palgrave Macmillan p 236 237 ISBN 978 1 4039 6539 4 Retrieved December 27 2020 Sugar Babies The Burlesque Musical script New York City Samuel French Inc 1983 pp 8 9 ISBN 978 0 5736 8166 0 Show Business Andy Hardy Comes Home Time October 29 1979 Archived from the original on April 22 2010 External links editInternet Broadway Database listing Playbill News on the September 9 2004 death of Ralph G Allen Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sugar Babies musical amp oldid 1196691543, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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