Customer Reviews

Jennie (1963 Original Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

JENNIE is one of those wonderful musical rarities that are treasured by Broadway-lovers. Despite only running 2 months on Broadway (82 performances), it's cast recording remains, showcasing the otherwise-brilliant score written by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz.

Mary Martin turned down the starring roles in HELLO DOLLY! and FUNNY GIRL to star in this musical, a loose biographical version of the early life of actress Laurette Taylor, (re-named Jennie Malone for the musical).

Ms Martin shared the stage with veteran Broadway actress Ethel Shutta, who came out of retirement, as Jennie's mother. George Wallace played Jennie's philandering, barnstorming husband James O'Conner, and Robin Bailey played Christopher Lawrence Cromwell, the caring playwright who takes Jennie under his wing (and later marries her).

The score features a particularly-thrilling Overture, as well as "Before I Kiss The World Goodbye", "I Still Look at You That Way", "The Light May Be Dark", "Lonely Nights" and "High is Better than Low".

Highly recommended.

Well, the show was a flop and the music is merely pleasant, but Mary Martin is magnificent. She can sing the phone directory and make it special! Just because of Mary's magic I give it 5 stars.

Arthur Schwartz may be the best American songwriter who is not a household name. "Jennie" is a gem, filled with wonders. I am mystified by the reviewer who (while giving the CD five stars) calls the music "merely pleasant." With the possible exception of "Lonely Nights"--amusing the first time through, but it gets on one's nerves--the least song in this show is pleasant, without the "merely." Among the best in the show, I would place "I Still Look at You that Way," "Over Here" ("In fact the more we British get to know of you / The more we wonder why our king let go of you"), "Before I Kiss the World Goodbye," "See Seattle," "High Is Better than Low," and "The Night May Be Dark." These songs are among Schwartz' best, which is to say that they are very good indeed. Mary Martin is at the top of her superb form and John Lesko is a revelation. By the evidence of this CD, at least, he could give Robert Preston a run for his money.

"Jennie" was Broadway superstar Mary Martin's first show after her two-year triumph in as Maria von Trapp in the smash hit " The Sound of Music". Since Ethel Merman and she reigned as the empresses of the Broadway musical stage, any new venture by either was eagerly anticipated, and "Jennie" had a very healthy advance box office for 1963. The show's story was promising; Ms. Martin would play Jennie Malone a young turn of the century actress loosely based on legendary Broadway actress Laurette Taylor. In her early theatrical life Ms. Taylor crisscrossed the country as leading lady in clichéd melodramas for her husband's unsuccessful touring troupe before landing back in New York to win both Broadway triumphs and a new English playwright husband. However "Jennie" never really jelled and came together,it was beset with recurrent problems in the out of town tryouts. Martin and her husband co-producer Richard Halliday wanted to close it out of town, but the rest of the production team lured by a hefty advance sale for the Broadway run, threatened to sue if it didn't open as per schedule. It did, but at that point most of the principals involved weren't speaking to one another, and although Martin got her usual good notices, the show was crucified. Once the advance sale was finished after 82 performances, "Jennie" was swiftly closed and joined the dubious ranks of the Broadway musical's legendary turkeys.

So what's the legacy of "Jennie", 47 years later? Like other noteworthy Broadway flops such as "Anyone Can Whistle", besides some old theatrical stories and photos, it's the original cast recording. This is well worth the purchase if for no other reason than the timeless Mary Martin, whose warm beguiling soprano remains as fresh as the day she recorded the album. However, the score by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz stands on it's own merits alongside their earlier musical "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", both are ingratiating, melodic scores.

Ms. Martin as befits the star is given the lion's share of the best songs, and it's a nicely varied sampler of her musical talent. The best is the yearning ballad "Before I Kiss the World Goodbye" which was one of the reasons that sold Ms. Martin on doing the show, although as she noted in her autobiography, it's lyrics were really unsuited for it's young character. She has two bright, bouncy duets that charm, the opening "Waiting for the Evening Train" and the second act "High is Better than Low". "Born Again" is euphoric at a happy turning point in Jennie's life contrasted against the hymn like duet with her mother Nellie (Ethel Shutta) "The Night May Be Dark" where their voices blend easily as they try to comfort one another after a disaster. She is given a comic tongue in cheek patter song "Lonely Nights", that she actually sang while spinning around strapped to a large torture wheel in hopes of jazzing up a lackluster second act.

George Wallace, Jack De Lon, and especially Ethel Shutta get opportunities to shine in the score. The only weak link on the album is Robin Bailey as the British playwright in love with Jennie, his singing voice and personality is rather dull.

So, in the final analysis, if you're a fan of either Mary Martin's unique star quality or musicals during the Golden Age of Broadway, "Jennie" is a an album you will want to experience and savor.

I have always loved "Jennie," a great old-fashinoned score of the Golden Era of Broadway that illustrated the touring companies of America at the beginning of the 20th Century. "Jennie" is the real name of the incomparable Laurette Taylor who made theatrical history as Amanda Wingfield in Tennessee Williams' semi-historical masterpiece "The Glass Menagerie." And Taylor's early life was almost as dramatic as Williams' play.

I have never read the script and would probably blame the show's problems with that if I hadn't read the reviews that accused the composer, Arthur Schwartz of flagrant plagarism; however, I have never recognized old melodies in "Jennie's" score.

"Jennie" was Mary Martin's last Broadway musical. She did go on tour as Dolly Gallagher in "Hello, Dolly!" in which I saw her at the Dallas State Fair. It was her last night and at the curtain call she sang "Good bye, Dallas." There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

I think if "Jennie" had been a hit, we'd have had more Martin musicals in her later period. What a shame!

Arthur Schwartz's last musical was a gigatic flop which also damaged the career of Mary Martin. But oh those faboulous songs! Aurally it's a masterpiece. I've been looking for a disc ever since I read about the show in an ecyclopedia. Now I got it!

Not impressed. I see value only as a collectible if one is building a library of Broadway musicals. In full context on stage it might have more appeal.