| Breakfast at Tiffany's | |
|---|---|
 Studio Recording | |
| Music | Bob Merrill |
| Lyrics | Bob Merrill |
| Book | Edward Albee |
| Basis | Truman Capote novella and1961 film of the same name |
| Productions | 1966Broadway (did not officially open) 2013 London |
Breakfast at Tiffany's is a musical with music and lyrics byBob Merrill and a book originally byAbe Burrows but rewritten during pre-Broadway tryouts byEdward Albee. It is based on the 1958Truman Capotenovella and1961 film of the same name about a free spirit named Holly Golightly.
After tryouts in Philadelphia and Boston, and only four previews on Broadway in 1966, the show was closed by producerDavid Merrick at a total financial loss. Its only revival was a staged concert in 2013 at a 200-seat venue in London. A studio recording was released in 2001.
The musical is one of the most notorious fiascos in Broadway history.William Goldman called it a "legendary production" meaning "a certain kind of Broadway show that by virtue of its birth agonies and the resulting publicity achieves an immortality most productions never dare aspire to." (Other examples he gave wereButtrio Square andPortofino.)[1]
The original cast includedMary Tyler Moore,Richard Chamberlain,Sally Kellerman,Larry Kert andPriscilla Lopez. The production was designed byOliver Smith, directed byJoseph Anthony and choreographed byMichael Kidd with assistance fromTony Mordente, and produced byDavid Merrick.[2][3] Despite the impressive list of collaborators, the project never gelled. It underwent constant and massive changes in its script and score during out-of-town tryouts. The original book byAbe Burrows was seen in Philadelphia, then scrapped completely, and Edward Albee, an unlikely choice, was hired to re-write before a Boston tryout. Burrows was the original director but left when Albee was brought in. He was replaced byJoseph Anthony.[3] On a daily basis, the cast was given new material hours before curtain time, and the piece was overly long, running nearly four hours. Burrows's departure resulted in low morale among cast members, and Moore was convinced that Merrick planned to fire her soon after opening night.[4]
Its original title,Holly Golightly, was changed when it started previews on December 12, 1966, on Broadway at theMajestic Theatre. Despite a healthy advance sale and much audience anticipation, it closed four nights later without having officially opened. Merrick placed an infamous ad inThe New York Times, announcing that he shut down the production "rather than subject the drama critics and the public to an excruciatingly boring evening."[3][4]
In 2013, the musical was revived for the first time, using Burrows's book, under the titleHolly Golightly, at the 200-seat Lilian Baylis Studio atSadler's Wells Theatre in London, as part of Ian Marshall Fisher's "Lost Musicals" staged concert series. One reviewer wrote: "the show never seems to come alive [and though] worth excavating out of interest in the form, it is not clear whether it is stageworthy."[5]
Before closing, a live recording was made of the musical numbers, excerpts of which eventually were released on LP. In 2001, a studio recording withFaith Prince,John Schneider,Hal Linden,Patrick Cassidy, and original cast member Kellerman was released on theOriginal Cast label. This recording includes musical numbers that were seen in both the tryouts and in the New York production.[6][2]
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A new version, based on Capote's novella, titledBreakfast at Tiffany's, was adapted byRichard Greenberg (book) with "songs from the era as well as original music byGrant Olding". According toThe Telegraph, "The show has been described as a play with songs." It debuted onBroadway in 2013, then later produced at the Curve Leicester in March 2016,[7] and then toured in the UK and Ireland from 2 May to 11 June 2016, withPixie Lott,Emily Atack andVerity Rushworth sharing the role of "Holly Golightly".[8] The show played theWest End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket 30 June to 17 September 2016.[9][10]
Authority control databases: National |
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