La Strada (musical)

Infobox Musical
name=La Strada


caption=Original Broadway Windowcard
music= Lionel Bart
Elliot Lawrence
lyrics= Lionel Bart
Martin Charnin
book= Charles K. Peck, Jr.
basis= Frederico Fellini film
"La Strada
productions= 1969 Broadway
awards=

"La Strada" is a musical with lyrics and music by Lionel Bart, with additional lyrics by Martin Charnin and additional music by Elliot Lawrence. It is based on the 1954 film of the same name by Federico Fellini. Bart wrote the score in 1967 and made a demonstration recording, although the musical was not produced until 1969. [ [http://www.bayviewrecords.com/bayview/cdpages/lastrada.html Information from Bayview Records] ] The musical's book was written by Charles K. Peck, Jr., who also produced it on Broadway. [http://www.playbill.com/features/article/87770.html Playbill.com] "On the Record", Steven Suskin, August 8, 2004]

Plot summary

The play follows the story of the film of the same name. Gelsomina, a young girl, is sold by her impoverished mother to a brutish circus strongman, Zampanò, to be his assistant. She shows her abilities as a clown and soon becomes the star of the show. She falls in love with Zampanò, despite his abuse of her. But tragedy strikes when she befriends a circus clown (Mario), who gives her advice and friendship, and Zampanò kills him in a jealous fit. Zampanò eventually leaves Gelsomina, who still loves him, to die on the road.

Characters

* Gelsomina -- Bernadette Peters
* Zampano -- Stephen Pearlman
* Mother -- Anne Hegira
* Mario -- Larry Kert
* Elsa -- Lisa Belleran
* Eva -- Mary Ann Robbins
* Sophia -- Susan Goeppinger
* Castra -- Lucille Patton

Musical Numbers

;Act I
* Seagull, Starfish, Pebble -- Gelsomina
* The Great Zampano -- Gelsomina and Zampano
* What's Going on Inside? -- Zampano
* Belonging -- Gelsomina
* Wedding Dance -- Company
* I Don't Like You -- Gelsomina
* Encounters -- Gelsomina and Company
* There's a Circus in Town -- Mario
* You're Musical -- Mario and Gelsomina
* Only More! -- Gelsomina;Act II
* What a Man -- Gelsomina and Mama Lambrini
* Everything Needs Something -- Gelsomina
* Sooner or Later -- Mario
* Sooner or Later (Reprise) -- Gelsomina
* Belonging (Reprise) -- Gelsomina
* The End of the Road -- Company

Productions

After 14 previews, "La Strada" opened on December 14 1969 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway. The show was directed by Alan Schneider, with choreography by Alvin Ailey and Joyce Trisler. The show closed the same night, losing $650,000.

There was a studio cast "concept album" produced in 1967 by Lionel Bart and Chris Curtis, with Madeline Bell in the Gelsomina role. In 1994, Bayview Records re-released this recording. Only two or three songs remained in the final play as produced on Broadway. In discussing "La Strada"'s problems, Steven Suskin wrote that Lionel Bart apparently did not go to the United States to assist during rehearsals, and neither the director (Alan Schneider) nor the choreographer (Alvin Ailey) had done a Broadway musical. Peters confirms that Bart never worked on the show in New York in this interview: "The script really wasn't ready, and Lionel Bart was never coming over. Marty Charnin and his partner at the time [composer Elliot Lawrence] rewrote it." ["Showmusic: The Musical Theatre Magazine, Songs of Bernadette", Eric Grode, Summer 1997, Volume Thirteen, Number Two, pp. 21 ff.]

Ken Mandelbaum wrote about "La Strada" in his book, "Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Flops" [ 1991, St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-06428-4, p. 171] . During try-outs, the original strongman, Vincent Beck as Zampano, was replaced; and he discusses the replacing of all but three of the original songs. Furthermore, "...it followed a relentlessly bleak, tragic screenplay, it emerged as one of the most depressing musicals ever... Bernadette Peters, in her first Broadway lead, did not let the show down...The score was not bad, particularly Peters haunting opening "Seagull, Starfish, Pebble" written by Lawrence and Charnin..."

Responses

In his review in the "New York Times", Clive Barnes wrote that the book was superficial and the music bland and trite. However, he praised Bernadette Peters, writing "In a different show the birdlike and croaky Bernadette Peters would have become a star overnight." ["New York Times", December 15, 1969, p. 63]

References

External links

*
* [http://www.bayviewrecords.com/bayview/cdpages/lastrada.html Information about the musical and the 1967 recording]