Goodtime Charley
Encyclopedia
Goodtime Charley is a musical
with a book by Sidney Michaels
, music by Larry Grossman
, and lyrics by Hal Hackady
.
A humorous take on actual historical events, it focuses on the Dauphin of France
, who evolves from a hedonistic young man enamored of women in general (and Joan of Arc
in particular) into a regal king while Joan follows her voices to her tragic fate.
expressed interest in playing the lead. The script and score were rewritten significantly in order to tailor the piece to his personality and talents. The producers were so keen on casting Ann Reinking
as Joan they put everything on hold while she recovered from a back injury she had sustained while performing in Over Here!
. The delay would prove to be damaging, since Grey had been signed for the film Buffalo Bill and the Indians
and had limited time to commit to the stage project.
resulted in major cuts in order to trim the running time from three-and-a-half hours to a more reasonable ninety minutes before the show continued to Philadelphia and New York City
.
After twelve previews, the Broadway
production opened on March 3, 1975 at the Palace Theatre
, where it ran for only 104 performances, closing abruptly on May 31 when the producers were unable to find a name star to replace the departing Grey. The director was Peter H. Hunt
, choreographer was Onna White
, with scenic design by Rouben Ter-Arutunian
, costume design by Willa Kim
, lighting design by Feder and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
. The cast included Susan Browning
, Richard B. Shull
, Louis Zorich
, and Grace Keagy
.
42nd Street Moon San Francisco, California, presented a staged concert version in its "Lost Musicals" series from June 5 to 23, 1996. This version, in consultation with Grossman and Hackaday, restored three songs that were cut prior to the Broadway premiere: "All She Can Do is Say No," "Tomorrow's Good Old Days," and "There Goes the Country" and returned the show to its original concept.
A New York City revival, starring Daniel Reichard, was presented at the Arclight Theatre
in September, 2001.
The York Theatre Company in New York "Musicals in Mufti" series presented the musical as a staged concert from June 27, 2008 to June 29, featuring Jenn Colella (Joan) and Matt McGrath (Charlie).
An original cast recording was released by RCA.
Act II
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with a book by Sidney Michaels
Sidney Michaels
Sidney Michaels was an American playwright best known for the early and mid 1960s works Tchin-Tchin, Dylan, and Ben Franklin in Paris.-External links:...
, music by Larry Grossman
Larry Grossman (composer)
Larry Grossman is a composer of Broadway musicals, as well as scores for film and television, notably the The Muppet Show.-Career:...
, and lyrics by Hal Hackady
Hal Hackady
Hal Hackady is an American lyricist, librettist, and screenwriter.Hackady began his career writing teleplays for early anthology series General Electric Theater and Alfred Hitchcock Presents...
.
A humorous take on actual historical events, it focuses on the Dauphin of France
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
, who evolves from a hedonistic young man enamored of women in general (and Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
in particular) into a regal king while Joan follows her voices to her tragic fate.
Background
The show underwent extensive changes throughout its development stage, especially when Joel GreyJoel Grey
Joel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...
expressed interest in playing the lead. The script and score were rewritten significantly in order to tailor the piece to his personality and talents. The producers were so keen on casting Ann Reinking
Ann Reinking
Ann Reinking is an American actress, dancer, and choreographer. She has worked extensively in musical theatre, both as a dancer and choreographer, as well as appearing in film.-Biography:...
as Joan they put everything on hold while she recovered from a back injury she had sustained while performing in Over Here!
Over Here!
Over Here! is a musical with a score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and book by Will Holt. The original Broadway production was directed by Tom Moore and choreographed by Patricia Birch, with scenic design by Douglas W. Schmidt and costumes by Carrie F...
. The delay would prove to be damaging, since Grey had been signed for the film Buffalo Bill and the Indians
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson is a 1976 revisionist Western directed by Robert Altman and based on the play Indians by Arthur Kopit. It stars Paul Newman as William F...
and had limited time to commit to the stage project.
Productions
The out-of-town run in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
resulted in major cuts in order to trim the running time from three-and-a-half hours to a more reasonable ninety minutes before the show continued to Philadelphia and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
After twelve previews, the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production opened on March 3, 1975 at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, New York
The Palace Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1564 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architects Kirchoff & Rose, the theatre was built by Martin Beck a California vaudeville entrepreneur and Broadway impresario. The project experienced a number of business problems before...
, where it ran for only 104 performances, closing abruptly on May 31 when the producers were unable to find a name star to replace the departing Grey. The director was Peter H. Hunt
Peter H. Hunt
Peter Huls Hunt is an American theatre, film, and television director and a theatrical lighting designer.Hunt was born in Pasadena, California, the son of Gertrude and George Smith Hunt II, a Minnesota-born industrial designer. Hunt began his career as a lighting designer at the Williamstown...
, choreographer was Onna White
Onna White
Onna White was a Canadian choreographer and dancer nominated for eight Tony Awards.-Career:Born in Inverness, Nova Scotia, White began taking dance lessons at the age of twelve, and eventually her studies took her to the famed San Francisco Ballet Company, where she danced in the first full-length...
, with scenic design by Rouben Ter-Arutunian
Rouben Ter-Arutunian
Rouben Ter-Arutunian was a costume and scenic designer for dance, opera, theater and television.Born in Tiflis, Georgia, he attended the Reimann Art School from 1939 to 1941, studied film music at the Hochschule fur Musik and took courses at the Friedrich-Wilhelm University , 1941–43, and at the...
, costume design by Willa Kim
Willa Kim
Willa Kim is an American costume designer for stage, dance, and film.Kim was born in Los Angeles, California and is a 1935 graduate of Belmont High School where she excelled in art and was an art editor for the 1935 Campanile...
, lighting design by Feder and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick
Jonathan Tunick is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer, one of twelve people to have won all four major American show business awards: the Tony, Oscar, Emmy and Grammy. He has also worked with all of the other eleven people. His principal instrument is the clarinet...
. The cast included Susan Browning
Susan Browning
Susan Browning was an American actress.Born in Baldwin, New York, she was nominated for two Tony Awards: for Best Actress in Company in 1971 and for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in Goodtime Charley in 1975...
, Richard B. Shull
Richard B. Shull
Richard Bruce Shull was an American character actor.-Career:Shull was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Zana Marie , a court stenographer, and Ulysses Homer Shull, a manufacturing executive. Shull attended the University of Iowa and served in the U.S. Army before starting his Broadway career...
, Louis Zorich
Louis Zorich
Louis Zorich is an American actor. He is well-known for his portrayal of Paul Reiser's father "Burt Buchman" in the NBC series Mad About You. He played the role from 1993 to 1999.-Life and career:...
, and Grace Keagy
Grace Keagy
Grace Keagy was an American actress, best-known for her work on the stage in character roles. She is best known for her Drama Desk Award nominated performance as "Rosa" in the original 1979 production of Joseph Stein and Alan Jay Lerner's Carmelina.-Career:Keagy was born in Youngstown, Ohio and...
.
42nd Street Moon San Francisco, California, presented a staged concert version in its "Lost Musicals" series from June 5 to 23, 1996. This version, in consultation with Grossman and Hackaday, restored three songs that were cut prior to the Broadway premiere: "All She Can Do is Say No," "Tomorrow's Good Old Days," and "There Goes the Country" and returned the show to its original concept.
A New York City revival, starring Daniel Reichard, was presented at the Arclight Theatre
Arclight Theatre
The Arclight Theatre, located at 152 West 71st Street, between Broadway & Columbus Avenues.The theater has a seating capacity of 99 seats and is located on the lower level of The Church of the Blessed Sacrament, down one flight of stairs....
in September, 2001.
The York Theatre Company in New York "Musicals in Mufti" series presented the musical as a staged concert from June 27, 2008 to June 29, featuring Jenn Colella (Joan) and Matt McGrath (Charlie).
An original cast recording was released by RCA.
Song list
Act I- History
- Goodtime Charley
- Voices & Vision
- Bits and Pieces
- To Make the Boy a Man
- Why Can't We All Be Nice?
- Born Lover
- I Am Going to Love
- Castles of the Loire
- Coronation
Act II
- You Still Have a Long Way to Go
- Merci, Bon Dieu
- Confessional
- One Little Year
- I Leave the World
Nominations
- Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Actor in a Musical (Grey) - Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Reinking)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Shull)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Browning)
- Tony Award for Best Scenic Design
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design
- Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
- Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Outstanding Musical - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Grey)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Reinking)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Shull)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design