SHINBONE ALLEY

 

Broadway Theatre
Opening:Apr 13, 1957Closing:
May 25, 1957
Total Performances:49

Chita was the standby for Eartha Kitt as Mehitabel the cat in this original musical based on the "archie and mehitabel" stories by Don Marquis, about a grouchy typewriting cockroach and a lovelorn cat, set in Shinbone Alley and its Environs.

Opening Night Production Credits:

Theatre Owned / Operated by The Shubert Organization.

Produced by Peter Lawrence.

Music by George Kleinsinger; Lyrics by Joe Darion; Book by Joe Darion and Mel Brooks;; Music and Choral Direction by Maurice Levine; Music orchestrated by George Kleinsinger; Additional orchestrations by Irwin Kostal; Additional Musical Routines by John Morris.

Production Supervised by Sawyer Falk; Choreographed by Joe Alexander and Rod Alexander.

Production Design by Eldon Elder; Costume Design by Motley; Lighting Design by Tharon Musser; Hair Design by Ernest Adler; Assistant to Eldon Elder: Betty Coe Armstrong and Jesse F. Beers, Jr.; Assistant to Motley: Michael Travis.

General Manager: Elias Goldin.

Production Stage Manager: Morty Halpern; Stage Manager: Julian Barry and Gilbert Cates.

Music Materials under supervision of Arnold Arnstein; Orchestra Manager: Morris Stonzek; Assistant Conductor: Frederick Vogelgesang.

Asst. to the Choreographer: Arthur Mitchell; Production Associate: Jerry Leider; Press Representative: George Ross; Production Assistant: Frances Lewis; Advertising: Ingram Ash; Press Associate: Madi Blitzstein.

Opening Night Cast

Eddie Bracken -- archy
Eartha Kitt -- mehitabel
Jacques d'Amboise -- Frankie, Dancer
Gwen Harmon -- Jail Crony, Edie, Lady Bug, Singer
George S. Irving -- Big Bill
Allegra Kent -- Penny, Dancer
Ross Martin -- Broadway
Erik Rhodes -- Tyone T. Tattersal
Dorothy Aull -- Ricky, Lady Bug, Singer
Julian Barry -- Voice of Newspaperman
Cathryn Damon -- Jail Crony, Rusty, Dancer
Jack Eddleman -- Harry, Singer
Don Farnworth -- Fighting Dog, Dancer
Gene Gavin -- Fighting Dog, Dancer
Carolyn George - Dancer
Harold E. Gordon -- Fighting Dog, Dancer
Reri Grist - Phyllis, Singer
Carmen Gutierrez -- Jail Crony, Gladys, Dancer
Buzz Halliday -- Jail Crony, Lady Bug, Singer
Lillian Hayman - Mother, Singer
Moses LaMarr - Butch, Singer
Bruce MacKay - Bartender, Singer
James Marley - "Cooper," Singer
Larry Montaigne - Blackie
Albert Popwell -- Tall Cat, Dancer
Jack Rains - Singer
Nora Reho -- Jail Crony, Dancer
Howard Roberts - Buzz, Singer
Dorothy Scott - Dancer
James Tarbutton -- Tall Cat, Dancer
Elizabeth Taylor -- Jail Crony, Dancer
Claude Thompson -- Fighting Dog, Dancer
Elmarie Wendel -- Jail Crony, Singer
Myrna White - Dancer
David Winters - Shorty, Dancer

Standbys:
Larry Montaigne, Tom Poston (archy),
Chita Rivera (mehitabel).

 

Shinbone Trivia

Eartha Kitt sang the song "Toujour Gai" from Shinbone Alley on the "Miss Kitt to You" album.

An animated film version of the Archy and Mehitabel stories, also called Shinbone Alley,
with a script by Joe Darion "based on the book for the musical play by Darion, Mel Brooks" was made in 1971 with Carol Channing as the voice of Mehitabel. Eddie Bracken again played Archy.

Mel Brooks has been involved with four Broadway shows: Leonard Silliman's New Faces of 1952, for which he wrote comedy sketches; Shinbone Alley (1957), for which he wrote the book; All American (1962), an original musical starring Ray Bolger with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams (Bye Bye Birdie); and The Producers (2001), for which he wrote the book, music, and lyrics, based on his film. The Producers won more Tony Awards than any show in history, is still running on Broadway, and is out on tour.