Shoestring Revue opened at the President Theater in New York on February 28, 1955. An evening of comic sketches and musical numbers, several of the young writers and cast members would go on to extraordinary success. In fact, all of the writers enjoyed careers that made them millionaires.
Directed by Christopher Hewett
Dances and Musical Numbers Staged by Dania Krupska
Sketches mostly by Mike Stewart, Sheldon Harnick, Richard F. Maury
Lyrics mostly by Bud McCreery, Mike Stewart, Ronny Graham
Music Mostly by Arthur Siegel, Charles Strouse, Ken Welch
Entire Production designed by Carter Morningstar
Musical Direction and Arrangements by Charles Strouse
Liza Redfield assisting Mr. Strouse
Production Devised and Supervised by Mr. Bagley
Duo Pianists -- Mr. Strouse and Miss Redfield
Percussionist -- Stan Koor
PROGRAM OF SKETCHES AND MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT I
MAN'S INHUMANITY Lyric, Mike Stewart; Music, Charles Strouse
Author: Arte Johnson
Director: Arthur Partington
Lighting Man: John Sharpe
Choreographer: Peter Conlow
Chorus Girls: Beatrice Arthur, Joan Bowman, Dody Goodman, Rhoda Kerns, Chita Rivera, and Dorothy Greener
INTRODUCTION Maxwell Grant
FRESH & YOUNG by Ronny Graham
Trio: Mel Larned, John Sharpe, Peter Conlow
HAMLET, PRINCE OF SKATERS by Arthur Macrae
Compere: Arthur Partington
Director: Maxwell Grant
Hamlet: Arte Johnson
Ophelia: Beatrice Arthur
INEVITABLY ME (Young People's Soiree, 1870) by Ken Welch
Leader: Arthur Partington
Guest of Honor: Joan Bowman
Other Guests: Chita Rivera, Mel Larned, John Sharpe, Rhoda Kerns, Peter Conlow
SOMEONE IS SENDING ME FLOWERS Lyric, Sheldon Harnick; Music, David Baker
The Lady: Dody Goodman
Her Cavalier: John Sharpe
INSIDE INSIDE by Mike Stewart
Compere: John Sharpe
Cy: Maxwell Grant
Ernie: Mel Larned
GARBAGE by Sheldon Harnick
Torch Singer: Beatrice Arthur
Garbage Collector: Arthur Partington
The Girl: Chita Rivera
ROLLER DERBY by Mike Stewart
Roller Derby Queen: Dorothy Greener
PADUCAH Lyric, Mike Stewart; Music, Shelley Mowell
Song and Dance Man: Peter Conlow
BITTER LICCI NUTS by William Putch
Ticket Seller: Chita Rivera
Man: Arthur Partington
Usher: John Sharpe
Pietro: Maxwell Grant
Sylvano: Beatrice Arthur
WABASH 4-7473 Lyric, Bruce Kirby; Music, G. Wood
Traveling Salesman: Mel Larned
MEDEA IN DISNEYLAND Sketch and Lyrics, Sheldon Harnick; Music, Lloyd Norlin
Compere: Arthur Partington
Medea: Dorothy Greener
Nurse: Dody Goodman
Sons: Peter Conlow, Mel Larned
King Creon: Maxwell Grant
Fairy Godmother: Beatrice Arthur
Jason: Arte Johnson
Chorus: Chita Rivera, John Sharpe, Rhoda Kerns, Arthur Partington
Shoestring Trivia
It was in this show that Chita first worked with Beatrice Arthur. The two would also leave the show at the same time, both to appear in Seventh Heaven on Broadway. They have remained close friends.
Lee Adams, who wrote the "Epic" sketch, would later write Bye Bye Birdie for Chita, with Charles Strouse, who also contributed several numbers to Shoestring Revue.
|
CHITA'S MAJOR NUMBERS
In his notes for the 1991 original cast CD of Ben Bagley's Shoestring Revue, Bagley recalls the contributions of choreographer Dania Krupska, and mentions Chita's performance as she danced to the "Garbage" tango sung by Beatrice Arthur: "This compact disc also gives me an opportunity to thank, the very brilliant Dania Krupska. Although the program credit read: Dances and Musical Numbers Staged by; she worked on many of the sketches. The wonderfully funny staging moments in Medea in Disneyland were hers. The show stopping 'Dream Ballet' to Garbage, with Chita Rivera leaping head first into a garbage bag trying to retrieve a cigarette butt, will never be forgotten by those who saw the revue." Chita kicked off the Entire History of the World in Two Minutes and Thirty-two Seconds, a musical account of Biblical history set to a Calypso rhythm, with the Adam and Eve story. In Mink, Mink, Mink, a musical advertisement for Mink, Chita sang a version of the Lady Godiva story, in which the lady rides bareback only to convince her husband to buy her a mink. In "Epic," Chita played Marilyn Monroe to Maxwell Grant's Mike Todd in a sketch by Lee Adams. Todd is trying to lure Marilyn into a film version of War and Peace featuring the Yugoslavian army.
Opening Night Cast
Beatrice Arthur
Joan Bowman
Peter Conlow
Dody Goodman
Maxwell Grant
Dorothy Greener
Arte Johnson
Rhoda Kerns
Mel Larned
Arthur Partington
Chita Rivera
John Sharpe
ACT II
ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN TWO MINUTES AND THIRTY-TWO SECONDS Lyric, Mike Stewart; Music, Charles Strouse
Trio: Mel Larned, Chita Rivera, Peter Conlow
Vignettes: Joan Bowman, Maxwell Grant, Rhoda Kerns, Arthur Partington, John Sharpe
IN BED WITH THE READER'S DIGEST by Richard F. Maury
Hotel Guest: Maxwell Grant
Bellhop: John Sharpe
MINK, MINK, MINK by Bud McCreery
First Woman: Dorothy Greener
Second Woman: Chita Rivera
Third Woman: Beatrice Arthur
NEW TO ME Lyric, Bud McCreery; Music, Ken Welch
Prop Man: Mel Larned
Electrician: John Sharpe
Cameraman: Arthur Partington
Fledgings: Joan Bowman, Rhoda Kerns
NOBODY'S DOIN' IT DANCE by Bud McCreery
Demonstrator: Dorothy Greener
Pupil: Arthur Partington
COULDN'T BE HAPPIER by Bud McCreery
Guest: Beatrice Arthur
A MILLION WINDOWS AND I Lyric, Norman Gimbel; Music, Alec Wilder
Young Man: Mel Larned
EPIC by Lee Adams, Mike Stewart
Or (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Roskolninkov You)
Marilyn: Chita Rivera
Mike: Maxwell Grant
THREE LOVES Lyric, Mike Stewart; Music, Charles Strouse
Young Man: Peter Conlow
ENTRE'ACTE
Girl: Chita Rivera
Boy: John Sharpe
GROUP ANALYSIS by Richard F. Maury
Leader: Mel Larned
Class: Beatrice Arthur, Peter Conlow, Dody Goodman, Chita Rivera, Arthur Partington, John Sharpe
THINGS ARE GOING WELL TODAY Lyric, June Carroll; Music, Arthur Siegel
Bright Young Thing: Rhoda Kerns
Young Dancing Things: John Sharpe, Joan Bowman, Chita Rivera, Arthur Partington, Peter Conlow
THE SEA IS ALL AROUND US Lyric, Sheldon Harnick; Music, David Baker
New Yorker: Arte Johnson
FRESH AND YOUNG by Ronny Graham
FINALE: Entire Company |
Biography