Bells Are Ringing (musical)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1956 cast recording

Bells Are Ringing is a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne.

At its core is Ella Peterson, who works in the basement office of Susanswerphone, a telephone answering service, where she listens in on others' lives and adds some interest to her own humdrum existence by adopting different identities for her clients, including an out-of-work Method actor, a dentist with musical yearnings, and playwright Jeffrey Moss, who is suffering from writer's block and desperately needs a muse. Adding complications to the plot are the police, who are certain the business is a front for an "escort service," and the owner's shady boyfriend, who unbeknownst to her is using the agency as a bookmaking operation.

The original Broadway production, directed by Jerome Robbins and choreographed by Robbins and Bob Fosse, opened on November 29, 1956 at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for slightly more than two years before transferring to the Alvin, for a total run of 924 performances. The opening night cast included Judy Holliday, Sydney Chaplin, Jean Stapleton, Eddie Lawrence, George S. Irving, Jack Weston, and Peter Gennaro.

An original cast album was released by Columbia Records. Three of the show's tunes - "Long Before I Knew You," "Just in Time," and "The Party's Over" - became popular standards.

The West End production opened on November 14, 1957 at the Coliseum, where it ran for 292 performances. The cast included Janet Blair, George Gaynes, Jean St. Clair, Eddie Molloy, and Allyn McLerie.

In 1960, a film adaptation of the same name was released by MGM.

After 36 previews, a Broadway revival, directed by Tina Landau and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, opened on April 12, 2001 at the Plymouth Theatre where, struggling to overcome mediocre reviews and ongoing hostility between the show's producers and its cast and crew [1], it finally closed after 68 performances. The cast included Faith Prince, Marc Kudisch, David Garrison, and Beth Fowler.