Hallelujah, Baby!

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Hallelujah, Baby!
Original Broadway Production
Music Jule Styne
Lyrics Adolph Green and Betty Comden
Book Arthur Laurents
Theatre Martin Beck Theatre
Opened April 26, 1967
Closed January 13, 1968
Producer(s) Albert W. Selden, Hal James, Jane C. Nussbaum and Harry Rigby
Director Burt Shevelove
Choreographer Kevin Carlisle
Scenic designer William and Jean Eckart
Costume designer Irene Sharaff
Lighting designer Tharon Musser
Originally starring Allen Case

Robert Hooks
Leslie Uggams

Lou Angel

Hallelujah, Baby! is a musical with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden with a book by Arthur Laurents.

The musical opened on Broadway on April 26, 1967 at the Martin Beck Theatre, running for 293 performances. It was directed by Burt Shevelove and made a young Leslie Uggams a star. The show is "a musical chronicle of the African American struggle for equality during the [first half of the] 20th century."[1]

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Hallelujah, Baby! follows a talented, beautiful and ambitious African American woman, Georgina, as she makes the difficult climb to stardom and sings and dances her way through four decades in the first half of the 20th century. To succeed, Georgina must navigate resistance by her negative and opportunistic mother, racism that pervades society and show business, and two lovers who want Georgina's attention. Her association with Harvey, who is white, provides opportunities for her that Clem, who is a black train porter, can't match. But as Clem becomes an Army captain and later a confident civil rights activist, he challenges Georgina's assumptions and aspirations.

[edit] Principal characters

Clem — Georgina's fiancé - (baritone) Georgina — Dreams of being a theatrical performer - (soprano) Harvey — A young white theatrical producer - (tenor) Mary - (mezzo-soprano) Momma - (contralto)

[edit] Musical numbers

Act 1

  • Prologue ................... Georgina
  • Back in the Kitchen ................... Momma
  • My Own Morning ................... Georgina
  • The Slice ................... Clem and Provers
  • Farewell, Farewell ................... Calhoun, Betty Loo, Captain Yankee, Georgina and Harvey
  • Feet Do Yo' Stuff ................... Georgina, Chorines, Tip and Tap
  • Watch My Dust ................... Clem
  • Smile, Smile ................... Clem, Georgina and Momma
  • Witches' Brew ................... Georgina, Mary, Ethel and Company
  • Breadline Dance ................... Bums
  • Another Day ................... Harvey, Clem, Mary and Georgina
  • I Wanted to Change Him ................... Georgina
  • Being Good Isn't Good Enough ................... Georgina

Act 2

  • Dance Drill ................... Tip, Tap and G.I.'s
  • Talking to Yourself ................... Georgina, Clem and Harvey
  • Limbo Dance ................... Night Club Patrons
  • Hallelujah Baby! ................... Georgina, Tip and Tap
  • Not Mine ................... Harvey
  • I Don't Know Where She Got It ................... Momma, Clem and Harvey
  • Now's the Time ................... Georgina
  • Now's the Time (Reprise) ................... Company

[edit] Awards

1968 Tony Awards:

  • Best Musical [winner]
  • Best Composer and Lyricist [winner]
  • Best Actor in a Musical, Robert Hooks [nominee]
  • Best Actress in a Musical, Leslie Uggams [winner]
  • Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Lillian Hayman [winner]
  • Best Costume Design, Irene Sharaff [nominee]
  • Best Choreography, Kevin Carlisle [nominee]
  • Best Direction of a Musical, Burt Shevelove [nominee]
  • Best Producer of a Musical, Albert W. Selden [winner] Hal James [winner] Jane C. Nussbaum [winner] Harry Rigby [winner]

1967 Theatre World Award, Leslie Uggams [winner]

[edit] References

[edit] External links