Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Music Jule Styne
Lyrics Leo Robin
Book Joseph Fields
Anita Loos
Based upon Book by Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Productions 1949 Broadway
1995 Broadway revival

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a musical with a book by Joseph Fields and Anita Loos, lyrics by Leo Robin, and music by Jule Styne. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Loos, it launched the career of Carol Channing.

The original Broadway production was produced by Herman Levin and Oliver Smith, directed by John C. Wilson, and choreographed by Agnes de Mille. Vocal direction was by Hugh Martin. It opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 8, 1949 and closed September 15, 1951, running a total of 740 performances.

The cast included:

  • Carol Channing as Lorelei Lee
  • Yvonne Adair as Dorothy Shaw
  • Rex Evans as Sir Francis Beekman
  • Anita Alvarez as Gloria Stark
  • Eric Brotherson as Henry Spofford
  • Jack McCauley as Gus Esmond
  • Irving Mitchell as Mr. Esmond, Sr.
  • Alice Pearce as Mrs. Ella Spofford
  • Reta Shaw as Lady Phyllis Beekman

Several well-known blonde actresses, including Betty Hutton, Jayne Mansfield, Mamie Van Doren, Barbara Eden, and Morgan Fairchild, have starred in regional and summer stock productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes over the years.

In 1974 a revised version entitled Lorelei ran for 320 performances on Broadway. It also starred Channing.

A 1995 Broadway revival of the original starred KT Sullivan as Lorelei Lee and Karen Prunzik as Dorothy Shaw. It ran for 16 previews and 8 performances.

Contents

[edit] Songs

Act I
  • It's High Time - Dorothy Shaw and Ensemble
  • Bye, Bye Baby - Gus Esmond and Lorelei Lee
  • I Love my Mommy - Gus Esmond and Lorelei Lee
  • Bye, Bye Baby (Reprise) - Gus Esmond and Ensemble
  • A Little Girl From Little Rock - Lorelei Lee
  • I Love What I'm Doing - Dorothy Shaw
  • Just a Kiss Apart - Henry Spofford
  • It's Delightful Down in Chile - Sir Francis Beekman, Lorelei Lee, Show Girls and Male Ensemble
  • Sunshine - Henry Spofford and Dorothy Shaw
  • In The Champ de Mars - Ensemble
  • Sunshine (Reprise) - Ensemble
  • I'm A'tingle, I'm A'glow - Josephus Gage
  • House on Rittenhouse Square - Dorothy Shaw
  • You Say You Care - Henry Spofford
  • Finaletto - Lorelei Lee and Ensemble
Act II
  • Bye, Bye Baby (Reprise) - Dancing Ensemble
  • Mamie is Mimi - Gloria Stark, Coles and Atkins
  • Coquette - The Tenor and Show Girls
  • Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend - Lorelei Lee
  • You Say You Care (Reprise) - Dorothy Shaw and Henry Spofford
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Lorelei Lee and Gus Esmond
  • Homesick Blues - Lorelei Lee, Dorothy Shaw, Gus Esmond, Henry Spofford, Mrs. Ella Spofford and Josephus Gage
  • Keeping Cool with Coolidge - Dorothy Shaw, Bill and Ensemble
  • Button Up With Esmond - Lorelei Lee, Show Girls and Ensemble
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Reprise) - Lorelei Lee, Gus Esmond and Ensemble
  • Bye, Bye Baby (Reprise) - Entire Company

[edit] Film version

A 1953 film adaptation, released by 20th century Fox, was directed by Howard Hawks and starred Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Languages