Raggedy Ann (musical)

Raggedy Ann (aka Rag Dolly) is a musical with a book by William Gibson and music and lyrics by Joe Raposo, based on the children’s books by Johnny Gruelle and the feature film Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. The story centers on Marcella, a dying young girl whose toys come to life and take her on a magical adventure to meet The Doll Doctor, who can mend her broken heart.

Production history

After finding success with their 1969 Hallmark Hall of Fame production of The Littlest Angel, Broadway producers Richard Horner and Lester Osterman searched for another property that they could adapt into a live-action TV special. "Raggedy Ann came up in our conversation," Horner recalled, "and I said, 'Gee, that would be a great thing for what we have in mind.'"^[1] Horner acquired permission from Bobbs-Merrill Company, who owned the rights to the characters, and set to work developing the project, with Littlest Angel co-writer (and Osterman's daughter) Patricia Thackray penning the script. At a 1974 Friar's Club roast for Johnny Carson, Lester and Osterman found themselves seated at a table next to Emmy-winning Sesame Street composer Joe Raposo,^[1] who took a shine to their idea. "I was then presented with about two dozen books of Raggedy Ann and Andy," Raposo recalled.^[1] The composer studied the books and composed 25 songs for potential inclusion. "Then as we got further and further into the project, we realized that it had wider possibilities for acceptance than just as a television special," Horner said. "So we thought we should do it as a movie for theaters."^[1] Raposo personally worked his magic to get ITT, then the parent corporation to the Bobbs-Merrill Company, to produce^[1] and animator Richard Williams to direct the film.^[2] The result was the 1977 animated feature Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. " It was going to be the kids movie of the season," recalled Raposo. "It opened on Sunday... and on Wednesday a little movie called Star Wars that nobody thought would do anything opened and the rest is history."^[3]

A few years later, Raposo joined the board of The Empire State Institute for the Performing Arts, (ESIPA) where producing director Patricia Snyder urged him to adapt the story into a stage musical.^[3] Raposo reteamed with Patricia Thackray for a direct adaptation of the film titled Raggedy Ann & Andy in 1981, but he concluded, "It simply didn't work."^[3] Despite the composer's feelings, this version of the play remains available to license for regional/school productions in the USA and Canada.^[4]

Playwright William Gibson (of The Miracle Worker fame) was then brought aboard to pen a new book. Gibson was uninterested in rehashing the film, and he instead opted to find inspiration in the real-life story of Raggedy Ann author Johnny Gruelle's sickly daughter Marcella, whom contracted diphtheria from a smallpox vaccination and died at the age of 14. Raposo was reinvigorated by Gibson's concept, although virtually all of his original songs had to be tossed out as he found himself writing the show for the third time.

ESIPA productions

The Gibson/Raposo version opened at ESIPA on December 7, 1984^[5] under the title Raggedy Ann. Almost immediately controversy ensued when Ellen Allen, a mother from Albany, New York, took her children to see the show. Horrified by the dark subject matter, Allen first complained to producing director Snyder, and then she took her complaints to the local news, which neglected to seek comment from ESIPA when they ran a piece concluding that the play depicted "portrayals of gruesome characters, a mother deserting her child, death and even suicide.”^[6] Gibson later retorted, "The style is for children, the content is for me."^[3] Following the news broadcast, the Albany public school district abruptly canceled their reservations for the show.^[6]

After some retooling, the show re-opened at ESIPA on October 25, 1985 under the title Rag Dolly^[5] and played without major controversy.

Moscow production

A half-hour documentary was presented by the State University of New York in 1986 about the production in Moscow including interviews with the writers and actors and footage of the performance.

Kennedy Center/Broadway production

The Broadway production opened on October 16, 1986 at the Nederlander Theatre.^[7] After opening on October 16 to unfavorable reviews,^[8] the production closed three days later after five performances.

Musical numbers

The original ESIPA production had a slightly different set list which included the songs "Mexico" (Raggedy Ann & Andy) and "You Never Get Away" (The Witch).

Cast

References