''Angel'' is a

Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

that opened at the

Minskoff Theatre The Minskoff Theatre is a Broadway theater on the third floor of the One Astor Plaza office building in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1973, it is operated by the Nederlander Organization and is named ...

in New York on May 4, 1978. It was based on

Ketti Frings Ketti Frings (28 February 1909 – 11 February 1981) was an American writer, playwright, and screenwriter who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1958. Biography Early years Born Katherine Hartley in Columbus, Ohio, Frings attended Principia College, began ...

’ Pulitzer Prize winning 1957 theatrical adaptation of

Thomas Wolfe Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist of the early 20th century. Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels as well as many short stories, dramatic works, and novellas. He is known for mixing highly origin ...

's best-selling 1929 novel, ''

Look Homeward, Angel ''Look Homeward, Angel: A Story of the Buried Life'' is a 1929 novel by Thomas Wolfe. It is Wolfe's first novel, and is considered a highly autobiographical American coming-of-age story. The character of Eugene Gant is generally believed to be ...

''. The musical featured songs with lyrics by

Peter Udell Peter Udell (born 1934) is an American lyricist and writer, best known for his collaborations with composer Gary Geld. He started his career in popular music in the 1960s, writing lyrics for songs including " Sealed With A Kiss", " Save Your Heart ...

and music by

Gary Geld Gary Geld (born October 18, 1935, Paterson, New Jersey) is an American composer known for his work creating musicals and popular songs with his lyricist partner Peter Udell. Raised in Clifton, New Jersey, Geld graduated from Clifton High Schoo ...

—the same team who created the musicals '' Shenandoah'' and ''

Purlie ''Purlie'' is a musical with a book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, and Peter Udell, lyrics by Udell and music by Gary Geld. It is based on Davis's 1961 play ''Purlie Victorious'', which was later made into the 1963 film '' Gone Are the Days!'' and ...

''. Frings and Udell collaborated on the book. ''Angel'' was directed by Philip Rose and choreographed by Robert Tucker. The production featured costumes by Pearl Somner, lighting design by John Gleason and scenery by Ming Cho Lee. For her performance,

Frances Sternhagen Frances Hussey Sternhagen (born January 13, 1930) is an American actress; she has appeared on- and off-Broadway, in movies, and on TV since the 1950s.Joy, Car"Frances Sternhagen in Talks to Join Company of Broadway Magnolias" Broadway.com, Nov ...

received a 1978 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Additionally,

Joel Higgins Joel Franklin Higgins (born September 28, 1943) is an American actor and singer with a stage career spanning over 40 years. Life and career A graduate of Michigan State University where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternit ...

was nominated for a 1978 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. The musical was savaged by the critics, and closed on May 13 after only five performances.

Songs

''Angel'' is set in Altamount, North Carolina in the fall of 1916. In Act One, the scene is the Dixieland Boarding House. In Act Two, Scene One is set in Gant's marble yard and shop; and Scenes Two and Three are set again in the Dixieland Boarding House. ;Act One *"Angel Theme" – Orchestra *"All the Comforts of Home" – Boarders *"Like the Eagles Fly" – Ben Gant *"Make a Little Sunshine" – Eliza Gant, Eugene Gant, Ben Gant *"Fingers and Toes" – W.O. Gant, Tim Laughran, Reed McKinney, Joe Tarkington *"Fatty" – Ben Gant *"Astoria Gloria" – Fatty Pert and Boarders *"Railbird" – Eugene Gant *"If I Ever Loved Him" – Laura James *"A Dime Ain't Worth a Nickel" – Ben Gant, Fatty Pert *"I Got a Dream to Sleep On" – Eugene Gant *"Drifting" – Eliza Gant ;Act Two *"I Can't Believe It's You" – W.O. Gant, Madam Victoria *"Feelin' Loved" – Eugene Gant, Laura James *"A Medley" – Ben, Fatty, Eliza, Laura *"Tomorrow I'm Gonna Be Old" – W.O. Gant *"Feelin' Loved (Reprise)" – Eugene and Laura *"How Do You Say Goodbye" – Laura *"Gant's Waltz" – W.O. Gant and Eliza Gant *"Like the Eagles Fly (Reprise)" – Eugene Gant

Original Broadway cast

*Donna Davis – Helen Gant *

– Ben Gant *Patti Allison – Mrs. Fatty Pert *Grace Carney – Mrs. Snowden *

Don Scardino Donald Joseph Scardino (born February 17, 1949) is an American television director and producer and a former actor. Career Acting Scardino was born in New York City, to jazz musician parents, Dorothy Denny Scardino and Charles Scardino. His f ...

– Eugene Gant *

– Eliza Gant *Elek Hartman - Will Pentland *Rebecca Seay - Florry Mangle *Justine Johnston – Mrs. Clatt *Gene Masoner - Jake Clatt *Billy Beckham – Mr. Farrell *Jayne Barnett – Miss Brown *Leslie Ann Ray – Laura James *

Fred Gwynne Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, 1926 – July 2, 1993) was an American actor, artist and author widely known for his roles in the 1960s television sitcoms ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' as Francis Muldoon and as Herman Munster in ''The Munsters'' ...

– W. O. Gant *Daniel Keyes – Dr. Maguire *Rex David Hays – Joe Tarkington *Carl Nicholas – Reed McKinney *Norman Stotz – Tim Laughran *Patricia Englund – Madame Victoria

Critical response

Reviewing for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', Richard Eder wrote: *"Angel...is a damp and oppressive amalgam of bathos. It has lyrics of the consistency of cornbread soaked in milk, a whole collection of indifferent performances and a score of sufficient banality to furnish a number or two for the piped music on airplanes waiting to take off." *"The performances have no shine to them; at best they are losing battles." *"Mr. Geld's score is so thin and trite as to make us notice Don Walker's orchestration. Its vulgarity is unfailing." *"It is putting things too strongly to call "Angel" a disaster. It is a desert."

References

*Botto, Louis
''Playbill: At This Theatre''
(Applause Books, 2002) () *"Angel Turns Wolfe Into Music; Looking Homeward", ''

'', May 11, 1978.

External links

*
''Angel'' at Floormic.com
{{Thomas Wolfe, state=collapsed 1978 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on novels