''Christine'' is a musical by

Pearl S. Buck Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973) was an American writer and novelist. She is best known for ''The Good Earth'' a bestselling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, Pulitze ...

and Charles K. Peck Jr. (book), Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) and Sammy Fain (music). Loosely based on the 1945 novel ''My Indian Family'' by Hilda Wernher, it tells the story of a woman who travels to India where she ends up falling in love with her recently widowed Indian son-in-law. Notable for the involvement of Pulitzer & Nobel prize winning author

, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1960.

History

first adapted Hilda Werhner's book "My Indian Family" for a 1945 stage production at Stanford University. While this production didn't ever move beyond Stanford, it was notable for featuring

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

in his first acting role. Oscar Lerman and Martin B Cohen later tapped Buck for a musical stage adaptation which they hoped to present during the 1957-1958 Broadway season. Rewrites on the libretto took much longer than expected, with a "final" version not being ready until 1959.

Synopsis

The musical is based on the book "My Indian Family", which tells the story of an Austrian woman who travels to India to spend time with her daughter and her Indian son-in-law. While in India, the daughter dies and the mother-in-law steps in to help the widowed husband find a new bride. The musical follows some of the broad strokes of the book, but with significant changes including a love story between the mother-in-law (Christine) and the widowed son-in-law.

Act I

Christine arrives in India to visit her daughter Mary-Anne, and her daughter's husband, Dr Rashil Singh ("Welcome Song/My Indian Family"). She discovers though that her daughter has died in childbirth, along with the child, her widowed doctor husband racked with sorrow and guilt over not being able to save her life ("A Doctor's Soliloquy"). Aided by Dr Singh's Auntie and Uncle, Christine takes on the mother's duty to find a new wife for her son-in-law ("How to Pick a Man a Wife" and "The Lovely Girls of Akbarabad"), but instead finds herself falling in love with him ("Room in My Heart"). As Act I ends, Christine and the Doctor sing of their love for each other ("I Never Meant to Fall in Love").

Act II

Act II opens on explorations of the perceived cultural peculiarities of India ("Freedom Can Be a Most Uncomfortable Thing" and "Ireland Was Never Like This"), before exploring the unrequited love a local girl, Sita Roy, has for Dr. Singh ("He Loves Her"). Sita works in the doctor's clinic and notes that the locals have stopped coming to the doctor's dispensary, due to Christine's presence, so Sita implores Christine to leave. Christine tells the doctor of her discomfort with the situation, but he asks her to marry him and she agrees ("Christine"). As the ceremony is prepared in which Christine is to reveal the wife she has chosen for Dr. Singh, she decides that she can't stay after all ("I Love Him"). At the ceremony, she shocks everyone by choosing Sita Roy to be his bride. She tells Dr. Singh she must return to Ireland ("The Woman I Was Before"), which she does, slipping away while Sita & Dr. Singh's wedding is taking place.

Production

Following its out of town tryout at the

Erlanger Theatre The Erlanger Theatre was a live-performance theater at the northwest corner of 21st and Market Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1927 by Abraham L. Erlanger, theatrical producer and a founding member of the Theatrical Syndi ...

, it opened on Broadway at the

46th Street Theatre The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by He ...

on April 28, 1960 and closed on May 8, 1960, after 12 performances. The show was directed by

Jerome Chodorov Jerome Chodorov (August 10, 1911 – September 12, 2004) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He co-wrote the book with Joseph A. Fields for the original Broadway musical ''Wonderful Town'' starring Rosalind Russell. The musi ...

, with set and lighting design by Jo Mielziner, costumes by

Alvin Colt Alvin Colt (July 5, 1916 – May 4, 2008) was an American costume designer. Colt worked on over 50 Broadway shows. His first job was in a theatrical fabric house, he also worked on painting scenery during the summer. '' On the Town'' was the firs ...

, choreography by

Hanya Holm Hanya Holm (born Johanna Eckert; 3 March 1893 – 3 November 1992) is known as one of the "Big Four" founders of American modern dance. She was a dancer, choreographer, and above all, a dance educator. Early life, connection with Mary Wigman Bo ...

, and dance and vocal arrangements by

Trude Rittmann Gertrud Rittmann (24 September 1908 – 22 February 2005) was a German Jewish composer, musical director, arranger and orchestrator who lived and worked for much of her life in the United States. Her career particularly flourished with major succ ...

. The cast featured Maureen O'Hara (Lady Christine FitzSimons), Nancy Andrews (Auntie), Laurie Archer (Amora), Bhaskar (Rainath), Steve Curry (Krishna), Leslye Hunter (Jaya), Daniel Keyes (Dr.MacGowan),

Phil Leeds Phil Leeds (April 6, 1916 – August 16, 1998) was an American character actor. He is best known for appearing in many movies and television series, including guest appearances in ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'', '' Maude'', ''Friends'', ''Barney ...

(Uncle), Morley Meredith (Dr. Rashil Singh), Jonathan Morris (Mohan Roy),

Janet Pavek Janet Pavek (12 August 1936 – 6 January 2009) was an American operatic soprano and musical theatre actress. Biography Pavek was born and raised in Bronxville, New York and began studying singing at the age of eleven. She won the Miss Eas ...

(Sita Roy), Augie Rios (Rajendra), and Barbara Webb (The Matchmaker).

Song list

Source: Internet Broadway database; ''AllMusic '' ;Act I * "Welcome Song"—Auntie, Uncle, Rainath, Children and Chorus * "My Indian Family"—Lady Christine FitzSimons * "A Doctor's Soliloquy"—Dr. Rashil Singh * "UNICEF Song"—The Children * "My Little Lost Girl"—Children and Dr. Rashil Singh * "I'm Just a Little Sparrow"—Jaya, Auntie, Rajendra, Servants and Children * "We're Just a Pair of Sparrows"—Lady Christine FitzSimons and Jaya * "How to Pick a Man a Wife"—Auntie and Uncle * "The Lovely Girls of Akbarabad"—The Matchmaker and Chorus * "Room in My Heart"—Lady Christine FitzSimons * "The Divali Festival"—Rainath, Dancers and Singers * "I Never Meant to Fall in Love"—Lady Christine FitzSimons and Dr. Rashil Singh ;Act II * "Freedom Can Be a Most Uncomfortable Thing"—Auntie and Friends * "Ireland Was Never Like This"—Lady Christine FitzSimons and Dancers * "He Loves Her"—Sita Roy * "Christine"—Dr. Rashil Singh * "Room in My Heart (Reprise)"—Lady Christine FitzSimons * "Freedom Can Be a Most Uncomfortable Thing (Reprise)"—Auntie and Uncle * "The Woman I was Before"—Lady Christine FitzSimons * "A Doctor's Soliloquy (Reprise)"—Lady Christine FitzSimons and Dr. Rashil Singh * "I Never Meant to Fall in Love (Reprise)"—Dr. Rashil Singh and Lady Christine FitzSimons

Recordings

"Christine: Original Broadway Cast" was released in 1960 on

Columbia Masterworks Records Columbia Masterworks was a record label started in 1924 by Columbia Records. In 1980, it was separated from the Columbia label and renamed CBS Masterworks. In 1990, it was revived as Sony Classical after its sale to the Sony Corporation. History ...

, then re-released in 2002 on compact disc by DRG Records.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Internet Broadway database
1960 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on novels