''Gantry'' is a musical with a book by

Peter Bellwood Peter Stafford Bellwood (born Leicester, England, 1943) is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. He is well known for his Out of Taiwan model rega ...

, lyrics by

Fred Tobias Fred Tobias (March 25, 1928, New York City – May 20, 2021, Naples, Florida) was an American songwriter, who was most prominent in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Tobias' songs have been performed by numerous performers, including Elvis Presley, Bob ...

, and music by

Stanley Lebowsky Stanley Lebowsky (; November 26, 1926 – October 19, 1986) was a Hollywood and Broadway composer, lyricist, conductor and music director who conducted more than a dozen Broadway musicals including ''Chicago'', ''Half a Sixpence'', '' Irma La Douce ...

. Based on the 1927 novel ''

Elmer Gantry ''Elmer Gantry'' is a satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of America in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. The novel's protagonis ...

'' by

Sinclair Lewis Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American writer and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States (and the first from the Americas) to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was ...

, it tells the story of a womanizing, self-righteous, self-proclaimed

preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach components such as ...

who joins forces with a female

evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...

to sell

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

to small-town America. After 31 previews, the Broadway production, directed and choreographed by

Onna White Onna White (March 24, 1922 – April 8, 2005) was a Canadian choreographer and dancer, nominated for eight Tony Awards. Early life and career Born in Inverness, Nova Scotia, White began taking dance lessons at the age of twelve, and eventual ...

, opened on February 14, 1970 at the

George Abbott Theatre The Adelphi Theatre (1934–1940 and 1944–1958), originally named the Craig Theatre, opened on December 24, 1928. The Adelphi was located at 152 West 54th Street in Manhattan, with 1,434 seats. Internet Broadway Database''Adelphi Theatre''(Ret ...

, where it closed after one performance. The cast included Robert Shaw, Rita Moreno,

Ted Thurston Ted Thurston (January 9, 1917 – July 23, 1994) was an American actor and singer. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Thurston made his Broadway debut in the short-lived 1951 musical ''Flahooley''. He had better luck with his next show, the Lerner ...

, and

Beth Fowler Beth Fowler is an American actress and singer, best known for her performances on Broadway and for her role as Sister Ingalls, on ''Orange Is the New Black''. She is a two-time Tony Award nominee. Life and career Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, ...

Song list

;Act I * Wave a Hand * He Was There * Play Ball with the Lord * Katie Jonas * Thanks, Sweet Jesus! * Someone I've Already Found * He's Never Too Busy * We're Sharin' Sharon ;Act II * We Can All Give Love * Foresight * These Four Walls * Show Him the Way * The Promise of What I Could Be * Gantry's Reaction * We're Sharin' Sharon (Reprise)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gantry 1970 musicals Broadway musicals Sinclair Lewis Musicals based on novels