''One & One'' is an American 1970s ASCAP award-winning original

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

by Dianne Adams (music and lyrics), Fred Bennett (book), and

Richard O'Donnell Richard Mark O'Donnell (born 12 September 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Blackpool. Having started his career with Sheffield Wednesday's youth system, O'Donnell progressed to the first team where he ...

(book, music and lyrics).

Production

''One & One'' is a musical comedy that was produced by the Broadway-Times Theatre, Co.. Musical numbers were staged by Roger Braun, musical direction was by Dianne Adams, and the production was directed by Jim Payne. It opened November 15, 1978 at The Carter Theatre, 250 West 43rd Street in the heart of

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

. ''One & One'' previewed in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

at the Carter Theatre (formally the Bert Wheeler Theatre) for over six months before officially opening on November 15, 1978. On opening night, Dianne Adams was 19, Richard O’Donnell was 22, and Fred Bennett was 24 years old. ''One & One'' officially launched the Broadway-Times Theatre Company, dedicated to producing original musicals.

Synopsis

''One & One'' tells the story of a fading song and dance team Majeski & O’Reily that are forced to take on a woman partner to boost their notoriety. An old childhood friend, Julie Allyn, has blossomed into a talented beauty; they both fall in love with her with disastrous results. Through the decline of

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

to the rise of the big

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

, ''One & One'' is an homage to American entertainment with “...as good a score as any on Broadway today.”

History

In 1976, while attending

Mansfield University Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a campus of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and it is located it in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the campus' total enrollment is 1,6 ...

, Dianne Adams (music and lyrics), Fred Bennett (book), and Richard O’Donnell (book, music, and lyrics) met, all sharing their adoration for the bygone years of

Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

, and the great

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

. In 1978, their musical comedy ''One & One'' was officially produced

and went on to receive three

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

Special Awards in 1978 and one in 1979, under the category of

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

Broadway production

One & One was slated for

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, produced by Duff Boardman & Associates
Theatre Now, Inc.
general managers; and budgeted at one million dollars. For the Broadway backers audition, unknown actor

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...

recorded the role of Jeff O’Riely. Tap legend Miriam Nelson was signed to direct and choreograph. Due to costs, the show never hit the

Great White Way Broadway () is a road in the U.S. state of New York. Broadway runs from State Street at Bowling Green for through the borough of Manhattan and through the Bronx, exiting north from New York City to run an additional through the Westchester ...

Musical numbers

;Act I * "Let Us Take You Back" - Full company * "Honky Tonk Lady" - Mutt & Jeff * "One & One" - Mutt & Jeff * "Don't Let It Get You Down" - Zimon, Mutt & Jeff * "If You Can Prove I'm In Love" - Julie * "On The Road Again" - Julie, Mutt & Jeff * "Opening Night" - Julie, Mutt & Jeff * "Dancer" - Jeff & Julie * "If You Can Prove I'm In Love (reprise)" - Julie ;Act II * "One & One (reprise)" - Mutt & Jeff * "Here's To Hollywood" - Peter & Company * "Female!" - Julie, Mutt & Jeff * "Julie (I Love You)" - Peter, Mutt & Jeff * "Don't Let It Get You Down (reprise)" - Zimon & Julie * "Lonely Song & Dance Man" - Jeff * "Military Man" - Sarge & Company * "Honky Tonk Lady (reprise)" - Mutt * "Looking To The Sky" - Mutt * "Lonely Song & Dance Man (reprise)" - Mutt * "One & One" - Mutt & Jeff, Full Company

Roles and cast information

;Original off-Broadway cast: * Mutt Majeski - Peter Boynton * Jeff O’Reily - Alan Nicholson * Julie Allyn - Karen Kruger * Oscar - Norman Goldenberg * Sarge - Sharon Ann Murray * Emmy (Mavis) - Marisa Post * Peter (MC, Soldier) - David Bell * Belmont (Sailor) - David Morton * Toni (USO girl) - Anny Degange * Bill (Hawkins, Soldier) - Robert Putnam * Mike (Chuck) -

David Strassman David Strassman (born September 6, 1957) is an Americans, American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and comedian. He is best known for his ventriloquism act with Chuck Wood and Ted E. Bare. Early life and education Strassma ...

Replacements: * Mutt Majeski - Scott Bodie * Julie Allyn - Carole-Ann Scott Understudies: * Mutt Majeski - David Morton, Scott Bodie * Jeff O’Reily - Robert Putnam * Julie Allyn - Marisa Post, Carole-Ann Scott * Sarge - Jane Ann Ford

Notes and references

{{Reflist

External links

Internet Off Broadway Database

Broadway World Database

Ovrtur
1978 musicals Off-Broadway musicals Musicals set in the United States