''The Gay Life'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

with a book by Fay and Michael Kanin, lyrics by

Howard Dietz Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist, best remembered for his songwriting collaboration with Arthur Schwartz. Biography Dietz was born in New York City. He attended Columbia Colle ...

, and music by

Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on Novem ...

. Based on a cycle of seven short plays by

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...

, published in 1893 and first staged in 1910, ''The Gay Life'' focuses on womanizing playboy Anatol von Huber. The score is a mixture of traditional

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 ...

show tunes and

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

Production

''The Gay Life'' started pre-Broadway try-outs at the Fisher Theater in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

and the

O'Keefe Centre Meridian Hall is a major performing arts venue in Toronto, Ontario, and it is the country's largest soft-seat theatre. The facility was constructed for the City of Toronto municipal government and is currently managed by TO Live, an arms-le ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. The production opened on

at the Shubert Theatre on November 18, 1961 and closed on February 24, 1962 after 113 performances and three previews. Directed by

Gerald Freedman Gerald Alan Freedman (June 25, 1927 – March 17, 2020) was an American theatre director, librettist, and lyricist, and a college dean. Life and career Freedman was born in Lorain, Ohio, the son of Fannie (Sepenswol), a history teacher, and Barn ...

and

choreographed Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...

, the cast included

Walter Chiari Walter Annicchiarico (8 March 1924 – 20 December 1991), known as Walter Chiari , was an Italian stage and screen actor, mostly in comedy roles. Biography Walter Annicchiarico was born in Verona, Italy on 8 March 1924 to a family originally ...

as Anatol,

Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals ''Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' (19 ...

as Liesl, and

Jules Munshin Jules Munshin (February 22, 1915 – February 19, 1970) was an American actor, comedian and singer who had made his name on Broadway when he starred in ''Call Me Mister''. His additional Broadway credits include ''The Gay Life'' and ''Barefoot ...

as Max, with Elizabeth Allen as Magda and

Leonard Elliott Leonard Elliott (November 23, 1905, New York City — December 31, 1989, New York City) was an American actor and comedian of the stage, television, and film. Life and career Born Leonard Elliott Gothelf in New York City, Elliott began his career ...

as Franz. Owing to the new meaning which the term "

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

" had acquired since the show's original staging, its title was changed to ''The High Life'' when it was presented in concert by the

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 ...

Musicals Tonight! in October 2005.

Synopsis

In Vienna in 1904, Anatol von Huber is to marry Liesl, but his former mistress is discovered with him on his wedding day. In flashback Anatol remembers how he arrived at this circumstance. Anatol, a confirmed bachelor and playboy, has decided the time has come to settle down and get married. His target is the sister of his best friend Max, the

virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

al Liesl, whose longtime crush on him makes her the likeliest candidate. But the young lady is determined to tame the philanderer and make him swear to be true to her before she accepts his proposal. After meeting Anatol for the first time since she was a child at the marriage mart in Carlsbad, Liesl decides that Anatol is the man for her. However, as the guests waltz, Anatol leaves with the Frenchwoman Mimi. When they meet again on Christmas Eve, Liesl tells Anatol how she feels, even though he is with Mimi. Anatol learns that Mimi plans on leaving him, and he invents a story about his relationship with Liesl. Anatol does in fact propose, but Liesl is doubtful they will really marry. Her doubts seem to come true when his old flame, Magda, is found in his bedroom. Although Liesl declares that she will not marry him, he proposes again, and they marry.

Songs

;Act I * What A Charming Couple - Ensemble * Why Go Anywhere at All? - Helene * Bring Your Darling Daughter - Max, Ensemble * Now I'm Ready for a Frau - Anatol, Max * Magic Moment - Liesl * Who Can? You Can - Anatol, Liesl * Oh, Mein Liebchen - Ensemble * The Label on the Bottle - Liesl * This Kind of a Girl - Anatol, Liesl * The Bloom Is Off the Rose - Max, Male Ensemble * Who Can? You Can (Reprise) - Ensemble * Now I'm Ready for a Frau (Reprise) - Anatol * Magic Moment (Reprise) - Liesl ;Act II * I'm Glad I'm Single - Max and Male Ensemble * Now I'm Ready for a Frau (Reprise) - Anatol and Max * Something You Never Had Before - Liesl * You Will Never Be Lonely - Frau Brandel, Herr Brandel and Ensemble * You're Not the Type - Anatol and Liesl * Come A-Wandering With Me - Magda and Male Dancers * I Never Had a Chance - Anatol * I Wouldn't Marry You - Liesl * For the First Time - Anatol

Critical response

Howard Taubman, 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 ...

'', called the show "colorful, cheerful, and leisurely in an Old World way" and wrote: "The nicest of all the gemutlich...is Barbara Cook. As Liesl she conveys an enchanting blend of gentle simplicity and independent character. The integrity of her acting and her singing voice gives an oft-told sentimental story the credibility of human warmth."

Recording

original cast recording Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...

was released by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

(Capitol WAO 1560 and SWAO 1560) and later released on CD by

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

, then DRG. John Wilson, reviewing the album in ''

'' wrote that "relieved of the encumbrance of the book the score is sunny and lilting with extremely hummable songs."Wilson, John S. "Does It Himself", ''The New York Times'', February 18, 1962, p.X15

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

References

External links

The Gay Life at Internet Broadway Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gay Life, The 1961 musicals Broadway musicals Tony Award-winning musicals Musicals by Arthur Schwartz