''Tovarich'' is a 1963 musical play in two acts with book by David Shaw; music by
Lee Pockriss
Lee Julian Pockriss (January 20, 1924 – November 14, 2011) was an American songwriter who wrote many well-known popular songs and several scores for films and Broadway shows, mainly during the 1960s and 1970s.
Early life and career
Born in ...
and lyrics by Anne Croswell; based on the comedy by
Jacques Deval
Jacques Deval (1895–1972) was a French playwright, screenwriter and film director.
Novels
*''Marie Galante'' (1931)
Plays
*''Une faible femme''; a comedy in three acts (1920)
*''Dans sa candeur naïve''; a comedy in three acts (1926); translate ...
and
Robert E. Sherwood
Robert Emmet Sherwood (April 4, 1896 – November 14, 1955) was an American playwright and screenwriter.
He is the author of '' Waterloo Bridge, Idiot's Delight, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Rebecca, There Shall Be No Night, The Best Years of Our ...
.
Productions
The musical opened in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
at
The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre (formerly Universal's Colony Theatre, B.S. Moss's Broadway Theatre, Earl Carroll's Broadway Theatre, and Ciné Roma) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 1681 Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway (near 53rd Street (Manhatta ...
on 18 March 1963 then transferred to
Majestic Theatre Majestic Theatre or Majestic Theater may refer to:
Australia
* Majestic Theatre, Adelaide, former name of a theatre in King William Street, Adelaide, built 1916, now demolished
* Majestic Theatre, Launceston, a former cinema in Tasmania designed b ...
and the
Winter Garden Theatre
The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...
. It ran for a total 264 performances.
The production was directed by
Peter Glenville
Peter Glenville (born Peter Patrick Brabazon Browne; 28 October 19133 June 1996) was an English film and stage actor and director.
Biography
Born in Hampstead, London, into a theatrical family, Glenville was the son of Shaun Glenville (born J ...
and choreographed by
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 original cast included
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...
,
Jean Pierre Aumont
Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French actor, and holder of the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service.
Early life
Aumont was born Jea ...
,
George S. Irving
George S. Irving (born Irving Shelasky; November 1, 1922 – December 26, 2016) was an American actor known primarily for his character roles on Broadway theatre, Broadway and as the voice of Heat Miser in the American Christmas television spe ...
, Louise Kirtland,
Alexander Scourby
Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film, television, and voice actor known for his deep and resonant voice and Mid-Atlantic accent. He is best known for his film role as the ruthless mob boss Mike ...
and
Louise Troy.
Vivien Leigh won the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
for
Best Actress in a Musical. Leigh left the production on short notice because of illness; understudy
Joan Copeland
Joan Maxine Kupchik ( Miller; June 1, 1922 – January 4, 2022), known professionally as Joan Copeland, was an American actress. She was the younger sister of playwright Arthur Miller. She began her career during the mid-1940s, appearing in thea ...
took over the role October 7, 1963 and she was replaced by
Eva Gabor
Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), ...
on October 21, 1963.
Songs
; Act I
* "Nitchevo"
* "I Go to Bed"
* "You'll Make an Elegant Butler (I'll Make an Elegant Maid)"¹
* "Stuck With Each Other"
* "Say You'll Stay"
* "You Love Me"
* "Introduction Tango"
* "That Face"
* "Wilkes-Barre, Pa."
* "No! No! No!"
* "A Small Cartel"
; Act II
* "It Used to Be"
* "Make a Friend"
* "The Only One"
* "Uh-Oh!"
* "Managed"
* "I Know the Feeling"
* "All for You"
* "Grande Polonaise"
¹ - music and lyrics by Joan Javits and Philip Springer
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
External links
* {{ibdb show, id=8831, title=Tovarich
The Guide to Musical Theatre
Broadway musicals
1963 musicals
Musicals based on plays
Tony Award-winning musicals